Page 220 of Back in the Saddle

“Honey,” she kept whispering. “This time, they took Homer.”

At this news, my heart flatlined.

TWENTY-FOUR

LEROY NEIMAN

Ihadn’t jumpstarted my heart in the second it took Eric to grab my hand and drag me to the bedroom.

Once he got me there, he bent so he was an inch in front of my face.

“I know you’re gonna rally the women and go out,” he stated.

Fuck yes, I was going to rally the women and go out.

I didn’t get the chance to confirm.

Eric kept talking.

“Whatever you get, you feed to us. We know of this crew, but we don’t know where their operations are. But they’ve got guns, Jessica, and you know they don’t hesitate to pull the trigger. You get a location before we do, you feed that to us too. And then you back the fuck off.”

I nodded, and I meant it.

I wasn’t going to tangle with these motherfuckers. I didn’t even want Eric to tangle with them, and I was half convinced he was an immortal god.

What I wanted was Homer back in his tent.

Then, in a voice I’d never used in my life, it was small, fragile and afraid, I begged, “Please find him.”

I watched the fire burn in Eric’s eyes, but he didn’t respond verbally.

He didn’t have to. I read him loud and clear.

He then caught me by the back of my head, pulled me to him for a hard kiss, let my head go but took my hand and dragged me back down the hall.

Raye was cuddling Henny to her chest (of course).

“We’re gone,” Eric grunted at Cap.

And then they were gone.

After the door closed, Raye told me, “I already called Harlow and told her to head over.”

“Call her again and tell her to switch to the Sportage on the way,” I ordered, moving to my Vans to put them on. “We’re gone too.”

* * *

I hadseparation anxiety from Henny after we headed out, and I honestly considered bringing him with us, in case he experienced the same. But I decided to wait to bring him out on operations after he was used to me and my chicks.

So, while Jinx rallied the crew to meet us at the diner, we swung by the Sun Valley Motor Lodge to have a conversation with Mr. Shithead.

He might not know anything, but he also might, and we were going to leave no stone unturned.

When he saw us approach the reception area, he didn’t act like a dick.

Such were the powers of porn.

We swung in, and I could have kissed the girls for letting me lead it.

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