AllFreeNovel
Share Us
4
ROARK
Derek follows us out of the room with a determined gait. He’s spiraling in self hate and doubt. If everything that he’s saying is true, and I have no reason to doubt him, then he did all he could at the time.
There’s a knock at the door, and I open it to welcome the reentry of our people. Layla gives me a weak smile, holding up coffee drinks from the Starbucks downstairs.
“I know you like to make coffee, but I had a feeling we’d need something stronger,” she says. I smile at her with a nod.
“You’re not wrong on that feeling, little love. Let’s get everyone situated.”
Mav and Atlas follow, bringing in food, and Leo and Albert stand awkwardly at the door.
“It felt wrong to be at the stadium still while you all are here,” Albert says, rubbing the back of his neck. “I need something to do, and I know that sounds ridiculous while Lennon is missing…”
I take pity on them, smiling gently. I could be an asshole right now, but they’re right. It’s a weird time and a strange city. “Come on in. Same rules apply as always. Everything you hear stays confidential, and if we feel it’s too sensitive of information, we’ll kick you out,” I say with a shrug.
Layla pops back around me, biting her lip. “Actually, if Turner’s friend is coming to help and my uncle is proving to be quite the rebel with his computer skills… plausible deniability may be important.”
Leo’s eyes widen slightly, reading between the lines that we may be doing illegal shit they may not need to know about.
I huff out a breath, realizing she’s right. “Grab a hotel room and sit tight?” I amend my directions and they nod.
“We’ll volunteer for food runs, then,” Albert says, shrugging. “I don’t need to be involved, I just need a direction to run in,” he explains.
This I can get behind. “Jordan is watching for any kind of news that may pop up on Lennon, but can you do the same? See if anything odd comes up?”
Leo nods. “Yeah, we can do that. Hope you find her, man. I haven’t known her long, but she refused to take any of my shit,” he says with a shrug. “She’s tough. Wherever she is, I know she’s giving them hell.”
“Aye, I have no doubts my tiny Valkyrie is giving them what for,” I rumble.
They walk away and as I go to close the door I hear, “Yo, wait for me!”
Stopping, I see a man with short brown hair, tattoos, and piercingly intelligent green eyes and feel my muscles start to relax for the first time since Lennon disappeared.
“Hey, Greg. I’m glad you could come.”
Greg shrugs, his bag in his hand. “What the fuck else did I have to do?” he teases me as he walks in. “Tori just about pushed me out of bed, and this is the one time I didn’t mind a bit.”
I snort, shaking my head as I close the door behind me. He hasn’t changed a bit over the years. We all grab coffee, but I’m too nervous to eat. I need some answers.
Pulling out his laptop, Greg glances over at Jordan. “I did some research on the plane. I understand you’re a decent hacker, yeah?”
Jordan flushes as he shrugs. “I work really hard to make sure that isn’t common knowledge, but yes I’m passable with a computer. It’s important to stay ahead of the media shit storm that can happen in the music industry, and this helps.”
Greg nods. “I may need your help on certain things as we look for Lennon. Are you alright with that?”
“I’m up for anything that’ll help me find my niece,” he expresses. Jordan claimed Lennon as family the second he could. He’s always had a soft spot for her, and I guess sometimes blood calls to blood.
Greg stares at him for a minute and then nods. “Derek,” he says, turning towards him. “I understand you have a story to tell us? What happened to Lennon last night?”
Derek rubs his hands on his borrowed pants and tells us everything. He explains how Jordan asked him to keep secret that Lennon was related to him and James until after he got back, and while I can understand it… it was still fucked up of him to ask.
“I fully agree that I should have gone about it differently,” Jordan says with a grimace. “I didn’t know how to handle it, and you have to understand that I’ve been looking for Lennon for years. I just didn’t knowwhereto look.”
“I know for a fact he’s telling the truth,” Layla says, leaning forwards with her coffee. “I remember the fight Uncle Jordan had with my dad when I was seven. Knowing a little more background information, I can say that it all makes so much more sense now. My dad and uncle’s relationship was never really the same after that.”
Jordan nods. “He knew damn well where Lennon was all of this time, and what kind of woman her mother was.”
