In a Badger Way (Honey Badger Chronicles #2) - Shelly Laurenston Page 0,106
her but Charlie quickly threw her arm around their baby sister’s shoulders and steered her off toward Bernice and the limos waiting for them.
“There is nothing wrong with my medication, you ass!” Stevie yelled, struggling against Charlie’s hold so she could get back to Max and slap her around. “You’re lucky it’s goddamn working!”
Thankfully Charlie had a good, firm hold on Stevie.
When they were far enough away, Max moved until she was behind one of the buildings and out of eyesight of anyone spying. She quickly slipped off her clothes, unleashed the claws on both her hands and feet, and began digging.
* * *
Shen was relieved to see the honey badgers coming back to the limos. The widow had already left, hysterically sobbing as she’d bypassed the family autos to grab the cab that had been waiting. Something told Shen she wasn’t heading to the next stop at this event, the bar where they could all raise a drink in honor of Pete MacKilligan.
He knew someone running for her life when he saw it.
Arms angrily folded over her chest, blue eyes bright, Stevie practically threw herself against the limo he was leaning on.
“Everything okay?” he asked.
“My sister’s an asshole.”
“Come on,” Charlie said, opening the back door. “Let’s get to the bar. I need a drink.”
“Where’s Max?” Stevie asked.
“She’ll meet us there.”
Stevie grabbed Charlie’s arm and yanked her hard, surprising not only Shen but even Charlie.
“Did you tell Max to kill Dad?” she demanded, not seeming to care that her voice was rather loud.
“Of course not!”
“Don’t lie to me, Charlie MacKilligan!”
“I’m not! I didn’t tell her to kill Dad. And she won’t. She doesn’t want to hear any shit from you.” When her baby sister continued to glare, “I promise.”
Stevie released Charlie and got into the limo, and Charlie followed. For the first time, Shen realized there were some lines that even Charlie MacKilligan would not cross.
He wondered, though, if Freddy even realized that the only reason he wasn’t dead was because of Stevie.
From what Shen had seen of the man, he doubted it. Too bad. Because once Stevie stopped giving a shit whether her father lived or died, that would be it for him.
chapter TWENTY-TWO
Cella found Dee-Ann standing in a spot behind what looked like a shed.
She wasn’t doing anything, though. Just standing there. Staring.
“What’s going on?” she asked. The rest of their team standing behind Cella, all of them armed and ready.
“You know,” Smith said, her gaze still locked on the forest, “I don’t really know.”
“Did you see someone or not?”
“Men. Military trained. About six of ’em. I thought they were going to make a move, but nope. They took some pics and headed out.”
“Took pics of Will MacKilligan?”
Smith shook her head. “Don’t think so.”
“The three sisters?”
“Yep.”
One of the team pointed at the ground. “What’s that?”
Smith nodded. “That’s when things got weird.”
“How so?” Cella asked, enjoying how freaked out Smith was. The wolf was always so laid-back and calm that to see her confused and unable to hide it made the situation way more entertaining than it should be.
“The freaky little one.”
“All of them are freaky and at least two of them are little.”
“When I say the ‘Chinese one,’ y’all get upset!”
Reaching out, Cella caught hold of the neck of a South China She-tiger’s body armor, preventing her from launching herself at the She-wolf.
“Just say ‘Max,’” Cella reminded Smith. “Since we do know their names.”
“Fine. Max came here, got naked. I was over there waitin’ on you all, so she didn’t see me.”
“She got naked and then what?” Cella asked.
“She burrowed away.” Smith pointed.
“Into the forest?”
“Yep.”
“After the truck?”
“I think so.”
“Did you tag the truck?”
“Yep.”
“Good.” Cella looked at the rest of the team. “We were just going to track them unless they made a move. See where they went, but let’s just get them now before—”
“I’m thinkin’ it’s too late for all that.”
Cella faced Smith. “Why too late?”
Smith shrugged, again looked off into the woods. “We may do recon. Think things out. Arrange grand schemes. But that little honey badger . . . she ain’t about to waste her time doin’ all that.”
* * *
They’d continued on their off-road route through the forest. The funeral was recon only. Because they couldn’t just grab the girl. The client had made it clear. He wanted her alive and unharmed. So they needed to make a solid plan to ensure that happened.
It wouldn’t be easy, though. She seemed to constantly be in the presence of others. And he recognized at least three of