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I laughed softly. “I don’t think I could sleep even if I wanted to right now.”
“All right,” he replied with a shrug.
“Sorry,” I added. “I’m just…off…right now.”
Chase smiled at me in the mirror before returning his eyes to the road ahead. “I understand. Just know I’m here and I’m not going to let anything happen to you or your son.”
“Thank you.” A warm blanket of comfort wrapped around me at his promise. “You and your brother are both godsends.”
When I woke up that morning, Henry was downstairs. While Jackson was in the other room, eating cereal with his favorite show on the TV, he’d reiterated his specific set of instructions from the night before. It had taken every ounce of self-control to not let my fear show through as I’d agreed to everything. I’d even gone so far as to ask him what he’d like for dinner that night if he’d be home.
He’d told me he’d wing it.
As soon as he was out of the house, I raced to call Matt and in scrambled sentences, told him everything that had happened. Thankfully, he’d taken me seriously and offered to call his brother, Chase, to watch over Jackson and me until his PI could figure out what the hell was going on.
Three hours later, I took the bag of cash from the pantry, grabbed Jackson, and beelined to the address Matt had texted me after talking to Chase and then waited for our rescuer to show up.
It all happened so fast. I was still reeling.
If Henry hadn’t already been planning to have me killed, he would be once he realized I’d taken the cash and his son and gone into hiding. And I wasn’t going back.
“Godsends, huh?” Chase repeated, snapping me back to the conversation. “That’s probably the first time I’ve heard that,” he added, keeping his voice low to not disturb Jackson in the seat behind his. “Matt usually gets called a son of the devil just because of his profession. Understandably, not everyone has positive things to say about divorce lawyers.”
I shrugged. “I suppose not.”
“But thank you. I’m happy I was close by.”
“You’re not from around here?” I asked, realizing how little I knew about the man whose hand’s I’d put my trust—and my life—into.
Chase shook his head. “No. I’m from the Bay Area. I have a little condo up there I use as a crash pad between jobs. I do security stuff like this since getting out of the navy and I don’t spend much time at home. I was in the area on a week-long vacation. Soaking up some sun before my next job.”
“Oh,” I said, glancing down at my manicured nails. “I didn’t realize I was cutting your vacation short. I’m really sorry.”
“Don’t be. I was getting restless anyways. I have a hard time staying still these days.”
The sound of the turn signal clicking on interrupted my train of thoughts as I tried to land on my next question. “Where are we going?” I asked, leaning forward in my seat.
“Sit back, please,” Chase said, his tone firm but not harsh. I did as he asked. “We’re stopping at a buddy of mine’s to get some supplies. We served together and he has stuff we’re going to need.”
“Like what?” My head spun.
“Do you really want to know?” He caught my eye in the mirror after securing our place at the light off the exit to turn right.
I faltered. Did I? I glanced over at my sleeping son and shook my head. “I trust you.”
“Good.”
A few minutes later, Chase turned and we started down a two-lane road. Eventually, we turned left into a neighborhood and after a few more turns, we came to a stop in front of a two story home in a sea of nearly identical houses. A little slice of suburbia.
It looked like heaven to me.
Normal.
Kids bikes left in driveways, freshly planted flower beds, the soft spray of a sprinkler. Dogs barking, birds chirping, and the occasional rumble of a car the only sounds breaking the peaceful lull of the neighborhood.
“Stay here. I won’t be long.”
Chase exited the vehicle before I could object, and once the driver door slammed shut, I leaned back in my seat and dragged my gaze along the interior of the car, wondering for the millionth time if I’d made the right decision. What had started out as a plan to file for divorce, and barter for custody of Jackson had radically shifted gears into going underground with a stranger, while Henry had his goons out looking for me and Jackson.
I didn’t even allow myself to think of what he’d do if he found us.
Asshole.
Jackson snored softly and I reached across the seat to swipe away a strand of hair. I’d rescheduled his last haircut appointment. It was supposed to be on Saturday. That was going to be an appointment we’d miss.
