Stronger Than You Know--A Novel

by Lori Foster

  “A-okay, babe. Like Dad said, I have a hard head.” He took an exit to an industrial area.

  Kennedy saw numerous restaurants, stores and a convention center. A few miles down he pulled into his father’s hotel, which really was swanky with elaborate grounds now glistening under the white snow.

  Driving around a small, ornamental lake, Reyes parked in a private-access garage. Her tension grew as they entered through a heavy door with a biometric lock.

  “You weren’t kidding about the security.”

  “No one other than my family accesses this part of the garage or building.” With his hand at the small of her back, he steered her into a private elevator. “Nervous?”

  “Anxious about seeing Jodi,” she admitted. With Reyes she felt comfortable sharing her worries, so as the elevator climbed, she didn’t hold back. “She’s unpredictable. I don’t know how she’s going to react to everything.”

  “We’ll figure it out, I promise.”

  We. It truly felt like they were partners in this. Having Reyes at her side meant more than she could ever express to him. She’d gotten used to going it alone...and now she didn’t have to.

  He saw his generosity as no big deal. To Kennedy, it was the greatest gift she’d ever been given, and was far more than she’d ever dared to hope for.

  “I don’t want to startle her,” Kennedy said, getting out her phone. “I told her I’d text when we were here.” She sent the message as soon as they stepped out of the elevator. Then she gazed around in awe. They were in a big foyer of sorts that ran the length of a long hall. Windows at one end overlooked the parking lot and main road.

  She saw only one door, meaning this entire space was for the suite they’d given Jodi? Remarkable.

  When the door opened and Kennedy got a look at Jodi, her stomach plummeted.

  Her friend looked like a shadow of herself. Had she slept at all? Eaten? Combed her hair? She’d been afraid of this, and now she was doubly glad she’d come to see her in person rather than just calling or doing a video chat.

  “Hey,” Jodi said, her tone so sullen it bordered on antagonistic.

  At the moment, none of that mattered. Kennedy was so glad to see her, pugnacious attitude and all, she grabbed her up in a spontaneous hug.

  Predictably, Jodi went stiff.

  That didn’t matter, either. “Oh, it’s good to see you, to know that you weren’t hurt in the scuffle.” To know she hadn’t found a way to sneak out on her own. Of course the McKenzies had all assured her on that score, but hearing it and seeing it were two different things.

  Jodi huffed. “Would have been tough for me to get hurt when your ape was busy ripping them all apart.”

  “I didn’t rip,” Reyes jokingly protested. “I demolished. There’s a difference.”

  Jodi pressed her back. “But you?” Her gaze moved all over Kennedy’s face, and when she focused on her bruised temple, she flinched. “Damn, Kennedy, you look like—”

  “Hell, I know.” She briefly hugged her again. “Have you heard the whole story?” She wasn’t sure how much Reyes or Cade had shared with Jodi.

  “Ha! They didn’t tell me much of anything except that you were okay and I had to follow orders.”

  “That pretty much covers it.” Summarizing greatly, Kennedy shared what had happened.

  “I’m glad Delbert died,” Jodi said.

  “Same, though I would have liked to have gotten hold of him first,” Reyes admitted. “Far as I’m concerned, he got off easy.” With a hand to the center of Kennedy’s back, Reyes began urging them both inside. “Instead of jawing out here, how about we get comfortable?”

  “It’s your place,” Jodi said, strolling into the suite. “You can come and go as you please.”

  “For now,” Reyes replied, “it’s yours. You don’t have to worry about anyone showing up without an invite.”

  “You two did.”

  Surprised, Kennedy said, “I messaged you first.” Then, because she understood Jodi’s attitude was part of her defenses, she quietly asked, “You don’t want to see me?”

  “Sure I do. Just sayin’ that it wasn’t my choice to be here.” She shot a resentful look at Reyes, then walked across a wide entry to a beautiful living room furnished with a cream velvet couch and two armchairs. She threw herself into a chair, looking much like a ticked-off teenager.

  On one side of the room was a dining table with six chairs, and behind that a wet bar and kitchenette. On the other side, an arched doorway led to a bedroom and bathroom. Through the open doorways, Kennedy saw that both rooms looked mostly unused. The couch faced a wall of windows with an impressive view of the Rockies.

