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The phone rings a few times. “S’up?” he asks, answering.
“Are you alone?”
“I’m on my way to Zara’s. You need a ride?”
“Is anyone else in the SUV with you?”
“No, it’s just me.”
“Can…can you swing by my place after Game Night? Alone. And you…you can’t tell Troy about this call. You can’t tell anyone.” I squeeze my eyes shut against the pain of lying to Troy. He deserves better than this. Lies. Lies. Lies. My skin itches at all the lies I’ve been forced to tell—starting when my husband’s abuse began.
But these lies will save Violet. Will prevent her from losing her daughter.
And…I could end up in prison again if something goes wrong. I’ll be giving up my chance of ever seeing Amelia, of being part of her life.
I watch Violet gazing adoringly at her daughter. The love shining back at her polishes my steely resolve.
“I told you, Jess, I won’t lie to my brother.”
“I know. But this is important.” I blow out a breath. “It’s a matter of life and death.”
The doorbell rings, and I let Kellan into the house. I close the door behind him and reactivate the alarm. “Thanks for coming. There’s someone I need you to see. Upstairs. But first, I need you to promise me you won’t tell anyone. Like I said on the phone, it’s a matter of life and death.”
“I promise.” Kellan says it so straightforwardly, placing his full trust in me, even though trusting people is a challenge for him. Like it is for me.
God, I hope I’m not about to destroy that faith he has in me. I value Kellan’s friendship above a lot of things, but this—what I’m trying to do—is bigger than all of it.
Kellan follows me upstairs to the spare bedroom. Light spills from under the closed door. I draw in a lungful of air, praying I haven’t made a big mistake bringing him here, and open the door.
Violet is on the bed with Sophie in her arms. The curtains are closed. The bruises on her face have faded a little, but they’re still hard to miss.
“Jesus Christ,” Kellan mutters and looks at me for answers.
“Her husband is abusive. She escaped him but she can’t get into a shelter. All the ones in the area and beyond are at maximum capacity or can’t take women who aren’t in their jurisdiction. She needs to get as far from Chief Wilson as possible so he can’t track her down and torture her. Possibly kill her. I was hoping you could help us. She needs fake IDs.”
Kellan rakes his fingers through his hair and says something under his breath I don’t catch.
“I have no idea who arranged for mine,” I explain. “And I have no idea how to contact the individual who helped me get out of San Diego. Can you help us?”
I don’t want to involve Craig and Grace—not if I’m hoping to be allowed back in Amelia’s life. This, helping Violet, might be too much as far as they’re concerned. I can’t take that risk.
“You realize this is kidnapping, right?”
Violet and I both nod. Sophie waves her little hand at him.
“I don’t have a choice.” Violet’s voice is small, her tone begging for him to help them, pleading for him to understand. “I can’t go back to living with him, and I can’t risk him getting partial custody or any sort of visitation rights. Sophie and I need a clean break.”
The Chief Wilson I saw at the Fourth of July celebrations was great with kids, but who’s to say that same man won’t end up hurting Sophie the way he hurts her mother?
“Where will you go?” Kellan asks.
Violet turns her gaze to me.
“I’m still figuring that out,” I tell him. “Ideally on the other side of the country. The farther the better.”
“Are you planning on telling Troy what you’re doing?” Kellan folds his arms across his chest and levels me a look that gives me chills but doesn’t dent my resolve to help Violet and Sophie.
“No. It’s too risky.”
