Page 64 of Protecting What Is Mine

28

Hank

I notice the time as I turn up the driveway. Hard to believe it’s after eleven. This did day did not go the way I expected. I kill the headlights before we reach the house and signal for Gabe to do the same, in the hopes that we don’t wake Vanessa. Mom sits in the passenger seat beside me, and Jack rides with Gabe in the truck behind.

Chet was none too pleased about being left at the ranch. I hope he understands, but it’s not like we’re abandoning him. Hell, he’s more of a liability than an asset in his current shape. Besides, that wife of his is one hell of a woman—until you get on her bad side. And it doesn’t take much to imagine that learning her just-released-from-the-hospital-due-to-a-gunshot-wound husband is out trying to help track down a stranger would earn me a spot on that list. Probably forever.

Besides, he agreed to call Cody directly and see if we can skip that red tape I couldn’t bring myself to deal with earlier.

Sam waits anxiously at the door as we park, her hands pushed deep into her pockets. I step out of the truck and hustle over to the passenger side to help Mom down. But two steps toward the house and Mom stops in her tracks. “Wait, hold on. Almost forgot,” she says with her index finger protruding into the night air. She turns back to the truck to retrieve her basket of snacks and goodies.

As I stand in the driveway, waiting for my mother like a ten-year-old, I look to Sam with my arms raised and roll my eyes.

Mom returns with the basket lifted for me to see and a smile on her face. “Here we are.”

When we reach the porch, Sam pushes the screen door open and steps aside. “Hi,” she whispers. “Thank you so much for doing this. Vanessa’s in bed asleep, so she shouldn’t give you any trouble.”

My mother smiles and pats Sam on the arm. “It’s no trouble. None at all. This is what family does for one another.” She turns to me and raises the basket again. “Henry, is there room in your refrigerator for all of this?”

Sam’s eyes go wide as she stands next to my mother and mouths, “Henry?”

“Yeah Mom, there should be plenty of space. Go on in and make yourself at home.” I glare at Sam as I step past her and close the door. “Are you ready? The boys are waiting,” I ask, thumbing back toward the driveway.

Sam nods. “Just need to leave my number for your mom and grab my phone.” She joins Mom in the kitchen and proceeds to rattle off a list of what if’s and what to do’s. All of which Mom politely nods and agrees to.

When Sam finally climbs in the cab, she turns to me with worry in her eyes. “What if Vanessa…”

I raise my hand to stop her. “My mother raised six boys…and five of them grew up to be worth a damn. Plus, she has my number and yours. PLUS, Vanessa’s asleep. I think she’ll manage.”

Sam looks down at her lap, lets out a big sigh, and nods. “Alright.” Then she turns back to me. “Well?”

“What?” I ask.

“Let’s go Wilde.” Sam chuckles. “You’re wasting time.”

I bring my hand to my forehead in salute. “Yes, ma’am.”

* * *

“Sam, we’ve been on this utility road for a while and there’s nothing out here.” I roll the windows down and slow the truck to listen as I scan the surroundings. “No lights, no sounds. Are you sure we’re in the right place?”

Sam nods. “I may not have been here since I was a kid, but it was home for a while.” She stops and raises her hand. “For the record, that is definitely not something I’m bragging about.” She turns to look out the window. “I’m telling you we’re in the right place. I know it. I just don’t remember exactly how far it is before the turn off.”

“And you’re sure there’s a turn off? Because, while I don’t claim to know every utility road in the county, I don’t believe I recall ever coming across one with a lot of roads sprawling off from it.” My phone buzzes in my lap and I see that it’s a text from Gabe.

Gabe: What the hell are we doing out here? This is a utility road.

My thoughts exactly, brother.

I turn to Sam. “See, these roads usually serve the purpose of providing access, you know, to a utility of some sort. Pretty often a straight shot kind of deal.”

Sam nods along, annoyed by the question. “Uh, yeah. That’s probably why Roger picked the place. No one ever came down the road, and if they did, and they weren’t there to—” she makes air quotes with her hands—“access a utility of some sort, we knew to stay out of sight.”

Alright. Kind of hard to argue with the logic of it.

I take a deep breath. “Okay, so we’re looking for a turn off.”

“Well, I think there’s a turn off.” I hear Sam’s confidence falling as she speaks. “There’s definitely a big bump. If we hit a big bump, we’re one hundred percent in the right place.”

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