Page 65 of Getting the Grinder
“They aren’t telling us where it is. Her boss told me the police are trying to get cameras and listening devices in. They think she’s being held hostage.”
A wave of nausea washes through me and I brace myself with a hand on the wall.
“And we’re supposed to just wait?” I shake my head. “Why don’t they just go in and fucking get her?”
“They have to be smart about it,” Carter says. “You don’t want them blasting their way in when she’s in there.”
I push off the wall, feeling like a caged beast. “I want to sprint out this fucking energy, but I can’t because of my knee.”
“Yeah, you’re not doing that,” Carter agrees. “Let’s go cook dinner, just to give you something to focus on.”
Suki was just starting to make lasagna when she got the call about Mara. We all return to the kitchen, Suki browning the meat while I chop onions and tomatoes.
“So what happened with Mara?” Lainey asks. “This guy is someone she encountered at work?”
I recount Mara’s work on domestic violence cases and her talk with Libby.
“Wow,” Suki says. “She hasn’t told me any of that.”
“And the woman’s pregnant.”
“Shit,” Bash says. “I didn’t know Mara dealt with stuff like that at work.”
I finish chopping and Suki gives me a big block of mozzarella to shred, showing me how to use her automated shredder.
“Why don’t we all have a glass of Mara’s favorite wine?” Carter suggests. “I think she’d want us to.”
Suki laughs, her smile sad. “She would, as long as we still had more.”
Carter gets out a bottle of the red wine, pouring all of us a glass. I’m glad no one tries to do a toast, because now is not the time. I manage to drink almost half of my glass, following Suki’s lead on layering the lasagna ingredients.
“I love her so much,” she says softly. “I have all brothers, and she’s been the sister I never had since we met.” She meets my gaze. “I’ve never seen her happier than she’s been since you guys got together.”
“I’ve never been happier, either. She’s?—”
Suki drops a noodle and grabs a towel, quickly wiping her hands before taking her phone from her pocket.
“Hello?” She nods. “Yes.” She listens for a few seconds and her shoulders sink. “She’s okay?”
The entire room exhales with relief. The tightness in my body releases, and I feel like Jell-O.
“Okay, yes. Thank you so much.”
Tears shine in her eyes when Suki ends the call and looks at me. “She’s okay. The guy was holding her and his wife hostage, and his wife talked him into turning himself in.”
“Thank God,” Carter says.
Suki hugs me. I finally feel like I can breathe again.
“Now that we know she’s okay, I need to go let Rosie out,” Lainey says.
“I’ll come too,” Bash says. “We’re gonna just take off and get some carryout, so you guys can have time with Mara. Tell her we’re here if she needs anything.”
“We will, thanks,” Suki says.
Rosie is the puppy Bash brought home from the bachelor party. Lainey named her after a famous scientist. Bash bitched about the dog at first, but now his phone is full of puppy pictures he shows to anyone who will pay attention to him.
Once Bash and Lainey are gone, I leave Carter and Suki to finish dinner, sitting by myself in the living room. It’s a relief to know Mara is safe, but I won’t be able to fully relax until I can hear her voice or see her for myself.
