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Cole started to bark out orders to everyone, and in a matter of minutes the house was in full swing.
The women came together, and we all slipped outside to talk. We wanted our own chance to talk things out among ourselves. We followed Savannah down to the dock house; it had been turned into a hangout of sorts. Couches and a few chairs were huddled in the little room, and a small lamp provided some light and Mia lit some candles. We all found a spot, and there were a few moments of quiet as we all digested everything. My brain spun like a dreidel. I felt like I needed to speak.
“I want to say how sorry I am to hear about Lexi. I’ve only met her a few times, but this is some next level of crazy. And as unsympathetic as this may sound, I need you to walk me through this, ladies.” I leaned my tired arms on my thighs. “I need to be as helpful as I can. Help me understand so I can help all of you.”
“Okay, yeah,” Mia looked around, and I was pleased they saw my question for what it was and got right to it. “If the Cartel took her, then it could be any day or even any moment now, we’d get proof of life. It’s a waiting game, and they hold all the power.”
“Got it.” I nodded.
“I also think it’s fair to say she might’ve gone back to her old gang,” Mia added. “I’ve had a really hard time getting through to her this past year. Who knows where her head is.”
“I understand that.”
“Lexi has no regard for safety.” Savannah shifted uncomfortably, and I could see this wasn’t easy for them. After all, she was one of them, so I could only imagine just how unsettling it was. “I hate to say it, but she’s drawn to trouble.”
“That’s true.” Mia cleared her throat. “Cat, you’re closest to her. Did you see any signs?”
“No.” Catalina brushed a tear from her eye. “I mean, she was pulling away, but when is Lexi not?” She looked at me. “Lexi has cycles of being on and off again, but the fact that she slipped out on her security is something I can’t understand.”
“However, to circle back to the Cartel, if they took her, there’s always the possibility they already killed her, and any POL is fake,” Savannah whispered. “I just need you to know that the guys’ heads’ll go there.”
“Yes, they will.” Mia reached over and rubbed Savannah’s shoulder. “Right now, my dad is probably calling his informants in Mexico to lean on them to find out something. We’d only have a small window of time to get her back.”
“I hate to pull the I come from a Cartel family card,” Catalina said, and I pulled in my chin and eyed her. I was unaware that she had any ties to the Cartel. “Can we just get real here for a moment?”
“I know.” Savannah nodded, and I looked at Catalina to go on.
“We’re gold to the Cartel, and so are our kids. There’s nothing we can offer to get her back. If they have her, Lexi’s fate is already sealed.” She swiped at a tear with the back of her hand. “They never got over losing you, Savannah. The American made that quite clear. I mean that’s what put a giant target on Blackstone years ago, the fact that they were the ones who rescued you. And you weren’t even married to Cole then. Now they’ve got Lexi, I don’t know.” She looked down and picked at a bit of dog hair on her knee.
“Wow,” I sighed into my hands.
“Ivy,” Sloane came to sit next to me, “all of what was said here tonight is true, but Blackstone has pulled off the impossible countless times before.”
“That’s true.” Catalina nodded, her eyes hopeful again.
“Right now, the best we can do is to act as normal as we can with the kids and be supportive with the guys. However, don’t forget all the things we’ve done in the past to help them. Keep trying to think of any details or ideas you can that might help. We also need to crawl into the guys’ heads and remind them who they are and what they’ve done in the past. They can do this. They just need you to remind them of that. Which means,” Sloane looked around, “it’s time to share our stories with Ivy.”
“I’ll start.” Savannah licked her lips and took an uneasy breath. “The day after my twenty-seventh birthday…”
The following afternoon, I felt like a zombie. I was running on three hours of restless sleep. Ty and the rest of the guys spent their time downstairs in the conference room. Frank had June and Abigail making arrangements for the kids to be taken to Washington in case both safehouse locations had been compromised.
“Any word from Bronson?” My uncle carried a steaming cup of coffee into my office and set it on the coaster next to me.
“Thanks, and no. The fact that he dropped his little ‘I still love you’ bombshell and nothing else means he’ll expect me to call him back.”
“So, call him.”
“I have a meeting with Keith in five. I will when I’m finished.”
“Ivy,” he sat down across from me, “Cole needs you now more than ever, and he trusts you, so you need to handle this whole Lexi situation with Keith. It could get really ugly. Blackstone needs him, and you’re their best bet to get him in the right headspace.”
“I know that.” I blew over the top of the mug. “I won’t push too much.”
“Or maybe you should.” He gave me a pointed look. “Blackstone works best under pressure. I believe Keith would respond better to you if you didn’t tiptoe around him. It’s your specialty, anyway. Leave the warm hugs for the wives while you get in his head and fuel him for this fight.” A smile broke across my lips, and he frowned at my reaction. “What?”
“Sloane told me the same thing last night. The girls told me their stories about how they each ended up here. It’s neat to hear how much they listen and take your advice.”
“That’s nice to hear.” He cleared his throat. “Did they really share their stories?”
