Chapter 15
15
Sisco glanced to the side at Lenore in the passenger seat of his SUV. Her expression was serene after lunch with Vivian, Logan, Mary, and Bert. The other Keepers were on various duties, and some were specifically dealing with the Raul situation.
His gaze shifted to the rearview mirror, where he spied Evie sitting still while buckled in her booster seat. He’d had one of the Keepers retrieve her vehicle from the hospital parking lot, drive it to her house, then bring the seat to the compound. He decided to purchase a booster seat as soon as possible because he hoped to have Lenore and Evie in his vehicle a lot more.
Lenore seemed relaxed, but he hoped she would remain so when they arrived. She sat up straight and looked at him as he turned onto her street. “I realized I never gave you my address.”
He looked at the neighborhood's older but neatly kept houses, many with picket fences and mature trees in the yards. “We needed to know about you when you were taken. We had your vehicle brought back here from the hospital.”
“Oh,” she said, her smile returning. “That's right. That’s how you have her booster seat.” She shook her head. “I seem to have a hard time holding my thoughts.”
“Memory is one thing that you might struggle with after a trauma. Your mind is overloaded, making remembering things you were told recently hard.”
She lifted her hand to rub her forehead. “You're right about that. It's mental and emotional overload.”
Suddenly, not wanting to surprise her, he blurted, “You should know that delivering your vehicle isn't the only thing that's been done.” Unfortunately, he hadn't spoken soon enough, and as he drew closer to her house, she gasped.
“What is going on?” she asked. Her eyes widened as she leaned forward, her gaze locked on the two pickup trucks and panel van parked outside.
“Mommy! We have friends over!” Evie called from the back, her typical exuberance shining through.
He pulled into her driveway and parked behind her car, taking in the one-story ranch similar to others in the neighborhood. She also had a picket fence in the backyard, but the front was edged with neatly trimmed hedges. Turning off the engine before he turned to her, he glanced into the back seat as Evie struggled with the seat belt. He leaned closer and whispered, “Just a little security. We'll talk inside.”
Lenore's eyes cut to the back seat, and she nodded despite the lines bracketing her mouth. As she threw open her door, he sighed. He needed to explain and hoped she wouldn't be angry at his presumptuous caution. He looked into the back again and said, “Hang on, Little Bit. I'll get you out.”
By the time he climbed out of his SUV, Lenore had the back door open and had leaned in to unbuckle Evie. He knew Lenore had been on her own for a while and gave in to her hoisting her daughter out and onto the pavement, but he wasn't about to take their safety for granted.
He met them at the front of his vehicle and took Evie's hand. “Stay with me until we get inside. There are some men with tools in there, and I don't want you to get hurt.”
When they reached the porch, he pulled out her keys and handed them to her. She blinked in surprise, and he explained, “Your purse was at the hospital. We retrieved it from the FBI agents who had taken possession of it on the scene.”
The tension lines on her face deepened. “I can't believe I haven't even thought of my purse?—”
The front door opened, and a smiling Dalton greeted them. “Hey, we're almost finished in here. Todd is working on the outside.”
Lenore's mouth remained open from her interrupted comment, and her eyes widened as Sisco ushered her inside. Evie tugged on his hand as she wanted to race inside, but he held her tightly. Wishing he had more privacy and time to explain to Lenore what they were doing, he looked down and said, “Evie, honey, you're going to have to stay right with me. Until I know it's safe for you to run around.”
“What are they doing?” Evie asked.
“We're making it all safe for you and your mom,” Dalton said, kneeling to smile at her.
She giggled, completely happy with the explanation. Lenore twisted around as her gaze appeared to take in the subtle changes. Security cameras had been mounted in the corners, and Sisco knew more were throughout the interior and exterior.
“Can I take my new stuffie to meet my other ones?” Evie asked.
Lenore's expression softened as she cupped her daughter's face. “Yes—oh…” She looked at Dalton. “Is it okay for her to go to her room?”
“Absolutely,” Dalton replied. “We did the bedrooms first to have that out of your way when you arrived.”
“Yay!” Evie shouted, running down the hall.
As Dalton packed up his toolbox and headed outside, Sisco felt an unfamiliar jealousy that Lenore had asked Dalton instead of him, but he dismissed the ridiculous emotion. Dalton had been here… of course, it would make sense for him to answer.
Lenore turned to face him with her arms crossed over her chest. He tried and failed to ignore the way it pushed her breasts up, but at least he managed to keep his eyes on hers.
“Sisco, what's going on? I know you're adding security, but you've had my keys… given entry and permission to Dalton and… and… whoever is with him. This is our safe place, and now there are people here doing things that I don't know about or understand or?—”
“Lenore, please, let's sit down, and I'll explain everything.” He held out his hand and, at the same time, held his breath. Her face was filled with fatigue and frustration, with shadows still deep under her eyes and tension lines across her brow. But in what he was learning to be typical Lenore behavior, she didn't make him wait long or argue. She placed her hand in his, and he wrapped his fingers around her much smaller ones.
He'd observed the living room when they first walked in and now, gently tugged her to follow him as he led her to the sofa. They sat together, and he breathed a sigh of relief when she twisted one leg underneath her as she turned to face him. He smiled as it was once again solidified in his mind that there was no bullshit with Lenore. She fiercely protected her daughter and her life but was not unreasonable.
“Okay, let me break this down and keep it fast so that you and Evie can get back to enjoying your home.” He glanced toward the hall's opening, satisfied when he didn't hear Evie nearby.