  Every inch of the space had top-of-the-line finishes, giving it the look of a designer home.

  Though she knew Jodi couldn’t be comfortable here, Kennedy tried to encourage her by saying, “Wow, this is nice.”

  Jodi shrugged. “In a gilded-cage kind of way.”

  It almost embarrassed Kennedy for her friend to be so ungrateful. “Jodi,” she chided, wishing for a way to reassure her.

  Reyes stalked over to stand in front of Jodi. Arms crossed and feet braced apart, he loomed. Kennedy had never seen him do such a thing before.

  Finally he asked, “Got a death wish, Jodi? Is that it?”

  Losing her slouched position, Jodi straightened as much as she could with Reyes so close. “Maybe death would be easier than waiting for fate to screw me over again.”

  “Nah,” Reyes said. “Girl, you have to know if Golly gets hold of you, it won’t be an easy death.”

  Appalled by that bit of verbal reality, Kennedy gasped. “Reyes!”

  Both he and Jodi ignored her.

  “You might not put any value on your life, but Kennedy sure as hell does. Come to that, so do I.”

  “Ha!”

  Reyes leaned down into her space and growled, “I’d like to rip Golly apart because of what he did to you.”

  Anger shot Jodi out of her chair. Reyes straightened but didn’t back up, so she had to tip her head way back to glare at him. Given her short stature she barely reached Reyes’s shoulders, and he weighed more than twice what she did, making it a ludicrous standoff.

  Full of pain and suffering, Jodi growled, “You think I don’t want that, too?” Her eyes turned red and liquid, her thin chest heaving. “Jesus, it’s all I want. I’d gladly die if I could take that miserable bastard with me!”

  “Well, you can’t,” Reyes said softly, laying his large hand on her narrow shoulder. “I’m sorry, so fucking sorry, Jodi, but Rob Golly is dead after all.”

  When Jodi would have lurched away in shock, Reyes held her still. Furious, she went on tiptoe to glare into his face. “Why would you be sorry about that? I wanted him dead! That’s why I killed him.”

  He nodded. “You accomplished that much, and I swear, girl, I’m cheering for you.”

  “Then why...?” As if Jodi knew there was worse news to come, the tears spilled over and she started gulping breaths.

  “Sadly, the danger doesn’t end with him. But I know you’re strong. You’ve already proven that a dozen times over. I know you’re smart, too, so you’ll listen to reason.”

  Giving one sharp, grave nod, she rasped, “Quit dragging it out. Let’s hear it, already.”

  “What you need to know, what you have to understand, is that your life has value. Real, substantial value. Don’t let Golly take that from you.” He lifted his hand to briefly cup her cheek. “He’s taken enough. Don’t give him another damned thing.”

  Angrily she dashed away the tears and then, wonder of wonders, she said, “Okay.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Why are you thanking me?” she asked with another huff.

  “Because Kennedy loves you, and I don’t want to see her tormented by your stubbornness.” He grin
ned a rascal’s grin, dimple and all. “Now, how about we all sit down and talk this out?” Oh-so-gently, he led her to the couch where Kennedy sat.

  Kennedy barely kept her smile contained. Every time she thought Reyes couldn’t get more wonderful, he outdid her expectations.

  “Fine.” Jodi flopped back against the plush cushions and propped her feet on the glass coffee table. “Talk away. I’m listening.”

  With Kennedy on one side of her, and Reyes on the other, Jodi was boxed in—but she didn’t get jittery about it like she usually would. Reyes had accomplished that much.

  Kennedy half turned to face her. “Okay, so as Reyes said, the good news is that Rob Golly is dead after all.”

  “I thought the body wasn’t there, though. How do you explain that?”

  “Well...” It was so awful Kennedy hated to break the news to her. “It seems Rob has a brother. You probably never met him because he was in prison. Apparently, as soon as Rand got out he went to see Rob and found his body. I’m guessing it didn’t take a sleuth to find out from Rob’s friends that he’d had you, making you the most likely suspect.”

