Deceptive Truth: Cowboy Justice Association (Serials and Stalkers Book 4) by Olivia Jaymes (reading women .txt) 📕

There was no time to react to what happened next.

Michelle's arm swung wildly in the air, in her hand a heavy tire iron. Before Jenna could jump away or even call for help it came down on her temple, the pain bursting through her head like a bomb exploding. She felt her legs give way under her as her hands went instinctively to the wound. There was a sticky wetness between her fingers and her stomach tumbled and twisted, making her want to retch from the blinding pain.

She tried to focus but the world was a blur.

"Michelle, I–"

She couldn't get the words out; her tongue wasn't taking direction. It was too difficult. She couldn't keep her eyes open, her lids far too heavy. She let them close, her sister's blurred visage the last thing she saw before falling into unconsciousness.

Jenna wasn't answering her telephone or replying to messages and Knox didn't like that one bit. That tingling on the back of his neck was getting stronger and there was no way he could ignore it. So he got into his SUV and drove to her mother's house to find her, watching the opposite direction along the way in case she was stranded with a broken-down car. Out in the middle of nowhere it wasn't that uncommon to be between cell phone towers but it had been too long, in his opinion. He wasn't going to wait any longer.

Eli had insisted on going with him in case they needed someone to stay with the vehicle on the side of the road while waiting for a tow truck. He also knew a bit about cars and said that if she was broken down, it might be something simple and he could get it up and running without too much effort.

When he pulled up in front of Anita's house, he was relieved as hell to see Jenna's car still parked there. His pounding heart could go back to a normal pace.

"I worried for nothing, I guess. She's still here."

Eli frowned. "Then why isn't she picking up your calls?"

"Maybe her phone is dead? Let's go in and find out. You can meet Anita. She's a really nice woman."

Anita answered the door when he rang the bell, looking surprised to see him.

"Knox, I didn't know you were stopping by. Come in."

They entered and he introduced Eli.

"This is my friend, Eli Hammond. Eli, this is Anita Waters, Jenna's mom."

"It's nice to meet you, ma'am."

"It's nice to meet you, too." Anita turned her attention back to Knox. "To what do I owe the pleasure? Come in and have a seat. Relax a little."

Knox's gaze scanned the empty living room. He didn't see or hear Jenna at all.

"Actually, I came to see if Jenna was still here. She's not answering her phone."

Anita frowned and shook her head. "Jenna left quite awhile ago. She's not here."

"Her car is still parked outside."

Anita walked over to the front window and moved the drapes so she could see out. "That's strange. Maybe she left with Michelle."

Michelle? Michelle was in Miami. Knox remembered how Anita could get confused every now and then.

"Michelle is in Miami," he reminded her gently, pulling out his phone and thumbing the screen to call Jenna. The phone rang but there was no answer. "So she couldn't have left with her."

"No, Michelle flew back," Anita said firmly. "Michelle came to see me today and she and Jenna walked out together. We all had iced tea and cookies and talked about Lori."

Knox wasn't sure what to believe. On one hand, Anita seemed quite sure about what she was saying, but on the other, Michelle wasn't supposed to fly back from Miami until tomorrow.

Eli nudged Knox with his elbow. "There are three glasses in the sink."

Okay, that was an indicator that Anita wasn't confused. But why had Michelle flown back without telling anyone? And why wasn't Jenna answering her phone? He tried calling a second time but once again he ended up being sent to her voicemail. He didn't like this. That tingling in the back of his neck was growing with every passing minute.

"Did Michelle say why she flew back early, Anita?"

"Jenna asked her that. Michelle said that she couldn't stay in Miami forever. I think that she just missed her family. She and Tom have grown so close since they moved in together. It's wonderful for a mother to see that. When they were younger Tom barely acknowledged his sisters, so it's nice to see things change."

Knox had questions about Tom Waters. Anita might be an excellent source for answers.

"I'm surprised to hear that. You all seem so close, especially with Michelle moving in with Tom."

Anita laughed. "No one was more shocked than I was when that happened. When my husband and I got married, Tom Junior didn't like Lori and Michelle at all when they came along about a year later. He was terrible to them as they grew up, calling them names and generally being mean. His father sent him to therapy, of course, and over time things did get better. However, Tom still didn't spend much time with the family, preferring to be on his own. He was starting his career so it actually wasn't that inappropriate. Why would he want to be around young girls? He had his own life and friends. After my husband died, Tom came around more often and seemed to soften some. Then a few years ago, Michelle moved in with Tom. I was happy to see them grow so close. It's wonderful to see all the children together on holidays and truly enjoying each other's