Page 84 of Now or Never
“Of course. You’re out there fighting them, and you’re pregnant. And I’m sitting here, and I never know what’s happening.”
Kenna bit her lip. “I need to finish this. Hopefully, the baby doesn’t decide to come before I know it’s done.” Being vulnerable like that sounded like the worst thing imaginable. The thing that put the taste of fear on her tongue. “When she does get here, maybe you could come and visit us. Or we’ll bring the RV to Stairns’ house, and we can all spend some time together.”
“I’d like that.”
“So would I. After all, she needs to see her big sister.”
Maizie was quiet a moment. “Thanks.”
Jax broke off the conversation and came over, leaving Nurse Smith with the now four of them standing around her. He got in, and Kenna saw Amara shove Smith into the trunk of the car this time.
She showed him the phone. “Maizie.”
He nodded. “She was supposed to take Petyr to an address in West Virginia, but on Maps it’s just a gas station. They still want to keep up the ruse and try to catch whoever she was going there to meet, so we’re rolling out.”
Kenna leaned back. “Sounds good to me.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
Jax pulled off the highway at the correct exit. “I see the gas station.”
Kenna scanned the whole terrain out the window, tugging Jax’s coat tighter around her. Hills around them. Not much light at this time of night. No buildings other than this out-of-the-way gas station that looked boarded up, like it had been shut down a long time ago. “We’re late.”
“Good. That way we stay out of it.”
“Okay, good point.” They’d driven the speed limit, as opposed to Bruce and Ramon, who’d gotten here way ahead of Kenna and Jax. “Looks like they’re around back.”
“Hard to not see someone coming when it’s so open like this.”
Kenna looked up. “There are so many stars out here.” She loved places like this. Just without the operational threat, and the fight underway to rid the world ofDominatus.
The west side of the highway had a dark hill on the left of the winding road that disappeared around the shadowed peak. On the other side, only headlights and a couple of street lights around the gas station helped her see what was happening. Jax pulled in, then made a sharp left and stopped with his side of the car hugging the strip of sidewalk.
Around the back of the gas station, muzzle flash erupted several times in rapid succession. Kenna flipped down the glove compartment and slid a pistol from its holster, flicking off the safety.
Jax opened the door. “Stay here.”
As if he had to tell her that. She wasn’t getting out of the car, but she definitely planned to defend herself if it came to it.
Jax raced across the rutted parking lot toward the fray, ducked down behind one of their cars, and took aim. She slid down in the seat, just in case, and covered them all with as much prayer as she could muster up. Relying on God and not putting her baby in danger weren’t mutually exclusive. She had to trust Him all the time. It just happened that right now it wasn’t only about her and her husband, it was also about their daughter.
Zeyla raced to the right, in the dark, all the way around the front of the building. Coming around behind the attackers.
Kenna’s phone rang, a number she didn’t recognize.
She put her elbow on the center console and leaned as best she could, trying to make it comfortable and prevent herself from being a target. She slid her thumb across the screen. “I’m a little busy right now, so if this isn’t important, you should call back later.”
A pause filled the line, and then, “Please hold for the president.”
Kenna spoke to no one in particular. “I guess that’s one way to find out if Petyr survived.”
“He did, indeed.” President Tetherton sounded annoyed. “Thanks to you.”
“You’re welcome?”
“I thought you might like to know that he is currently at the White House under the care of my personal doctor.”
“Good for him.” Kenna didn’t want to sound sarcastic. “Did he get roofied?”
