9. Chapter 9

Owen sat quietly in the backseat, playing with Spidey on his lap as we drove to Poolesville to drop him off at Savannah’s. I was terrified to leave him behind, worried they’d find him, but Sid assured me his friend removed almost all traces of our connection as friends, as much as could be removed, anyway. I was also worried about Owen’s mental health after everything that went down yesterday. When all this was over, I’d have to find him a good therapist.

“Don’t worry,” Sid said, sensing my stress.

“You’re not a father.” I didn’t say it to be cruel, but to let him know fears are so different when you profoundly love someone. “That wasn’t a dig,” I added as I stared out at the passing farmland.

“I know.”

I looked over at him as he kept his eyes on the road, his blue eyes hidden behind sunglasses. We drove his nondescript Honda Accord , one of the most common cars on the road, making it harder for anyone to track us.

I wanted to dwell on that kiss last night and how my body fucking reacted to him, but I had more important things to worry about right now. Hopefully, Sid took me at my word to never do that again.

But my mind ignored me as it wandered unhindered in the silent car. I didn’t understand the electric current when Sid pressed his lips to mine. It wasn’t as aggressive and angry as the first time, but it was no less hot. My body had instantly reacted to him, and no doubt he noticed, judging by that know-it-all smirk he’d given me. Bastard.

Sid was a criminal. No matter how tragic his story had been. At the end of the day, he made his choices. And we had other things to deal with. For now, I’d trust him to help me get out of this and get my life back, if that was even possible.

“When we get there, I’ve got some cameras I’ll set up on the outside perimeter of the house. I’ll monitor it from my phone. We’ll never be so far that we can’t reach them quickly. Plus, I have my friend helping to monitor things as well.”

I nodded. “You trust him?”

“We go way back, and I’m sure he’ll have something juicy for me to do in return. In this business, favors are a form of currency. ”

While Sid killed for a living, I trusted him to help get Owen and me out of this. I wouldn’t have had he not told me his story last night. It changed everything. And that was exactly why he’d bared his soul to me.

“Thanks, Sid.”

He smiled and said nothing, never taking his eyes off the road. We drove for a few more minutes in silence before he spoke up. “As soon as I got the file on you, I instantly knew I had to help you.” I appreciated him not mentioning death in front of Owen. “That doesn’t mean I wasn’t reluctant. My decision weighed heavily on me because I was turning my back on my family. I’m betraying them. And family they are, even if we aren’t blood-related. I would do anything for them.”

“I know what you said and why you made this choice, still… I’m surprised you chose to help. But… I’m grateful for it.”

And I was. Being around Sid went against my moral code, but Owen and I wouldn’t have gotten through this alive had he not intervened when he did. The thought of Owen getting killed sent a shiver right up my spine. Losing my husband had been bad enough. Losing a child? No fucking way. I’d burn the world down if anyone hurt my boy. Morals be fucking damned.

“Nice place,” Sid said as we pulled onto the long driveway, heading up toward the large farmhouse. “Mason Duvall, owner of a security tech firm called DefenseMatrix, whose primary client is the United States. He does well for himself. Savannah Duvall, small-town pediatrician. They have three children between the ages of three and thirteen.”

“Did you research them before or after I told you about them?”

“Before. I’ve looked into everyone you knew, but I wouldn’t have assumed you would bring Owen here. Not at first. There’s very little connection between you and her, just like there’s very little connection between you and me. Although my family probably knows we used to go to high school together and are creating threads as we speak if they’ve dug deeply enough. It wouldn’t take much.”

“That’s not at all reassuring.”

“They can’t find us, no matter that we used to know each other.”

“I hope…” I trailed off as Savannah stepped outside, carrying a blonde toddler on her hip, waving at us with a big smile on her face.

I pulled Owen out of his seat and held his hand as we walked toward my old friend. She approached me and pulled me into a one-arm hug.

“It’s good to see you, Dalt. You look really good—tired and stressed, but good.”

“And you look gorgeous as always,” I said, kissing her cheek. Her brown hair was threaded with highlights, which she had pulled back into a long ponytail, and her eyes were a pale brown.

She looked down at my son and smiled broadly. “You must be Owen. I haven’t seen you since you were younger than this little girl here. ”

Meaning, the last time she saw him, it was at Matt’s funeral service. She’d been pregnant at the time.

He held onto my leg and looked up at Savannah, not saying anything. I hated how wary he was. While shy, he was also friendly once he warmed up. But after his ordeal, I worried he would grow more shy and afraid of others.

