AllFreeNovel
Share Us
THURSDAY, JULY 28, 3:15 A.M.
“Is she asleep?” Farrah murmured as Molly sat next to Gabe at the kitchen table of the cabin that they’d left only a few hours before.
Molly gratefully accepted the cup of tea that Gabe slid her way. It was good. It would have been even better with a healthy shot of whiskey, but this would do for now. “Yes. Chelsea’s with her. They’re both asleep. Shoe’s lying next to their bed.”
“That is one good dog,” Farrah said with a smile.
“My dad trained him well,” Gabe agreed. “He went after Tobin like he was a pork chop.”
“And then he comforted Harper,” Molly added. She rested her head on Gabe’s shoulder when he put his arm around her. Despite the terror of the evening, she still had him by her side. It gave her comfort. “I’m so sorry, Farrah. We’re putting you in danger.”
Farrah waved a beautifully manicured hand. “I’m marrying a cop. Comes with the territory. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been in danger, and it’s unlikely to be the last. Your clothes are in the dryer, by the way. I didn’t get all the bloodstains out, but they aren’t too obvious.”
Farrah had been generous, loaning them clothes while she washed the ones they’d been wearing. Now they wore T-shirts and sweats. André’s clothes were a little big on Gabe, but Farrah’s fit Molly pretty well. It was always nice to borrow clothes from another buxom woman.
She and Gabe had set their Kevlar vests aside to air out. They’d become ripe over the course of the day. But they’d put them on again when they left the house, no matter how bad they smelled.
Smelling like ass was way better than being dead.
“Thank you,” Molly said, then turned to Gabe. “How’s Patty?”
“She’s good. I talked to her for a little while. Farrah let me use her phone so that no one would be able to trace the call to me. André put someone he trusts at her door and they’ll escort her and Val back to Patty’s house tomorrow when she’s released. She was lucky. The bastard who grabbed her hit her head with the butt of his gun.”
“Well, she did hit him with a frying pan first,” Farrah commented dryly. “I can’t wait to meet her. I think we’ll be great friends.”
“I think you will, too,” Gabe said, then sobered. “She said that the leader of the two said that they needed to take her alive, but that they could kill Val.”
Molly shuddered. “That’s what Val said when I talked to her. But, then again, I guess they learned not to mess with a roller derby queen.”
Farrah smiled. “That is so very satisfying. I hope Val hurt them both.”
Molly sighed. “They’re both in the morgue, so I’d say so. I mean, I’m not going to mourn them any more than I’m going to mourn the guys we took out, but now we can’t try to turn them on each other in exchange for information. I hope Antoine’s able to trace that phone number you got off of Tobin’s phone.”
Gabe scowled. “I should have just stolen it. I’ve been kicking myself ever since.”
“You did the right thing,” Farrah told him. “André will get it all sorted.”
Molly personally agreed with Gabe’s current assessment, but she wasn’t about to disagree with Farrah in her own home. Or in her family’s camp, anyway. Plus, Gabe’s logic had been sound. If they tampered with evidence, Tobin might escape justice. Again.
Gabe shook his head. “I sure hope so.” He glanced at the time on his phone. “Can we check in with Burke? I need to know that I didn’t colossally fuck up by not taking that phone.”
“He’s in the waiting room at the hospital,” Molly said. “Lucien’s still in surgery and he doesn’t have family except for us, so Burke’s staying until the surgeon comes out with an update. Let’s call Antoine instead. He’ll be doing the real work on this anyway.”
Farrah took out her own phone and dialed her soon-to-be brother-in-law. “Hey, it’s me. I’ve got Molly and Gabe here, and they’d like an update.”
“I might have been asleep,” Antoine grumbled. “You should apologize for calling so late.”
“But you weren’t asleep,” Farrah replied lightly. “You’re on speaker.”
“Hey, guys,” Antoine said. “I was actually just about to call you. Let me link Burke in. He said to call him when I had info. He’ll find a room there at the hospital that’s private.”
A minute later, Burke was on the line. “I need some good news,” he said heavily. “Lucien’s surgery’s taking a lot longer than they thought. I don’t know how he was able to make it into your apartment, Molly. Not with a bullet hole in his gut.”
And she and Lucien would be discussing that later. He’d made it seem like his injuries weren’t all that bad. Gabe might be second-guessing leaving Tobin’s phone behind, but she’d been second-guessing leaving Lucien behind.
“I have some new connections,” Antoine said. “First, good job, Gabe. I was able to use all the information you gave me to get into Tobin’s cloud account.”
“Oh, thank God,” Gabe said on a rush of air. “I’ve been cussing myself to hell and back over that damn phone.”
