“Not warming up, yet?” Reyes turned up the heater.
“Getting there.” He wasn’t shivering, but he was probably too busy watching the road to bother with the cold.
When his cell phone rang, Kennedy jumped, then immediately scowled, wondering if it was Annette calling back, or maybe one of the other women he’d mentioned.
He surprised her by answering hands-free, so that the caller was on speaker.
“What’s up?” he asked. “Make it quick, because the roads are shit.”
“Sorry to bother you,” Madison said. “Jodi just left the motel. Cade and Sterling are ready to go, but you’d still reach her before they do.”
“What in the world,” Kennedy said. “Why would she go out?”
“I don’t think she’s someone content to be cooped up,” Madison answered. “She probably wants to face the threat, not hide from it.”
“If she’s alone,” Reyes said, adding enough ominous overtones to make Kennedy worry that the men had gotten to her already.
“Do you think she’s been taken?” She wasn’t sure Jodi would survive a second time.
“Doubtful,” Madison said. “I haven’t seen any movement with the men, but I still don’t like it. We found her easily enough, so they could have as well.”
Reyes quickly pulled over to the side of the road. “I’m on it.”
Kennedy had no idea what was going on.
“Keep me posted,” Madison said, and disconnected.
Reyes got out and growled over his shoulder, “Follow me.”
Twisting, Kennedy saw him walk to the rear door, open it, then flip up the seat.
She got out and hustled to the back of the truck. The sound of her boots crunching in the snow seemed absurdly loud.
Reyes removed a rifle from the storage space and set it aside.
Her eyes flared. “Expecting trouble?”
“Always.” He retrieved a Glock and a bulletproof vest. Turning, he handed her the vest. “Put that on.”
Her heart started pounding double time. “You really think—”
“Don’t know, and I won’t take chances with you.” He tilted his head to indicate he wanted her back in the truck. Not knowing what else to do, and already shivering, she carried the heavy vest back to her seat. After he slid into the driver’s side and closed the door, he stored the rifle on the floor near her feet.
“This is nuts,” she muttered aloud while struggling into the vest.
“Here, let me help you.” He reached for the Velcro strips and tightened them around her. “Look at it this way. The vest will help keep you warm.” He stole a kiss then put the truck back in gear.
She made an abrupt decision. “I’m going to call Jodi.”
“Not a bad idea. If she’s in a listening mood, tell her to pull over someplace safe and wait for us.”
Nodding, Kennedy quickly pulled up Jodi’s number. At first it rang and rang without answer, until she was starting to panic. “Come on, Jodi,” she urged. “Answer, damn it.”
“’Lo.”
Releasing a tense breath, Kennedy got herself together and affected a casual tone. “Hey, what’s up?”
“Heading out for a bite to eat. Why?”
“Oh? Could you...” She glanced at Reyes, who had his attention on the road and the accumulating snow. Without coming right out and saying so, he showed that he trusted her to handle this the right way. “Do you think you could put off your meal for just a bit? I’m on my way to see you.”
“Why?” Jodi asked with suspicion. “You okay?”
“Yes, fine.”
“After that mess we were in, you didn’t seem fine. You seemed shook.” She paused, then asked, “Where’s your hulk? Don’t tell me he’s turned on you already?”
Kennedy almost gave into an eye roll. “He’s right here with me, Jodi. Now can you pull over?”
“Not that I won’t enjoy seeing you, but you should be holed up somewhere, staying safe.”
Exasperated, Kennedy countered, “As should you. At least I’m not alone, but you are, and really, Jodi, I thought you’d stay put until you heard from me.”
“Sorry, but I was getting antsy. I felt like a sitting duck, ya know?”
Yes, she understood that well enough. Between the fire at her apartment and Reyes taking her in, she had felt the same. “Please, pull over.”
“I already took the on-ramp, but I can get off at the next exit. That’s where I was headed anyway. There’s a little diner that truckers use. Might take me another five minutes or so.” Jodi named the exit and the diner. “How’s that sound?”
Reyes held up a hand, flashing five fingers first, then two.
“I’ll be there in under ten minutes. Go directly inside and wait, okay?”
“Sure, Mom,” Jodi quipped. “Later.”
“From what I saw of her car,” Reyes said, “it’s not exactly roadworthy in this weather.” The wipers cleared the windshield of a continuous stream of snowflakes and ice. “I have a bad feeling, babe.”
Well, hell. His bad feeling immediately became her bad feeling, too. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Instincts kicking in.”
Kennedy spotted the exit up ahead. “That didn’t take any time at all.”
“I know, but I didn’t want to give her an exact time frame.”
Because he thought Jodi might use the information to plot against them? She shook her head. “Still not trusting her?”
Reyes snorted.
Thanks to the snowstorm, the stretch of road was quiet with only a few cars present. “This is like a whiteout.” It wasn’t uncommon for Colorado, where the weather could be mild, then turn to a blizzard, especially at this time of year.
“At least it’s not a bomb cyclone,” Reyes murmured. “And luckily it’s mostly melting on the road. Guess the pavement is still warm from the earlier sunshine.”
Up ahead, alone in the lot, Jodi sat in her car with her cell phone in hand.
“Why hasn’t she gone in yet?”
Reyes shook his head and then pulled in with some distance between them. “Stay put while I check it out.”
“She won’t want to see you.”