Chapter 52
Fifty-Two
Axel
We sat in the bar having a few drinks as Jo’s friend, Keith, filled us in on as much as he could regarding Jo’s uncle’s organization.
It was wild to find out that Lainy—the shy, quiet girl who showed up in Nowhere with a black eye and a story she wasn’t ready to tell—was an undercover FBI agent.
My mind was still struggling to process that, and I wondered how many of our town secrets were no longer protected.
“So, when do you go back to Oak Creek?” Jo asked him as she ran her finger along the rim of her glass.
Keith leaned back in his chair and blew out a breath as he rested his hands on his stomach.
“I don’t.”
“Are they sending you somewhere else?” Jo questioned, worry etched on her brow.
I knew they had been friends for a while, and Keith had brought a few people to Dr. Foster for medical care under the radar. But I couldn’t help but wonder if things went deeper for them.
He shook his head and glanced at Lainy.
“I’m officially retiring,” he said with a soft smile. “Things with the last assignment I worked went a little too far, and it’s getting too hard for me to do the job they want me to do. I knew that once we took down your uncle’s organization, then I would be able to walk away.”
“Are you in danger? Did they put your life at risk with that cartel stuff?” Jo leaned forward, listening with such intensity that my heart hurt for her because I could see the genuine worry she felt for her friend.
“I can’t disclose anything about that, but yes, my identity has been compromised.”
“So, where are you going? What are you going to do?”
Keith lowered his head as he stared at the floor for a moment before he looked back up at her.
“I was kinda hoping that maybe I could stay here. I know that Nowhere is a safe space for so many people. Maybe it can be one for me, too?”
“You want to stay here? In Nowhere?” Jo’s eyebrows rose in surprise.
“I do. I think I might like it here. It’ll be a nice change of scenery.”
I looked up just in time to catch him looking at Ashley as she stood behind the bar, refilling her drink. I glanced at Jo, wondering if she had caught it, but that was stupid because Jo caught everything.
“Is it okay if I stay here? I don’t want to invade your—” he started before Jo cut him off.
“Of course it’s okay if you stay here. I want you to be safe, and we all know that there’s nowhere safer than here,” she answered as she reached over and squeezed his hand.
It started out looking like a sign of affection, but then she squeezed it so hard that I saw him flinch and knew she had other motives.
“If you so much as hurt her feelings, I will go to your house in the middle of the night and cut your dick off while you’re sleeping,” Jo warned quietly as she looked from Keith to Ashley.
“Alright, well on that note, I’m going to go check on Charlie and Molly,” I said, standing up and excusing myself from the table.
We had gotten back a few hours ago, and I knew that Charlie needed some time to process everything that had happened. I made her some food, and then she went upstairs to give Molly a bath before getting her to bed for the night.
I walked up the stairs and opened the door to find Charlie asleep on the bed with the bassinet right beside her. Her hand hung over the edge of it as if she were worried that Molly would disappear if she weren’t touching her.
I climbed onto the bed behind Charlie, careful not to wake her up, as I laid behind her.
While I wanted to touch her and make sure she was okay, I was content letting her rest. It had been a terrible day, but it ended on an amazing note.
I closed my eyes and let out a heavy exhale as I took comfort in knowing that everything in my world was alright again.