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She continued, “You really think I’ll be able to do anything to help with the state I’m in?”
“You’ll make it work.”
“Why don’t you just hire better people, ones you can trust?” She turned only her head to look at him. “Then you wouldn’t have to worry about being stolen from.” Or do the job himself.
“Since you failed to kill Ian Kartom, we’re all going to have to deal with his actions. I protect what’s mine.”
And she didn’t? “None of this has anything to do with me. I didn’t ask to be here, and everyone seems to think I can solve their problems.”
“It’s what you do, isn’t it?”
“For criminals? No.” She needed to be clear. “I help people who have no one else to turn to.”
“That’s it.” He pointed at her with his glass. “I have no one else.”
“With six million coming in? Hire someone. Pay for loyalty.”
She needed to pay for a ride out of here—like an armed escort. Soon as she could get a phone, Kenna was going to have Maizie recite her credit card number and get some private security people over here to pick them up.
With helicopters.
And maybe a tank.
Surely he understood how loyalty worked, and she didn’t need to explain it to him. He’d even understand paying money for quality work. “There are literally a dozen other ways to do this that are more effective than kidnapping and coercion.”
“You seem to only want to argue. As far as I can see the deal is already done.” Navarro’s phone chimed. He leaned forward to look at the screen, the cell lying on the tabletop. “Sleep. I’ll tell you when it’s time to go.”
She didn’t want to.
Like she’d said to him, there were a dozen other ways to do this. And a dozen other places she’d rather be right now. Navarro thought he could order people to do whatever he wanted. Which left Kenna bruised, filthy, and exhausted. The last time she’d slept had been in a bathtub holding onto his nephew.
She hadn’t had quality rest in days.
Kenna sucked in a breath and pushed up off the couch. “Which room is she in?”
Navarro said, “I’ll walk you.”
“Whatever.” As soon as he’d closed the door behind them, Kenna crossed to Maizie. She lifted the necklace over her head.
Maizie blanched. “You can’t take off your tracker.”
Stairns stood by the wall, saying nothing.
“I know where I am. What I want to be sure of is whereyouare.” Kenna dropped the necklace over the teen’s head.
Maizie pressed her lips together.
“Tuck it out of sight,” Kenna said. “But I want you to keep it on, just in case.”
“And if you get taken again? That’s been happening a lot lately, and I don’t have any of my stuff here.” Maizie gasped.
“I know.” She touched Maizie’s shoulders and turned the girl to face her. Kenna didn’t want to be alone and captive. Not again—ever. But she knew what she could handle, even if she was battling with the end of her strength right now. “Keep it. Please.” She squeezed Maizie’s shoulders, then let go. “And when we’re done with all this, we’re both getting one each. Matching ones.”
Maizie didn’t smile, but that was okay. She unzipped the top couple of inches of her sweater and got the necklace situated inside and under her collar.
Kenna glanced between them. “I’ll be back soon.”
ChapterTwenty-Five
