Shannon's Fairy-Tale Foursome (36 page)

Katie-Anne stopped typing abruptly, her fingers freezing on a couple of random keys. Without glancing up, she lifted one hand from the screen and flipped Shane off. But otherwise she disregarded him. “Jaycee, you are the sneakiest of us all,” she said as she resumed typing. “Any ideas?”

Jaycee stepped forward, but Cade grabbed her arm and held her back. “Hell no. You are pregnant, Jaycee.”

Jaycee smacked his hand with a
thwack
. “There is nothing you can do to stop me, Cade Dawson Blakemore.” Obviously anticipating her other husband’s response, Jaycee lashed out again, “You either, Grayson Allen.”

Gray arched his eyebrow at her. “Oh, really, sweetheart?”

“I have rope in the truck,” Cade mentioned to Gray without a trace of humor. “That will stop our little spitfire.”

Jaycee turned on Cade and informed him curtly, “You are going to need it,
honey.
”
She pivoted and locked eyes with Katie-Anne who’d just glanced up. They exchanged an odd look like they were silently communicating then nodded to each other. “I have to call Sarah. I need to know if she wants to meet us or if we need to pick her up. I’ll be right back,” Jaycee announced, strutting out of the room with a sinister smile.

Cade’s jaw dropped. “What the hell just happened here?”

Gray took no notice of his husband. He ducked out of the room, and his curse splitting the air quickly followed. “Goddamn it, Jaycee! Where are you?”

“I’m coming, J!” Katie-Anne took off with her cell phone in hand, and all hell broke loose.

* * * *

Shannon drove Jared’s SUV into the parking lot at Her Majesty’s Pleasure and immediately spotted her psycho copycat, Mary, in the same green car that had ran down Jared earlier.
Pauley’s daughter? Well, shit. That explains so damn much.

Shannon’s heartbeat sped up, not in nerves or panic, but in rage. All she could think about was the fury burning inside her, and all she could focus on was the need to protect herself and those she loved.

“Are you there yet?” a masculine voice asked from the cell phone in Shannon’s purse, the speaker function sounding loud in the silence of the car.

“Mmmm,” Shannon hummed in reply, praying that she looked inconspicuous.

Since they hadn’t known who was involved or where they would take Shannon, Ash had suggest that she leave her phone running in her purse. That way he and Kegan could listen in and hear everything they said.

Kegan had agreed with him. He believed Ash’s idea would lead the police right to her Uncle Pauley’s hiding place. Then, once they knew where to go, they could leave the police station, pick up Belle at the courthouse, and come after her. The only snag was that getting Belle would slow them down, but Shannon had faith in Serenity’s law enforcement. They knew what they were doing. So, if they said that this plan of theirs would work, she believed them.

“Who’s there?” Ash asked, disrupting her thoughts. “Do you recognize anyone?”

Pretending to sing to non-existent music, Shannon belted out, “Mary had a little lamb.”
Please get my meaning. Please get my meaning. Please…

They did. At least, Kegan got it, if his chuckles were any indication. She heard him attempt to hold his amusement back, but he couldn’t. In any other situation, she would be laughing alongside him but not today.

Ash growled. “Shut up, Kegan. This is serious.”

“Yes, sir,” Kegan replied as his laughs ceased at once.
Damn, I can see who the dominant is and who the submissive is in that relationship.

Clearing his throat, Ash spoke gruffly, “Shannon, I need you to get out of your car and go with Mary. Leave your phone on as long as they allow you to have it. We’re going to mute it on our side, but we
will
hear you. And we
will
find you. I promise you that.”

Shannon serenaded the two people in the phone again, this time crooning the lyrics to “Thank You” by her favorite country musician, Keith Urban.

“10-4,” Ash replied then everyone went silent.

Pulling up to a parking spot in the middle of the nearly empty lot, Shannon stopped and turned off the engine. She grabbed her purse then got out of the car leisurely. Waving at Mary with a faux-friendly smile, she refused to show any of the emotions roiling through her. “Why am I not surprised to see you here, Mary?” she asked.

