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“No. We are still going through with another test; I’ve accepted the DNA results that shows Royce is my uncle.”
“Why did Ted pretend to be Royce?”
“We didn’t think we could get Royce to talk with your father without insulting him or discarding me as his son. Dad offered to pretend to be Royce without actually saying it.”
“Because you were recording it,” I offered, after putting two and two together.
“Yes. We had to make sure that your father incriminated himself without us leading him to the answers we wanted him to give.”
“Clever,” I said.
“It actually was. Dad was damn good at saying all the right things to keep our family safe and finding a way to protect yours at the same time.”
I clasped his hands. “I’m grateful for that.”
As we stared into each other eyes, I reflected back. When I’d come to New York many weeks ago, it had been for a better future for my mom. I was leaving New York having found love in the most unexpected way.
“I’ll find a way,” he said, and I understood his meaning.
I hated to throw a dose of reality into the mix, but I couldn’t bear hanging onto an unlikely future.
“From what I know, witness protection is kind of a forever thing. You’ve just found your family. I can’t ask you to leave them.”
“Forever won’t keep me from you,” he said, chipping away at my resolve. He pushed back my hair. “I’ve never felt this way about anyone before and I won’t give up on it. Can you say differently?” he asked.
I should. I should love him enough to want him to be happy with someone else than to be unhappily waiting for me.
“I’ve never loved anyone before until you. But it’s not fair to ask you to wait until the trial is over. Who knows when that will be?”
He took my hand and pressed it to his heart. “Love isn’t fair. But I also know you’re worth it.”
Any further protest I might have had was stolen by his monumental kiss. I wished we weren’t in the helicopter because I wanted him inside me one last time. Sex had never played a role in my life or occupied my mind in any way until he’d shown me all the possibilities it offered.
However, that wasn’t going to happen given we were in a helicopter and we were heading to my mother’s house.
“Crap. I need to text my mom. Can I do it from here?” I asked.
He nodded.
I sent her a text letting her know I was fine and on my way home. Then I sent another text to Jody. I couldn’t leave without answers to other questions.
For the rest of the flight, we clung onto each other while sharing our experiences when we were apart. Liam also pressed me about how my father treated me. I had a feeling if I’d been hurt in anyway, he’d find a way to get to him for a one-on-one justice.
I opened up about what still bothered me. I told him what my father had shared with me about my best friend.
“I can bet Shawn is aware of the guy hired to watch your mom,” he said.
“Do you think he’ll be arrested?”
“He said they were rounding up those who work for your dad.”
“And Jody?” I asked, because I wasn’t sure I wanted her arrested.
“If she’s a part of it,” he answered.
I checked my phone. My text had gone through, but so far I hadn’t gotten a response from Jody. My feelings were mixed about the situation. I didn’t want to believe the woman I’d grown up with and was close to would betray me that way. “Do you think she’s in on it?”
“You know her better than I do. Maybe she didn’t know she was giving information. It’s also possible if he’s a former Fed, he could have bugged her phone.”
I hadn’t thought of that. I leaned on him and he wrapped his arm around me as I wanted to believe that she’d inadvertently given information without knowing it.
My gaze fell on the diamond ring on my finger. I still felt guilty, knowing trials could take months or even years when it was a big case like this one. Liam believed he could wait, but could he?
Happiness never was my friend. It was a lying bitch who saw me every now and again only to snatch friendships away when I thought all was well. Yet, I allowed myself to accept all the comfort in the world while tucked in next to Liam.
We landed on the side of a mountain. The terrain was flat enough to form a plateau of sorts that worked perfectly as an airstrip.
“Home,” Liam said.
A woman came running out of small low roofed building with lots of windows. Liam mentioned we would be landing at his father’s private airport in Clinestown. Liam’s dad was out of the helicopter to catch her up in his arms.
