“Your computer genius can start by finding out who is the owner of the abandoned airfield out at Henrys Ferry. Miss Catherine has the details. My guess, it will be buried deep, because the fucker who masterminded the kidnapping doesn’t want to be found out. Any flight plans for Saturday morning out of that airfield that can be found will be a lead. We believe Whisper was flown out of there. Could be in the country still, or could be out of the country.”
Mocha-chocolate gives me one last glare and walks off to calm down, with Miss Catherine following a few steps behind. Doc Evelyn hands me a small towel so I can wipe myself up, and then I hold it against the gash. She grumbles about not having time for this gorilla shit.
From her absence of shock, I can see she knew what I had gone and done to Whisper already, but she still let the old lady leave with me and gave me her wheels… because I was better than nothing, and dem bones have sway.
She sharply pushes my head down, checking the back of it. “I don’t have to like it, but the more people looking for Whisper can only be a good thing,” she mumbles away behind me, as she tears the old bandage off. “Stitches nearly gone and done their job anyway. I’ll use some Steri-Strips to keep it held together. Stay still.”
“Why didn’t you rat me out?” I ask softly.
She doesn’t answer straight away, just goes about patching up the back of my head. “Miss Catherine has her thing where she simply knows something in her bones. She believes in you. She knows you made a mistake, and those bones of hers are steering her when it comes to you. I’ve decided, after all I’ve seen over the past few years when it comes to you ex-military types, her bones are worth listening to. Don’t prove me wrong for keeping my thoughts to myself.”
She moves around and starts to work on my face, but I hold my hands up. “No thanks, I can handle the rest myself.”
She lets out a little grunt of disapproval, the doctor in her at war with wanting to fix me, but there is no time. She’s spent enough time fussing over me, but still hands me some Steri-Strips and alcohol swab packets. “Edge, you need me to take a look at your foot?” Her voice is low, concern laced through it.
“I’m good. No different from earlier today. I’m taking the pills and I’ll get it looked at.” She looks like she wants to argue, but decides against it. I get in her line of sight. “Thank you for everything. You go take care of your men.” She gives me a sharp nod and walks away.
The old lady approaches me. She looks a little sad she knows our Bonnie and Clyde run together is over. “How you be leavin’ here?”
I wave the burner phone in the air I swiped off Homer and Ellwood. “I’m a big boy. I can sort myself out. I’ve got people.” I give her a half smile.
She looks like she has more to get off her chest, so I let Ghost know I’m just going to have a quiet word with her. He doesn’t take too kindly to that idea, by the way he starts to prowl back toward me.
Miss Catherine holds a hand up to him. “I’ve been perfectly safe with Edge. You get ready to be leavin’ and I’ll be followin’ on behind in Evelyn’s BMW.” Now, I could have laughed out loud at the look on Mocha-chocolate’s face when she told him she would follow on behind. She looks a little put out as a hand lands on her hip. “How you be thinkin’ we got from New Orleans to every other damn place we been to, Ghost?” She sounds like she wants to give him more lip, but holds her tongue.
He just holds his hands up in capitulation, walks off, and waits in the SUV, so we can talk. I take her around to the back passenger side of the Beamer and get busy with removing my things, including No Mercy.
She hands me the ragdoll which was laying a top of Whisper’s carefully folded leather jacket and she’s places it inside a plastic bag. “For when you be findin’ her. She be knowin’ I gave it to you. Her name’s Jenny. Bring Whisper back, Edge. I know it be you to be doin’ it.” She puts her hand over her heart. “I know it in here.”
She gives me a tight hug, which surprises the hell out of me. Opportunity has presented itself for the picking. I dip my hand smoothly into her pocket and lift her phone.
“Be stayin’ in contact. Boxer be needed by Doc Evelyn’s side to get well. You need Ghost, you just be askin’. You need anythin’, you contact me on that phone you just be stealin’ away from me.”
I shake my head at her comment. She doesn’t ask for it back. I do something without thinking which surprises me. I give her a swift kiss on the head in reply and then try to cover up my action by turning away and grumbling out, “Time for me to leave.”
Mocha-chocolate beckons me over. “He’s at the Quality Inn North, room 213.” Joel knows how to get information. “Hasn’t moved since we’ve been yapping, might be asleep. Expectin’ to hear from you tonight.”
I give him a sharp nod. Before he drives off, he hollers through the window, “Joel’s sent you a present,” and then he drives away.
I wave Miss Catherine off, watching the convoy of cars depart, just as a cab pulls up in front of me, the window peeling down.
“Yo, you Edge?”
I swing my bag over my shoulder and grip No Mercy’s handles tight.
I most certainly fucking am.
***
Jonathan was indeed at the Quality Inn. Picked my way into the room and found the twin beds—one of them had been slept in—moved at angles like there’d been a scuffle. The phone was poking out from under one of the bedspreads on the floor. I checked the bathroom and found Jonathan laid out in the tub.
Needless to say, he wasn’t breathing. Couldn’t see any reason for his death until I looked extra closely and saw a small needle mark at the side of his neck.
Somebody wanted ol’ JB out of the picture, possibly a loose end.
He was executed, and there goes another fucker who had escaped my wrath.
I called Whisper’s phone and passed on my findings to the old lady, which was simply a dead body. JB had his phone clean. He wouldn’t leave a trail on his personal one for the shit he was neck-deep in.
Back to square fucking one.
The room is completely clean of any of JB’s things. I made sure the cabbie dropped me off a block away from the Quality Inn, and I was careful not to touch anything when I arrived. I quickly wipe the handle clean and shut the door, pulling my hat down tight over my face.
I need to find a place for the night to bed down, one that won’t be looking to ask questions about my beat up face and work out my next move.
I’m not one for praying, but I will pray to even Buddha if it gives Whisper strength to hold on.
WHISPER
“Let me do that,” he murmurs in my ear. My button pops, and then the zipper’s being slid down and his hand is moving over my underwear. I don’t know if I should feel embarrassed about how wet they are, but I know I want more. I let out a little whimper when he removes his hand. “Patience, little one.” I don’t want to be patient. I want more. “Smell.” Oh, my God, he’s offering his fingers up, coated in my scent for me to smell. I inhale. My lips part at the sweet smell of my arousal. I feel so wanton.
He turns my head. My eyelids feel so heavy with this power he has over me. My body voluntarily moves closer to the part of him I know is supposed to give me so much pleasure, backing up against his hard bulge so I can feel him that much nearer to where I need him to be. I had been forced to watch enough porn to understand a great feeling can come from a man and what he can do to a woman.
“I want your fingers again.” I’m speaking aloud, but this voice is not my own. It’s too breathy, but he already knows what I need. He’s already there. Two fingers have slid inside me, which makes me jerk back in shock at the way I feel, his wet lips kissing along my neck. It all feels so good.