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“It’s fine, Zig. It’s just… I’ve gone from being trapped in a cell to being stuck in the jungle to being trapped at the ranch, and before we know it, nugget will be here, and my life won’t be my own anymore. I know all the reasons why we have to be careful. It’s just hard watching my life pass me by.”
Zig winces a little at that.
“Oh God, no. I didn’t mean it like that. Not you and Oz. Shit, I should just shut up. I’m messing everything up.” She drops her face into her hands.
“Hey now, it’s fine. I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say those pregnancy hormones are kicking in.”
She huffs out a laugh and looks up. “Probably. I’m fine. Just ignore me.”
Zig looks at me for help, but I don’t know what to say.
“If it makes you feel any better, I know how it feels. I have a nice place purely because I spend so much time here. Maybe”—I fake whisper loud enough for Zig to hear—“you could talk the guys into building you a pool or a library back at the ranch.”
She perks up instantly, looking at Zig, who shrugs. “I don’t see why not.”
She throws herself at him with a squeal of happiness.
“Well, my work here is done,” I tease, wiping my hands back and forth together as Zig winks at me.
Salem turns to look at me and sighs. “I guess the lifestyles of the rich and reclusive are a little different than those of the rich and famous.”
“Or rich and infamous, in my case. The only two things I’ve been invited to this year are a charity ball for some foundation, which I make a sizable donation to rather than spending two thousand dollars on the smallest plate of food in the world and listening to pretentious pricks compare dick sizes.”
“What was the other thing?”
“Huh?” I frown at Salem, losing my train of thought.
“What was the other thing you were invited to?”
“Oh, Halloween Town.”
“Say what now?” Zig asks.
I grin and sit forward. “I volunteer in the children’s unit over at a hospital about thirty minutes from here. Cassidy is an eight-year-old frequent flier. She has been battling leukemia on and off for the past four years. Her dad is rich-rich and, surprisingly, really nice. He adores his daughter, and Cassidy is obsessed with all things Halloween. So three years ago, when they were told that Cassidy wouldn’t see another Halloween, he bought a piece of land near the hospital and built aHalloween-themed town just for her, so she could celebrate it early. And so that all the sick children could use it long after Cassidy was gone.”
“Oh, Jesus.” Salem starts crying.
I shake my head. “She defied the odds. That little girl is still hanging on. If determination is the cure, then she’ll outlive all of us. Anyway, every year I get invited to go to a party they throw. They had to postpone it twice because she got an infection, but she’s doing better now.”
“When is it?”
“Tomorrow. I have a bunch of gifts coming for the kids, and once I have them loaded up, I’ll be driving down there to visit.” I paste on a grin, not wanting to think about how this could be the last time I see her pretty face. Death doesn’t care who it comes for. It has no issue taking a hand that’s tiny or one that’s weathered from time.
“You want some company?” Zig asks.
Salem looks at him, her eyes wide. “Really?”
“I want you safe always. But I can’t lock you in a prison, no matter how pretty the cage is.”
He looks at me. “What’s the security like there?”
“I’m not sure. There are a lot of staff that accompany the children, plus parents and siblings. We have paramedics on-site, just in case, and usually one or two police officers.”
He nods. “Alright, let me talk to the others, and we’ll figure something out. You think your ex-detective friend would help out?”
“James? Oh yeah, for sure. He doesn’t know about Salem. I wouldn’t share secrets that aren’t mine, but he knows about me. He always has. And he’s never betrayed my trust. In fact, he’s put himself in harm’s way just to keep me safe. I’m not saying you need to tell him anything you don’t want to; I’m just saying you don’t need to worry about slipping up. He’s a good man. The best, actually.”
“I’m glad you had that, Astrid,” he tells me warmly, ruffling my hair before he walks over to join the others and leaves me and Salem to chat.