  Eyes wide in disbelief, Jodi stared at her, then laughed. “A brother? You know, I think Rob talked about him every so often. There was even a photo of them when they were younger.” She laughed again, the sound rusty and mean, nowhere near humor. “I must have the rottenest luck ever. My life has been tainted from the day I was born. You’d be smart to stay away from me.”

  Kennedy sat forward in a rush. “I care about you, damn it!”

  She fell a little more in love with Reyes when he raised his hand. “And me. I’ll take it as a personal affront if anything happens to you, Jodi. So we’re not going to let it.”

  “Terrific,” Jodi said. “I have a plan.”

  Knowing the way Jodi thought, Kennedy groaned.

  Reyes, being a little more diplomatic, said, “I’m open to ideas. Let’s hear it.”

  “We use me as bait.”

  “No,” Kennedy said.

  “How?” Reyes asked at the same time. “Because losing you can’t be part of the plan.”

  “You’re a hotshot, right?” Jodi smirked. “You and that big, quiet bro of yours. And, hey, let’s not forget the badass chick he’s with.”

  “Er, that would be his wife,” Reyes said, then conceded, “although she is pretty badass.”

  “So I’ll trust you three to keep me safe. You can handle that, can’t you?”

  “Probably.”

  “No,” Kennedy said again. “Out of the question.”

  Still slouched in her seat, Jodi swiveled her head around to smile at her. “You’re my best friend,” she said. “My only friend. You matter to me a lot, Kennedy. Always know that. But I can’t do this. I can’t sit around and wait to see what will happen. This place might be nice, but the waiting... It makes me feel like I’m back in that damned cellar, not knowing what will happen or when.”

  “Then we’ll stay somewhere together.”

  Reyes went on the alert, but she couldn’t let Jodi feel alone now. “If I’m with you—”

  “I’d still feel like I was crawling out of my skin. It’s the waiting, you know?” She gave a small, sad smile. “It’s not so much my surroundings. Not anymore. It’s that I’m not in control, and I flat out can’t stand it.”

  “They’re working on it,” Kennedy tried to assure her, but Jodi was already shaking her head.

  “Sorry, but I can either confront things head-on, or I can take off again. Those are the options I can live with. If I can get this over with sooner, while also having some really good backup, then hey, that’s the route I’d prefer.”

  Desperate, Kennedy reached for her hand. “It’s too risky.”

  Jodi slipped over to lean against Kennedy’s shoulder in an uncharacteristic show of affection. “Sorry, girlfriend. Really. But it’s not your decision.”

  Kennedy looked from Jodi’s trusting expression—a sight seldom seen—to Reyes’s enigmatic gaze. He was leaving it up to her, she understood that, but he wasn’t objecting. “Reyes?”

  He rubbed a hand over his face. “I wouldn’t want to do anything unless you’re okay with it.”

  “But?”

  “I get what Jodi is saying.”

  Jodi grinned. “Damn, maybe I like you as a pal.”

  Before she could get too excited, Reyes added, “I’d need time to plan, so we’re talking at least a few days.” In a sterner tone, his frown aimed at Jodi, he said, “In the meantime, I’d expect you to stay put.”

  She crossed her heart. “No problem. I just need a light at the end of the tunnel.”

  Kennedy felt as though the air had been compressed out of her lungs. She didn’t want to come off as a coward, but someone had to inject logic. “There’s no conceivable way to plan for every possibility.”

  “No,” Reyes agreed, “and that’s something Jodi should consider.”

  Jodi hugged Kennedy’s arm. “Don’t be a pill, okay? I need to do this. And just think, if we pull this off, I’ll be free.”

  Temper flaring, Kennedy demanded, “Free to do what? To continue risking yourself? To continue chasing trouble?”

  “Hiding from the world,” Reyes added. “Living half a life, all in the shadows.”

  “Hey!” Sitting up in a huff, Jodi poked Reyes in the shoulder. “You’re supposed to be on my side.”

  “I’m not taking sides, doll. But I have a solution that might please you both.”

  Kennedy really didn’t want to hear it, but what choice did she have? She nodded.

  Jodi shrugged. “Out with it.”

