Page 16 of Stone Cold Savage

“That’s usually how it goes. It’s a big assumption, but one we didn’t come to without knowledge and experience.” Kenzie said. “And also, because you can see the random men we photographed the other day in the background.”

Devyn rolled her eyes, “Seriously? You probably should have started with that. Here I thought, knowing the governor made you dirty. Mama knows him well. And just about all of these people pictured.”

“Wait. She does?” Coy asked.

“Mama was on just about every committee and board in these parts. Of course, she knows them.” Devyn walked closer to the wall and pointed to one picture in particular, “There she is. Looks like the Texas Ranchers Foundation Fundraiser if I’m reading that sign in the background correctly.”

“And she’s standing with my father,” Kenzie said quietly. “Coy? What the hell were they into?”

“I have no fucking clue, but the timeline is starting to line up, isn’t it? He arrived here a year or so ago?” Coy questioned.

“That’s about when the cancer hit hard. Nash figured it out, found out about the bank loan, and everything else went downhill,” Kenzie said. “Am I missing anything?”

“It’s also when Nash and Mama met Charlotte,” Devyn added as she scanned the wall of pictures. She stepped closer to one and pointed, “And isn’t that her father?”

“Sure is. In uniform, even.” Kenzie sighed.

“So, we can’t trust her?” Devyn asked, searching their faces for clues. “Or, can we? I’m new at this.”

“She’s good. She’s been vetted by multiple layers of security at this point. Her father, on the other hand, who fucking knows.” Coy ran his hand through his hair, then held the door for the ladies to exit first. “I guess we need to dig a little deeper on Daddy Banks.”

They walked along the sidewalk with a building on one side and the street on the other, back to the car. Coy positioned himself on the street side to protect Kenzie and Devyn. Quickly scanning their surroundings, Coy promptly found Rip, oddly blending in, his hair pulled back into a low bun and a baseball cap on, wearing jeans and some band t-shirt that barely fit him. He snickered at the sight. Rip almost looked the part, combat-type boots being the exception.

Rip walked along the sidewalk on the other side of the road as if he were out for a leisurely walk along the river that ran through the center of town where they were. As the group approached their vehicle, Rip stopped to tie his shoe, which was already tied, to buy time and stay near as they got into Kenzie’s car. He was the lookout, after all.

Coy was careful to park strategically so Kenzie and Devyn would exit and enter the vehicle on the sidewalk side of the vehicle for an added layer of protection. At the same time, he drove her car and was the only one at risk, streetside. He’d thought of every possible scenario and acted accordingly, clearly keeping Rip in on his plan. What looked like an everyday occurrence to most, just a couple of people coming and going, was a tactical event they’d carefully planned.

Kenzie got in the front passenger side first, but Devyn had a hard time opening the rear door. Coy fiddled with it and tried to open it, but they were quickly distracted by a tiny sound from under the car.

“Did you hear that?” Devyn asked, looking around.

Rip had taken a seat on a nearby bench directly across the street from where they were. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees in a leisurely manner, pretending to skim through his phone, but really, it was so he could see whatever it was they were looking at. Or, looking for.

“I did,” Coy said. “What, was that a cat?”

“If it was, it’s a tiny one,” Devyn said, pacing back and forth, hunting for the tiny mewing sound.

Coy glanced Rip’s way as if assuring he was engaged, albeit subtly and from a distance. Something felt off. The air had shifted, the temperature dropped, and terror was on the horizon. He could feel it. When Rip stood and started across the street in their direction, he knew Rip felt it, too.

“There you are,” Devyn said in a sing-song voice. “Oh my gosh, you are tiny. You poor little thing.”

Devyn was behind the car, crouched down on her knees, speaking sweet nothings to a little black and white pile of fluff staring back at her.

“Come here, sweetheart.” She said, coaxing the kitten out.

“Dev. Get up off the street. We got to go.” Coy warned, watching their surroundings for the next shoe to drop.

“Are you kidding me? We aren’t leaving this little one out here.” She fired back, attention fixed on the kitten. “Where’s your mama, you little precious?”

“Then grab the damn cat and let’s go. This isn’t safe.” He warned once more.

“Coy, we’re in the middle of town, broad daylight. We can spare thirty seconds to save a life.” Devyn scolded. “If it’s that unsafe, why are we out here in the first place?”

“Because it was a controlled situation. This is not controlled.” Coy was getting nervous, and he didn’t get nervous. Something wasn’t right, and he felt it as soon as the hairs on the back of his neck stood at attention. “Get the damn cat and get in the fucking car before I throw you in and leave the fleabag behind.”

Devyn gasped, “You wouldn’t.”

A car had turned off a side street and onto the main road through town, which they were currently stalled on. It didn’t help matters when another vehicle approached from the opposite direction. This was a small town with no traffic, and now he had two cars headed toward one another at what appeared to be higher than usual speeds, given the quick approach. What were the chances that one or both of these vehicles were their enemy out to do harm? Or was that paranoia creeping in, not knowing what he could and could not trust anymore?

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