Page 121 of Crew Girl

Viktor’s posture shifted. “All right, then. I’ll leave you to your family time.” Josh’s grandfather turned to Ryder and his mom. They weren’t even trying to hide their gleeful smiles at the turn of events. “Ryder! I’d love to hear about your winter plans.”

Karina started gabbling away excitedly, leading her father away.

Good luck, Ryder. You’ll need it.

His cousin turned back. “Sorry, man.”

Maybe, Josh thought. Maybe not so much.

His dad was almost shaking with adrenaline as he watched his father walk away. “He didn’t like that.”

“Is it that bad?” Josh asked, meaning is that it? Are we out?

“Yes,” his dad said plainly. “But I don’t care.” He turned away from the others and gave his full attention to Josh. “I care about you. Are you okay? Can they treat it?”

“Yeah, with surgery. But the recovery’s rough.”

His dad nodded, looking him in the eye. “We can deal with rough, son.” He shook his head like he was debating something, then pulled Josh into a hug.

Josh swelled with happiness. His dad loved him. Was putting him first. Even if it meant stepping away from the Regis family to do it.

He hugged his dad back, tight. They’d survive this. He knew it in his heart.

TEAGAN

“Hey, honey!” Her mom’s arms wrapped around Teagan from behind. She smelled like shrimp cocktail and sugar cookies. “Congratulations. Listen,” she said, lowering her voice. “I need to talk to you.”

Teagan tried to wriggle out of the hug, but her mom’s arms tightened. What the—

She didn’t want to talk to her mother. “You lied to me about Dad,” she hissed. “What else are you keeping from me?”

Her mom whirled her around, shot covert glances over her shoulders, then leaned in. “Your father’s here,” she whispered. “I’m hiding him from the FBI.”

“Mom!” Her volume control had lost control. And her brain. And her pounding heart. “You can’t be—”

“Shhh.” Her mom shook her head, exasperated. She took Teagan’s hand and pulled her closer to the marquee’s kitchen area. “This is why I don’t tell you things.”

Not the point they should be focusing on when her mother was aiding and abetting a fugitive. “What do we do? Are we going to get in trouble?” They were a family at the end of the day, outlaw dad or not.

“It’s okay, honey.” Her mom pulled her into a hug. “We’ll figure it out.”

“Teagan.”

Her head shot up.

“Dad?”

Her dad stepped out from a storage area. “You were incredible out there.”

Nice to hear, but… “Dad! You can’t be here!”

For once, her mom was on the same page. “David, you have to go. Someone’s going to see you.”

Her dad shrugged. “Maybe it’s time they do.” He turned to Teagan. “I don’t want you to wonder where I am anymore. Either of you. I’m going to turn myself in.”

But that meant…

“Are you sure?” Twenty years in prison suddenly sounded a lot longer than it had when her dad had first mentioned it. It was longer than she’d been alive. Then again, she’d know where he was.