Chapter 32
Lisa
The drive to Jennie's parents' house passes in tense silence. I'm busy coordinating the security logistics with my team, and Jennie is furiously texting with her parents, who seem to be bombarding her with questions about the sudden change of plans. Rosé watches us both quietly, the black-and-blue swelling on her face hiding her expression.
As soon as we arrive, Jennie hurries into the house, and I follow her in, not wanting to leave her alone for even a half hour. Rosé remains in the car with Bambam, explaining that she doesn't want to be in the way.
When I walk in, I see that Rosé was right to stay outside.
Inside, the Kim's place is a madhouse. Julia is rushing around, trying to stuff as many items as possible into a huge suitcase, and her husband is speaking loudly on the phone, explaining to someone that yes, he has to leave the country now, and no, he's sorry he couldn't give more notice.
"They're going to fire me," he mutters darkly as he hangs up, and I resist the urge to say that no job is worth his life.
"If they fire you, I'll help you find another position, Alejandro," I say instead, sitting down at the kitchen table. Jennie's father shoots me an angry glare in response, but I ignore him, focusing on the dozens of emails that managed to pile up in my inbox in the last few hours.
Forty minutes later, Jennie finally gets the Kim's to stop packing.
"We have to go, Mom," she insists as her mother remembers yet another thing she forgot to take. "We have bug spray at the compound, I promise. And whatever else you need, we'll order and have it delivered for you. We don't live in a complete wilderness, you know."
Julia seems mollified by that, so I help her close the huge suitcase and haul it out to the car. The thing weighs at least two-hundred-and-fifty pounds, and I grunt with effort as I lift it into the trunk of the limo.
In the meantime, Jennie's father brings out a second, smaller suitcase.
"I'll take it," I say, reaching for it, but he jerks it away.
"I've got it," he says sharply, so I step away to let him handle it on his own. If he wants to continue stewing, that's his business.
Once everything is loaded, Jennie's parents climb into the car, and Rosé goes to sit in the front next to Bambam. "To give the four of you more room," she explains, as though the back of the limo can't easily accommodate ten people.
"Do all these cars need to be here?" Jennie's mother asks as I take a seat next to Jennie. "I mean, is it really that unsafe?"
"Probably not, but I don't want to risk it," I say as we pull out of the driveway. In addition to the twenty-three guards split between seven SUVs—all of which are currently idling on this quiet block—I also have a stash of weapons under our seat. It's overkill for a peaceful trip to Chicago, but now that there's trouble, I'm worried that it's not enough. I should've brought more men, more weapons, but I didn't want Frank and company thinking I was here to do a deal.
"This is insane," Alejandro mutters, looking out the back window at the procession of cars following us. "I can't even imagine what our neighbors are thinking."
"They're thinking you're a VIP, Dad," Jennie says with forced cheerfulness. "Haven't you ever wondered what it must be like for the President, always traveling with the Secret Service?"
"No, I can't say I have." Jennie's father turns back to face us, his expression softening as he looks at his daughter. "How are you feeling, honey?" he asks her. "You should probably be resting instead of dealing with this craziness."
"I'm fine, Dad." Jennie's face tightens. "And I'd rather not talk about it, if you don't mind."
"Of course, honey," her mother says, blinking rapidly—I presume to stop herself from crying. "Whatever you wish, my love."
Jennie attempts to give her mother a smile, but fails miserably. Unable to resist, I reach out and drape my arm over her shoulders, pulling her against me. "Relax, baby," I murmur into her hair as she nestles against my side. "We'll be there soon, and you can sleep on the plane, okay?"
Jennie lets out a sigh and mumbles into my shoulder, "Sounds good." She seems tired, so I stroke her hair, enjoying its silky softness. I could sit like this forever, feeling the warmth of her small body, smelling her sweet, delicate scent. For the first time since the miscarriage, some of the heaviness in my chest lifts, the dark, bitter grief easing slightly. The violence still pulses in my veins, but the awful emptiness is filled for the moment, the painful void no longer expanding within.
I don't know how long we sit like this, but when I glance across the limo aisle, I see Jennie's parents watching us strangely. Julia, especially, seems fascinated. I frown at them and position Jennie more comfortably at my side. I don't like that they're witnessing this. I don't want them to know how much I depend on my pet, how desperately I need her.
At my glare, they both look away, and I resume stroking Jennie's hair as we get off the interstate onto a two-lane highway.
"How much longer until we get there?" Jennie's father asks a couple of minutes later. "We're going to a private airport, right?"
"Right," I confirm. "We're not too far now, I believe. There's no traffic, so we'll be there in about twenty minutes. One of my men has gone ahead to prepare the plane, so as soon as we get there, we'll be able to take off."
"And we can depart like this? Without going through customs?" Jennie's mother asks. She still seems to be unusually interested in the way I'm embracing Jennie. "Nobody will prevent us from re-entering the country or anything?"
"No," I say. "I have a special arrangement with—" Before I can finish explaining, the car picks up speed. The acceleration is so sharp and sudden that I barely manage to remain upright and hold on to Jennie, who gasps and clutches at my waist. Her parents aren't so lucky; they fall onto their sides, nearly flying off the long limo seat.
The panel separating us from the driver rolls down, revealing Bambam's grim face in the rearview mirror.
"We have a tail," he says tersely. "They're onto us, and they're coming with everything they've got."