had Diana with him.
Chapter Six
“That’s her!” I whispered it, too nervous to mindspeak.
“Diana?”
I nodded. The driver helped her into the back of the SUV, handing her in like old-fashioned royalty. The small woman stood back and watched until the back door closed, and then she got into the passenger seat. A moment later they pulled out of the driveway. It took all I had not to sprint after them.
“ We can’t help her if they see us. ” Shane’s mental voice was controlled and calm.
I nodded even though my whole body seethed with energy. Wherever they were taking her, it couldn’t be good. I flexed and clenched my hands, and the air grew cold around me. Frost rimmed the leaves of the ligustrum.
“ Cassie. ” Shane put his hand on my shoulder, and I relaxed.
I took deep breaths and waited. The guards seemed to stand there forever. One bummed a cigarette from the other and lit it, and they talked in low voices while my heart pounded. It felt as though hours had passed when they finally went back inside, but by my watch it had only been a few minutes. Shane and I crept back through the ligustrum and took off down the street for the wall. We leaped over and raced for Shane’s car, startling a young guy in a bathrobe out walking a Pomeranian. The SUV was already blocks away.
I could feel her, though. I could definitely feel her.
If Diana had been a telepath I would have tipped her off. As it was, we could only follow. We stayed a few blocks back and tailed the SUV out of Uptown. They stayed off the main roads, and several times we had to cut over to the next block to avoid being seen. The vehicle finally stopped a few blocks off Magazine Street in front of an overgrown playground. Shane kept driving until we were out of sight, then parked on the shoulder. We didn’t have to discuss it—we got out of the car as one and silently closed the doors.
The neighborhood was a mixture of early craftsman-style bungalows, new construction and a couple of small apartment buildings. A handful of places were nearly falling down from rot or termites, but most were neatly shabby, paint peeling a little, lawns a week in need of mowing. We speed-walked past them, staying in the shadows wherever we could.
The playground was surrounded by chain-link fencing, so we couldn’t get too close without being seen. Next door was what looked like a four-unit apartment building. Shane and I exchanged a glance and headed for the narrow space between the building and the fence. It was clotted with vines—morning glory and wisteria tangled with weeds—and we were able to slip into hiding without being seen.
A single streetlight illuminated the playground. Through the gaps in the leaves, I glimpsed a swing set and a beat-up wooden picnic table. Diana was sitting at it, right next to the small woman we’d seen at the house. Across from them was a man. Big guy, looked like a former football player who hadn’t seen a gym in a while. He had on a baseball cap pulled low over his head, dark jeans and a light colored polo. Something moved at his feet—a dog. One of the small, yappy types.
“Thanks for coming out here, Annette. Can’t be too careful.” The dog yipped, and he shushed it.
“Of course.” The small woman. She must be Annette Perrin, the owner. Her voice was low-pitched and rich, with a deep Southern drawl. Confidence, culture and old money. “You’re one of our best clients, Senator. We’re happy to accommodate you however we can.”
“ Senator? ” I stared at him, and Shane did the same.
“ State senator ,” he said, peering through the vines. “ Buddy Broussard. Didn’t recognize him at first—he’s running for governor. You know—the one with all the ads about how he’s a self-made businessman? ”
“ Oh , him? ” I looked at him with new disgust. “ Ugh. ”
“What happened to her?” Buddy was looking at Diana. The shadow of a bruise I’d seen on her cheek had deepened and turned
Chapter Six
“That’s her!” I whispered it, too nervous to mindspeak.
“Diana?”
I nodded. The driver helped her into the back of the SUV, handing her in like old-fashioned royalty. The small woman stood back and watched until the back door closed, and then she got into the passenger seat. A moment later they pulled out of the driveway. It took all I had not to sprint after them.
“ We can’t help her if they see us. ” Shane’s mental voice was controlled and calm.
I nodded even though my whole body seethed with energy. Wherever they were taking her, it couldn’t be good. I flexed and clenched my hands, and the air grew cold around me. Frost rimmed the leaves of the ligustrum.
“ Cassie. ” Shane put his hand on my shoulder, and I relaxed.
I took deep breaths and waited. The guards seemed to stand there forever. One bummed a cigarette from the other and lit it, and they talked in low voices while my heart pounded. It felt as though hours had passed when they finally went back inside, but by my watch it had only been a few minutes. Shane and I crept back through the ligustrum and took off down the street for the wall. We leaped over and raced for Shane’s car, startling a young guy in a bathrobe out walking a Pomeranian. The SUV was already blocks away.
I could feel her, though. I could definitely feel her.
If Diana had been a telepath I would have tipped her off. As it was, we could only follow. We stayed a few blocks back and tailed the SUV out of Uptown. They stayed off the main roads, and several times we had to cut over to the next block to avoid being seen. The vehicle finally stopped a few blocks off Magazine Street in front of an overgrown playground. Shane kept driving until we were out of sight, then parked on the shoulder. We didn’t have to discuss it—we got out of the car as one and silently closed the doors.
The neighborhood was a mixture of early craftsman-style bungalows, new construction and a couple of small apartment buildings. A handful of places were nearly falling down from rot or termites, but most were neatly shabby, paint peeling a little, lawns a week in need of mowing. We speed-walked past them, staying in the shadows wherever we could.
The playground was surrounded by chain-link fencing, so we couldn’t get too close without being seen. Next door was what looked like a four-unit apartment building. Shane and I exchanged a glance and headed for the narrow space between the building and the fence. It was clotted with vines—morning glory and wisteria tangled with weeds—and we were able to slip into hiding without being seen.
A single streetlight illuminated the playground. Through the gaps in the leaves, I glimpsed a swing set and a beat-up wooden picnic table. Diana was sitting at it, right next to the small woman we’d seen at the house. Across from them was a man. Big guy, looked like a former football player who hadn’t seen a gym in a while. He had on a baseball cap pulled low over his head, dark jeans and a light colored polo. Something moved at his feet—a dog. One of the small, yappy types.
“Thanks for coming out here, Annette. Can’t be too careful.” The dog yipped, and he shushed it.
“Of course.” The small woman. She must be Annette Perrin, the owner. Her voice was low-pitched and rich, with a deep Southern drawl. Confidence, culture and old money. “You’re one of our best clients, Senator. We’re happy to accommodate you however we can.”
“ Senator? ” I stared at him, and Shane did the same.
“ State senator ,” he said, peering through the vines. “ Buddy Broussard. Didn’t recognize him at first—he’s running for governor. You know—the one with all the ads about how he’s a self-made businessman? ”
“ Oh , him? ” I looked at him with new disgust. “ Ugh. ”
“What happened to her?” Buddy was looking at Diana. The shadow of a bruise I’d seen on her cheek had deepened and turned
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