Page 96 of Every Which Way

Miller frowned.

“Thirty-minute warning.”

Miller bit off a curse and walked off, barking orders as he went. Which was kind of satisfying. She took an odd enjoyment about FBI agents snapping to attention because Jax was on his way.

A cop raced into the ballroom. “Sir!” He addressed all the cops like he didn’t know who to speak to. “A helicopter just flew over and dropped two bodies in the pond out front.”

ChapterTwenty-Five

Kenna felt her eyes widen. She ducked her chin a fraction so no one saw her face. Right now, she had zero ability to school her features. If anyone looked at her, they’d realize immediately she could guess who the two people were that had just been tossed out of a chopper.

But if it really was the two kidnappers, that meant Senator Woodford kept up his end of their bargain. But he’d taken her mom and her sister with him. There had been nothing she could’ve done to stop him without dying for her efforts.

Kenna tuned out the buzz of movement and conversation around her and closed her eyes.

“Bruce.” She gave him a second, then said, “Bruce, do you read me?”

Nothing. And she’d tried more than once.

Woodford hadn’t said anything about her mother. When she’d mentioned Zeyla, he pretended not to know her sister—cousin, whatever they were to each other. Then again, maybe he’d never heard her real name. Maybe he only knew her as Chimera.

Not only did she need to find Laney and Adrielle, but she also needed to find Amara and Zeyla. Mother-daughter pairs. Jax’s family had him, and probably his father, and law enforcement on their side. Who did her mom have?

She opened her eyes and looked around. There had to be someone who worked for the senator still here. Not all of them could’ve made a run for it.

She scanned the guests, mostly just trying to find Mr. Whitworth-Harrow. Had Charlie run off like a scared little mouse when the police raided the place? She’d kicked him in a way that would have impeded his ability to sprint.

There.

He sat with his back to the wall on the stairs, way across the ballroom. Looking dejected. Probably because his favorite person had left and not taken him. Of course, she was just speculating. He could be tired and sad the party was over.

Miller came back over.

“Can I use your phone again?”

He ignored her question and stood there, towering over her. As if she was going to let him use his size to intimidate her. “Any idea why two bodies just dropped in the pond from a chopper?”

“You think I would know?”

He stared at her.

“Fine.” Kenna rolled her eyes because all she had left was sarcasm. “Depends if one is male and one is female.”

His eyes narrowed.

“Well?”

Miller nodded.

“The kidnappers.” She shrugged. “Of course, I don’t know for sure, but that would be my guess. Shame we can’t ask Hadley and have him confirm their identities.”

“What about the other victim?”

Kenna said, “I saw Senator Woodford escort her into the trees, thanks to your agent letting them make a run for it. I’d suggest you locate Woodford and ask him why he left during a police raid and where she is. But I wouldn’t want to tell you your job.”

Miller snorted. “Sure.” He stiffened and muttered something.

Jax walked in the front doors. Badge on the lapel of his wool coat so that no one would be confused about who he was. A couple of the FBI agents across the entryway snapped to attention—former military guys, probably. The kind of people accustomed to showing respect to the chain of command.

---