15. Easton
Easton
I hadn’t meant to avoid Vivi after our discussion at lunch, it was just the way it turned out.
The ride to our apartment was the last quiet moment we had together because when I let us in, Luna and Cade weren’t the only ones here.
Vail and Laney had brought Van over for a playdate, not that he could play with Cade, and not long after Laney had oohed over Vivi’s ring and Vail had clapped me on the back and welcomed me to the club, Quade and Hadley arrived with Bennett.
From there the afternoon turned into a working session as we sat down and talked about how we would handle QVE from now on.
Neither of my friends were surprised when I said I wanted to pull back and spend time with Vivi and Cade.
We weren’t the only ones putting our opinions forward either. All of the women wanted a say. I can’t say I was impressed with Laney’s suggestion that we don’t pull back completely. I’m ready to move on to the next stage of my life and I can’t see how working fits in with that.
And being told I’d go insane without a job to do didn’t go over well either. Quade and Vail only laughed. Both have spent months taking on a lighter load and sheepishly agreed they struggled with slowing down.
Tabling the discussion for now, Vivi and I get ready for our meeting with the lawyer Lisa used for the legal document I’m sure won’t hold up in a court of law. We’re taking Cade with us, but he’ll remain outside at a local park with everyone else.
Nobody wants to be too far away in case we need something.
“Nervous?”
Vivi’s question makes me pause. Am I nervous? I’d like to think it’s just a matter of getting the right paperwork to finalize Lisa’s wishes. Except there is a possibility that the authorities could get involved.
It’s why Cade isn’t coming to the lawyer’s office with us.
“No. I think we’ve got everything worked out.”
“Is that why Vail has a plane on standby?”
“Ah, heard that, did you?” I smile at the woman who misses nothing.
“Yes.” She glances over her shoulder to make sure no one is listening before adding, “Say the word and I’ll have new identification for all three of us.”
I blink rapidly as my brain processes what she said. “You’ll have…” I shake my head, but her words still don’t make sense.
“Yes. I know a guy. If you get us to Florida without a problem, I can get us out of the country.”
Fuck . I shouldn’t be surprised. I knew she had her fingers in some shady shit; it’s how she was able to get on the inside of a drug dealer’s network and discover Felicity was making a run for it, how she thwarted the woman’s attempts to use Van as a bargaining chip against Vail.
“Last resort.”
Her words don’t slow my heart rate. It’s pounding out of control in my chest, and sweat coats my palms, the back of my neck. “Vivi.”
She waits for me to continue but for the life of me, I can’t form words.
Shaking my head, I lean over and whisper in her ear. “Are you safe? I need you to be safe.”
Our gazes lock and I see the change in her eyes when she realizes what I’m trying to say. “Always. The only time I haven’t been is when the shit hit the fan with Van and I had to rush to the house, but even then, no one knew where I was outside of Luna’s friend. They couldn’t find me.”
“But you went to the house.”
“I’d been there before. A number of times. They had no idea I was the person leaking information.”
“Really?”
“Really. I told you I have systems in place. I meant it. I would never put myself or anyone else in danger, and to do that I have to remain separate.”
“One of these days you will explain what you do and how you do it.”
“Most of it will go over your head.”
I laugh. “No doubt. I still want to know.”
“Fine. But my offer stands.”
“We won’t need it.”
“Plan Z.”
“Quade did some research and if we can get hold of Lisa, we can make it look as though this adoption has been in the works for a few months.”
“A private adoption.”
“Yes. We just have to see what this lawyer has to say.”
“Then why are we still here?”
The urge to roll my eyes like a teenager hits me. If she hadn’t stopped me to make her clandestine offer we’d be in the cars by now. “C’mon, everyone is waiting on us.”
“What will you do with this apartment now?”
We’ve packed up all our things and the driver took everything downstairs to a car that is at this moment heading to the airport and the plane Vail has ready for us to head back to Love Beach.
“We’ll worry about it later.”
“Maybe you could offer it to a local organization that helps abuse victims.”
I can see her brain turning. She’s always thinking, and a lot of the time it’s about people less fortunate than her. “You want to look into that for us?”
“Me?”
“Yes, why not you? You have connection we don’t.”
“I could do that.”
“Good. Now, get a move on. I want to see what this guy has to say.” I usher her out of the apartment before locking the door behind us.
“I don’t think he’ll be a problem.” She presses the elevator button. “Not when Jenny used to work for him and he’s helped Lisa already.”
“We’ll see.”
I’m reserving judgment on Jethro Warrington. I know Jenny worked for the firm before she died, and when I called the office this morning, they asked what time I would be in, not when they were available to fit me in.
“As much as we don’t know about Lisa, I don’t think she would have used Warrington if she didn’t trust him. Which for my mind means we can trust him.” Her gaze meets mine. “But. We should have an exit strategy.”
“Plan Z is ready.”
“No. Out of the lawyer’s office. We can’t leave and meet everyone on the street. They need to go before we leave if things aren’t going well.”
“How will they?—?”
“We need a signal of some sort.” It’s fascinating to watch her brain work. “I can excuse myself to the restroom and give Laney a call.”
“That would work.”
“It’s fairly simple, but it would work well enough. Or I can call her and leave the line open the whole time we’re there, that way they can listen in and make the decision to take Cade back to Love Beach”—shaking her head, she turns fearful eyes my way—“They can’t take him there. The authorities will know to look at all your residences.”
As much as I love her mind, her worst-case scenarios are starting to worry me. Placing my hands on her shoulders, I turn her toward me. “Easy. It’s going to be okay.”
“I didn’t marry you to protect Cade to fuck it up now, Easton. I want to be sure we have every angle covered. When we get downstairs, I’ll talk to Vail. He’ll understand.”
“Hey, I understand. I just think you’re borrowing trouble. Like you said, Lisa trusted this guy.”
“Yes, but you don’t believe the document he drew up is legal, so how much stock should we put in that trust?”
“When you put it that way… And if it makes you more comfortable to have another backup plan if things don’t go our way, then by all means, work it out with Vail.”
“I will.” Her chin lifts in a stubborn tilt I’m beginning to recognize. “One of us has to be prepared for all contingencies.”
I want to laugh. But I don’t know what things she’s been involved in. And maybe having her preparing for the worst and me hoping for the best means we’ll meet somewhere in the middle.
When the elevator opens and we step inside, I say, “Do what you need to do.”
The look she gives me screams her skepticism but I’m not about to let her think I don’t trust her.
“I know you would never let anything happen to Cade. I trust you to make sure we have all bases covered.”
“Okay.”
I smile. “You don’t think I mean that?”
“Oh, I do, but it’s not all you’re going to have to trust me with.”
“What else?”
“No matter what happens at the lawyer’s office, I’m going to find Lisa. We need to be sure she isn’t going to come back in a couple of weeks, or months, or years, because she’s changed her mind.”
“All right. After we’ve met with Warrington and are back home, you can do whatever you need to do to ensure Cade stays with us.”
“You wanted to give him back if she changed her mind.”
“I did. But not anymore.”
“Why?”
“Because my wife doesn’t want to give him up and I’ll do anything to give my wife what she wants.”
“Oh.”