Chapter 28
Chapter Twenty-Eight
They dozed in each other’s arms. But after a couple of hours, Sylvie’s alarm went off.
They jumped in the shower and stayed under the spray as the minutes counted down, kissing and touching until the water ran cold.
They didn’t try for any more orgasms, and Dominic wasn’t even sure if he’d be able to get there himself.
He was too exhausted and worried about would happen today.
And his throat was tight with the agony of already missing her, even though she was still in his arms.
When they’d been making love, he hadn’t even been trying to make her come. Not necessarily. He’d just wanted to show her how much he appreciated her, how much he cared. Dominic didn’t have a lot to offer anyone, so he’d wanted to give her everything he had, meager though it was.
His life was heading into a black hole, a place he couldn’t see the end of.
He didn’t even know if he’d ever make his way out again.
He’d agreed to turn on the Syndicate, on the Crane family name…
Who would he be when he woke up tomorrow in some safe house, with the West Oaks DA and the US Attorney calling and making demands?
How much was his testimony worth? How much were his very life and identity worth?
The thought of still having Sylvie was a comfort, as was the knowledge that Maureen and Raymond would be safe with him, too. But none of them would be out of danger for a while, perhaps an indefinite amount of time.
Would Sylvie have to go into hiding as well? They hadn’t even talked about that. He figured she could handle herself, especially as an employee of Bennett Security. Max would see that she was safe.
They got out and toweled off. Sylvie dressed quickly and went downstairs to confer with Tanner. Dominic’s limbs moved slower than they should as he dropped random clothes and items into his suitcase. How did he know what he would need in this new life? He didn’t even know who the hell he would be.
A soft knock interrupted his thoughts. “Dominic?”
“Come in.”
Maureen opened the door and stepped inside. “I made some food to take with us. I wasn’t sure what they’d have.”
“Thanks. I didn’t think of that.” He figured Max wasn’t going to let them starve. It was surreal to think of something so basic as food right now. But at least that was one thing that wouldn’t change. They needed to keep breathing and eating and sleeping. He knew how to do those things.
Except for the fact that he barely knew how to feed himself without Maureen’s help.
I’m thirty-three years old, he thought, and what the hell do I have to show for it? Except for an ankle monitor and bail conditions he was about to violate. Just one more thing he was leaving broken.
“I’m going to miss this place,” Maureen said. “I’ve enjoyed my time here with you.”
He lifted his head. “You have? Why?”
“Well, it’s certainly never been dull. It’s like my own personal soap opera. Romantic trysts, dramatic entrances. By the SWAT team or otherwise.”
“Glad you haven’t lost your sense of humor.”
She took a few more steps into the room, hands clasped together. “And I’ve enjoyed getting to know you. You don’t let many people do that. So, it was a privilege.”
He pushed air out of his nose, shaking his head at the absurdity of that statement. “Knowing me is dangerous. It’s no privilege.”
“I disagree. I’m proud of what you’re doing. It takes courage to do what’s right. I don’t think it matters how long it takes to get there. As long as we find the right path in the end.”
He hoped so. But he realized he wasn’t going to miss this house at all.
He’d miss mealtimes with Maureen, their conversations.
He’d miss some of his old memories of summers with his brothers.
And he would always remember the time he’d spent with Sylvie here.
But the rest of it? The rest of it could stay behind, along with the parts of himself he was giving up.
He knew this was the right choice. But he wasn’t courageous in the way Maureen thought. He was just stuck without any other options. Yet maybe, for now, that was enough.
He and Maureen had packed a suitcase each.
They met Sylvie and Tanner downstairs, careful to keep out of the view of the front door cameras.
Sylvie was going to disable the alarm system at the very last moment, right before they left.
They didn’t want to tip off the Syndicate a moment sooner than they had to.
None of them were speaking. It was so quiet Dominic could hear the faint roar of the ocean crashing into the cliff below his house.
Sylvie received a text. She nodded at them.
Then she went over to the security panel by the front door and input a set of commands. The screen went dark. “The cameras are disabled. If the Syndicate is watching, I assume they’ll guess pretty quick what we’re up to.”
Tanner went to the front door. He wore a shoulder holster Dominic had never seen before, an odd match with his usual flip-flops and shorts. “Let’s go.” Tanner opened the door and ushered the rest of them outside. “I’ll get the bags.”
There were two black SUVs, one parked in front of the other at the curb.
Tanner pointed Dominic to the rear SUV. But he put a hand on Maureen’s shoulder and directed her to the one in front. “You and Sylvie are taking this car to the safe house here in West Oaks. Dominic is going to Los Angeles.”
Maureen reached for Dominic, her expression full of panic. “No, I thought we were staying together.”
Sylvie’s gaze darted from one man to the next, her uncertainty clear on her face.
A bodyguard stepped out of each SUV, opening the doors into the backseats. “Mr. Crane,” one of them said, “we need to go.”
“Hold on. This isn’t what we planned.” Dominic retreated, backing away toward the house.
Tanner walked over to him. “Dominic, you have to go with us to get Raymond because it sounds like he won’t come with us otherwise. But Sylvie and Maureen don’t need that much exposure. This is the safest choice for both of them.”
Dominic didn’t like it. But he knew the man was right.
Sylvie marched over, pushing against Tanner’s muscled arm. “This is bullshit. You spring this at the last minute and expect me to go along? No. I’m going with Dominic.”
“You’re not a bodyguard.”
“But I have training. So unless you want to get Max on the phone to fire me right fucking now, quit telling me what to do.”
Dominic made a decision. “Maureen, you need to go with them. They’re going to take care of you, and you don’t need to be driving all the way into L.A.”
She pulled him into a hug. Her eyes were shining. He’d never once before seen Maureen cry.
“All right, I will. But you take care of yourself. Since I won’t be there to do it for you.”
“I’ll see you soon.”
“You’d better.” Maureen got into the first SUV. Tanner loaded her suitcase, snapped shut the trunk, and then banged on the roof. The driver pulled away.
“The rest of you, let’s get out here. We’ve wasted enough time.”
“You should’ve told me about your stupid plan in the first place, so I could reject it,” Sylvie said. “Nic, did you take off the ankle monitor?”
“Uh, not yet.” He’d nearly forgotten about it.
He took out the pair of pliers he’d stowed in his pocket and pried the strap apart, both terrified and relieved to finally have the thing off.
He left it right there on the sidewalk. An alarm would be going off at the police station now, alerting them about the tampering.
Dominic stepped across the invisible barrier in his front yard and into the street.
Sylvie slid into the backseat of the SUV next to him. Tanner took shotgun. The car doors slammed.
“You should’ve gone with Maureen,” Dominic murmured.
“Don’t give me any reasons to stop liking you. I was starting to get attached.” Sylvie clasped his hand, and he quit arguing.
He took solace in her presence, even though he knew he was putting her in danger. But he’d been doing that all along, hadn’t he?
The driver put the car in gear, and Dominic heard the door locks snap into place. He didn’t look back at the house as they drove away.