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Taking a sip of my tea, I nod in agreement. She’s right. Everyone has something going on they feel is life altering, but this one is ours, and we need to find a way out of it.
We finish eating in silence, my mind racing, trying to think of ways out for us.
“We’re going to take advantage of them all being gone. We have to,” I say flatly.
“What do you have in mind?” she asks as she pushes her plate back.
“We’ll start at the brownstone. We need to go through everything in Christopher’s office. Absolutelyeverything. When we’re done there, we’ll go through Andrew’s office. We’ll have to get Mom and Daniel out of there, or at least distract them so you can swipe the spare key.” I spoke so matter-of-factly that it gave us both a little bit of confidence.
“I can get the key, no problem,” Addy says, sitting up a little straighter with a bit of hope in her eyes.
“Good. We should go,” I say abruptly as I stand.
Addy stands as well. “Love you, Sis. If we stick together, I really think everything will be okay. We can do this.”
I hug her and whisper in her ear, “Love you, too. Together, Addy. Together.”
Addy places cash on the table, and we walk out. On the curb, we each hail a cab of our own and depart going our separate ways.
All the way home, my hands are clinched in fists. I’m so angry with Christopher. So angry with my dad and Andrew. How could they do these terrible things? How could they put our families in danger by doing them?
As infuriating as those thoughts are, I know I have to channel those feelings into getting to the bottom of this. I’ll get to the truth, ensure Addy and I cannot be implicated in their crimes, and then I’m getting us the hell out of here.
Out of Sacramento…
Out of California…
Out from under all of their thumbs.
My phone dings, letting me know I have a text. Looking down, I quickly discover it’s from Christopher.
“I’m home. Where are you?”
I roll my eyes but type out my reply.“Nearly there, my love. Can’t wait to see you.”
I smile to myself, slipping my phone into my purse. I’ll keep him just as confused as I am.
Remembering the Christopher I knew years ago—before we moved to Sacramento—makes me sad. He was kind, attentive, caring, and even sweet. He made me feel safe and loved.
He planned our first date, not telling me a single detail ahead of time. I was completely unprepared, but it didn’t matter. He drove us up the coast with the top down on his convertible.
I remember both of us laughing at my hair on the way there, blowing all around me. I tried my best to tame it, but he ended up handing me a baseball cap from the back seat. I’m sure I looked ridiculous, but I didn’t care.
We had a picnic in a deserted area of the beach. Nothing fancy, just us with our bare feet in the sand. We laid back on a blanket and watched the sun set, sliding beneath the waves and yielding to the moon. Nothing mattered when we were together; everything else seemed to fall away.
I unclench my fists and dab the tears welling in my eyes as we come to a stop in front of the brownstone. Taking a moment to compose myself, I notice the cabbie eyeing me in the rearview mirror.
“Sorry,” I say politely as I hand him his fare.
“Not a problem, Miss. You just seem a million miles away,” he says with a smile.
I nod, feeling a little uncomfortable, and slide out of the backseat. I wish right now that I could be a million miles away. But here I am, at home, with my fiancé, about to put on the performance of a lifetime.
Walking inside, Christopher greets me with a smile and a kiss on the cheek. To say I’m surprised is an understatement. Running his hand down my arm to my hand, he laces his fingers through mine before leading me over to the bar.
“I thought we could spend the evening together; have some wine, watch a movie,” he suggests.
I eye him cautiously. I don’t know what he’s up to, but I know I have to go along with it.
