Chapter 11
After the fireworks and goodbyes, Ethan loaded Violet into the back of his truck while Paisley hovered. Then she climbed into the front of the cab and belted herself in while he went around to the driver’s side. He glanced back at Violet as he started the engine.
She was, of course, completely passed out.
The fireworks had been a huge hit with her.
The pony, the goat, the food. All of it.
But the fireworks were what she’d most wanted to see.
He’d bought some big ones, maybe bigger than he should have, but it was worth it when he’d looked at Violet.
The wonder and joy on her face made his heart happy.
He still couldn’t wrap his head around the fact she was Trey McCann’s kid.
Or that Trey could be so monstrous that he could ever consider hurting her.
The man Ethan had known had been complex, like most people, and he’d had a quietness to him that hadn’t always made sense. Like he was thinking about something.
But what if it wasn’t quietness at all? What if it was darkness?
Darkness. Sickness. Evil.
“Thanks for driving us,” Paisley said. “You really didn’t have to, though.”
She’d argued with him when he’d suggested giving them a ride to the range and back again.
But he’d pointed out it would be dark and late when the fireworks were done and asked if she wouldn’t feel better having him there to help her get Violet inside.
She’d frowned for a second before admitting she would.
Now he wheeled the truck around and headed for the road. “Happy to help, Payz.”
“I feel badly that you have to take us back to Sutton’s Creek and then drive home again.”
“We’re a couple miles outside town limits. It’s not like I’m driving you to the other side of Huntsville.”
“True.” She was quiet a moment, her hands fiddling around in her lap. He remembered her doing that when they were dating. It was a tell that she was nervous or uncertain. “I like your friends. They’re good people.”
“They are. And they like you too.”
They didn’t have a reason not to. The women had made her part of their group, and the men accepted her because the women did.
Ethan hadn’t told his team about his past with Paisley yet.
He needed to. Needed to explain about his time in Florida and the relationship he’d once had with her.
He’d hesitated because it hadn’t seemed necessary to drag up the past that way.
He’d hadn’t wanted the questions or contemplative looks when they thought he didn’t know he was being watched.
He certainly hadn’t wanted any pity at the way it’d gone down.
But if he wanted to protect her, he needed to let his guys know about Trey. They’d help him look out for her.
“I think the ladies want to set us up,” she said.
“Yeah, not surprised about that. I don’t think they’ll push it though, especially if we indicate we just want to be friends.”
She looked down at her clasped hands. “I told them I was getting a divorce and that it wasn’t a good situation. I didn’t tell them how bad it was, but I think they know I’m not ready to leap into anything.”
“I’m glad you told them about the divorce.
You’ll need friends to talk to sometimes.
You can always talk to me, but I figure you may not want to about some things.
Hell, maybe you don’t want to talk to me about anything.
And that’s fine. I get it. Our situation is pretty, uh, effed up.
” He’d just barely managed to correct the word on his tongue to a milder version, but he’d remembered Violet at the last second.
Not that she was awake, but he needed to get into the habit of policing his language around her anyway.
“I just mean,” he continued, “that we were a couple once, with feelings for each other, and it ended suddenly and without explanation for both of us. So I guess talking to me about the guy you did marry might be difficult at times. Though you can. I want you to know that.”
“Thank you.” She sighed and tilted her head back on the seat.
“I don’t want to talk about him at all, but I know I have to.
There’s a lot to process there. Especially when Violet asks about him, which she sometimes does.
He scared her with his temper, but he also made grandiose promises to change that she believed. ”
Ethan gripped the wheel tight. He was having his own issues with temper whenever Paisley talked about Trey, but he wouldn’t let it show. Wouldn’t ever want her to feel scared of him or his emotions. Those were his problem, and he intended to keep them in check.
“To be honest,” she said, “You’re the only person I feel comfortable talking to about what Trey was like. Because you knew him.”
“Not well enough, apparently.” His voice was sandpaper over stone.
“He fooled everyone. You couldn’t have known.
That’s what abusers do. They lie and pretend and act like the perfect partner when they’re laying their trap for you.
They continue to act perfect in front of others so nobody will believe you if you dare talk.
Trey was a master at deception. There are people in Florida right now who think he’s the victim here, that I’ve lied and manipulated and stolen his child away.
Honestly, I don’t care what he says about me so long as I never have to see him again. ”
His throat was tight. “I wish I’d been there, Payz. I wish I’d gotten on a plane and went looking for you when you didn’t answer me. Hell, even when I got that text, I wish I’d gone after you to demand an explanation.”
“It’s not your fault. It’s Trey’s fault. He was jealous of you. Not that I realized it at first.”
She turned to look out the window and he wanted to stop the truck and drag her into his arms. She was breaking his heart here.
“What aren’t you telling me, baby?”
She sniffled and swiped her hand over her face. Wiping away tears. It killed him that she was crying. Because he couldn’t fix it.
