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“If I don’t, I can’t keep her safe. Don’t you get that?”
“You’re playing right into his hands!” R.J. yelled, waking up Rae. “Shit.”
Rae yawned and sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, “What’s the matter?”
R.J. grumbled under his breath and refused to reply, glaring right in my direction.
“Nothing baby. A small disagreement,” I answered and kissed her softly. “Morning. How are you feeling?”
“Like I don’t want to face reality,” she admitted and moaned, covering her eyes. She squinted at the bright light filtering through the open window. “Did you both sleep?”
I nodded, “Yeah.”
R.J. grumbled under his breath, “A little.”
“Have either of you seen my mom yet?” she slid from the bed and padded across the floor to her bathroom, pausing beside the door. “Well?”
R.J. shook his head.
I shrugged, “I just woke up.”
She frowned, tossing her tangled dark hair over her shoulder, “I’ll check on her after I shower.”
Once the bathroom door was shut and I heard the water running, I stood and pulled my cell phone from my pocket. Dialing the number that was only supposed to be used in an emergency, I let out a long slow breath and braced myself.
Mack picked up on the third ring, “Pete?”
“Hi, Mack.”
Silence.
“What the fuck are you calling me for kid?”
Damn.
“Rae’s in trouble,” I answered quietly.
Silence, but I thought I heard my dad partially cover the phone and cuss a string of curse words before he barked into the phone, “Meet me at the diner at two pm.” All that followed was the click that confirmed Mack had hung up.
“What did he say?” R.J. looked nervous.
“Diner at two. Alone,” I repeated, knowing the drill.
R.J. shook his head, “I should go with you.”
“You have to stay with Rae. Don’t let her out of your sight for even a second. I mean it.”
R.J. flopped on the bed but nodded, “What’s the plan?”
“Keep her occupied. Distract her thoughts and watch over the three of them. She’s going to be anxious while I’m gone, but you can’t tell her where I went.”
“What if they come back?”
My voice hardened like steel, “Whatever you do, stay with her. Don’t let them take her. It’s your life over hers. Got it?”
“Like we haven’t been over this a hundred times. I know Pete.”
“Text Jake. We need him as a lookout,” I ordered as I scanned the driveway and as much of the yard as I could see out of Rae’s bedroom windows. Lost in thought, I tapped my
