Chapter 10
Colton
He knows. Fuck. He knows who I really am. The forged papers. The fake background. None of it was enough. I knew they weren’t perfect, but I thought they were good enough to buy me time. Apparently not. I’m going to have to start over. Again.
The thought crashes into me so hard I can barely breathe around it. I only have twelve hundred dollars left. That won’t get us far. Not with everything costing so much more than I thought it would. And all of our stuff is here. Everything.
I knew I shouldn’t have come. I knew I shouldn’t have let Ronan bulldoze his way into my life and my business and make me feel safe enough to stop looking over my shoulder every second. Panic starts climbing up my throat. I have to think. And then I have to leave.
“Don’t,” he says, finishing his last bite.
“Don’t what?” I try to sound innocent, like my world is not crashing down around me all over again.
“Don’t think about running. It’s not going to happen.”
He says it so calmly. What is his deal with all of this?
“Are you going to stop me?” I ask.
“I’d rather you stay by choice.” He stands and takes our plates back to the kitchen.
“And if my choice is to leave?”
“You’re both safe here, so why would that be your choice?”
This conversation is going nowhere, and it makes no difference.
I need to get Ollie somewhere else, somewhere no one knows us.
I definitely wouldn’t be taking a job where they’re smart enough to dig too deep.
I have to protect Ollie at all costs. Staying with contract work is the safest. I should have just stuck with that plan.
But I was taken in by the prospect of the money I needed to disappear again.
I was also taken in by Ronan and his family.
No matter how crazy it seems, it’s nice that they showed interest in Ollie.
I grab wipes from the diaper bag and start cleaning Ollie up.
I need to take just what I can carry and somehow get to my car.
I’ll have to leave most of the stuff behind.
I go through our belongings in my head like a laundry list of what I can take and what I will have to leave.
The whole thing feels like déjà vu when Ronan comes back.
“You need help with anything?” he asks.
“No, thanks. I’m going to get him into a bath and then put him to bed,” I tell him. The bedroom he is allowing us to use has an en-suite.
“I’ll wait for you in the living room. We can talk.”
“I’m really tired.” I make my excuse. “I’m going to lie down with him and will probably be out cold as soon as I do. I’ll see you in the morning.” Not waiting for his reply, I grab my messenger bag and diaper bag and head to the bedroom.
I play with Ollie in the bath longer than I normally would, but I need him tired.
I read him several little stories until he finally falls asleep.
As quietly as I can, I grab what I can fit into a backpack and a single duffel and pack.
I wish I could take more, but between Ollie and the bags, it’s all I can manage.
Now I have to wait for Ronan to go to bed.
Hopefully, he’ll go soon. I should’ve asked him when he normally goes to bed.
If the whole “we eat at 6:30” is any indicator, he keeps to a schedule.
I set an alarm for two AM. I make sure that the phone’s volume is down and the vibrate is on.
Now I need to get a few of hours of sleep myself.
My mind buzzes with everything that has happened in the last couple of days.
Everything from his Mom and Dad taking care of Ollie to Ronan himself.
I can’t deny the pull that I feel toward him, but I also can’t give in to it.
He doesn’t know the kind of trouble I’m in and what that would mean for him and his family if I stay.
The alarm seems to go off as soon as I fall asleep.
I’ve gotten four hours, but I’m still so tired.
Taking out the burner phone that I keep for emergencies, I call for a rideshare.
Ten-minute wait. I grab the bags first to position them on my back and shoulders so I can carry Ollie.
I peek out into the hallway. It’s dark, but I can see well enough from the ambient light coming from the living room.
I wrap Ollie in his blanket and quietly make my way to the end of the hall.
No lights are on, but the city lights streaming through the wall of glass are enough to reach the front door. The silence is eerie. I’m so close.
“So this is your choice?” Ronan’s voice comes out of nowhere. I yelp and have to hold tighter to Ollie, so I don’t drop him. I should have looked up the stairs. He’s not yelling or loud, just calm. His face is blank except for his eyes.
