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“I think it’s the best and easiest way to have a layer of protection while the reporters are in town. He’s coming here when he lands, but we’ll need a game plan for when they turn their attention toward Addy, too.”
“You think they will?” Addy asks.
I answer before anyone else can. “When Andrea gives them nothing, they’ll look elsewhere, guaranteed. We need to warn Charlie and Irene as well. They’ll question anyone who could possibly know you two, asking all about your personal lives and if Andrea is the person Morales said she is.”
The girls go quiet. Jack is grinding his teeth. Nathan curses under his breath on the other end of the line. Everyone is being pushed to the limit.
Andrea thought she finally escaped Christopher only to be pulled right back in. Addy’s kidnapper’s trial hasn’t even started yet, and she’ll likely have to relive the whole thing at that trial as well as Christopher’s. I’m caught in the middle of all of it, guilt weighing me down so heavily that sometimes it feels like I can’t breathe.
“What can we do?” Addy asks.
Jack leans forward. “We’re working on something. You just have to trust us, but Andrew and I are optimistic it’ll work. I called one of my brothers.” The three of us share a loaded look, knowing the less people that know about the details with Colton the better.
Addy blows out a breath. “Is this something that could get you two into trouble?”
“Not if we do it right. It’s the most effective way to get this shut down as quickly as possible,” Jack answers.
“Okay, that’s good then. Anything we need to do to take this bastard down,” Addy says.
I nod, though she can’t see it. “We’ll call when SJ gets in and we come up with a plan. You should play it safe and stay out of sight for a few days.”
“That’s fine by me. Nathan and I have some projects around the house to do before Sunday, anyway.”
Nathan groans over the phone, and Addy shushes him. “Oh, hush. It isn’t so bad.”
“That’s what you say. You’ll probably just supervise. I’ll be doing all the work.”
We all laugh, knowing that’s exactly what will happen.
“Okay, we love you guys,” Andrea says. “We’ll talk soon. Call me if any reporters show up there!”
“Will do, Sister. Love you guys too. Talk soon.”
When the call ends, we sit back. I reach for my phone, hoping to see a text from Charlie. There’s nothing. Maybe I should text her.
My thoughts are interrupted when Andrea gets up and starts towards the kitchen. “I’m starving, and it looks like we’ll be in for the night. I guess I’ll see what we have here I can whip up.”
I stand and cut her off. “Oh, no you don’t. I’ll see what I can put together.”
She gives me a look and then laughs. She knows I’m a much better cook than she is.
Jack pats the seat next to him. “C’mon, babe. Let Andrew cook. We can find something on TV to watch.”
Andrea relents and takes her seat beside him on the sofa.
“Okay, okay. Fine. Just not the news,” Andrea says with a sigh.
I make my way to the kitchen and check the cabinets and fridge. There are fettuccine noodles in the cabinet, and I find parmesan cheese and heavy cream in the fridge. I’m surprised they have heavy cream. I can’t imagine Andrea cooking with it or making homemade whipped cream.
I go through the drawers, and I find a bag of fresh spinach that has limited life left. They’re really not big on cooking.
Alright, I need protein, and I can make a simple—very simple—alfredo. I open the freezer and move things around. At least they have frozen garlic bread. I toss that on the counter and continue my search. In the back, I find a bag of uncooked, diced chicken breast. I pull it out and drop it into a sink of cool water.
I open the other cabinets and drawers, hoping to find some seasonings. Thankfully, there’s a small selection of the basics, like salt and pepper. There’s no fresh onion or garlic, so powder form will have to do. With everything I need chosen from my limited resources, I get started on the alfredo sauce.
The chicken thaws quickly since it’s already diced. I heat a little oil in a pan while prepping the chicken with seasoning. When the oil is hot, I put the chicken in.
“What are you making? It smells good!” Andrea asks from the living room.