She swiveled to face him. “He couldn’t let it go that you and I were together.
And that’s not your fault either, by the way.
He was always going to be triggered by that.
It was an excuse. Jesus,” she hissed, wiping her face again.
“I hate him, Ethan. So much. He would lose his shit and then he’d apologize and cry and swear it would never happen again.
I should have left, but Violet was a baby and I had nowhere to go.
No medical insurance if I left. No way to pay for the things she needed.
I was also terrified he’d take her away from me even though I knew he didn’t want her. ”
It was strange to feel the way he did in that moment. Both murderously angry and numb at the same time. His anger wouldn’t help, and the numbness was a coping mechanism. Because he felt helpless in the face of all she’d suffered.
“I’ll never get over the things I should have done, but I’m not letting him hurt you ever again.”
She looked away. “I feel like I should tell you that you can’t control that—but instead I’m gonna say thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Silence filled the space between them for a few seconds before she spoke again, her voice barely more than a whisper. “I need to tell you I got an anonymous text today. I think it was from Fern.”
A squeeze of fear tightened inside him. “What did it say?”
“It said I’d get what was coming to me and to wait for it. I didn’t tell you earlier because Violet came home before I could. There was never really a good time until now.”
He hated that she felt like she had to justify herself. Even if he wished she’d told him earlier. “You told me now. Thank you for trusting me.”
He meant that. He knew trust was hard for her, but if she trusted him with her safety, that was a huge win to him. The text could be from the library tech. She was spiteful enough to do it. But he wouldn’t rule out Trey McCann. He couldn’t. Too dangerous to ignore him.
“I got a new phone when I got here. My lawyer and the court has the number. I had to provide it since I have Violet and we’re in the middle of proceedings. Trey doesn’t know it, though.”
“What did you do with your old phone?”
“It’s turned off and sitting inside an empty cookie tin. I wrapped it in foam and then I wrapped the tin in foam and taped it.”
Ethan threw her a look. “You learned that from Trey?”
“Not all of it. He was paranoid with his business so he had Faraday cages—boxes, really—in the house. He kept his laptop and a couple of phones in them. He didn’t tell me why, but I researched the boxes and found out that a cookie tin wasn’t completely reliable as a Faraday cage.
You need a tight seal. I used the foam to help with the seal, and I taped it all around. ”
“Good thinking, Payz.”
“I am a librarian,” she said with a smile. “Research is my jam.”
“Can I ask you to give me the cookie tin? I’ll store it at the range. Just in case.”
“I suppose so. I don’t need the phone, but I didn’t want to throw it away. I couldn’t sell it either because I couldn’t guarantee that Trey wouldn’t track the new owner down.”
“I’ll take it off your hands and keep it safe. As for the text, we can’t assume it was Fern. Not saying it’s not possible, but I can’t dismiss it that easily. Gonna need to take some precautions.”
They reached the town limits. He hooked a U-turn at the first cross street and started back the way they’d come.
“Where are we going?”
He heard the anxiety. Hated it. But he knew what he had to do. “I need to grab a few things. Won’t take more than fifteen minutes.”
“I don’t understand.”
He lifted his gaze to the rearview so he could see Violet. Her eyes were closed, her little body slack in her car seat. He shot a look at Paisley before turning his attention to the road again.
“I said I was going to keep you safe, Payz. Can’t do that from a distance, can I? I need to grab some clothes and my toothbrush. And a sleeping bag since you’ve only got two bedrooms.”
Her mouth dropped open. “You can’t stay with me! People will see your truck. They’ll talk about the new librarian shacking up with a guy. And it’s not necessary anyway. I’m sure it was just Fern being a bitch because she didn’t get her way. I’ll confront her about that on Monday—”
“And if she confesses, great—though I wouldn’t expect it. Most people don’t admit to shit like that. Until I get the security system installed, not leaving you and Violet alone in the house. Once that’s in, we’ll talk about safety and how best to proceed.”
Paisley folded her arms over her chest and stared straight ahead.
She heaved a breath. Then she heaved another.
When her shoulders collapsed, he knew he had her.
She was scared enough about the possibility of Trey not to argue with him, and that was all he needed.
Not that he wanted her scared. He fucking hated that she was.
But scared was good if it made her unwilling to take risks.
He understood that she wanted to believe it was Fern.
But he wasn’t willing to accept it so easily.
“How am I going to explain it to Violet?”
“She’s four. I’ll be in a sleeping bag in the living room, or on the couch. Do you really think she’s going to question it?”
“You’re a man in our space. She doesn’t have the greatest experience with that.”
It was like she’d punched him in the gut. Fucking Trey. “I know, honey. I’ll make sure she’s comfortable with the situation, okay? I won’t yell or swear, and I’ll ask her about her feelings when I’m there. I just—I need to make sure the two of you are safe. It’s important and you know it.”
She dropped her head. He wasn’t sure she planned to answer him. But then she did, her voice small and soft.
“You can stay.”