Page 110 of Every Which Way

“In your own way.”

“You can’t force me to do what you want and call it a choice.”

“You’ll make the right choice. In the end.”

“You can’t force me to carry a baby for you people.” She had to say it. He had to hear those words from her lips. “I’m not going to do that.”

“I believe, in fact, that Icanforce you.” Woodford stepped closer, and she thought she heard a grunt of humor behind her. Meanwhile, Woodford stared at her almost like he was entranced. “After all, you are one of us.”

Kenna gritted her teeth. “Just tell me what you want.”

“All in good time.” He seemed to snap out of whatever spell he’d been under and motioned her toward the hall. “Come with me. There is more for you to see, and I believe it will change your mind if you allow yourself to see things as they really are.”

Not likely, but moving was better than standing still. “If you want to try and change my mind, it would help if I had clean clothes, shoes, and some food. It’s been a long day.” And the more she was allowed privacy to change, or a minute to eat, the more time she had to figure out how to get her mom and Zeyla and get out of here.

She needed a phone line they wouldn’t be monitoring. Or a cell they couldn’t trace. A way to contact her friends—like via a computer. Something with a connection to the internet.

Leaving a note on a message board where Maizie would see it was far better than a text or call they could trace. The last thing she wanted was to endanger her friends.

Maybe that nurse/housekeeper lady would be amenable to helping her figure a way out of here. That meant finding a method for removing the explosive collar they’d put on Amara.

Odd that they hadn’t put one on her yet.

“All in due time.” Woodford glanced over his shoulder at her. “In fact, I have the perfect outfit for you to change into.”

Okay, gross. But she said nothing and continued to follow him. The guy behind her wasn’t going to be easy to take down, even if she could reach the weapon at her spine and surprise him with an attack.

She kept the coat closed around her but found the cross of her necklace and flicked off the switch. Maizie had plenty of time to find her here by now. However, if the house blocked all signals in and out, effectively cutting off the transmitter, then she wasn’t going to waste its short battery life by leaving it on when it meant nothing.

The first chance she got to go outside, she could turn it on.

He led her into a small study with a desk in the corner. She preferred her laptop on a picnic table, in the RV at the small dinette, or at some all-night breakfast restaurant with her friends. She would never have an office in her home. The idea of it repulsed her at this point after seeing so many men who thought their power came from subjugating others while sitting in their pretentious offices.

“Nice workspace.” She put as much disgust into her tone as she could. “All the better for ruling the world.”

“This is the Grand Master’s room. I’m only keeping things running.”

Seriously. “You’ve never thought of taking over? Not even once?”

“That is not how our world works. Self-promotion harms the whole. When one part seeks to function independently, the entire organization breaks down.”

“Go team?”

He ignored that comment and opened a laptop on the desk, rotating it so that she could see the screen.

Kenna took an involuntary step forward. “Adrielle and Laney.” They sat close together on a small couch, holding each other’s hands. “Where are they?”

“A very nice five-star hotel. Which they will not be leaving until I’m assured you intend to cooperate.”

“It’s gonna be a long nine months waiting for me to give birth.”

Woodford almost smiled. “Their safety isn’t so much an assurance of your cooperation as it is ensuring we won’t face others’ interference.”

“Others like who?” The guy wanted to talk all upper class, East Coast, snooty. She’d been raised by a rough man who worked rough cases and lived in a trailer.

“I’m sure you can figure that out. What I’m more concerned about is how much of a problem you intend to be.”

Oh, he didn’t want to know the answer to that. Just thinking about it made her smile.

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