I squatted down to his level. “Savannah is a very old friend of mine. She’s very nice.”

“Hi,” he whispered.

Savannah set her daughter on the ground. “This is Lily. You two are going to be great friends.”

I waved behind me. “Savvy, this is Sid Virgil. He’s… an old friend from high school who’s helping me sort through this… mess.”

“Hello, Savannah,” Sid said.

“Nice to meet you, Sid.”

We headed inside the large home that was filled with comfort and love. Mason popped his head out of his office, close to the front door, and smiled, shaking my hand. “It’s good to see you again, Dalt.”

“You, too, Mason. I appreciate you and Savvy watching over Owen for a few days.”

He stood a couple of inches shorter than me, with graying dark brown hair and intelligent green eyes.

“Of course. The kids are excited to have a new playmate around here.”

I introduced him to Sid, and we made our way into the kitchen. Savannah poured us some lemonade, and then the kids went off to play. Owen looked like he was lighting up around the other children, allowing me to breathe a sigh of relief.

“This means so much to me,” I said.

“Savannah tells me you’re in some sort of trouble? Is there something I can do beyond watching over Owen?”

I shook my head. “I’m not dragging you into this any more than leaving Owen with you.”

“Actually,” Sid spoke up. “What’s your security like here on the farm? I know you specialize in cybersecurity, but do you have a good security system here? My job is to protect Dalton as he tries to sort through this mess. But I’d like to set up a couple of my own cameras if you don’t mind.”

Savannah planted her eyes on me with raised brows. “I thought you said we’d be safe, Dalton.”

“You are. There’s no way anyone knows about us.”

Sid gave her a reassuring smile, like the good salesman he was. Hell, he mastered getting me to trust him. “This is merely a precaution. I’ll just sleep better knowing I can keep an extra eye on things.”

Mason nodded. “I have everything secured around here. This area is very safe, but still, doing what I do for a living, I’m overly cautious, too. The land is monitored, and I have motion detectors, as well as a security room. We get a lot of wildlife around here, but my system can distinguish between animals and humans. But by all means, install some extra cameras, if it will give you peace of mind. I also have a couple of firearms on the property.”

“Excellent.” Sid stood and gripped my shoulder. “I’m going to go out and install the cameras while you two catch up.”

“Okay. ”

Mason also stood. “I’ll go with you.”

Savannah watched the two men leave before turning her attention to me, frowning. “Are you sure we’re safe, Dalt?”

“Yes. These are all just precautions. And most of our personal connections have been scrubbed. It’s going to be very hard for anyone to find a link between us. Please know I wouldn’t leave you in danger. But honestly… nothing is one hundred percent. It’s okay if you want to back out of this. I’ll understand.” But I really needed her and didn’t know who else to leave Owen with.

She took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay. I’ll do this for little Owen.”

“Thank you, Savvy. This means so much. What’s in danger is my life. Owen is only in danger while he’s in my presence. My leaving takes that danger away from all of you.”

I didn’t bother to tell her about the made-for-TV car chase and shootout, for obvious reasons. I felt like a damn fraud. Still, with her husband working in security, Sid’s extra help and security, and wiping away most of my connection to her, I was confident nothing would happen to her and her family. I also wouldn’t have left Owen here.

I chugged back half of my sweetened lemonade. “God, I need to do better as a friend. I’m sorry I didn’t reach out to you more. Once this is over, I’ll try harder.”

She smiled softly and reached for my hand resting on the table. “You grieved for a long time. I always understood. How are you doing, by the way, beyond this?”

“This past year has been good… until the shit hit the fan. I’ve even been trying to date again. ‘Try’ being the operative word.”

“Good for you! Have you been on any dates yet? ”

“Ugh, a couple, but they struggled with the single dad thing. Or everyone just wants to bone. I mean, there’s nothing wrong with that, but that’s all they wanted and that’s just not me.”

Savannah covered her mouth and laughed. “Blowing off steam could be good for you. Your right person will come along and love you and Owen equally. Just you wait. In the meantime, it’s okay to simply have some fun.”

I finished off my lemonade. “I don’t need to marry again or anything, but it has been kind of lonely lately. Regardless, it all needs to be put on the back burner for now.”

She looked out the window to where Mason and Sid were talking and laughing while pointing at the roof in the backyard. “Your old high school friend is cute. Is he gay, too?”

