“Yes, Ezra’s at the hospital and Shane called Tag. He’s going to want to move fast, so be ready. Tag and Ten will be here in the morning.”
Henry moved back into the bushes as Kayla Summers walked out of the big house that he’d managed to turn into a morgue. He hadn’t talked to her much after he’d burst through the window and saved the day. He’d snuck off and taken some data he’d needed. He would go through it all later, but he couldn’t risk Kay taking it in.
She had a phone to her ear. Josh Hunt walked behind her.
That man was going to have miles of anxiety to use for his next movie role. He’d nearly died, but he’d been solid in a fight.
Kay looked good. She was as deadly as ever, but despite the horrors of the night, there was a joy about her. Likely because she was alive and in love. She glowed with love for that man and he for her. She had her happily ever after.
It might have cost him his.
“Yeah, we’ll be back at the set by morning. See you soon.” Kayla hung up the phone. “I made sure all the security camera footage was erased, but we need to move out. I don’t want us to get caught here. If anyone asks, we came to the party but you had to get back to the set for an early call.”
“Hey, baby, don’t worry about it. I know how to sell a scene,” Hunt said. “I wish Bishop hadn’t taken off. I’d liked to have talked to him, offered him a ride out.”
“Yes, me, too. I had a couple of questions for him, but I assure you he hasn’t taken off yet.” She dropped Hunt’s hand and put her hands on her hips. “John, I know you’re still here somewhere. If I had time, I would show you how good I’ve gotten at finding people. We will have this conversation at some point.”
He felt his lips quirk up. She remembered his moves. He stayed silent because they couldn’t talk here, and he wasn’t ready yet.
Like Nell wasn’t ready.
“I want to meet your wife,” she yelled.
Nell would be fascinated by Kay. Nell would want to be her friend, and she would listen to all of Kay’s crazy stories.
God, he missed his wife. He missed his life, but deep down he’d missed this too. Not the killing, but the puzzle of it all. That was what he missed. He’d gotten the data he needed. With the Jalisco cartel in ruins, he’d likely bought himself more time with at least one of the groups of people who wanted him dead.
“And thank you, John.” Kay took her boyfriend’s hand again and they walked away.
He took a deep breath and started to make his way to the car he’d hidden. He needed to get back to Mexico City before dawn. The police would view this entire clusterfuck as cartel related, and no one would think to look for Henry Flanders.
It was time to go home. But first, he had some old friends to see. They were still in trouble, and he might have something to give them.
Maybe a big group of mind-erased men would soften Nell up.
He pulled his cell and realized how late it was. He didn’t want to wake her. He sighed and started the long march back home.
He hoped he was welcome.
Chapter Eight
“Hey, you want anything?” Michael loomed over her, the lights illuminating his big body. The picnic pavilion at the park was decorated with pretty streamers and twinkle lights. “I think someone brought those rice things. You know, they’re like rice, but they’re not rice.”
She glanced over to the big buffet tables that dominated one side of the pavilion. The tables were loaded with pots and pans of delicious-smelling food that didn’t seem to move her at all. Some of her friends were standing behind the buffet, reloading when needed. Stella had brought a plethora of pies, and she and her husband Sebastian were doling out pieces.
It was Bliss at its best. She was surrounded by friends and feeling incredibly lonely.
“Quinoa. It’s Teeny’s quinoa salad. But because she’s married to Marie, she puts a protein in it, and not black beans or tofu. Nope. That pretty salad hides a bunch of chicken,” she replied. It was the reality of vegan life. Most of the time she looked down at a perfectly good salad and it had a big hunk of meat in it. Or mayonnaise. “It’s okay. I’ll get some of Cassidy’s beet and carrot salad in a bit.”
She was sitting at one of the tables toward the back, kind of sticking to the shadows because she didn’t want to answer the inevitable questions.
When’s Henry coming home?
Where did he go?
Or the worst—how are you doing?
She was doing shitty, and that wasn’t a word she was used to using.
“There’s not a lot of protein in a beet and carrot salad.” Michael sat down across from her. “Caleb wants to make sure you’re getting enough protein. You’ve seemed tired lately.”
She was tired. Tired of avoiding everything. Tired of hiding from the world. Tired of not feeling like herself. “I’m fine. My blood work came back and he said everything is great.”
It had been the second appointment Henry had missed, though she couldn’t blame him.
Except that she’d read the reports of the Jalisco Cartel being brought down. The reports were that rival cartel members had taken down the shadowy head of the system, but she knew the truth. Most of the dead people hadn’t been killed with bullets. They’d had their necks broken.
Her husband had put in some work that night.
That night had been three days ago, and he still wasn’t home. He’d waved her off by saying he had some loose ends to tie up. He’d explained that he’d gotten back in contact with some old friends and needed
