AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I promise. I don’t want to leave you and Elijah right now, but this could keep you safe.”
He carefully threaded his fingers through her hair. She’d let it down after the attack and now wore it loose around her shoulders. He made sure he didn’t grab anywhere near her scalp, keeping his touch gentle. “I want you safe, too,” he whispered. “You’re important.”
She tugged him close, kissing him the way he’d hoped she would. It was warm and comforting, which was exactly what he’d needed.
She ended the kiss on a quiet sigh. “Stay inside. Don’t go anywhere.”
He let her go. “I won’t. You’ll be with Molly, so I know you’ll be in good hands, but just... We don’t know that they were shooting just at me. If they took you out, I’d be...”
Lost.
“I’ll be careful. I promise. I’ll be back soon.” She kissed him lightly. “I promise.”
“Val,” Burke called. “Molly just pulled into the driveway. Get a move on.”
“On my way,” she called back.
Kaj watched her go, trying not to let his worry show. He shouldn’t have bothered. Elijah was at his side in seconds.
“She’ll be okay, Dad. She’s a Marine and carries a gun. And she’s a roller derby queen.”
Kaj kissed the top of his son’s head. “She’s a lot more than that.”
22
Gentilly, New Orleans, Louisiana
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 7:00 P.M.
COREY SURVEYED ALLYSON Meyer’s neighborhood as they approached her town house. The oxy he’d taken had finally kicked in. While his arm still hurt, it was nowhere near what it had been.
Bobby slowed as they drove through the parking lot in front of Allyson’s town house. All the lights were on. “Looks like she’s home, but I don’t see her car. I thought Ed said her car hadn’t moved.”
“That was hours ago. Let me call him.” Corey dialed Ed. “Where’s Allyson’s car?”
“Same place,” Ed said. “It hasn’t moved since yesterday at noon, like I told you.”
“It’s not here,” Bobby said. “She drives a Honda Civic, right?”
“Right,” Ed said. “No other cars are registered in her name. Her car has to be there. I’m sending you a link to the tracking screen.”
Corey clicked on it when it arrived in his inbox. “Ed, we’re standing right next to the dot and there is no Honda Civic to be seen.”
“Fuck,” Ed muttered. “Check the car adjacent to her space.”
“On it,” Bobby called. He was crouching next to the car that was where the app said Allyson’s should be. After a minute, he rose, a tracker in his palm. “Ed, she found the tracker you put on and put it on this other car.”
“So we’ve lost her,” Corey said flatly. “Track her credit cards, Ed.”
“Doing that now.” Keys clacked on his keyboard, followed by Ed’s sigh. “She hasn’t used them. She’s either on the run or she went to work as scheduled, just in another car. If the second is true, she knows Bella’s new location. Either way, she won’t be easy to catch.”
Bobby was staring up at Allyson’s town house window. “Unless we can draw her back.” He pointed to the window where the silhouette of a woman quickly passed by. “Someone’s in there.”
“And I know who.” Corey pointed to the Audi he’d seen only a few days before parked in front of his own house, then again in front of the Three Vets office. “Noni Feldman.”
Bobby’s lips curved. “Let’s take her instead. She’ll make great bait.”
“She might even know where Bella is,” Corey said.
