Page 29 of Slice

Slice dropped a kiss on her forehead, then looked around. “Where are we meeting?” he asked.

“In here,” War answered from the family room. Slice grabbed LB’s carrier, never letting go of her hand as he walked them into the room. He put the carrier on a coffee table and helped Faith sit down, then dropped down beside her.

“Slice, you sent the SOS. Who wants to tell us what’s going on?” War asked.

“I got this message on my phone while I was leaving work. It scared me so much that I texted Sarah to only allow Slice or me to pick up LB and then texted Slice that I had an issue.”

“Play the message for us,” War directed.

Faith fumbled getting her phone out. War had seemed nice at lunch, but he was all harsh plains and blazing eyes. He was scaring her a little.

She pulled up the message, put it on speaker, and pressed play.

Ms. Grimes. I’ve found your foster son’s uncle. I’ll be by at 5:30 to pick the child up and return him to his family. Thank you.

“It worried me. That’s not LB’s case worker’s voice. When I spoke to her yesterday, she told me they had no leads. This woman doesn’t identify herself, which I’ve never had happen, and there is no way that they could do a DNA test that quickly. LB’s case worker would never just give him to someone because they said they were related. It scared me when I listened to it, and I was scared to go home.”

Slice’s hand patted her thigh. “I think we need to keep Faith and the kids here inside the compound. Maybe we should set up a decoy and see who shows up?” Slice suggested.

Faith stared at Slice. Staying on the compound sounded like a good idea, but no one needed to pretend to be her and possibly get hurt.

“I’m up for dressing up like Faith and heading home in her car with the covered carrier,” Beth offered.

Faith had no clue how Beth, who had red hair and was a completely different body style, could pass for her.

Beth chuckled. “I can see the doubt on your face, Faith. I’m the queen of disguises. I can guarantee they’ll never know. I need to watch you walk a couple times back and forth across the room so I can imitate your walk.”

“I think Beth has a good plan. Dex, Bear, and Cannon can set up around the house and across the street. Let’s have Beth, Winnie, Slice, and me inside. We’ll see if they show up and also who they bring. Scoop, Sarah, I want to know if there have been any changes in LB’s record at DCFS. Dad and Roam, you’re in charge here. Let’s go, people,” War said.

Faith sat there by Slice. “You mean I’m just going to stay here?”

“You’ll be safest here at Regina and Baron’s house because you’re in the middle of the compound. We’ll figure out what’s going on. Has anyone asked questions about LB lately when you’ve been at work?” Slice asked.

“No. It hasn’t been any different this week,” Faith said.

She was glad she’d run to Slice and the MC, but she worried about what would happen.

“Faith, can you walk across the kitchen a couple times carrying LB’s carrier like you would into the house?” Beth asked.

Faith got up and went into the kitchen. She’d do what they asked, but she had a huge amount of questions to ask Slice after they met the person at her house. It seemed strange they weren’t involving the police.

Chapter Eighteen

Slice, Cruise, Winnie, and War had snuck into Faith’s apartment. As soon as Slice realized how vulnerable Faith and the boys were, he started planning how to move them to the compound. War was able to open the boys’ bedroom window with a couple tools.

They had the lights off in the apartment. Winnie was in the front room close to the door. War was hidden in the kitchen with a line of sight to the front door and could also see outside. Slice was keeping an eye out Faith’s bedroom window through the blinds to keep Beth in sight from the time she exited the car until she went into the apartment.

Slice had texted Faith a couple times to let her know everything was still okay. He’d been waiting to see if she asked why they weren’t involving the police. First off, Bluff Creek only had a sheriff’s office for the county, and after their recent issues with the last deputy sheriff being a plant to gather information about the MC, War had said they’d try to handle things bythemselves until they could confirm the sheriff hadn’t known what was going on.

Slice checked his gun, though he didn’t plan on having to use it. He also had zip ties to restrain anyone if needed. Beth pulled up in front of the apartment in Faith’s sedan and parked in her usual place in the driveway. She got out, turned, and opened the back to get out the car seat.

He would have never believed it, but with Beth’s disguise and her mimicking Faith’s walk, he wouldn’t be able to tell it was someone else from across the street.

Dex texted that a black lifted pickup was idling around the corner with two individuals in the vehicle. Once the supposed caseworker and the brother entered the apartment, their vehicle would be blocked in just in case they decided to run.

Beth entered the apartment, and Slice could hear her closing the front door and then going toward the kitchen. Slice continued watching out Faith’s bedroom blinds. The truck pulled in, and a woman and man exited the truck, coming toward the apartment.

“Incoming,” Slice called quietly, snapping a picture of both individuals to send to Faith to see if she recognized either one.

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