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She should leave town, just in case.
A pang of regret filled her at the thought of leaving. She’d never hesitated before, but something was different this time. Alexandria had become home. A glance at Lia, playing quietly on the floor, gave her the answer she needed. She had to keep her daughter safe.
Nothing else mattered.
Lia played nearby, oblivious to Kaylie’s own ratcheting anxiety. She moved with purpose, determination in every step. She couldn't afford to waste time, so she finished cleaning the Martins’ house faster than she’d ever cleaned before, scooping the cash off the counter where they left it for her. Then, she packed Lia up and hustled back to the bus. Instead of taking it to her next client’s house, they headed back home.
As she made her way through the tiny trailer, memories of the life she left behind in New Jersey flashed before her eyes. It all seemed like a distant nightmare she had barely escaped. But now, with the sudden arrest of one of Paul’s right hands, the nightmare threatened to resurface. Why had Dominic been in Baltimore? He had to have been looking for her.
"Mommy, what's wrong?" Lia asked innocently, looking up from her toys.
Kaylie forced a smile, trying to reassure her daughter. "Nothing, sweetheart. Mommy just needs to take care of something important. We're going on a little trip, okay?"
Lia's eyes sparkled with curiosity, but she nodded. Kaylie was thankful for her daughter’s easy-going nature. Lia trusted her without too many questions, and Kaylie would do everything she could to deserve that trust.
In the bedroom, Kaylie moved methodically, packing clothes and essentials for herself and Lia into a small suitcase. She grabbed the go bag from under the bed, checking the contents and turning on the emergency phone. Every rustle of fabric, every zipped compartment seemed louder in the urgency of the moment.
Staying in Alexandria was no longer safe; not if the tendrils of the Moreno mob had already made it to Baltimore. It was only a matter of time until they found her here. But maybe… if Drew gave her the all clear, they could come back. But these hours could mean the difference between escape or capture, so she wasn’t going to wait.
As she finished packing, she peeked at Lia again, watching the little girl play with her toys, feeding her stuffed elephant a piece of pretend pizza. A lump formed in Kaylie's throat as she realized the weight of the responsibility on her shoulders. She had to keep Lia safe, no matter what.
She grabbed the suitcase and her phone, glancing around the trailer one last time. Nothing from Drew yet, but she couldn’t wait. Taking a deep breath, Kaylie helped her daughter throw her toys into a small backpack.
With Lia in tow, Kaylie locked the door of the trailer behind them. The quiet crunch of her footsteps sounded on the gravel drive, her heart pounding with fear and determination. She sincerely hoped they’d be able to come back, but she wasn’t counting on it. Hopes like that always led to broken expectations.
Instead, she just had to trust that the Lord would keep them safe and guide their steps in uncharted waters. Her faith had been a wonderful gift from her past, rediscovered in the hardest moments of her life. She’d often wondered why she couldn’t have had these stronger convictions and faith when she met Paul. Maybe she wouldn’t have fallen into his web if she’d truly believed the stories about God her foster family had tried to teach her all those years ago.
She couldn’t change the past, but she’d determined that the future was going to be different. And her daughter was never going to question her worth the way Kaylie had.
She stepped out into the street, shielding her eyes from the afternoon sun. Kaylie cast a glance over her shoulder, half-expecting to see a shadow lurking in the yard behind her. She walked through the escape plan she’d rehearsed and sent a message to her list of clients, apologizing and requesting some time off.
When she never showed back up, they’d move on and find someone new.
Even Mr. Olson, she realized. The thought brought a sharp pain to her chest. The gentle giant had wormed his way beyond her defenses with his gruff exterior and thoughtful gestures.
Of all the people she’d met here in Alexandria over the last six months, she thought perhaps she’d miss him most of all. But in a few weeks, or maybe a month, she’d be nothing but a blip in his life. Just another flaky housekeeper who disappeared.
But at least she’d be alive.
CHAPTER
EIGHT
Tank hated visiting prisoners. It was a toss-up between his adamance that the sterile hardness of the cells was too good for the scum he was usually here to see and the shame of knowing that for most of his life, ending up in a place like this was the inevitable ending.
Even though that wasn’t his life anymore, he couldn’t help but see ghosts from his past in the faces of the men sentenced here as he and Marshall passed portions of the exercise yard on their way into the parking lot.
They’d been mostly silent on the short drive from the airport, both of them content to spend the drive caught up in their thoughts. Or, in Marshall’s case, obsessively reading news briefs and the intel passed along by Joey and Steven, the two computer geniuses employed by Black Tower.
He took a few steps out of the rental truck, enjoying the ability to stretch his long legs out. He checked his phone as they walked. A new text from Kaylie stopped him in his tracks. The text was short, only a handful of words. Too short to read into, but he didn’t like the feeling it gave him. Kaylie never wanted time off. She wouldn’t even take the days off he tried insisting she take.
“Hold up,” he said to Marshall. He tried calling Kaylie, but there was no answer. So he dialed Joey.
“That was quick, even for you guys.”
He ignored Joey’s flippant greeting. He hesitated, wondering if he should apologize for the interruption. He even debated hanging up. Instead, he forced out the truth against the anxiety that always came with asking. “I need a favor.” What he wouldn’t give to be charming like Jackson, or earnest and convincing like Ryder.
“Anything you need, Tank. You know that.”
