Three Mates for Judith by Cara Adams Read Free Book Online Page B

key.
    Ah fuck.
    Nahum was already racing out of the room, so maybe he’d know. Naftali was watching the road outside the farm. A black SUV had stopped there, as if it was waiting for something or someone. Or maybe the driver was simply a law-abiding person who’d pulled off the road to answer his cell phone.
    Just then his own cell phone rang again, and a voice whispered, “Might be trouble out back. Looks like an SUV parked at the edge of the property.”
    “It is trouble. There’s one parked out front as well. Stay out of sight and follow them. We have to be able to prove Lutterworth was doing something illegal, not just sightseeing or that he didn’t notice the fence.”
    “On it.”
    His phone clicked off again, and Nahum was back holding the bus keys. Nelson cleared his throat took a deep breath and spoke loudly.
    “Children, do you remember on the way here we said we might play a hiding game? Now is the time we’re going to play it. Stay close to your mom and go into the bus. Naftali will go first. You mustn’t make any noise. When you get to the bus, go to your seat and crouch on the floor in front of your seat. Let’s go.”
    Some of the moms looked frightened, but the children moved swiftly and silently. Most of the younger ones seemed to think it was a good game. The older ones looked puzzled, as if they sensed there might be danger.
    One of the last people to stand up was Maia. Maia was seven and a half months pregnant with triplets. As she passed him, she said very softly, “I might, just might, be able to get down on the floor. But likely you’ll need a crane to get me up again.”
    Nelson grinned at her good humor. Getting her up again was the least of his worries. Protecting her and the triplet babies she was expecting was much more important right now.
    Judith and Cherise followed Maia out the door, Nahum hurrying them along. Nelson did a brisk run through the rooms, to check that no one was still in the kitchen or the bathroom or mudroom, and then he followed everyone onto the bus.
    Instantly, Nahum locked the door. Cherise was sitting on the floor in the back row, and Maia was lying with her head on Cherise’s lap. It wasn’t ideal, but if someone looked inside the bus likely they’d see quite a few of the people. The aim was that, since no one was sitting up on the seats and since everyone was at the cookout, no one would consider the bus as being the hiding place. They’d look in the house first.
    The real problem was that most of the pack, especially the men, were running. Even if they shifted into human form, they’d be naked, and that would be obvious by all the clothing scattered around outside. Sam and Jake would have no way of knowing they were leading the Alpha back into danger by returning to the house, and the men didn’t even have boots on to move over the ground easily as humans. By the time they stopped and got dressed, Lutterworth could have kidnapped the Alpha and gone anywhere.
    Damn. I should have thought about this as a weak point in the program! Why didn’t I consider it?
     
    * * * *
     
    Judith had settled herself on the floor of the bus, trying to be a good role model for a couple of giggling elementary school boys who’d curled up on the floor of the seats opposite her. She rested her head on her hands, thinking she really should be alert and watching out for danger but not wanting to alarm the children who thought this was all a fun game to play.
    Deliberately Judi relaxed her body, suddenly aware of how tense she was. As she relaxed her various muscle groups, a wave of tiredness washed over her. The past few days had been hectic. First packing up their possessions and lives in Michigan and then opening everything up and trying to work out how to reclaim their lives here on the farm while planning to return to town. She let her eyes close as she relaxed.
    Judi was in the kitchen of the farmhouse, alone except for Naftali. He must have just returned from running in