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He was still paying the price. So was Geena, far more thanheever had.
But his girls? They weren’t going to be the cost. Not this time. He had already lost the four elder. He wasn’t going to seeanythinghappen to the four younger. And while he was at it, he would keep Morris Preston’s evil fromevertouching his four older girls, too.
They would hate him forever. Of that he was certain. And how could he blame them? Fred had always intended to go back for them someday. When he was absolutely certain it was safe for his girls. He had even written down the speech he would give his family about why he and his wife had left their four children behind the way they had. He had hoped it would convince them all he and Geena weren’t monsters. That their reasons had been valid. Hell, his wife still had the scars from the knife. Scars anyone could see.
But one thing was certain—if Fred hadn’t been so damned dissatisfied with the monotony that was life in Masterson County, Geena would never have been near Morris Preston’s place that night. Would never have met Patsy Smith a few weeks earlier, either.
She had lured them in, duped them. Dragged them right into Morris Preston’s net to begin with. Then, right before Geena’s eyes, Patsy had met karma face-to-face. When her own son had stabbed her in the neck. Then turned on Geena next.
None of this would have happened if Fred hadn’t thought he could work a deal with Morris Preston. Force the other man to do what he wanted because of who Fred had come from before. Who his brother was.
Nothing Fred had done had been illegal. Or even unethical or immoral—even back then he had had some very high standards for himself. It had just been him getting into business with the wrong kind of man. He should haveknown betterthan to fall for a con like Morris had been running.
But Fred had been so arrogant. So sure a man like him couldn’t, wouldn’t fail. And he and his Geena had been running ever since.
Nothing had stabbed Fred in the heart more than knowing his four older children were growing up in the same town as that damned Morris Preston’s children. Knowing thathecouldn’t protect his kids. All he’d ever wanted from the moment his eldest had been born was to be a good father worthy of his baby’s love and respect.
But his damnedpride.
His pride had cost him everything then.
Almosteverything.
He’d still had the woman he loved. The woman he had always promised to protect. No matter what the cost. And he still had his four baby girls.
Nothing was going to happen to them.
Fred wasn’t going to let it.
“They’ve stopped for the night. They took that wrong turn. They are nowhere near Masterson now,” Geena said.
She had his phone. Was tracking the girls, using the app Fred had put on Devaney’s cell phone when he’d found it in her backpack one day when the damned thing had buzzed while he was making dinner. The girls didn’t think he knew they all had cell phones that Dylan paid for. But he knew. Just like he knew about the internet business his Dylan had built. He knew everything about his girls. He was their father, after all.
“We should probably stop, too. It’s getting worse out,” she said.
She was right about the weather, but the girls had a day and a half on them. Little monsters were probably driving in shifts—Dylan and Devaney, and possibly Dorie. All three knew how to drive—Dylan had made certain of it. The damned boy next door had taught Dylan when she was eighteen when her parents hadn’t been home.
He had always wondered what else that boy had shown his daughter. He wasn’t a fool.
Even if he and Geena drove in shifts, they still wouldn’t catch up quickly. Even if Geena could. Driving…made her highly anxious. Especially in inclement weather like this.
He usually drove. It was just safer that way.
He and Geena were just not going to be able to catch up. But they couldwaitfor the girls here in Masterson. Get the girls before they got to the inn. He had no doubt Dylan had figured out where he had come from. He had told her too much. And she was so damned smart.
The van slid a little on the ice. Geena gasped, grabbed the handle.
Decision made.
Geena was terrified right now. And the roads were just getting worse. Fred was going to get her someplace safe. They’d catch up to Dylan and the rest of the girls tomorrow.
When they did, he was going to hug his girls—and make it clear they weren’t to scare him and their mother like thiseveragain. He couldn’t risk being seen tonight, though. Having a damned identical twin complicated things for him, that was for sure.
Grief for his brother had always been sharp, too. But that was for later. Tonight…
He knew one place they could go. It would be rough, but it would hopefully be enough to keep them sheltered for tonight.
35
