Page 69 of Acting on Instinct
“But—”
“We have a burner for you.” Lynx reached down toward the floorboard and retrieved a cell phone that she handed to Kira. “Are you expecting any calls from anyone else?”
“I left a message for Lula about London’s note. Ty doesn’t have his phone because he usually leaves it in the cage. He’ll call when he gets home.”
Gator looked at Kira in the rearview mirror as he unbuckled his seatbelt. “Check and see if you’ve given permissions to anyone to track you on any apps you might have. A running app you share with a family member, an encrypted app that you use for overseas calls. Anything at all.” He held up his phone. “While you do that, I’ll send Ty a message telling him that I urgently need to speak with him so that he calls me, not you, if he gets in today.”
“I’m, uhm, Lula’s asset. So I have a panic app.” Kira held up her phone to show the icon on her screen.
“What does that do?” Gator asked.
“I’m not sure. Lula said it signals Langley, I think. All I have to do is tap the icon if I’m in danger. Well, not regular danger. Like I wouldn’t tap it for the burglary. I would tap it if it had something to do with my family.” Saying that winded Kira.
“Okay. So you’ll want to keep your phone close, even if it’s on airplane mode. About your house, do you have an alarm system?” Lynx asked.
“No.” Kira felt stupid for failing to even have the lowest level of security. But she’d always felt safe in her little house.
“Camera doorbell? Anything?” Gator asked as he stuck his phone back in his thigh pocket.
“I didn’t like that idea. I don’t know who has access to that stuff, so I—I didn’t do that. I don’t have anything.”
“I know you told the police that you didn’t know what they were looking for,” Lynx said. “But now that your mind has had a moment to process, was there anything in the house you think they got hold of? Was there anything that you are worried about that they might have seen or taken with them?”
“When I fled, I hadn’t anticipated that I’d ever go back to that house. I took everything of importance with me.”
“Let’s go ahead on in,” Gator said, opening his door and climbing from under the wheel. He rounded to the back to get Kira’s suitcase and backpack.
Lynx got out and opened the door for Kira, who seemed to have stalled with her fingers curled into Houston’s fur.
“Houston’s coming with us,” Lynx said softly. “Do you want to hold her lead?”
The walk inside was silent. It was Gator who went to the desk and signed in to get Kira a keycard while she stood behind a potted fern, gripping Houston’s leash in both hands.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Kira
They gave her a burner phone, Kira thought in astonishment.
This was Lula’s world, not hers.
If Gator and Lynx thought someone could track her phone, how else might they find her?
Kira had inherited enough wealth from her father to live comfortably, if not luxuriously, for the rest of her life. Her family, though, led by Uncle Nadir at its helm, was of the billionaire class. He didn’t believe that laws applied to him. If her Uncle Nadir was trying to track her down, couldn’t he make a quick call to the president of her bank and ask a little favor?
Would he even know what bank she used? Surely yes. She used the same bank as her parents had used. Her mom could have told what bank was in play. And who knew, Uncle Nadir might have been following her accounts for years.
Kira would have to figure out what to do with her money. Maybe she could go to a different bank the next day, open a new account, and have the funds transferred over. Maybe something local that didn’t have branches that her uncle could breach.
Lynx broke into Kira’s thoughts. “Is that the ring that Lula brought you?”
“Are you coming to my room with me?” Kira asked. “I’ll show you the note.”
“Let’s do that,” Lynx said, lifting her chin toward Gator, who was making his way over to them.
“Ready?” Gator rolled her bags to the hallway. “Elevator’s this way.”
Fatigue dragged on Kira, and she was grateful that they were silent in the elevator, in the hall, and as they moved into her suite. Gator took her bags into the bedroom and laid them on the bed.
