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Maizie stared at her. “I thought that was cheese.”
She shook her head. “Cheese is a superfood. Because we all know corporations are lying to us about what’s healthy and what isn’t just so they can make money.”
Maizie, almost smiling, came and sat on the bed beside Kenna, shoulder to shoulder with her. The trust it took for the teen to seek out physical contact with anyone made Kenna remain very still, not wanting to disturb it.
Stairns looked at his watch like he didn’t notice. “I can call the doctor to schedule a visit. Or we can go back to the hospital.”
Kenna saw something in his expression. “But…”
“You need to tell me how you could tell there was something else.” Maizie glanced at her. “Because I didn’t know there was more just then.”
“The two of you are ganging up on me like my girls do.” He eyed them with something like affectionate pride in his gaze.
Maizie said, “Did you mean it when you told that guy we’re family?”
That made her move, shifting so she could look Maizie in the eye. Kenna wanted to say a number of things, but for a girl raised in anything but safety, sometimes Maizie needed Kenna to say things plainly. “You’re stuck with me now.” She let that sink in for a second, then turned back to Stairns. “What else is going on?”
“Navarro wants to see you. He specifically mentioned dinner.” Stairns glanced at Maizie.
“I said if you were going, then we’re all going.”
Stairns shook his head. “To which I replied that if anyone is meeting him, then it should happen here in town. Not out at his ranch in the middle of nowhere.”
“I do want to see if Ramon is okay,” Kenna said. “Did you two come down here together to find me?”
Maizie nodded.
“I did wonder if you had put a tracker in my shoe, or something.” Kenna gave the girl a soft smile.
Maizie’s jaw flexed. “I’ve got something I need to give you. So you never get lost again.”
Kenna wouldn’t argue, even if it invaded her privacy.
Stairns said, “Someone we know and appreciate insisted that she needed to be in the area so she could adequately locate you personally.”
Kenna held out her fist. Maizie tapped it with her own.
Maizie had faced her fears and come down here because it meant helping Kenna get rescued.
“I’m glad you’re both here,” Kenna said. “It’s good to see you.”
Stairns just nodded and said nothing.
Kenna glanced around at the room she hadn’t looked at much, mostly so she could take a minute and blink away the hot tears that gathered. Even when she’d been alone, she hadn’t really been completely abandoned. But still, having them with her now made all the world of difference. Especially with Jax in the hospital.
“Who is this Ramon guy?” Maizie went to her laptop. She cleared her throat as she moved away from them both, her back to them. “I can look him up.”
“Ramon Santiago was at Quantico the same time as me.”
“Santiago?” Stairns frowned. “Why do I know that name?”
“Give Maizie about thirty seconds and she can probably tell you, but he was undercover. A few years after we graduated the report came through that he had missed more than one check-in, and the last contact the handler had with him he’d shown signs of erratic behavior. In the end he was written off as working for the cartel he’d been undercover with.”
“So he’s a turncoat?” Stairns’ expression gave away exactly what he felt about that.
Kenna would have agreed with him except for what Ramon had told her. “He said he was the one who called the FBI to come and rescue Jax.”
Stairns shook his head. “That call was anonymous as far as I know, but if this Santiago guy did help them out, they might want a follow-up conversation.”
