Retribution (Moonstruck Genesis #4)

Chapter 11

HANNAH PACED the length of the RV, pivoted and stalked back. Liam was attempting to teach Antoine how to play a video game.

“Mom, if you keep walking in front of the TV screen, we can’t play.”

She scowled at her son, but realized he’d picked up on her nerves and took her anxiety outside. Jacey was there already, a hip propped on the picnic table they’d added to the common space between the RVs. The two women exchanged knowing looks. They were closely in tune to their mates, even at a great distance—probably more than any of the other wives.

Hannah looked around and barked a dry chuckle. “Hell, Jace. Looks like we’ve circled the damn wagons.”

Snorting, Jacey nodded. “It does have that feel. I don’t know about you but I’m ready to get settled somewhere. In a real house.”

“No shit.” Hannah glanced toward the RV where lights from Liam’s video game flashed in the window. “Liam needs his own room.”

“We all need our own rooms. And space to spread out. I mean…seriously. I love you like a sister, Hannah, but damn if I want to listen to you and Mac.”

“Ditto you and Nate.”

It didn’t take long for others to drift out and settle. Sally opened up a cloth bag and pulled out a wad of yarn.

Hannah tried her best to relax but the hair on her arms prickled and no matter how many times she ran her palms over her arms, goosebumps formed. “Gawddammit. Something’s gone wrong.” The admission hissed out between her tight lips.

“I know. I want to call Nate, but if they’re in the middle of a firefight…” Jacey’s voice trailed off as she fingered the phone in her hand.

Liz, one of Lightfoot’s old camo jackets draped around her shoulders, drifted out of her RV and joined them. “Finally got Micah to sleep.” She perched on the picnic table bench and folded her legs under it. “Too bad I can’t sleep.”

“Yeah. Insomnia seems to be going around tonight.” Jacey joined Liz on the bench. “Hannah. Sit. All this pacing is driving me crazy.”

“Fuck you.”

Rather than take offense, Jacey chuckled and shoulder-bumped Liz. “Well, it was worth a try.”

“I’d make coffee, but I have this illusion of actually closing my eyes and sleeping at some point tonight.” Liz placed her phone on the table in front of her.

A door squeaked and moments later, Annie joined them. She plopped onto the end of the bench on the other side of the table . She watched the wives for a long moment then asked, “How do you do it?”

“Do what?” Sally looked up from the yarn piled on the table. “Crochet?”

Smiling, Annie shook her head. “No. Sit around all cool and calm while they’re out there doing…well…you know. I mean, Sean was already out of the army when we met.” She blinked, considering. “Well. Not exactly out but not…you know…on…” She inhaled. “What do you call it? Deployment? Or something. I mean, how did you get through the holidays? How did you get through anything?”

Hannah cleared her throat. “How did you manage as a single mom, Annie?”

“Uhm,” Annie stared for a moment. thinking before answering. “Okay. I managed but it was hard and I knew Cody’s sperm donor would never be around so I did what I had to do. How do you go from having them with you to having them lord knows where doing lord knows what but very likely in danger?” Her gaze settled on Jacey. “What do you do when they don’t come back?”

“It’s like the commercial, hon,” Jacey replied, her voice soft. “You just do it.”

Izzy exited from her RV. She carried a tray with mugs and a can of whipped cream surrounding a large metal tea kettle. “I figured we needed some comfort drinks so I made up a batch of Fontaine Family Cocoa.” Izzy lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “If we’re lucky, the kids won’t wake up and want some.”

She filled a mug, Liz squirted whipped cream on top and passed it on, then repeated until each woman had one. Liz inhaled the steam rising around the whipped cream. “Vanilla?”

Setting the kettle on the tray, Izzy winked. “Among other things. Real dark chocolate. Real vanilla. Grated cinnamon. And a secret ingredient.” Her eyes twinkled in the uncertain light.

The women huddled on the benches in companionable silence and sipped from the mugs. All but Hannah. She continued to pace, making ever widening circuits of the rudimentary “town square” formed by the RVs. A quiet whoop followed by laughter echoed from the McIntire RV. Liam and Antoine were still deep in their game. In an unconscious gesture, Hannah rubbed a spot over her heart.

“Dammit, Mac. If anything happens to you, I’ll hunt you down and kill you myself.” She muttered the sentiment but the women all nodded in agreement.

Almost an hour later, Antoine exited the RV and carefully approached Hannah. He still wasn’t completely comfortable around strangers and he didn’t quite know how to react to the woman very much in charge when the men were gone—and often when they were around. She whirled to face him when he was still about five feet away.

“Your son is sleeping on the couch.”

Hannah offered a hesitant smile. “Thanks, Antoine.” She chewed her bottom lip and then continued. “I appreciate you coming like this. I know…well…you don’t owe us anything, but still…”

He glanced down at his feet, cutting his eyes toward the women sitting around the table. “You are wrong, Miz McIntire.”

She started to correct him but held her tongue. This was a man bred to be polite, who’d grown up hiding in the bayous because he was a Wolf. And he was here as a favor to them because Mac was off playing commando and Liam needed a man who understood what was happening to him.

“I owe you a great deal.”

His quietly spoken statement rocked her back on her heels. Her forehead furrowed as she attempted to decipher his meaning.

“I know your mates are uncomfortable leaving me here with you, to guard and protect you in their absence.” He raised a hand, palm out to ward off her rebuttal. “Yes, I have seen that all of you can take care of yourselves. But…we are Wolves. It is in our blood to protect what we treasure. Your mate and my Isabelle’s mate have given me a gift.”

“A gift?”

“Yes. They have given me their trust when I have always been denied such before.”

He spoke formally, pausing between words and sentences as if uncomfortable with verbal communication. With a sudden flash of insight, Hannah realized he was. She almost reached out to touch him but understood the gesture would make Antoine even more wary. Instead, she jammed her hands in her hip pockets and remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

“The trust they have placed in me—that you place in me with Liam—it—” He swallowed hard. “Thank you.”

“No, Antoine. Thank you. I know I speak for Mac and the others when I say you will always have a place with us.” Her phone pinged and she dropped it trying to wrestle it from her front pocket. “Motherfu—” She bent to pick it up as the wives gathered around her, hemming Antoine in.

A look of panic lodged on his face, but he relaxed slightly when Izzy pushed in beside him and wound her arms around his biceps.

Hannah read the text twice before looking at the women. “Okay, that’s it. Change of plans.”

“Uh oh,” Liz stage whispered. “I recognize that look.”

“Hannah…” Jacey’s voice held a warning.

The women gave each other long looks before eying Hannah.

“The situation has gone from SNAFU to FUBAR.”

Surprisingly, it was Antoine who spoke for the group. “What has happened?”

“I have no clue other than they won’t make it back in time.” She paused, looked around, and recognized the disappointment on each of their faces. It echoed her own. She made a snap decision. “Look, we’re in this together, right?” Everyone nodded. “Since they won’t be here for Christmas, I vote we take Christmas on the road.” She stuck out her hand. “All for one…”

After only a slight hesitation, each woman added her own hand. “One for all,” they agreed.

“Road trip!” Izzy yelled.