“It means she looks twenty-five.” Mama Moon didn’t back down, which was probably wise. She recognized Gunner was spoiling for a fight and she was willing to engage with him. Honestly, I preferred he be the source of her wrath rather than me. “She wore a lot of makeup.”
“There’s no harm in wearing makeup,” Gunner said.
“I didn’t say there was.” She pinned him with a quelling look. “I’m not your enemy. I knew Jeanie when she was a young girl and I liked her a great deal. Since she’s been back, she’s been running with a rough crowd.”
“Define ‘rough.’”
“She’s been running with that leather-bound twenties crowd that you would rather set on fire than deal with when it comes to pack politics. She’s been hanging out at bars and drinking in fields. I think she’s acting out because she’s upset over her parents separating. I don’t know that for a fact, though. Maybe she was acting out before then.”
Gunner dragged a hand through his hair and shook his head. “I can’t believe Granger would allow something like that. He always seemed to have a firm handle on his kids. I thought he was a good father.”
“You can’t always control your children,” Ezekiel countered. “You can only maintain control for a certain amount of time. Then they’re on their own. If this child is seventeen, he might believe he’s done all he can do.”
Gunner narrowed his eyes and I worried he was about to tell Ezekiel exactly where he could stuff his concern. Since I was eager to get away from the old man — he had a way of staring that made me distinctly uncomfortable — I figured this was as good of an excuse as any to make our escape.
“Do you know when she disappeared?” I asked Mama Moon. “How long ago?”
“Sometime last night.” Mama Moon shot me an encouraging smile, as if acknowledging what I was doing. “I don’t believe she’s been gone for more than a few hours.”
I tugged on Gunner’s shirt to get him to look at me. “That means it’s a fresher lead. We can track her down that way.”
He nodded. “That’s a good idea. Do you know where she was last seen?”
“Not particularly, but I would check the Dirty Rooster.”
Gunner shook his head. “She’s seventeen. She couldn’t get into that place.”
“And yet she could.” Mama Moon smirked. “I told you she looked older. She also had a fake ID. I guarantee she was there last night. She’s there every night. I don’t know if she disappeared from there but they’re likely to have the best answers.”
“What about her mother?” I asked. “If she’s in Hawthorne Hollow, then she must be hanging around with her mother. Shouldn’t we start with her?”
Mama Moon let out a sad sigh. “Thea is having a rough time too.” Now she was focused on Gunner. “I believe she’s been having a few problems with prescription drugs, which is why Granger pulled the plug on the marriage.”
Sadness permeated Gunner’s eyes. “I wondered. I thought Thea and Granger married for life. I couldn’t imagine what would break them apart.”
“I don’t believe Granger wanted to cut her loose, but he has children. Jeanie is the oldest. He’s also got two younger boys. Sometimes you have to do what’s right even though it feels wrong.”
Gunner nodded. “We’ll check it out. Thanks for the tip.” He gestured toward the truck and I moved to hop in. Mama Moon stopped me with a small wave.
“What is it?” I asked, impatient. We had a lead and I wanted to chase it, even if I would have to wait for a few hours. The bar in question wouldn’t open until dark.
“I know you’re busy, and I don’t want to keep you, but I’ve known Ezekiel for a long time.” She tilted her head in the other man’s direction. “If he says he knew your grandfather, I would believe him.”
She sounded so sure of herself all I could do was bob my head. “I’ll think about it. The missing women take precedence right now. Between them and the vampires running wild, it feels like something big is about to happen. That has to be more important.”
“I agree with you there.” Mama Moon flashed an enigmatic smile. “I just wanted to put my opinion on the record if you’re struggling with trusting Ezekiel. He’s a good guy.”
Under normal circumstances, her words had weight. These were pretty far from normal circumstances.
“I’ll take it under advisement. Thanks for the tip. We need to be going. We have some things to check out.”
“Of course.” She took a step away from the truck. “Good luck.”
Unfortunately, I had a feeling we were going to need it.
Ten
We went to the hotel because I assumed Zoe would want an update on our status. There weren’t a lot of lodging options in Hawthorne Hollow and Aric’s expensive vehicle stuck out in a sea of dated pickup trucks. Rather than go to the front office to get a room number, we parked next to his vehicle and headed directly for the room he’d parked in front of.
I didn’t hear anything on the other side of the door when I attempted to listen and opted to look through the window first. To my surprise, they were all stretched out together in the same bed, which was only a full-sized mattress. Sami was spread eagle on her side, taking up a good half of the bed, and Zoe and Aric were crowded together on the other side, basically wrapped around one another.
“They’re a nice family,” Gunner murmured from behind me.
I nodded. There was something profound about their bond. “I like them. It’s kind of neat to think about who they are, what they’ve accomplished, and the fact that they manage to take their kid on adventures with them.”
He leaned close and kissed my neck. “I like that idea, too. Maybe that will be us one day.”
I froze, a mixture of fear and surprise gripping me.
“Don’t
