Kenna gasped and then cringed when she realized how bad it looked to Paige. “How did you find out?” she quietly asked.
“Your boyfriend stopped by my store looking for you this morning.”
Suddenly scared, she couldn’t quite stop her voice from shaking. “Did you tell him where to find me?”
Paige didn’t say anything for a minute and then asked, “He’s not your boyfriend, is he?”
“Not anymore. But, Paige, this is important. Did you tell him where I was staying?”
“No, I found it odd that your boyfriend wouldn’t know where to find you. It was only after he asked that it hit me that something was off. He knew so many personal details about you that I didn’t know what to think.”
Kenna blew out a breath and sighed. “I had wanted to keep everything quiet, but I see I'm not going to be able to do so. I had to tell Will and Mo last night when Whitney brought Chad to Mo’s ball.”
“Maybe you should just start from the beginning and I'll drive slowly,” Paige said as she pulled out of the driveway.
Kenna started the story and told Paige all about Danielle, GTH, Chad, and the night she fled the city. As they neared the Ashton Farm, she told Paige about the previous night.
“Oh man, I wish I could've been there to see that,” she laughed. “I know this is a serious situation, but come on! Blowing up a car? That’s true friendship.”
Kenna burst out laughing. “I hadn’t thought of it like that before, but you're right. I’ll make sure to give Ahmed a kiss although I'm sure Agent Parker will just lecture me again.”
“Lecture you? Why?”
“Apparently Ahmed has quite the international reputation as a tough guy, something to do with how he interrogates people. I assume he doesn’t care too much about the Geneva Convention laws on torture. Normally, I'd be freaked out. But he's just so sweet to me that I can’t imagine any different side of him.”
“Yeah, what’s sweeter than blowing up a car surrounded by private security people?” Paige chuckled. But then she turned serious. “Just forget about Agent Parker. He’s just so, so, controlling. That’s it, controlling. Like, he thinks because he’s in the FBI, he can just walk around being superior to everyone, telling them what to do and who to be friends with.”
Kenna decided to keep her mouth shut on that one. She was pretty sure Paige was upset because it was Paige who normally controlled the relationship.
Paige stopped the car at the valet parking. They both got out and headed down the stone path toward the large white tent erected behind the house. Red roses where everywhere and soft music filtered up to them.
“Speak of the devil...” Kenna grinned as she spotted Agent Parker making his way toward them.
He stopped before them and tipped his black cowboy hat at them. The black hat went perfectly with his black suit. He definitely had the dark and brooding look down. “Ladies, you both look like spring itself.”
“Thank you. You look quite handsome yourself. Is there any news from last night?” Kenna said for them both since Paige still hadn't picked her chin off the ground.
“I ran all the searches and didn't find anyone matching your description either reported missing or showing up as a Jane Doe. You’re an attorney, so you know all the possibilities. Because we don’t have evidence of a crime, we can't arrest Chad for assault at this time, that is, unless you decide to file charges. I have someone working to find the origin of the mystery warrant issued for you and your friend. I'll let you know what we find out.”
“I was afraid of that. I did want to tell you that Chad stopped by Paige’s shop this morning looking for me,” she told Agent Parker as she waved at Will who was approaching them.
“Good morning, Cole. Glad you could make it out,” Will said as he shook Agent Parker’s hand.
“Cole?” Paige sputtered.
“That’s me,” Agent Parker gestured toward the tent. “How about we walk down to the tent and I’ll get you a mimosa? You can tell me about your encounter with Chad.”
“Okay, Agent Parker, lead the way.”
“Cole, please, or Parker. Either work, but you all can drop the agent title. Today I'm just one of your group.”
Kenna was pretty sure Cole had a death wish when he put his hand on the small of Paige’s back and escorted her to the tent.
“Cole?” Kenna asked Will as she turned to receive his kiss.
“Yeah, who knew he had a personality? He stopped by the barn this morning when I was doing rounds and helped me feed the horses. He told me he has a friend doing him a favor and looking into things in New York. He realizes this isn’t Mo pulling rank for nothing. The reports he’s getting back from New York show deep shadows of corruption all through the FBI, the NYPD, the judicial system, and even Congress. He and one other person are trying to find something solid. They are in the delicate position of not knowing whom to trust and working on the case without permission from their higher-ups.”