Retribution (Moonstruck Genesis #4)

Chapter 9

HANNAH STOOD on the front porch and watched two vehicles pull into the resort. They stopped on the circle drive in front of the main building. Kim Miyagi Cadogan, a petite woman of oriental descent met the newcomers before they reached the door. The woman’s smile was evident all the way across the courtyard. Hannah had learned Kim married Josiah’s younger non-Wolf brother as a young girl on Okinawa. Her husband was now dead, but Kim happily ran the resort, admitting it was mostly filled around the holidays when families returned to Blaidd’s Gap. The woman lived off her husband’s military pension.

Instead of going to meet Izzy, Rudy, DJ, and Antoine, Hannah waited. Mac and Sean had gone to scout their former post. While digging around on the internet, Sean uncovered some interesting information. Hannah glanced over at the large satellite dish that ostensibly beamed in television transmissions. Sean had done some tinkering and now they had Wi-Fi in their cabin at least—Wi-Fi that was mostly untraceable, unless the person looking was very, very good and knew exactly where to look. Once Nate arrived, Sean would draft him to do some serious rerouting to create their own secure network.

Kim waved at her and pointed the two couples in her direction. Hannah stepped down the stairs to meet them. Sean and Annie were still staying in town. They wanted to be close to Granny Mae for a bit longer. Usually, once a wolf pup made it into the world, the rest was gravy, but sometimes… Hannah shuddered, her arms automatically bracing across her stomach in remembrance of babies who hadn’t survived long enough.

By the time the others pulled up and parked, she’d plastered a welcoming smile on her face. Izzy skipped over to hug her, but DJ hung back. Hannah nodded at the former Deputy US Marshal. “How was Vegas?”

DJ chuckled dryly. “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Isn’t that what they say?” She tilted her head toward the fully packed SUV. “Antoine bought almost all my stuff at the estate sale. I told him most of it didn’t matter.”

“Ah, bébé . These are your things. They matter.”

Hannah grimaced but winked at the other woman. “You must still be in the honeymoon phase.” When DJ blushed, Hannah couldn’t choke back her laughter. “Yeah…well. We have the run of the place. We’d like to keep the three bigger cabins for the families. Lightfoot and Liz are due in tonight.”

“I thought Sean and Annie were staying in town?”

Nodding to Rudy, Hannah added. “They are, but they’ll be moving out here before long.” She glanced away then returned her gaze to him. “Have any of you heard from Jacey and Nate?” Her heart sank at their negative reactions, but she was determined to be upbeat. “They’ll be in touch. Sooner or later. Harjo and Amy have shifted locations to Baltimore. The leads on Black Root seem to be pointing that direction. If they show up here, Kim says they can stay in one of the guest rooms over the lodge. Go get unpacked. I’ll put a pot of coffee on. Mac and Sean should be back soon. They’ll be glad to see you.”

JACEY WALKED out of the restroom carrying Grace and holding Joy’s hand. Nate stood at the register paying cash for the gas he’d put in their SUV. Traveling with the girls by RV would have been easier, but Nate wanted to stay low profile and have the ability to run the larger vehicle wouldn’t have afforded them. She was so intent on watching Nate, she didn’t see the deputy walk in and sidle up to her.

Grace ducked her head into the curve of Jacey’s neck and clung. Joy stepped behind her out of instinct. The child was terrified of most men, especially those in uniform. Nate had rescued her from a Black Root lab located deep in the Louisiana bayous. She didn’t even have a name so they called her Joy. Grace’s parents, Sally and Danny Keegan, had died in the swamps.

“You got some cute girls there, ma’am.”

She forced her expression to remain relaxed as she smiled. “Thank you, deputy.”

“You aren’t from around here.”

“No, sir. Just passing through.”

“Where you headed?”

“Is there a problem here?”

Jacey had been so focused on maintaining her calm demeanor for the man she’d lost track of Nate. He stood beside the deputy, dwarfing him. For a moment, she considered passing Grace to Nate to make him look less defiant and, truth be told, intimidating, but she knew he’d want his hands free to cover them if they had to make a run for it. Instead, she stepped closer to him and raised her face for a kiss. “We’re fine, sweetheart.” Ease down, love. We got this.

Nate nodded. “We need to get back on the road if we want to make it to your parents’ house before bedtime.”

Joy peeked around Jacey and offered Nate a glorious smile. “I hope Grandma baked cookies, Daddy.”

The deputy stepped back, his gaze chasing across all their faces. “Nice family you got there.”

“We think so.” Jacey tugged on Joy’s hand and the three of them headed toward the door. She slowed when Nate didn’t immediately follow. She watched over her shoulder as he offered the deputy a smile that looked sincere but it never warmed his eyes.

“You have a safe night, sir,” Nate finally said as he turned and followed them out. He guided them away from their car until he was positive the deputy’s attention was focused somewhere else. He buckled Joy in while Jacey put Grace into her car seat. None of them breathed easily until the lights from the truck stop had faded behind the horizon.

Shifting in her seat, Jacey smiled at Joy. “You did good, baby girl.” The child’s cheeks glowed with pleasure at the praise and her smile morphed into a yawn. Lowering her voice, Jacey asked Nate the question she’d worried over since leaving the truck stop. “Do you think he was looking for us? Like there’s an APB or something?”

Nate glanced at her as his right shoulder lifted in a small shrug. “No telling. But we need to stay low profile from here to West Virginia.” After they’d covered many miles and the girls were both sleeping, Nate reached over to touch Jacey. His voice was thick when he asked, “Did you hear what Joy called me?”

Jacey took his hand and squeezed it. “Daddy. You okay with that?”

Silence descended again as he thought. Several miles on down the road, he replied softly. “Yeah. I am.”

Jacey smiled and squeezed his hand again. A few miles further, in a hushed voice, he asked, “Has she called you mom yet?”

“Not yet. It’s okay. The time will come. She’s attached to you. Has been since you brought her home.”

“I did, didn’t I? Bring her home.” Filled with wonder, Nate watched the white lines on the highway zip by. “That’s what we have, isn’t it? No matter where we are. We’re home. The four of us.”

“Yes, love. That’s what we are. All four of us.”

When he glanced at her, the smile on his face lit up his eyes like the fourth of July. “Then let’s go home, Jacey. The rest of our family is waiting for us.”