Sid was very attractive, more so now than when we were kids, since he’d been damn surly. “Maybe, but we’re not right for each other. There’s a long history between us from when we were teens, and most of it was bad, but…”

“But what?”

“Sid’s changed a lot. He’s so different… less broody.” Not to mention his fucking tragic backstory, but I didn’t tell her that.

“It has been over twenty-five years. You’ve changed a lot, too, since college.”

“True.”

Back in high school, even though he hated me, Sid had kissed me passionately and deeply, like he’d put his entire angry soul into it. I’d honestly forgotten it, since it’d been so long, but with him telling me his story, those memories were slowly being restored. Not only that, but I’d started to recall those times with Sid watching me, scowling. Now, I understood it had been more than that. Hell, he’d known I was gay before I had even told anyone, and I’d been extremely careful about showing my cards. But after dating Savannah, I couldn’t pretend anymore. I adored her too much to keep pretending to be someone I wasn’t.

While I grieved for Sid’s youth, I still struggled to understand what compelled him to help me. Apparently, he was risking everything.

A memory flash of Sid suddenly hit me.

I’m late to calculus, trying not to run in the halls because I’ll get in trouble, but I hate being late for anything. My alarm never went off this morning.

I’m so distracted that I don’t see Sid. We collide, and my books scatter all over the floor. I nearly fall back, but I hold on to him to keep from falling. Before I can gather my books and rush off, powerful hands grip my hoodie and shove me against the lockers.

“You do that on purpose, Boy Scout?”

“What? Let me go, Sid. I’m late.”

“Can’t have that, can we?”

“No, we can’t. Let me go.”

He shoves me harder as I try to push back, but it’s not easy. He’s as strong as I am, if not stronger.

Sid presses his face close to my ear, and I can feel his breath, leaving a wake of goosebumps across my skin. He smells strangely good—clean and fresh, like fabric softener.

“Being late will be good for you. Being a little bad is healthy,” he growls in my ear before taking a deep breath of me. My fingers dig into his biceps, but I can’t move. I’m glued to him. My breathing comes in heaves, and I’m hit with an unwanted desire. Even worse, my dick is trying to stir to life. Is it because of Sid or just because he’s a boy and how close he is to me? I’d rather have a boy in my life than a girlfriend. It can’t be Sid, though. He’s a cruel fucking bully. He’s always hated me.

Sid takes a deep breath of me again before he chuckles deeply and shoves off me. “Go to class, Boy Scout.”

I’m confused as I walk away without looking at him, hating the way my body reacted to his nearness. After grabbing all my crap on the floor, I rush off to class and reach the door as soon as the bell rings.

“Earth to Dalt,” Savannah says.

My memory bursts, and I’m whisked back to the present.

“What? Sorry,” I said, running a hand through my hair. “I got lost in a memory of Sid for a moment.”

She chuckled. “It must have been a doozie, judging by your faraway expression. Anyway, I was asking if Owen has any dietary restrictions.”

“No, he’s not allergic to anything. And he’s not very picky.”

“Oh, what I wouldn’t give not to have a picky eater. Lilly will only eat macaroni and cheese out of a box. Give her anything else, and she’s Vesuvius ready to take out all of Pompeii.”

I laughed. “That’s why they make them cute.”

Sid walked in after he wrapped up with the cameras. “We should probably head out now.”

I nodded and called out to Owen, who came rushing in. I squatted in front of him. “Give me a hug, Little Man.”

He wrapped his small arms around my neck, and I held him close, taking a deep breath of him. I struggled not to get choked up, but it wasn’t easy, trying not to think about the possibility of this being the last time I ever saw him again.

“I’m going to be gone for a few days, Little Man.”

“No, I don’t want you to leave. Why can’t you stay here?!”

“Daddy has to go on a business trip. Remember, I do that sometimes?”

Owen nodded as his eyes turned wet, trying so hard to be brave. “Yeah,” he sniffed.

“I’ll be back soon, and when I do, I’ll bring you a surprise. But I want you to be the good boy you always are and have fun with your new friends, okay?”

“Okay,” he said softly.

God, he really was such a great kid.

“Give Daddy another hug.”

We hugged again, and he ran off to play. The pain suddenly gut-wrenched me, and I struggled to stand. I needed to come back to him alive. I couldn’t have Owen lose another father.

After we said our goodbyes, Sid left them with a special phone before we headed back to his farmhouse.

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