“TheJigIsUp”—IceNineKills(feat.RandyStrohmeyer)
Voodoo wanted to go with us, but his arm was a hindrance on his bike. Instead, Jigsaw rode Voodoo’s bike while Raptor and I led the way.
There still hadn’t been any change with Sloane’s mom, but I’d told her that it likely would take time to repair the damage that had been done. She was worried about her mom, but there was something in her eyes that had ripped at my soul when I pulled out of the compound.
Raptor motioned for us to get over into the right-hand lane, then shortly after that signaled that we’d be taking a left turn. Though no one probably noticed, we had a few members of Raptor’s family circling above and following our route, just in case. I still hadn’t gotten over that surprise.
We parked in front of Sloane’s store, and I dug Niara’s keys to the shop out of my pocket. “You got the list?” I asked Raptor a little louder than was necessary.
“Yeah, right here.” He waved the paper that actually had a list of random shit Niara and Sloane had written down. Not that there was anything they needed; this was strictly for show. Evidently, there wasn’t a damn thing for the spell that she couldn’t conjure.
Once they were able to open the book, they found out there were very few limits to her gift when it came time for necessities, but if she used her magic for trivial things or personal gain, she had to also give something up. It was a way of keeping the balance, she had explained. Because of that, she explained she couldn’t create money, jewels, or riches that gave her wealth.
When Raptor slid the key in the lock, I shook my head. I still hadn’t figured out how the store looked completely untouched though I knew damn well there had been an explosion that first night.
“I’m going to wait out here,” Jigsaw said as he leaned against the front of the building.
Raptor gave him a chin lift of acknowledgment. He cast a furtive glance up at the top of the building across the street, and I knew if I looked, there would likely be a hawk sitting there. We went inside and started grabbing random items on the fictitious list.
There wasn’t a peep from the front of the shop, and I had to wonder if we were wrong.
“We have everything. Let’s get out of here. I’m not interested in getting stuck in here if Belinda and Neville decide to approach us,” Raptor muttered, and I had to agree. We wanted them to follow, not stop us.
When we walked out of the door, my eyes narrowed at the brunette who was fawning all over Jigsaw. To the average observer he was smiling and looked interested, I noticed the tightness around his eyes and the nod of approval when Raptor motioned that we were heading out.
“I was really hoping you’d take me for a ride on your bike,” she coyly told him.
“Sorry, darling, the boys are waiting for me to go for a ride,” Jigsaw softly apologized.
Aware of our surroundings, we prepared to leave. I stood next to my bike, buckling my helmet and surreptitiously taking in my surroundings. Nothing seemed out of place other than the annoying brunette, but that didn’t mean anything.
When the woman got insistent, Jigsaw’s eyes went cold. His previously easy smile fell, and his flirty tone disappeared.
“I already told you no. Now get lost before I have to hurt your feelings.”
The woman finally took the hint but had the nerve to get an attitude. “Well fuck you, asshole.” She flipped him off and stormed off down the street. I lost track of her when she hit a group of people and got on my bike.
“You see anything?” Raptor quietly asked Jigsaw before starting his bike.
Jigsaw shook his head.
“No, but that brunette was off. Something about her didn’t sit right with me,” Jigsaw said as he scratched his chin and stared in the direction she’d gone.
“Stay sharp,” Raptor instructed after taking a sweeping survey of our surroundings.
After a sufficient amount of time had passed, we pulled out as one and headed toward our next stop. On the way there, we took a bit of a scenic route to ensure we’d be seen if anyone was watching the area.
We stopped at Sloane’s house to grab some of her clothes and things she really didn’t need, but it was an excuse for us to go by there. The hope was that someone was watching either the shop or the house. If Jigsaw was right, the brunette could be connected to Belinda and Neville. Raptor sent Voodoo a text letting him know we were on our way back and to make sure everyone was on their toes.
On our scouting mission, disappointment warred with the possibility of spending more time with Sloane, because we’d be staying longer. I knew Voodoo wanted to wrap this shit up and get back to his family, but I wasn’t looking forward to going. Except my life was in Iowa. At first I didn’t think we’d caught anything on our fishing trip until Raptor made a motion that caught my attention.
He pointedly looked at his mirror. I dropped my gaze to see if I could tell what he was seeing.
There was a car a few lengths back. While I might not have thought much of it, when Raptor had us make several turns, and the car stuck to our route, I experienced a grim satisfaction.
Raptor made a show of looking over his shoulder at the car. Then Jigsaw and I did the same. With a nod, we hit the throttle and took off. The car kept up, and we made a show of trying to shake them.
Adrenaline pounded through my veins as we hit the last stretch leading up to the clubhouse. The car was keeping up but maintaining a distance that I couldn’t tell if it was Belinda and Neville. On edge, I really hoped it was and that this ploy worked.