“I know the name of the company.” I tell him.
“Oh. That is new.” He mutters. “What’s the name?”
“Love the Tots.” I say to him. “Heard of them?”
“No.” His answer is quick. “But I’ll look into it.”
“Okay. Thanks, Bro.”
I hang up the phone and can’t help the uneasy feeling that starts spreading over me. It’s always the same, as soon as I get in range of Talia, something goes wrong. When we were in Spain, Carm did a lot of the leg work with his men. But one of the days, Vin and I went to breakfast at a little café not too far from where we were staying. We sat outside on the patio and when the waiter came with our food he greeted the table behind us.
“Ahhh! Jennifer Talia!” He had exclaimed. I couldn’t see anything since they were directly behind me, but Vin could. I can’t explain what happened next, maybe she knew what Vin looked like or maybe the bitch just had a sixth sense, but she left in a hurry and by the time we reached the entrance of the café, she was long gone.
I knew after that I would have to come home. She knew we were there and we were tracking her. It only made sense she would flee and I couldn’t leave my family here vulnerable.
“You look deep in thought.” Travis’ voice brings me back to the present.
“We found some information on the adoption agency used for Adri.” I tell him, “so, I called Carm to find out more, since it’s in New York.”
“Cool,” he nods. “But we’re doing our own investigation, right?”
“Yeah.” I nod.
“On it.” He reaches out for the envelope.
“Thanks, Trav.”
I clear my head of all adoption agencies and Talia thoughts. I need to plan how my confrontation with Marlana and her prostitute mother will go down.
12
“Aren’t you going to wear your Black Slaughter makeup?” Vin asks from the bed as he watches me dress.
“I want to but I need Marlana to see my face and know it’s me.” I look over to him with a grin, “how do you feel about what we’re going to do to your ex-girlfriend and her mother?”
“First off,” he sits up with a growl. “You were my first and only girlfriend who is now my fiancée. Second, I don’t give a shit. Her and her mother have caused me and my family enough fucking shit.”
“You mad?”
“You’re trying to set me off and you’re not going to like it when I fucking snap. Don’t ever play like I had a single important person in my life before you.” His eyes blaze with anger and I know he will make good on his promise if I push him too much.
“Tell me what you found out in New York.”
He lies back and seemingly relaxes, “not much. Carm looks tired and ragged, not from running the Rampage though because I see Trent doing most of that. Carm was gone a lot Em, his little brother went there to see him and probably only set eyes on him twice.”
“So, what is he up to?”
“What do you have him working on?” He asks.
“I didn’t ask him to do anything until yesterday. I asked him to look up the adoption agency that was used for Adrianna. It’s located there in New York.”
“Maybe he’s still trying to track down Talia for you since Spain was such a fucking bust.”
“Yeah, maybe.” I nod.
“Do you think he’s into something else?” He asks.
“I’m more worried about him, he didn’t choose that life. It was forced on him, maybe he’s so exhausted because he fucking hates what he’s doing. That would drain anyone.”
“True.” He agrees.
Once I’m ready with my knife and the rope in my hoodie pocket, we leave the house and head out to Vin’s Hummer. I watch as he adjusts the gun in his back waistband and hum my approval.
“Were you guys seriously leaving to do indescribable acts of terror and torture without a farewell?” Emmett says from the open garage.
“Yep.” I deadpan and get into the Hummer.
He walks over to the passenger side and taps on the window, I lower it with a roll of my eyes. “What?”
“Be careful. And call me when you’re done.” He looks serious, so I don’t pick on him.
“Okay.”
“Still haven’t heard from Andrew?” He asks.
“No,” I shake my head. “I will go by his house when we’re done.”
“Let me know if you need me to meet you there.” He narrows his eyes like he knows I’ll try to dissuade him.
“Okay.”
“Love you,” he leans in and kisses my cheek. “You too, Bro.” He says to Vin.
Vin blows him a kiss and I chuckle at their camaraderie, it’s nice they get along as well as they do.
We’re on our way to Marlana’s when Vin breaks the silence, “why is Andrew ghosting us?” He’s worried about it and frankly so am I.
“If I find out he’s up to something, I will make him wish we killed him many times over.”
Marlana’s house comes into view and I can feel my anticipation wash over me. I tried to move on and leave her alone, she was nothing to me anyways. She made my first few months here in Whitsborough annoying-I let it go, she taped me having sex with my boyfriend and tried to distribute it-I let it go, but learning about Travis and then the shit she pulled on Shay, I can’t let it go.
“Let's get this done.” Vin growls as he gets out. We parked on the street in front of her house so we don’t alert them that we’re here.
We walk up to the front door and Vin rings the doorbell. “We’ll be lucky if her drunk-of-a-mother is even awake.”
“I won’t mind waking her.” I shrug.
Marlana and her eggplant head opens the door and her eyes nearly bulge out of her head. Her first reaction is to slam it in our faces but Vin is quick and blocks her attempt