“It’s the right choice.”
“Why?” He asks as he descends the stairs. Each step closer pounds through my chest.
“I have to protect Ollie.” Why can’t he understand this?
“And you think you need to do that on your own? What about you? Who protects you?” He steps into my personal space.
“I protect us both. I always have.” Even under the weight of the bags and Ollie, I stand tall.
“There’s no need for you to be alone in this. I can protect you. My family and I can help you.”
I shake my head. “I have to go. I’ve got to keep him hidden. If you figured out who I am, then others will too. I can’t take that risk, not with Ollie.”
“And you think staying here will be a risk?”
“There are things you don’t know, Ronan.” I can’t explain things to him. I think he is going to stop me, but he pulls out his phone instead.
“Taylor will meet you downstairs. I’ll have a room booked for you for as long as you need it.
Your car will be delivered to you there.
I’ll have your things.” He takes a breath, “Your things will be brought to you as well.” He runs his hand down Ollie’s back.
A surprising gesture. He walks to the door and opens it for me.
I walk through it. I don’t look back as I wait for the elevator.
I can’t. I ride the elevator down, wondering if I’m doing the right thing.
Doubt about leaving creeps into my thoughts.
Ronan’s blank expression as he holds the door for me twists my gut.
For some reason, his letting me go hurts worse than if he had tried to stop me.
A large, very intimidating man is waiting for me when the doors open.
“Mr. Harris, I’m Taylor. Let me help you with your bags.
” He takes the duffel and diaper bag from me.
He leads me to a dark SUV parked in front of the building.
I take a last look over my shoulder. I don’t know what I was expecting when I did.
But for some reason, I feel disappointed that Ronan is not behind me.
I buckle Ollie into his car seat and climb in after him. I can see Taylor glancing at me in the rear-view mirror.
“Don’t take this the wrong way,” he says, breaking the silence. “I don’t know what you are running from or who, but you’re safe with the Murphys. You can trust them.”
“Why do you think I’m running from anything?” I ask. Did Ronan say something to this man?
“I’m prior military, and I’ve been in this position for ten years. I can tell when someone is on the run. It’s your body language that gives it away. Did Ronan tell you that he can help you?”
“He did,” I say quietly.
“And you don’t believe him?”
“I know that the Murphy family is rich and powerful. But I have no right to bring them into my problems. The people who are looking for us are evil. They don’t play by the rules. I don’t want Ronan or his family to get hurt or in trouble.”
“There’s more to the family than meets the eye. I’m not trying to change your mind. I’m just telling you that you can trust him. He will help.”
We sit in silence for a few more minutes, the city sliding past outside the windows.
My thoughts drift back over the last few weeks with Ollie.
Every shitty motel room. Every night spent staring at the door instead of sleeping.
Every sound in the parking lot that made my heart jump into my throat.
The loneliness of it all crashes into me so hard it almost hurts.
It’s always been me. I’m the one Ollie depends on.
The one who stays awake. The one who makes the plans.
The one who keeps going no matter how tired or scared I am.
Ronan’s question comes back to me. Who protects me? I stare out the window because I already know the answer. No one. No one ever has. Until Ronan.
“Mr. Harris.” I hear Taylor call out to me.
“Yeah.”
“We’re here. I have your reservation, so I’ll get you checked in.” He starts to open his door.
“Hey, Mr. Taylor.”
“Just Taylor.” He turns in his seat to face me.
“Do you think we could go back?” I ask quietly. I’d been watching Ollie sleep during the drive. The kid has no idea how upside down his life is. It’s not fair to him to keep running. What happens in a few years when he starts school? When I have to explain why he can’t have friends for long?
“Are you sure?”
“Are you sure they can help me?” I don’t want to start second-guessing myself.
“I don’t know your story, and I don’t have to. I know that no matter what, they can protect you. And I’ll be here as well. I’m damn good at my job.”
“Then yeah, I’m sure.” For the first time in my life, I’m putting trust in someone else. I just hope that I’m making the right decision.