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When I reached the porch, Belladonna ignored me while she wagged her tail and licked all over Oakley.Sarah, however, threw herself into my arms.
“I missed you!”she said, clinging to me.
We hadn’t been gone long, but I knew this was more about her fear.She’d been locked in a house with my mom and Porter.They had been instructed not to leave.While Oakley and I hadn’t been here.I hated that my life had touched her at all.She wasn’t supposed to ever know that side of it.
How did I protect her and keep her from it though?Was there even a way to do that?
What if Oakley had been right in court that day?
I held Sarah tighter, not liking where my thoughts were going.She was mine.She was safest with me.
“Honey and I made coconut cake!Come eat some.It’s yummy!”Sarah told me, then looked over at Oakley with her eyes full of excitement.“Can you stay a little while?”
Oakley’s gaze flickered to mine.I could see the uncertainty there.Even though she had heard Blaise tell me to keep her close, she wasn’t sure if I would be sending her home.The fact that she believed I could do that didn’t sit well with me.
“Oakley is staying with us for a couple of weeks,” I told Sarah.
“OH MY GOD!NO WAY!”She let out a loud squeal and started jumping and clapping.
“What in the world is going on out here?”my mom asked, coming to the door with an apron on, smiling as if I hadn’t sent someone to her house to bring her here and lock her up yesterday.
“Let’s get inside the house,” I told all three of them, not comfortable with everyone being out here in the open.Even if I had already spotted the two men Blaise had guarding the house right now.Neither were in eyesight, but I knew where to look.
My mom seemed to understand and stepped back inside, waving for the girls to follow.“Come on in and have some cake,” she said to Oakley.
I followed them inside, then locked the doors behind me.
“Sarah, take Oakley to the kitchen and get her some cake.I’ll be right there,” my mom said, then swung her gaze to me.She wasn’t happy, but she was hiding it well.
Mom had always hated this life.She had gotten pregnant with me, not knowing that my father was in the Southern Mafia and that his family had been for decades.When she found out, she’d left him.
Sarah grabbed Oakley’s hand, and I listened to their chatter fade away as they headed down the hallway.
“I guess I don’t need to tell you that having armed men come to my house and demand that I leave for my own safety didn’t sit right with me.It almost gave Porter a heart attack.He went pale as paper.Then, when we were told Sarah was being taken from school and would need us at your house, it near about gave me a heart attack.What is going on, Wilder?”Her tone was stern, but she was whispering.
“A lot.I can’t get into all of it with you, Mom, but I am keeping Sarah and Oakley here.There are men stationed at this house for added security.You and Porter are going to get on a plane this afternoon, headed to a private island off Florida’s east coastline.”
Her eyes widened.“You can’t just tell us what we are going to do.I didn’t sign up for this life.We have a home.One we want to get back to.”
“Mom, listen to me.This is temporary.I need you and Porter somewhere safe so I can focus solely on Sarah’s and Oakley’s safety.Please.Just get on the plane and go.Enjoy a free vacation.”
I could see her losing her steam as she sighed heavily.I had known mentioning my need to keep the girls safe would nudge her.
She glanced back at the hallway leading toward the kitchen.“Oakley is staying here then?”she asked, trying not to look so pleased but the glimmer in her eyes was giving her away.
I nodded.“She has to.I can’t protect her properly if she is anywhere else.”
Mom pressed her lips together as she studied me.Leave it to my mom to think of this as a matchmaking situation.“Okay, well, if us going to some private island is helpful to you and Oakley will be here with you and Sarah, then I guess it won’t be that difficult.Assuming it is a nice island.”
“It’s five-star resort quality,” I assured her.
Her small shoulders lifted and fell dramatically, but the gleam in her eye was saying something else entirely.Whatever got her to get on that plane.If Oakley and me being under the same roof did that, then fine.
“Does Oakley know about what you do?”Mom asked then, concern pinching her brow.
I nodded.“Yes.She’s been in the thick of it for the past twenty-four hours.I’d say, at this point, she knows more about it than you.”
Mom seemed relieved.“And she’s okay with it?”
