Holding his Hostage - Amy Gamet Page 0,28

forgets the world is a dangerous place. Am I right?” The woman looked less than convinced.

“We’re friends from Baldwin & Regan,” he continued. “Well, Suzie here is. I only met McKenzie a few times when we went out for dinner in the city. Super nice girl.” He put his hand on Joanne’s back. She bristled at his touch but resisted the urge to shake him off. “I’ve got three kids from my first marriage who were still reeling from losing their momma. Suzie here quit her job to be there for them, and we took off cross country!”

The old woman’s eyes lit. “Doesn’t that sound exciting. Have you been at it long?”

“It’ll be a year and a half a week from next Monday. Best thing we ever did, wasn’t it, sweetheart?” He looked lovingly at Jo, and she grinned while wishing she could punch him in the mouth.

“Oh, absolutely. Yellowstone was my favorite.”

“Yellowstone is everyone’s favorite,” said the woman with a smile. “I always dreamed of going myself.”

“It’s never too late,” said Sloan, his voice dripping with saccharin sweetness. “Especially with the right person by your side.” He lifted Jo’s hand to his mouth and kissed it, the gesture sparking a thrill in Jo’s belly that she instantly hated him for igniting.

“Anyway,” he continued. “If you know how we might catch up with McKenzie, we’d sure appreciate it.”

“Unfortunately, I don’t know that she’ll be back, at least not for quite some time. Her father passed away, and she was heading to Poughkeepsie to close up his plumbing supply business. She said she needed to take some time. Death in the family will do that to a person.”

Jo and Sloan shared a look, then thanked her and said their goodbyes. Jo led the way back to the camper, her arms crossed and her steps heavier on the pavement than they needed to be. “You just had to be my husband.”

She climbed into the cab and pulled so hard on her seat belt it locked up. She cursed under her breath.

“You can’t pull it so hard.”

“I know!”

“It didn’t look like you knew.”

“Shut up!” She buckled her seat belt.

“I take it we’re going to Poughkeepsie.”

She blew out air, turning to check on the children. Fiona had fallen asleep, and Lucas and April both wore headphones. “If he’s alive, this is bigger than stealing money from the mob, bigger than threatening me.” She lowered her voice. “There was a body in that casket. We could be talking about murder of someone other than David here. But what do we do? We can’t call the authorities. I feel like this is getting out of control. Dangerous, even.”

“Agreed. And we’re traipsing around with three kids in tow.”

“What do you suggest?”

He tapped his finger on the steering wheel. “Someplace safe for them to stay. One of the HERO Force guys has a cabin in the northern part of the Hudson Valley, not far from Poughkeepsie. It’s closer than my house. They could stay there.”

“But who would watch them?”

He turned to her and smiled, then picked up his cell phone. “I know the perfect babysitter.” He hit speed dial. “She’ll have to cut her trip short, but I’m willing to bet she won’t mind.”

17

They were going in circles in more ways than one.

Sloan drove the now-familiar highway back from Chicago toward New York, Joanne asleep by his side. He could only hope what he’d said to her was true, and they were really making progress.

Moto had checked into the plumbing supply business, and sure enough, its owner had just recently passed away. It was located in a warehouse on the banks of the Hudson River. It would take twelve hours to drive there.

Fiona and Lucas were struggling with so much time in the camper and needed a break, so they planned to spend the night at a hotel, then pick up Sloan’s mother at the Albany airport in the morning before dropping Evelyn and the kids at Wiseman’s cabin in the foothills of the Catskills. There they would be safe, while he and Joanne looked for McKenzie and the missing money.

He put in his AirPods and dialed Mac, filling him in on the timetable. “Do you want any men at the cabin?” Mac asked, since HERO Force New York was just over an hour’s drive from Wiseman’s place.

“Not necessary. No one will know they’re there. Just meet us at the warehouse in Poughkeepsie. Who’s coming?”

“Champion, Chop, me. Gavin and Asher are flying in from Honduras tomorrow if we