Page 72 of Stowaway Whirlwind
Now, normally, I wouldn’t interfere in another couple’s business, but with my tongue loose thanks to the medication, I raise a brow at Vincent when he doesn’t make any moves to get between Hernandez and Amanda, though they’ve certainly got his attention. “You’re just gonna watch another man eye your woman without saying anything?”
“Jesus Christ, Davis,” Amanda says, pursing her lips when I ball my thin, blue hospital blanket and pass it to her so she can wrap it around herself. “‘Your woman’? I don’t belong to anyone.” She shakes the blanket back out over my legs.
Hernandez clicks his tongue, apparently taking issue with what she said. The deputy asks her in a challenging tone, “You sure about that, Mandy?” They’re evenly matched in height, with him in his boots and her wearing grippy hospital socks, though he has to have at least a good fifty pounds on her—on Vincent aswell—with thick near-black hair and a medium brown face. He sets his hand on her lower back. “Because that’s not what you were screaming when I had you bent—”
Amanda’s cheeks flame red, and she elbows Hernandez hard in the gut, hissing through her teeth, “Shut up, Roman!” The man doesn’t even react other than to lower his hand to pinch her ass.
“Is this a fucking joke? Vincent, are you seeing this?” I wave to the pair awkwardly, unable to fully control my movements. Vincent’s brows go up, and he gapes, but otherwise, he doesn’t move. “Dude. Knock his ass out!”
Hernandez stares down Vincent, puffs out his chest as he slips his arm further around Amanda to grip her waist possessively, and says with a low growl, “I’d like to see you try. Don’t think I won’t put you in a hospital bed next to Davis if you do.”
Amanda stiffens and tries to inch away from Hernandez. “See! This is why I never come home. Bunch of backward, pigheaded, cave—”
Hernandez spins Amanda around, cutting her off by planting a fat, claiming kiss on her lips, right in front of Vincent. As soon as the kiss starts, it ends, and Hernandez dips to haul Amanda over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry.
To Sheriff, Hernandez says, “I’m putting in a transfer to Michigan.”
Gibson gives a big belly-aching laugh and claps Hernandez on the back.
Amanda is hollering up a storm, though she doesn’t seem to be putting up too much of a physical fight. “You’re not coming to Michigan!”
“I’m not letting you get away again or raise the baby without me,” he says, stomping to the door.
Vincent chokes, finally stepping forward as if to go after them, until Amanda draws a huge breath and screams shrilly, “I’m not pregnant!”
Hernandez chuckles as he exits the room. “No, but you will be soon.”
Vincent falters, still gaping like an open-mouthed fish. Eventually, he rounds on Gibson. “You aren’t going to stop him from taking her like that?”
Sheriff thumbs his nose, then crosses his arms. “That was your job, not mine. And I’d say you just got fired.”
I nod when Vincent looks my way like the world has lost its mind. “Welcome to our slice of Texas.”
Vincent throws his hands up. “Fuck this. I’m out of here. Good luck staying out of prison.”
Gibson sighs and takes Vincent’s empty chair after he leaves, setting his cowboy hat down on one thick thigh.
“You going to send me to prison, Sheriff?” Even if that’s where I’m headed, I’ll sleep just fine knowing I took out that scummy bastard Matt—unfortunately, Harold’s nephew and the one who’d assaulted Dolly way back when she first started working at Granny’s diner, who then started working for the security company that installed our cameras and locks. Russell got to me before Vincent after somehow finding out that Mrs. Fitzroy paid Matt to disarm our system and get past our keypad on the front door, kidnap Lily, and then be the getaway driver.
Sheriff leans back in the creaky, padded chair, getting comfortable. “You plan on murdering anyone else?”
Colton’s name flashes across my mind. If I find out he had anything to do with this, then,yeah, I’ve got plans to make.
Gibson narrows his eyes. “Don’t answer that.” He sucks his teeth. “The way I see it, ain’t no father in his right mind would have done anything different to protect his family. Who knows where they would have taken that sweet baby of yours if they’dgotten away. You know she had forged passports for her and Lily with all new names?”
I didn’t know that. Rage and terror battle each other for first place in my mind at the thought of my daughter disappearing in some foreign country. I clench my jaw, pushing that aside so I can focus, knowing that the threat has been neutralized. “What about Goldie?”
His face darkens. “She did what she had to do, same as you. Fitzroy got exactly what she deserved.” He shakes his head. “You know, it’s always the ones you least expect to be moving such large quantities.”
I’ve got no clue what he’s talking about, and he laughs, leaning in close with his elbows on his knees like he’s got a juicy secret to share.
“The DEA’s been after her for some time, apparently. Been hunting her here since she went into our system. Meth, and a shit ton of it, too, cooked out in the desert. Who’da thunk? They were mighty happy to find out we had her in custody—well, in hospital, chained to her bed, detoxing after getting hooked on the shit for who knows how long.”
“That would explain her batshit, psychotic behavior, I’m guessing?”
Sheriff nods. “They’re happy enough to back y’all, too, I think. Same as me.”
Relief hits me like a ton of bricks. “Well, damn, that’s good to hear. I don’t think even Violet could pull off a jailhouse wedding.”
