And she’d withdrawn.
Reyes knew it was her worry about Jodi, and maybe about him, too, that kept her mostly quiet. Soon as they wrapped it up and ensured Jodi’s safety, she’d relax again.
He hoped.
To keep up appearances, they went to the gym each day. Although he’d have preferred for her to stay at home, she refused, saying she felt safest with him.
A part of him relished her trust, and another part wondered if he was seeing the future laid out for him, how she’d always react to the danger inherent in his job. For himself, he wouldn’t mind. It was kind of nice having a woman who cared.
Yet he hated the idea of her continuing to live on edge—because of him.
That second day at the gym, she went to his office to look over her manuscript while he continued dealing with the public. She couldn’t resume her workouts yet, especially since his dad constantly warned her to take it easy.
If Parrish had his way, Kennedy would probably still be in bed. It was pretty remarkable how she pushed through, though. More from a sheer force of will to carry on rather than in a bullheaded way meant to prove anything to others.
A personality trait no doubt learned from her past.
With the colorful bruising on her face, Kennedy had gotten more than a few stares. She’d simply smiled and acted as if nothing had happened. So as far as he knew, no one had asked her about it. It helped that her warmer clothes covered her body, so the only mark showing was the one on her temple.
More than a little distracted with thoughts of Kennedy, Reyes almost did a double take when he heard one guy say to another, “Yeah, you just need to keep an eye out for either chick. You get paid by the day, and if you spot one of them, there’s a nice bonus.”
What were the odds? One guy was standing near the weight bench while another did some presses. They looked like many twentysomething guys who visited the gym, dressed in baggy sweatpants, dingy wifebeater undershirts and expensive gym shoes. Both had elaborate tats along their arms, and one had tats extending over his chest and neck. Stocking hats hid most of their hair, but judging by their brows, they both were dark.
Going for a casual vibe, Reyes whistled low as he started picking up discarded weights at the other benches to put them back on the rack, which got him close enough to glance at the small phone photo the standing guy showed to the one on the bench.
Jodi. Son of a bitch.
He didn’t react as he listened a little more closely.
“No, I don’t know the dude. Got the info from my buddy, Dub. You’ll check in with him.”
When he shared a phone number, Reyes committed it to memory long enough to get to the desk where Will, an employee, checked people in and answered the phone.
In his rush, Reyes rudely shouldered Will aside and grabbed up a paper and pen to jot down the number with the name. With that done, he murmured to Will, “Keep an eye on those guys by the benches. I’ll be right back.”
“Sure thing.”
Will was a good worker who knew to keep his mouth shut and his eyes open. He had no real idea what Reyes did for a living other than running a gym, and he didn’t ask. His loyalty had been tested numerous times already.
Reyes strolled to the office and handed the paper to Kennedy. “Call Madison and share this with her. Tell her I overheard a couple of knuckleheads talking about getting paid to look for you and Jodi.”
Startled, Kennedy looked up. “What—”
“No time for questions, babe. I’ll be back in a few. Stay here with the door locked. Got it?”
She nodded, stood quickly and followed him as far as the door, then closed and locked it behind him.
Thankfully, the men were still where Reyes had left them, and now they had a third man with them. He eavesdropped without hesitation.
“No shit? How many is he hiring?”
“Ten, I think, but I’m only supposed to round up five. So you in or what?”
“Yeah, sure. Where do I look?”
“We’re supposed to spread out in this neighborhood, especially here around the gym.” He glanced up Reyes.
Reyes nodded casually as he continued on by. When he reached the desk, in a low voice he asked Will, “You up for a side job? It’s worth a day’s pay.”
Brows up, Will said, “Heck, yeah.”
“When the kid in the gray hoodie leaves, see if you can spot his license plate number without being noticed.”
“What if he’s not driving?”
Yeah, that was a possibility. “See which direction he goes.” Clapping him on the shoulder, Reyes said, “Thanks.” He deliberately moved away from the men to the other side of the gym, where he had brief conversations with two women doing cardio, then a younger guy trying to bulk up his legs.
Though Reyes didn’t stare at the men, he was aware of them the entire time.
When two of them finally left, including the one in the hoodie who been doling out info, Will moseyed out and, damn it, Reyes started to worry. If Will was too obvious, they might catch on to him and then he could get jumped later.
It was a fact that a lot of street toughs hung out at the gym. Reyes didn’t discourage it. He owned the gym in this run-down section of town so that he could hear the word from the street.
So far, so good.
He was relieved to see Will cross the road to his truck, where he opened the door, got inside and rummaged in his glove box.
Good cover. He’d always appreciated Will as a smart kid, though he was probably twenty-two now.
A minute later he left the truck, locked the doors and jogged back inside. His nose and ears had already turned red from the cold, and he chafed his arms as he went to the desk, made a note and stuck it in the top drawer.
Smooth.
Holding up a candy bar that he’d brought out of the truck, he said, “Okay for me to take a break, boss?”
Will caught on quick, obviously. Appreciating how he covered his tracks, Reyes nodded.
Aware of the third man lingering inside and now watching them both, Reyes said, “No problem. I’ll cover out here.” Walking over to two regulars, Reyes took time to offer some instruction on a machine they were using incorrectly.
The third guy lost interest and left.
With the coast seemingly clear, the urge to check on Kennedy, to give the plate number to Madison, to follow after the knuckleheads all warred inside Reyes, but good training paid off, and he kept up the show of being nothing more than a fit gym owner interested in his clientele.
Good thing, too, because he spotted the gray hoodie goof peeking back in through the big front window.