Page 113 of Every Which Way

She looked around. “You took off my dress?”

Laney said, “Yes. It’s there.” She motioned to the basic desk and aging monitor.

Kenna stood. Pain whipped through her middle, and she sucked in a breath and sat back down.

“I’ll get it.” Laney went to the desk and brought it back.

Kenna clenched her teeth and turned the dress over in her hands, looking for the pocket by the zipper.Please be there.Whatever it was, she figured she would need it. “Do you know if Jax is okay, and your husband?” She looked at Adrielle.

The older woman only shook her head, pressing the balled-up tissue in her fist to her mouth.

Laney asked, “What happened just now when you tried to stand?”

“They did something to me. I don’t know what.” But she could guess well enough. Kenna wasn’t going to think about it, though. She could do that later. After they all got out of this situation. “You’ve tried the phone on the desk?”

Laney nodded. “It isn’t plugged in. There isn’t even a cable.”

“Ah.” Kenna found the opening to the pocket and slid out a thin implement that didn’t look like more than a hefty fountain pen. She removed the lid and found a wicked serrated blade, hiding it in the folds of her dress so she could look at it.

The handle had some curve to it. A slight guard around the middle, where the lid connected, would keep her from cutting her fingers when she thrusted forward and her hand slid. She wanted to swipe it through the air in her hand, to get a feel for the weight, but that would be too noticeable. Instead, she replaced the lid and slipped it into the front of the dress she wore.

She didn’t have her necklace and wasn’t sure where it was. At this point, if her friends couldn’t find her, then they were in serious trouble.

But she figured she could stall. Give her friends the best possible chance of finding them.

Kenna looked at the window and saw daylight through the slats of the blinds but couldn’t see outside. Just that little bit of light coming in, letting her know it was daytime. “Where are we?”

Laney swallowed. “The federal courthouse in Cheyenne, Wyoming. We were in Denver just a few hours ago. They loaded us into an SUV, and we came north. We didn’t know why. They never told us anything until we got here. Just what these collars are. What they do.”

Kenna reached over and clasped Laney’s hand, holding on for a second. “Jax will come.”

“I hope that’s true.” She looked rumpled. Exhausted. Scared.

“How are you, Adrielle?” Kenna looked at her future mother-in-law.

She couldn’t think about Amara and Zeyla. Not when she was here with these women. Unless she got out of this situation, she wouldn’t be able to rescue them. Even if she did, it might be too late.

“I’m scared.”

Laney whispered, “She needs her heart pills.”

Kenna said, “I’ll put that on the list.” She wanted to make light of the situation and joke. Find her bravado she always seemed to be able to draw from. But it wasn’t here. It was gone, along with her strength and her ability to stand up.

What had they done to her?

They could’ve taken an organ from her. Or extracted her eggs.

Okay, focus.

She couldn’t think about that, or she’d spiral with the endless possibilities and drive herself into a tailspin. Instead, she could ask Senator Woodford. Preferably at a time when her friends and family were safe, and she had that knife to his throat. Just a tiny bead of blood weeping from the spot where she was poking him.

She wasn’t normally the murderous type, but that would be satisfying.

The door opened before she could say more or decide anything. Woodford strode in. “Good. You’re ready.”

“Ask me if I can stand up.” Kenna stared at him from her spot on the couch.

He lifted a remote. “Test me and I’ll turn this on. It’s a dead man’s switch. You know what that is?”

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