Forbidden Hunger by R.L. Kenderson

Twenty-Eight

Raven’s phone rang,but when she saw that it was Chase, she almost didn’t answer it. Until a tiny voice in the back of her head said that someone could be hurt and she would regret it if she didn’t pick up the phone.

“This is Raven,” she answered.

“You need to get to the after-school building.”

It was the middle of the night, and it was closed.

“Why?”

“We are following Frank now, and we’re about ten minutes away. Ranulf and I both are pretty sure that’s where he is headed. And he wouldn’t go there unless…”

“Monica was there.” She flew up in bed. “Of course! She quit, but I’m sure she didn’t turn in her keys. And it’s the perfect place for her to meet up with her brother because no one would think to look for her there.”

“That’s what we thought.”

She scrambled to grab her stuff, like her shoes and keys, before heading out the door. “I’ll meet you there. Please don’t do anything without me.”

“We’ll try, but we’re not in charge.”

“Try hard,” she said before throwing her phone on the passenger seat, and then she took off.

When she got close, she sent a text to Chase and Ranulf in case they couldn’t answer their phones. She was only about five minutes behind them, but she worried it might be too late.

As she got closer, she spotted three SUVs, including Ranulf’s, and pulled up behind it. She got out of her vehicle, planning to text the guys again when a window rolled down and Chase stuck his head out.

“Hey, pretty lady. Want to get in the back with me?” he asked with a silly grin on his face.

Now was really not the time to make jokes, but she couldn’t help but smile. She opened the door and slid into the backseat. “What did I miss?” she asked.

The scent of the two males were a punch to her senses as they turned in their seats to look at her. The last time she had seen them was at the end of her heat, and even though she saw them plenty of times while not in heat, that didn’t stop the images from filling her head.

She sure hoped this feeling passed soon. She’d slept with them before and never had this much of a sex hangover. But it could be because she might be carrying one of their babies.

“Hey, you okay?” Chase asked, concern on his face. “You look a little sick.”

That was probably because she’d imagined breaking up their friendship. Maybe she was giving herself too much credit, but only one having a child would really mess with their vibe. And, yes, they had gone into her heat, fully knowing what the conclusion could be, but she could not stop feeling like ruining their friendship would be all her fault.

Now was not the time to think about all that though, and she needed to get her head on straight, or she should just head home.

She straightened her spine. “I’m fine. I think it’s just hitting me that all this might be over soon.”

She had meant Monica, but she could have just as easily meant for her, Ranulf, and Chase, too.

“Makes sense,” Ranulf said.

“Fill me in on what’s going on.”

“Monica is here with Frank, but there isn’t a girl here. So, we were waiting for you to tell us what to do next.”

What?

“Me? But I’m not running this.”

“We talked to Quentin. He knows how important this is, and he said he wants your input since you worked at the center with the kids.”

A tingling started behind her eyes, and she blinked a few times. She was not going to cry over this.

Damn her stupid hormones.

Again, she had better get her act together, or no one was going to want her opinion on anything.

Think, Raven. Think.

“Where’s the tracker?”

“Still on Frank’s car,” Ranulf said.

“And we only have the one?”

“Yes.”

Shit. If only she had thought to grab one from home before she left. Not that she’d known she’d need it.

“Who’s all here again?” she asked.

“Ranulf and me, Saxon and Ram, and Quentin and Hunter.”

“Can we move the tracker to Monica’s vehicle?”

Chase and Ranulf exchanged looks and shrugged.

“I think it would be easy enough,” Ranulf said. “We already moved it once tonight.”

“Great. I think we should move the tracker to Monica’s car. She’ll be more likely to lead us to the girl. If Frank follows her, then we’ll get them both when they get to the girls.” She tapped her chin. “But if they were going to the same place, why would they need to meet? I bet they are going to go their separate ways.”

“That’s what we thought, too,” Ranulf said.

“Once the two siblings part ways, we’ll follow the tracker to Monica. And we’ll take Ram and Saxon with us.” She had no idea what they would find when Monica led them to the girls, but there had to be at least one person watching them. It would be better for them to take the cat-shifter and vampire.

“And since Frank knows Quentin and Hunter, they should follow him. He wouldn’t know they’re a sentinel or Guardian, so he might be caught off guard when they show up at his door. Hopefully, he’ll be less likely to call his sister before they bring him in.”

“Good call,” Chase said, picking up his phone.

“Just make sure they don’t follow too closely, but also, not so far away, so they don’t lose him.”

Chase smiled as his phone rang.

Ranulf reached into the backseat and squeezed her knee. “I think they know, but that’s excellent advice.”

Raven took a deep breath and leaned back in her seat. She sure hoped her plan worked.