  “We need some assurances.” Sitting forward, one elbow braced on his knee, Reyes pinned Jodi with serious intent. “We need your cooperation. We need you to want to make a better life for yourself.”

  “You want to take over? Be my boss?” She started to rise. “Screw that.”

  Kennedy caught her elbow. “Can’t you at least hear him out?”

  Jodi was resistant, then finally flopped back in her seat. “Sure. Whatever.”

  So. Damned. Stubborn.

  And so hurt. It seemed Jodi was part anger, part open wound and part fear, with attitude holding it all together.

  Reyes didn’t let it bother him. “My father funds some great initiatives for helping women who’ve escaped trafficking. We can go over the nitty-gritty another time, but the gist of it is that we can set you up with legit employment that you’ll enjoy, plus help you with a place to stay, any additional education or training you might need, and financial assistance to keep it going until—”

  Already Jodi was back on her feet and angrily stalking away. “I don’t take charity.”

  “Wouldn’t be charity,” Reyes said, “unless you choose it to be. A smart person would see it as an opportunity for a leg up. A way to improve her life. Plus, you could always pay it forward. The task force needs good people pitching in.”

  Kennedy stood. “Jodi, please. Can’t you take that chip off your shoulder long enough to accept well-meaning help?”

  She stood at the big windows looking out. “Then what? You’ll be rid of me?”

  Catching on to one of Jodi’s worries, Kennedy softened her tone. “Then you’ll have a regular job with days off. We can spend time together—lunches, a movie. Shopping.”

  “I don’t shop.”

  “You’ll shop with me,” Kennedy insisted. “The point is, I want you in my life. I want a reliable relationship that’s based on mutual respect and affection, not worry or fear.”

  In the smallest voice Kennedy had ever heard, Jodi whispered, “You can’t respect me.”

  Reyes asked, “Why the hell not? I do. My brother does.”

  Turning in surprise, Jodi stared at him. “Don’t bullshit me,” she said without heat.

  �
�Doubt I could.” He came to stand by Kennedy. “Now quit being such a hard case and accept a friendly offering from people who care.”

  “Your pa doesn’t know me, so how can he care?”

  Kennedy spoke ahead of Reyes. “His father, who is a wonderful man, by the way, lost someone he loved to traffickers. Believe me, he cares—about me, about you, about every woman who’s ever been in such a horrid situation. You’re not the only one who wants to make a difference, Jodi.”

  Reyes smiled at her with pride. “So passionate. And one-hundred percent correct.”

  Jodi’s eyes grew glassy again. “Okay, fine. I’ll do it.”

  “Yes!” Reyes stepped forward and swept her into a hug, shocking poor Jodi senseless. He seemed to catch himself and quickly set her back, but when he saw her slow grin, he laughed. “You’re a woman of your word, so I trust you won’t forget this conversation.”

  “No, I won’t.” She gestured to the door. “Now go make plans, and keep me updated. The waiting is miserable.”

  Obviously, Jodi wanted some time alone to digest it all.

  Instead, Reyes rubbed his hands together. “Let’s get pizza first. I’ll send someone out for it.”

  Jodi eyed him warily.

  His smile never slipped. “We can stuff our faces and visit. Kennedy’s feeling as cooped up as you are.” He turned to her. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you, babe?”

  Her heart felt too big for her chest. “Very much so.”

  “There, you see? Surely you can suffer me long enough to eat?”

  It took her a second, and then Jodi laughed, not a fake laugh, or one inspired by anger, but an honest, joyous expression. “You’re nuts—but okay, sure. I haven’t had much appetite, but suddenly I’m starved.”

  “There you go.” He turned to Kennedy. “This’ll be fun.”

  She was so overwhelmed, words stuck in her throat. The best she could manage was a nod. Reyes gave her a wink and went to the phone to call the lobby.

  He’d won Jodi over so easily, just by being himself. Kennedy felt caught between a good laugh—and a hard cry.

  She was afraid for Jodi yet ecstatic to see her so happy, madly in love with Reyes yet anxious about the future. It felt like she was on a wild roller-coaster ride of shifting emotional extremes—and she’d never been happier in her life.