Page 44 of Take Me to Church
Tate barks out a laugh. “Are you serious?” He shoves one hand in her direction. “You can’t keep your mouth shut for two seconds. No way will you be able to pull off being a subservient woman.”
“Is that what you like?” Piper squares up to Tate. “Women who keep their mouths shut?”
Tate doesn’t back down. “I like women who aren’t complete—”
Piper’s eyes widen before he can finish speaking. “You better not be about to call me a bitch, pretty boy.”
“I was about to call you a psychopath.” Tate looks to me, expression baffled. “You can’t seriously think she’s capable of doing what we need to do.”
“She can.” Lydia gets to her feet. “I can teach her on the trip.” She goes to Piper’s side. “Tate’s windows are tinted. We’ll sit in the back of the SUV. No one will see me.” She moves toward Tate’s Jeep, dragging Piper along. “We’re all staying at the same hotel anyway, and it’s far enough away our chances of passing anyone who would recognize me are slim.”
Simon shoots me a smirk. “Makes sense.” He backs toward his truck. “Send me that address. I’ll take the lead.”
I watch as Lydia climbs into the back of Tate’s SUV, my jaw aching from being clenched so tight. I don’t like being separated from her. Between Rodney’s accomplices obviously having her on their radar and knowing this trip back to where we both grew up will be difficult, I want to be close. Right there in case she needs me.
“It’ll be okay.” Lydia holds my gaze, one hand on the handle of the door. “Piper really doesn’t know exactly how she has to act. And we need her. The only way this will work is if I have time to explain it to her.”
She’s right. But I still hate it.
“Fine.” I cross to where she sits in the seat, wedging my body as close as I can get, one hand cupping her chin. “Call me if you need me.”
Lydia nods, her breathing barely speeding up at my touch.
I stroke my thumb across her lower lip, tracing the line of the mouth I haven’t yet claimed. The realization makes my skin burn, but right now there’s too many eyes on us.
I want that moment to be all mine.
So I pull my hand from her skin and buckle her in before turning my glare on Tate. “Be careful.”
Tate nods, expression serious, but I could swear the corners of his lips twitch as I close Lydia into his SUV.
I turn to slam the passenger door of my car, calling over one shoulder as I go, “I’ve got the rear.” I fall into the driver’s seat and send Tate and Simon the location of the hotel we’ll be staying at before starting the engine and falling into line.
* * *
THE TINY TOWN in Arkansas where Lydia and I were born and raised is about three hours away, and traffic is light, so it’s barely midafternoon when we arrive. Tate goes in, claiming all three of the rooms I rented in his name before coming out to distribute key cards. Lydia watches quietly as he hands one to me, another to Simon, and keeps the last one for himself.
Piper is less quiet.
“Where’s my key card?”
I open my mouth, but Tate beats me to the explanation. “You’ll be staying with your husband, wife. We’ve got to be extra careful, and seeing a married woman coming and going from a different hotel room than her husband would raise the eyebrows of anyone who might be watching.”
Piper glances at Lydia, flipping her long hair back behind one shoulder. “Fine.”
I’m a little surprised at how easily she agrees.
Piper must notice my shock because she smirks. “See? I told you I could be sweet.”
Her definition of sweet and my definition of sweet are still clearly worlds apart, but she’s definitely come a long way in a short amount of time. “I’m sure Myra will appreciate the effort.”
The reminder of why we’re here seems to sober her and the smile slips from her face. “Do you think we’re going to find her?”
“There’s only so many places she can be.” It’s not technically an answer, mainly because I don’t want to give her one. The truth is, we might not find Myra. Her marriage connects Lydia’s father to the most powerful family affiliated with the IGL. He’s not going to let that go easily. Especially since he’s already had the shame of one daughter rejecting the husband he chose.
Piper’s eyes narrow on me, and for a second I think she’s going to call me out on the non-answer I gave her. But then her focus moves to Lydia and her expression softens. “Then I guess we’ll just have to find all those places.”
She turns to Tate, all the feigned sweetness filtering from her features. “And if any of those jackasses are there when we find her, you better take my stun gun to somebody’s junk or we’re getting a divorce.”