“Because you aren’t as stupid as you look,” Mary remarked disdainfully, “but neither am I.”

Shannon snorted. “Riiiggghhhtttt. That’s what it is.”

“Get in the fucking car.” Mary didn’t make a move toward Shannon. She didn’t need to because right now the bitch had the upper hand. But it wouldn’t last. Shannon wouldn’t allow it to.

“Sure thing,” Shannon said and skipped over to the car. “I love to ride. Don’t you?”

Mary opened the door, eyeing Shannon skeptically. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“Of course you don’t,” Shannon replied sociably behind gritted teeth. She crouched down and took a seat inside the worn-out car, peering out at Mary. “Road trips. Car rides. Ring a bell?”

“Shut the fuck up,” Mary snarled and slammed the door forcefully in Shannon’s face.

Shannon counted to ten, giving herself time to push back her temper before she had to face Mary again. As her
cousin
walked around the front of the car, Shannon forced herself to remain outwardly unaffected, humming happily.

“Stop humming,” Mary yelled as she stepped into the car and put the keys in the ignition. She started the engine then drove off, her tires flinging mud in every direction. “Stop humming,” she screamed a second time.

“You don’t like?” Shannon hummed louder.

“Shut up, damn it! If you don’t quit, I’m going to—” Mary paused midthreat.

“Cat got your tongue, fruit loop?” Shannon asked with a knowing smirk.
What a dummy. Can’t you come up with something diabolical to say?

“No, I’m looking for my turnoff.”

“Wow, that was quick!”

“It’s not like we had to go far. The Hatchers’ place is only half a mile from the outskirts of town.”

“I love that old place,” Shannon commented with more volume than necessary but keeping her voice steady so Mary wouldn’t suspect that her phone was on in her purse.
Please hear me. I’m going to need backup soon.

When Mary didn’t say anything, Shannon asked, “Andy Hatcher sure knew how to build houses, huh?”

“We are not here to talk about some stupid architect,” Mary grumbled as she took the turn too fast. Correcting herself quickly, she managed to get out of the skid without either of them getting injured.

Shannon shrugged and acquiesced, “Whatever you say.”

As the rain started up again, Shannon listened to the raindrops beating on the roof of the car. She resumed her humming, using the cadence of the wet pounding to create an original tune sure to drive Mary even crazier than she already was.

Shannon watched the land pass them by, but she saw nothing. Her mind was focused on plans.
I have to get in, make the trade, and get them out. Then what, genius?
She heaved a sigh.
I don’t have a fucking clue.

Shannon reached inside of her purse and felt around, hoping that she had something to defend herself with when the time came.
Nothing!
Why didn’t I swipe a needle or scalpel at the damn hospital? Hell, I could have even taken a metal bed pan to knock someone over the head with.

“I don’t think so.” Mary grabbed Shannon’s purse and flung it over the seat, spilling all the contents on the floor. She didn’t take her eyes off the road, which meant she wasn’t able to see Shannon’s cell phone.
Thank God.

Hoping to not draw attention to her stuff in the back floorboard, Shannon stared straight ahead. “So, Mary…”

“I’m about to gag you.”

Shannon gasped. “I didn’t know you liked those sorts of games. I’m sure we could arrange something.”

“Shut the fuck up!”

Shannon turned, flashing a smile at Mary. “You’ve already said that. I thought we talked about thesauruses and being more creative. Don’t you remember?” She patted Mary’s hand on the steering wheel. “Aw, it’s okay. Some people just have bad memories.”

“You whore.”

Shannon shook her head sadly. “See, that is what I’m talking about.
Whore
just isn’t very much fun. If you are taking requests, I lean toward
thundercunt
. That one is courtesy of Jaycee. Oh! I personally love
Coochie Queen
.”

Mary punched the accelerator. “If my dad wouldn’t kill
me
, I would kill you now.”

“Sucks to be you, sister.”

