Page 19 of Every Which Way

“Bye.”

Kenna kept her smile to herself, figuring the two of them wouldn’t be walking through the wedding show getting ideas. They were more likely to head back to the RV where Maizie could get to work while Ramon protected her.

The guys—Stairns, Ramon, and Bruce—had obtained a Class C, which they stayed in. Parked in the spot next to hers at the site. They’d opted for that so they could be nearby, but who would get custody of it when the trip was done remained a mystery.

“I can drive.” Roxanne glanced after Ramon, similar to the way Akira had looked at him.

Kenna figured ignoring it was best. His personal life wasn’t part of their working relationship, and if he wanted to start something, he could figure it out himself. He seemed content protecting Maizie when she was in the field, but that wouldn’t last forever.

Roxanne walked with her to a set of doors, through which was a concrete half a dozen steps that led them outside to a breezeway between the hotel and the parking lot structure. From there, they headed through another set of doors. She drew the rental keys from her jacket pocket and waved to the far side of the structure. “That way.”

After wearing that wedding dress, and the emotional upheaval that came with it, she’d changed back into her cotton cargo pants. The ones with huge pockets and some stretch for maximum door-kicking.

At least the wedding dress had that going for it. If she had to, she could fight in it.

Not that she was planning to do that.

Roxanne clicked the button on the key fob and started the car. Kenna slowed to stand by the back bumper.

“Now that we’re out of earshot of anyone, why don’t you tell me what this is about?” Before she got in the car. If it came to that, Kenna had plenty of weapons on her, but if Roxanne turned out to be an asset of the company, then Kenna would have to be careful. Assets could be lethal.

Roxanne turned to her. “You probably know who I work for.”

“Depends. Are you part of the resistance or loyal to your Grand Master?” At the least, this woman was bred to be genetically superior than the average person. Smarter. Faster. Kenna had been as well, but with her arms, she would be at a serious disadvantage.

“You think I’m going to incriminate myself?”

Kenna shrugged. “Wouldn’t it be nice to tell someone the truth for a change?”

Roxanne laughed. “And have you turn that information over to the wrong person? The company takes me out, and your hands are clean because they did the dirty work for you.”

She really thought Kenna would give her enemy information on its assets who were members of the resistance? “You think I’d purposely end the lives of good people trying to do the right thing in a horrible situation? Even to reduce the number of assets in the world?”

“I don’t know.” Roxanne mimicked her shrug. “Would you?”

She wasn’t likely to accept the argument that, in a way, those men and women were Kenna’s brothers and sisters. Who knew what Roxanne would think was a believable response?

“I guess you’ll find out,” Kenna said. “Now, tell me who it is that has familial DNA to mine.” For all she knew, it could be any of them—all created in a lab with donated cells.

“One of our assets.”

“Resistance?”

Roxanne hesitated a second, then said, “Yes. That’s how I know.”

But she wasn’t going to admit it aloud, in plain language. Kenna figured that was probably what had kept the resistance alive so long.

And her mother.

“Who is this asset to me?”

“I guess DNA testing will be able to tell you. Things within the company are far too compartmentalized for me to know one person and their situation.”

“Okay, so whatdoyou know about this one?”

Roxanne glanced around. “Get in and I’ll tell you on the way.”

“Are we going to be able to look at the crime scene? The cops will have it locked down.”

---