Chapter 17
Korie
I didn’t care who watched as I let Riah cry in my arms. Apparently, Edward and Eddie already thought something was going on between us and I no longer cared about proving them right or wrong.
The way Riah shook in my arms as she sobbed cracked my heart but also sparked a sick sense of satisfaction inside me. Out of all the people who loved her the most sitting in the room around us, it was my arms that she fell into. It was me she wanted to comfort her. It was me who made her feel safe.
So I pulled her closer to me, letting her tears soak through my shirt and dampen my skin. I stroked her hair and pressed kisses to her head, murmuring soothing words until her sobs became gentle, even breaths again.
“Should we call the police?” Sadie broke the silence as Riah sat up again.
I wiped the tears from her eyes as I answered. “I’m working with them on this case already. I’ll give them a call, send them everything I have.”
“Maybe you should just come back home and stay with us, sweetheart,” Edward added.
I knew he was coming from a place of worry, but the safest place on Earth she could be was with me.
“I don’t want to put you guys in any danger,” Riah sniffled.
“Then you can stay with us. They don’t know where we live,” Chrissy offered.
“What!? No, I would never put Mila in danger. Or you and Eddie.” She looked down at her fingers, shaking her head. “I don’t want to bring anyone else into my shit.”
“Ri, it's not your shit,” Eddie scoffed, offended she would even say such a thing. “Someone is terrorizing you and we are your family. We just want to make sure you are safe.”
“And the safest place has been here with Korie.”
That’s my girl.
“I know it's scary, I’m terrified. But nothing has happened to me since she’s been with me. She knows what she’s doing.”
“You’re right,” Edward sighed. “I’m sorry, Korie, I didn’t mean to imply that you didn’t. We just want her to be safe and are way out of our league here. We are just throwing out suggestions, but we really should be asking you what the next step is.”
Finally, some sense.
“I do have a suggestion. I don’t know if any of you are going to like it.” I turned to Riah, so she knew my next words were only for her. “But you’re going to have to trust me.”
She nodded.
“There’s a safehouse. Undisclosed location. There’s no service so nobody would be able to contact us. But we have communication set in place with the agency and the police if needed.”
Riah’s eyes widened, but she stayed quiet as she listened.
“We can go there for a few days, a few weeks, tops. I’ll have the best of my team stay here. Plan a trap to lure them in. We will get them eventually, but I think it's best if we disappear for a while.”
Everyone stayed silent as Riah digested the information. Her face was unreadable, but it didn’t look like she hated the idea.
“Well, sweetie,” Sadie started. “It’s up to you. Would you be okay doing something like that?”
Finally, Riah sighed, her face falling into her hands with a groan.
“I’m supposed to start work in a few days, I can’t just disappear! I’ll ruin everything I’ve worked for.”
“No, no. You won’t be ruining anything. I will have the detectives we are working with send over any information your job needs.”
“Yeah and if they have a problem with it, we will make a bigger problem,” Edward added. I knew he meant it, too. He had been a big-time lawyer and I’d seen him go toe to toe with some of the most vicious men in the business. None as vicious as him, though.
“Okay. Let’s do it. When do we leave?”
Excitement settled in my bones.
“As soon as possible, but we need an extraction plan. It would be pointless if they are watching, see us go and then follow. The safehouse stays stocked with supplies and food at all times, just in case, so we’ll just need to pack you some clothes.”
A plan was set in motion. Sadie and Riah, who shared a striking resemblance even as mother and daughter, switched clothes.
Sadie stayed behind while Riah and her father drove away in their car.
Eddie, Chrissy and their daughter left in their car, the plan was for them to come back in a few hours because they ‘forgot something’ and discreetly pick up Sadie.
I waited about 30 minutes after Edward and Riah left, then hopped in my own car to switch Riah into my car at the meetup spot. The plan wasn’t flawless, but it was the best we had.
When I reached the meetup spot, Riah and Edward said their heartfelt goodbyes, Edward thanked me profusely for our help and I promised to get his little girl back home safe and in one piece. He watched us until we disappeared down the road.
I turned and cruised down random streets and highways until I was sure nobody was coming after us. Riah stayed silent, her arms hugged tightly around her body and her hoodie tightened around her face. When I made it to our intended route, I squeezed her thigh gently.
“It's safe now, Riah. We are going to be okay. I promise.”
She finally looked over at me, her big, brown eyes glossy with unshed tears. With one hand on the wheel and my eyes still on the road, I reached over with my free hand to caress her cheek.
“I know it’s hard, but everything will be better after this.”
She leaned into my touch as warm tears brushed against my thumb. I wiped her tears before reaching into the cup holder and handing her a metal water bottle.
“Here, drink,” I commanded softly. “It’ll help you relax.”
“Is it…old?” She scrunched her nose. So cute.
“No, I just put it in there today, should be fine.”
She sucked down a few mouthfuls before returning it to the cup holder. A few moments later, her tears stopped flowing. She slumped against the door, her forehead pressed to the window, and drifted into a deep sleep.
By the time she woke up, we would be at our destination. Just her and me, the only one who could keep her protected. Finally, she’d be safe and she’d see how much I cared for her.