“We are
not
sisters,” Mary snapped. “It’s bad enough to be your fucking cousin.”

No shit, Sherlock.

Mary grabbed a crinkled pack of cheap cigarettes and pulled one out.

“You know that is a bad habit. It would be a shame for you to die too soon. We are
family,
” Shannon sneered, “after all.”

Taking her eyes off the road, Mary stared straight at Shannon as she lit the cigarette and stuck it in her mouth. She inhaled slowly before blowing a giant puff of smoke in Shannon’s face.

Shannon coughed, waving her hand in front of her nose. “That stuff smells—” Her voice caught in her throat as the rain cleared, and she spotted Pauley on the porch.
Fucker.

Other than a little age, he looked the same—greasy hair, potbelly, and a cheap suit. She knew that when she got close enough, she would see his lovely, yellowish-green, gapped teeth and smell his atrocious breath.

Shannon gagged, the food she’d eaten at the hospital coming back up into her throat and making her feel as though she was choking. She swallowed convulsively, forcing her stomach contents to return to their rightful place.

“Daddy,” Mary squealed excitedly.

Freak.
“Mary, you do know that he can’t hear you, right?”

Mary cut Shannon a look that should have scared her but ended up amusing her to no end. “Shut up!”

“I give up,” Shannon exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air. “You are a lost cause.”

Mary pulled up to the front of the two-story, Craftsman-style house. If she weren’t in a load of trouble, Shannon would spend hours admiring the dark wood, wraparound porch, and complex façade. But she
was
in a dangerous situation, and she shouldn’t waste brain cells on the architectural design of a house.

Mary waved at her father before turning to Shannon with a demonic smile that did scare her a bit. “I have always wanted to do this.” She puckered her lips and leaned forward.

“Hell no!”

About the time Shannon’s cry left her mouth, she felt something sharp pierce her in the leg then her veins burst into flames, racing down her leg then back up and through her entire body. She looked down to see what had caused her such pain, but couldn’t see a thing through her hazy eyes. Then the world went dark.

Riding in Gray’s Escalade, Randy glared at the digital clock.
Fuck, it’s already been half an hour! S
hannon hadn’t been gone long, but his panic still multiplied with every second that ticked by.

He’d been checking the clock every few second since he’d gotten in the car ten minutes ago, praying that his eyes had the ability to stop time or, even better, turn it back to when she’d disappeared. But it didn’t work. It only taunted him.

Damn it, he couldn’t stand much more of this. The not knowing what to do or where to go, the helplessness he felt burning in his gut, and the deafening silence around him were more than he could take right now.

Unable to stay quiet any longer, Randy told his brothers and four closest friends, “We can’t keep driving around randomly. We need to get somewhere and figure out where to go from there. Our women are all out there somewhere, and they are in danger, damn it.”

No answer, just more lingering silence.

Randy was ready to explode. They were getting nowhere, and they were doing it quickly. All three women had vanished into thin air, and they had taken Sarah along for the ride. Now the men couldn’t figure out where the hell any of them had gone.
No,
that wasn’t exactly true. They couldn’t find their
location
.

It was clear that Jaycee and Katie-Anne had taken off on some fucking suicide mission with Sarah to save Shannon. And Shannon had undoubtedly run into the arms of the Devil himself to protect Randy and his brothers. Now he and the rest of the men were left scrambling around with no leads, no ideas, and nothing to go on. The only thing that was certain—they’d better figure out something soon. Otherwise, they were liable to lose the people that mattered most to them—their women.

“I have an idea.” Landon’s softly spoken words made everyone jump in surprise, only partially because of the unexpected sound in the tense silence. Everyone knew that whenever this man spoke, he had a damn good reason, and they’d better listen. “We need to go to Her Majesty’s Pleasure,” he said. “Deke and Adam are working there today, and they will know what to do. With their extensive connections, they’re going to have the best chance of finding our women quickly. Besides, if my sister is with Jaycee and Katie-Anne, those two are going to want to be there.”