Chapter 8 Abbey #2
“Will someone tell me what the hell is going on?” I snap, throwing my hands up in frustration.
“You didn’t tell her?” Bec glares over my shoulder at Ringo, who quickly moves to my side and re-links our fingers.
“No. It was too risky. Couldn’t be sure we weren’t being watched or listened to.”
What?
Watched?
Listened to?
“Even inside the Marx car?” Amanda asks from where she’s sitting across the other side of the table, a warm mug of coffee in her hands.
“I can’t be sure the vehicles haven’t been compromised.”
Amanda and Bec frown at that, and I huff, snatching my hand from Ringo’s grip.
“Still don’t know what’s happening,” I remind him, and his face softens.
“We’re here to figure out a way to find Bobbi.”
I blink. And then blink again.
“I thought we were already doing that.”
What the hell am I missing?
“Technically yes.” Ringo gestures to a chair at the table, and I absentmindedly move to it and sit my arse down.
“But you and I are on the same page about Daniel. I believe he didn’t tell anyone about his mum and Bobbi.
He would never risk his mum’s life. So it begs the question…
how did someone obtain that information and beat us to the hospital? ”
“Someone must have overheard Daniel at the airstrip.” I frown, trying to think back to everything that happened that day. All the chaos. Who was around?
“Possibly.” Ringo takes the seat next to mine. “But where was the other place he said the words out loud?”
I feel like I’m being quizzed, but as I think over the answer, I realise he’s helping me to put the pieces together.
“At your place… the barn.”
“Exactly.” Ringo nods, not looking happy about that at all.
“But your men were there,” I point out, and he nods.
“Yes, they were.”
“And the Marx guys.” I gesture my head towards Griffin and Devon, and Ringo nods.
“Yep.”
“So what… are you saying one of them is a mole?”
I watch as Ringo’s lips thin, something that’s hard to see past his beard, but from my position, I see it.
“Possibly,” is all he says, and I rest back in the chair, stunned, my eyes flicking to the timber top of the table as I search my brain for another reason.
“In that case, it could be Riggs,” I point out, my eyes quickly finding the head of Marx security also sitting at the table with us.
“It could be,” Ringo admits.
I balk at that, wondering why Riggs is sitting at the table with us if that’s the case.
“So what you’re saying is, we can’t trust anyone?”
My tone is snarkier than Ringo deserves, but I’m feeling too fed up to rein in my anger right now.
When is this ever going to end?
A small whiteboard slides across the table in front of me, and I read the words Dee has written.
You can trust us, and my aunties. Angel Org does this stuff all the time. Find women and children that are being abused or wronged, and save them.
“So you save people?” I snap, glaring up at the two women Dee wants me to trust. “You take them from their bad situations, but then what happens to them?”
“That depends on the circumstances,” Bec answers. “Some go into the Archer Network and are placed in new homes. Some we help right down to the finest details of eliminating the threats against them.”
“And some come to me.” Devon speaks then, gaining my attention, and I glare at the man that tried to kidnap me in the alley outside Leather and Lace.
“So you kidnap people to save them?” I hiss, and a slow, sinister smirk tugs at his lips.
“Sometimes.”
My brows shoot up because I wasn’t being serious, but everything in the way he responded tells me he is being serious.
When my gaze flicks to Ringo, I see him smirking too, reminding me that kidnapping me to save me was exactly what he did.
God… these men.
“Why do you want to help me?” I ask, dragging my gaze back to Devon as a shiver ripples up my spine.
I swear, if the Devil could take human form, it would be in that man.
“Unfortunately, we weren’t in a position to help when you first went into Ringo’s care.
” Amanda speaks this time, placing her cup of coffee on the table.
“Hush has made sure we are aware daily that we fucked up. And she’s right.
We should have thrown more money at the politicians or border cops and whisked you across the other side of the country.
Our resources were stretched thin during the lockdowns, but we want to help, and this has gone on for too long already.
It’s time to reunite you and your little girl, so you both can start living your lives together. ”
A lump forms in the back of my throat, because I want that, but also, I’m terrified of it as well.
What if I’m a bad mother?
“If there is a mole in the Marx crew or the Southern Sadists,” Bec continues for her sister. “Then we are your best bet. We can make things happen in the background that the others won’t know about.”
When I glance next to me where Dee is sitting, she offers me a slight smile and nods in reassurance. I trust her, I really do, but I don’t trust everyone in this room.
My gaze shifts up the table to Riggs. He has done nothing to make me question his trust. Hell, he’s been watching over my sister and I’ve trusted him completely. But now… I’m questioning everything. Everyone.
Like, could the mole be one of Ringo’s sisters? Millie tolerates me, but that’s about it. Or what about Ringo’s team? JD. Murf. Trunk. Stocky.
What about Mex and Vender? There are so many possibilities.
“So what do we do? Elizabeth isn’t meant to call for two more days, but by then, it might be too late.” I all but panic, and Ringo’s warm hand slides onto my thigh, giving my leg a gentle squeeze of support.
“We’ll get our hackers and cyber wiz to work day and night until they locate Elizabeth Stone,” Griffin declares. “We already have them working on accessing the data for the last call between Daniel and his mum. We will find them, Abbey. We promise.”
“I need you to promise me something else,” I add, and Griffin nods, like he’s willing to do whatever it takes. “If one of your men is the mole,” my eyes flick to Riggs before returning to Griffin, “you will kill them yourself, in front of me, so I know they have been dealt with.”
Devon chuckles next to his cousin. “I like her.”
“Consider it done, Abbey. We don’t tolerate snakes in our ranks.” Griffin nods.
“Would you feel more comfortable if I’m reassigned?” Riggs speaks up, and I glance at Ringo for assistance, but he just shrugs.
“It’s up to you, Angel.”
Licking my lips, I stand from my chair, slowly moving to the end of the table where Riggs is sitting.
He shifts in his chair, watching me, and I study his face for any sign of betrayal. I don’t see anything amiss, but that doesn’t mean he’s not hiding something. I’ve been gullible before, and people lie. Some too well.
I don’t quite know what to do here. Do I just take everyone’s word for it? Do I risk the safety of Bobbi by accepting that Riggs isn’t considered a threat by anyone else?
I’ve trusted him with Tahli. Trusted that he would keep her safe. And he has. But Tahli isn’t the target. Bobbi is.
I’m getting paranoid. I know that. But shit. I have to do everything I can to protect my little girl, so if I step over the line, it’s only because there’s this wildness inside me that would do just about anything to protect her.
My gaze drops down the front of Riggs’ black vest. It’s some sort of combat vest, with pockets and whatnot. It’s padded, so it’s hard to tell if he’s hiding anything underneath.
There could be more weapons or… a camera or tracker…
“Strip,” I rush out without another thought, and a moment later, Ringo’s chair scrapes against the floor as he stands abruptly.