“It's okay, Sisco. Believe me, she'll spend an hour introducing her new stuffed animal to her dolls and toys. So sock it to me.”
He couldn't help but grin and was glad her hand was still in his, squeezing her fingers lightly. “Okay… here it is. You and your daughter are witnesses to multiple crimes, and the perpetrator of those crimes has not yet been captured. You witnessed a man, aided by two other men, escape from a guarded hospital room. You witnessed the murder of a law enforcement person. You were not only kidnapped, but you saw a place where they may have hidden out before and might do so again. And on top of that, we know they're involved with the cartel moving drugs between the US and Canada. There's no way I can put this in terms that don't sound frightening, but?—”
“We're possibly in danger,” she stated succinctly.
Nodding, Sisco replied, “You could be. Now, with hospital cameras and my testimony, you and Evie are not the only witnesses. So, there should be no reason for them to come after you. You are not the only ones who know what happened.” He hesitated, then decided to plunge ahead, knowing Lenore was intelligent enough to have thought about the repercussions. “The smartest thing they could have done would've been to kill all of us as they left on the helicopter.”
She gasped, her hand jerking in his, as her face paled.
“I'm sorry to have been so blunt.”
“No.” She shook her head. “To be honest, I'd had the same thought. I was stunned that they let us live.”
“Honestly, it makes me wonder if Raul wasn't sedated in the hospital, which would have made his decision-making sluggish. And as much as Freddy considers himself up the chain, he doesn't call the shots.”
She glanced around the room, her head lifting slightly as she looked at the security cameras. “So what has been put in place?”
Glad she had acquiesced readily, he said, “You can see the visible security cameras. Those are in each room except the bathrooms.” Seeing her raised brows, he said, “I'll ask that you please change clothes in the bathroom, not in your bedroom.”
“Someone will be watching all the time?”
“One of the things we provide is security systems for many different situations. But unless a mission specifically calls for constant monitoring, we don't. But for our houses or people we're associated with, we do. Someone in the main compound room always monitors calls, cameras, and equipment. These are also set up with multiple alarms on your windows and doors.”
He wondered if she'd pick up on the people we're associated with comment, but she simply nodded slowly, saying nothing. He could tell thoughts were running through her mind, and he remained quiet, allowing her to digest everything he'd just shared. He cast his gaze around the living room, taking in her space. While he'd never been inside her home, it was exactly as he imagined. The walls were painted off-white but needed no color since she decorated in warm hues of gold, deep red, and dark blue.
The comfortable, deep-cushioned navy sofa held a few multicolor throw pillows that coordinated with the woven rug covering the wooden floor. Another comfortable chair in a pattern of gold and red was at a right angle to the sofa. A flat-screen television sat on a corner cabinet. The television looked new, but it didn't dominate the space. He could envision Lenore and Evie curled up on the sofa watching TV, without the appliance being the main focus of the room or their time.
A fireplace was against the far wall and held real logs, and he imagined she would build a fire for comfort during the winter. He wondered where she got her firewood and determined to make sure she had plenty for the coming months. And he wouldn't be opposed to sitting in front of the fire with her once it was lit.
His gaze now traveled over the framed photographs on the wall, and his lips curved slightly at the display of Lenore and Evie during the years. It didn't pass his notice that no pictures included a man other than an older gentleman who looked to be Lenore's father. He wondered if she had erased her ex-husband from their home. Serves the asshole right.
Then another photograph caught his eye—this one showed Evie sitting in a salon with her head shaved. Her smile was wide as she sat beside Lenore, whose head was also shaved. His chest depressed as he stared at the picture.
“Do you really think all this is necessary?”
Lenore's words jolted him out of his thoughts, and his gaze swung back to her, noting her lips were pinched tightly together.
Sighing heavily, he squeezed her hand lightly and shifted his body so they were closer. “I know you’ve lived alone for a while and have done an amazing job raising Evie, making sure her medical needs were met, and keeping her safe while giving her the most normal life possible under the circumstances. And yes, you've had help from your mom and friends, but now you're in a different situation.”
“I understand that, but do you really think we're in danger?”
“I don't know.” He dipped his head to hold her gaze closer. “But that margin of uncertainty might make the difference in your safety. And I'm not willing to risk it for you or for Evie.” He wasn't sure what her reaction would be but wasn't surprised when she sat up straighter with her shoulders squared and nodded.
“You're right. I would never sacrifice her safety for a moment. Show me what I need to know.”
He loosened his hold on her hand and cupped her cheeks. He brought her face to his, their lips only an inch apart as their noses touched. He wanted to kiss her, and when she didn't move back, combined with the blush on her cheeks and the wide-eyed expression on her face, it appeared she wanted it, too. But he didn’t want their first kiss to be hurried in fear of Evie or one of the Keepers interrupting. So, he aimed for her forehead.
Lenore lifted her chin despite his hold, and his lips landed on hers. She angled her head and sealed her mouth over his. All rational thoughts fled, but just as he was ready to plunge his tongue into her sweet, warm mouth, she leaned back. Her lips were rosy, and her chest heaved as she sucked in the air that he was sure had been stolen from the room.
“Wow,” he managed to say. “I wanted that but was afraid… I just didn't…”
The smile on her face widened, and her eyes lit, turning them from pretty to spectacular. “I know. That's why I decided to kiss you.”
He grinned and leaned forward just enough for a quick kiss that offered the promise of much more to come.
“Okay… now show me what I need to know about my house security,” she whispered, still smiling.