Chapter 5 #2
“Sweetheart,” Kyla said. “You don’t have the butt crack to be a plumber. But if that’s your dream, who am I to discourage a sister?”
Savvie laughed. “Thanks for your encouragement. It means a lot coming from you. You’ve figured out life outside the bubble of government employees or the military. Any advice?”
Kyla tilted her head to the side. “Yes, but I doubt you’re ready to understand what I’m going to say.”
“You have my full attention,” Savvie said. “Fire away.” Curious, she sat back.
“Since you have time, choose something that makes you happy. You need to give it a fair chance, but you don’t have to commit the rest of your life to your choice. Later, you can change your mind and go in a different direction.”
“Give my career choice a fair chance but don’t be afraid to switch if my heart isn’t in it.” Savvie grinned. “Is that all?”
Kyla shook her head. “I think the most important thing to remember is to be open to exploring places and making new friends. And be open to falling in love.” She squeezed Stone’s hand.
“I didn’t believe in love. Thought it was a big bunch of hooey.
Then it happened to me.” She smiled, her face softening. “I’ve never been happier.”
Stone lifted her hand and pressed a kiss to the backs of her knuckles. “Same. When you meet the right person, you don’t want to waste another moment of your time apart from her.”
“You want to get on with living the rest of your life with him.” Kyla stared across the console at Stone, tears welling in her eyes.
She swiped them away, laughing. “And when you do find the love of your life, you become one of those women you’ve always despised—a blubbering fool who cries at commercials and learns to crochet.
” Kyla shook her head. “Can you believe it? I’m learning how to crochet. ”
Savvie might not believe in love, but her friend did. The least she could do was be happy for her and keep her negativity to herself.
Even if love was real, who would want a woman who’d killed her stepfather and then had gone on to become an assassin?
She stole a glance at Hunter. He knew what she was and hadn’t shrunk away. Then again, she wasn’t asking him to date her or anything. He might be appalled at the idea.
Stone drove into the small tourist town of West Yellowstone and parked in front of a diner.
They all got out of the vehicle, moving slowly, working the kinks out of their bodies from sitting on a plane for the past four hours.
Kyla chose a table and chairs instead of a booth. “Can’t squeeze in at this point.”
The waitress brought coffee and took their orders.
Savvie stirred cream into her cup and poured in a couple of packets of sugar, her mind leaping ahead to the challenge of her future.
She stared around at the diner, watched the waitress take and deliver orders and interact with the customers with a smile.
It all seemed so bucolic and serene while there were people—women much like this waitress—being kidnapped and sold into the sex trade.
“Have you thought about what you want to do next?” Kyla asked.
“I could be a waitress,” Savvie murmured softly.
“Yes, you could,” Kyla said. “Just take your time. You might ask Stone’s father, John Jacobs, if they need help maintaining the rooms and grounds of the lodge.”
Savvie nodded absently.
So, she’d taken out one man in the business of capturing and selling women. What about the rest of the people in his organization? Why had she been sent to kill just one?
Marcus Caldwell’s words returned to her. He’d called someone to report he had a woman who’d bring a good price. Marcus was just one of many in that organization trafficking souls.
“Are you okay?” Hunter had leaned close to whisper in her ear.
She shook her head. “No. Not really.”
Kyla frowned. “You know, it’s selfish of me to want food when the rest of you have obviously engaged in some serious hand-to-hand combat.” Kyla laid her hand on Stone’s arm. “Should we skip breakfast and get to the lodge? I can grab food there.”
Savvie shook her head. “No. That’s not necessary. I’m not sick, and my bruises aren’t what’s holding me back from moving on.”
“No?” Kyla’s brow wrinkled. “Then what’s troubling you?”
No one had come to her rescue when her stepfather had nearly killed her mother. If she hadn’t shot him with his own gun, he would have killed them both.
Savvie raised her gaze to meet Kyla’s. “I’m troubled by some things Marcus Caldwell said when he thought I was passed out on the drugs he slipped into my drink and when he was trying to choke me to death.”
Hunter touched her arm. “What did he say?”
“He said, Got a blonde. You should get a good price for this bitch along with the others.” She turned to look into Hunter’s eyes.
His brow furrowed. “…the others.”
She nodded. “And when he had his hands around my throat, he said, My brother doesn’t like it when the goods are bruised and damaged.”
Hunter’s lips thinned into a tight line. “The bastard deserved to die.”
Savvie nodded. “Yes, but he’s not the only one involved in the human trafficking business.”
Stone’s eyes narrowed. “The brother is in on it, and more victims are being held somewhere.”
Savvie turned to Kyla.
The pregnant, former assassin held her gaze.
“Why target only Marcus and not the rest of the trafficking ring?” Her brow dipped low.
“I get the feeling someone in the Caldwell family has some strings to pull. Your handler gave you enough background on Marcus to get your buy-in to target him, but not anyone else.”
“Yeah.” Savvie’s gut knotted. “In which case, I was played.”
“The question is, by whom?” Kyla said. “And it could be more than one person.”
“I need a computer,” Savvie said, “and access to the internet. More specifically, the dark web.”
“They followed you until we ditched our cell phones,” Stone pointed out. “They have resources.”
Savvie’s lips curled back. “I have some resources of my own. I just need a computer and access.”
“I think we can help you with that,” Stone said. “Swede, our tech support wizard, will know what to do.”
“If they have other victims being held captive, we need to move on this before they leave the country.” Kyla tossed down her napkin. “That’s it. I can get something to eat at the lodge. Let’s go.”
The waitress approached as they all stood.
“Sorry, I just remembered I left the iron on,” Kyla said and sailed out of the diner.
Savvie chuckled and followed her lead. She’d worked solo for so long, it felt good to have people to help.
She just hoped that her role in targeting Marcus Caldwell didn’t bring the wrath of the Caldwell mafia to West Yellowstone. She would never forgive herself if anything happened to Kyla and her baby.