“What do you know, amigo. Your woman’s been using the phone,” Latch says, but I tune him out. I’m still pissed at him and Sabre. They’ve been laughing enough at my expense. Today, for the most part, has been a total bust. We went back to Katie’s and ransacked the place, but didn’t find anything else. I grabbed her jeep and we went by the local bike store and bought a box trailer. I can’t trust Katie not to be stupid with my bike, and I need to keep her cuffed to me the whole time. Okay, that last part might not be necessary, but it sure as fuck makes me feel better.
I also went through her shit and there was next to nothing in there. I’m not so sure what she was throwing a fit about. The only thing I found that might hold any value for her was a picture of Beth and Gabby. Gabby was in a high chair and her little face was covered in cake. Beth was crouched down beside her, smiling. She looked beautiful, but she looked so different from the Beth the guys and I remembered. There was a sadness in her now that echoed even through the photo. One thing was clear: she loved her daughter, and though I doubted it, after seeing the photo, I am more inclined to believe that Gabby is Skull’s. The little girl looks too much like him. I snapped the photo with the camera on my phone and texted it to Skull. He didn’t respond, but then I didn’t expect him to. It’s been almost two hours, and I know Katie will be pissed. I would have been back on time, but she pissed me off, so I’ve been chilling in Sabre and Latch’s room for the last hour. I had hacked into the motel’s system and checked out the phone calls placed from my room. I was sure Katie would contact her sister; it’s almost disappointing that it would be so easy. I get the number and write it down. Then, I switch to my software and set about trying to triangulate the signal for Beth. I’m surprised when that doesn’t turn up a hit.
“Looks like your girl might know a little bit about hiding her tracks,” Sabre says over my shoulder. He might be right, but I’m not ready to give up on it yet. I do some number searches and then carriers. Prepaid cell, of course; that I was expecting. I hack into the carrier’s database and try to do a search on the phone. The number has been disabled. I’m not finding shit on how to hack into it again. I can’t even turn the number back on.
“Look at that, Latch. Our boy not only met his match everywhere else, I think she can out-hack him on the computer.”
“Fuck off. I’ll find it. It may just take a bit.”
“Whatever. We’re going to go out and find food. You want to go with us, or are you going to get back to your woman?”
“She’s not mine. If she was, I’d sure as fuck bring her to heel. She runs too fucking wild,” I grumble. “Bring us back some burgers and fries. I’ll go see what other shit our little captive has got into.” I do my best to sound like I’m dreading it, but if the truth was known, I’ve wanted to get back to her for a while now. Fuck, I didn’t even want to leave, if I’m being honest.
When I get back to the room, Katie is turned on her side, staring at the wall. She doesn’t turn around to acknowledge me and she doesn’t say anything.
I guess I’m getting the cold shoulder now.
“I brought your stuff back,” I tell her, starting with a peace offering. It’s met with silence. “I also got your jeep. We’ll ride in it when we take off for Kentucky tomorrow. It’ll make it easier.” I just keep talking and ignoring her silence. I commend myself for not already spanking her ass. “We could go pick up your sister and her daughter first and make things easier on everyone, if you’d rather.”
“Go fuck yourself.”
Well, it’s not what I wanted from her, but hey, at least she’s talking.
“I see you’re still cheerful.” I walk over to her. Even standing right in front of her, she refuses to talk to me. “I like your eyes much better this way,” I tell her, for lack of something better to say, bending down to unhook her from the bed.
“My life has meaning now,” she says.
“Do you need to go to the restroom?”
“Wow. You mean I actually get to go to another room all by myself?”
“I can tie you back up if you’d rather,” I offer with a snide smile.
“You really are an asshole,” she mumbles, pushing off the bed. It’s then that I notice she’s limping. It seemed a couple times last night like her leg bothered her. I thought I might have been imagining things, but it’s definitely more pronounced today. I follow her into the bathroom, making sure there’s nothing she can use against me and double checking there’s no window. “Hell no! You’re not staying in here while I use the bathroom!”
“Wouldn’t dream of it, grouchy. Was just making sure there wasn’t anything in here you could use to slit my throat with when we sleep tonight.”
“Now there’s a thought to cheer me up,” she says as I start to close the door.
“Words wound, you know, Katie.”
“I think your ego could take it, Torch.”
“I think I liked it better when you called me Hunter.”
“I think I liked it better when you were buried between my legs and couldn’t talk.”
“That could be arranged again,” I tell her.
“I could twist your dick until something pops while you sleep tonight too,” she says with a fake smile, then slams the door.
Damn.