25. Tessa
25
“ C an you help me with this?” I ask Levi as he adjusts a bolo tie with a blue stone over a black button-down shirt. I smile over my shoulder, liking the way it brings out his eyes. He’s in dark blue jeans and opted for no cowboy hat tonight.
He scans me in my barely-on black mini dress like he’s ready to devour me.
“The door is open,” I remind him as he steps behind me, kissing my neck and zipping me up.
He smirks. “That’s why I’m zipping it up, not down.” He tugs my hair from over my shoulder and drops the waves loosely over my back. Hooking an arm around my waist, he spins me. “I want to take you dancing.”
“We’re a little busy with Charlie’s opening tonight.”
“Next weekend then?”
My smile fades and I know he notices. I don’t know how much longer I can dodge Frank’s calls.
His warnings.
Or how much longer I can keep lying to Levi. Hell, his whole family. Because these past few weeks, they’ve made me a part of it .
“Hi.” Jackson hops into the bedroom.
I jump away from Levi, but he barely moves, only pulls his gaze off me to look at his kid.
“What’s a soft opening?” he asks.
I release a breath. Partly for the innocent question, partly for the save.
Levi turns to his kid. “It’s like a grand opening but not exactly to the public. It's by invitation only.”
“So it’s special?”
“Yes,” we both say.
“What will we do there?”
I know what’s on my agenda.
Act normal.
Breathe.
Smile.
And pray it’s not the last time I see all these people.
“Charlie and her new staff are going to show us around.”
“Will there be food?”
Feeling like I might come out of my skin and needing to get away from the cowboy still expecting an answer, I swivel, hands on my hips. “Do you need help getting dressed, mister?”
Jackson juts his chin. “I just need to know how fancy this thing is, so I know how to dress.”
Levi shakes his head, turning back to his tie.
I turn the kids shoulders. “Let’s go see what we can find.”
“Will I be the only kid there?” he continues as I drag him down the hall to his room.
Thank God for this kid and the crowd expected this evening. I’m not sure how much longer I can hold Levi back from asking questions before I talk to Frank.
Which means…I need to do it tonight.
An hour later, we step into Charlie’s Web twenty minutes late. I spot Charlie right away. She looks like a fairy in her puffy lavender dress that lands just above her knees, with matching purple boots and cowgirl hat.
“Knew I should have worn my hat,” Levi bitches in a low mumble.
I elbow him. “Tonight’s not about you .”
“You made it. Late,” Noah snips, crossing to us from the welcome desk.
“Would’ve been here sooner if I found parking. You’d think an investor of the establishment would have a reserved spot,” Levi grumbles again.
Oh dear. He’s in a mood.
But I know my cowboy. He’s dealing with it on his own, instead of putting the pressure on me for leaving his question unanswered.
And my heart swells for it.
“Tessa, good to see you.” Noah’s eyes dip to Levi’s arm around my waist. He coughs. “Right this way.”
My little blonde fairy looks our way too. Eyes twinkling with delight when Levi pulls me protectively against him as we work through the crowd.
“Yay, you’re here.” She claps her hands, then moves onto business. “Okay, you have to pick a character hat from the round table.” She points to a box on a decked-out round table. “Then we’re going to take pictures, have cocktails, and mingle. There will be children’s reading and coloring upstairs. And we have all sorts of fun giveaways.”
Levi cocks his head. “This is where she gives us a job to do.”
Charlie plants her hands on her hips. “Your only job is to have a good time.”
My phone buzzes in my purse and I flinch. Chills running down my spine .
Levi’s arm loosens as he turns to me. “You alright?”
“Perfect,” I answer a little too quickly.
His jaw is tight as he looks away and nods. “I’m going to grab us some drinks.” He kisses my temple and I thank him.
For more than he knows.
Frank: Last chance, T.
The gall of this guy. I scan my surroundings and quickly type out a reply.
Tessa: The fuck does that mean?
Frank: Good. You're not dead. Call me. Now.
I move to stand behind Jackson, who’s been trying on several hats from the round table. “Hey Wiggles, see if you can find me a cool Cat Woman mask, okay?” I grab a mint from the table. “I’ll be right back.”
I slip an earphone in one ear and sneak away to the low nook under the staircase.
Sucking in a deep breath, I go to my last missed call and dial.
It rings once.
“You trying to get me fired?” Frank’s voice is both soothing and menacing.
Menacing for obvious reasons.
Soothing because he could have passed me along to any other member of his team that wouldn’t have been so understanding to my being M.I.A. for several days after initial contact.
“What’s the emergency? And what do you mean by last chance ? ”
“You need to come back to Summer Hill.” He takes a breath. “Tonight.”
“Wh—tonight? No. Absolutely not. I—”
“Tessa. That’s what I meant by last chance. If you didn’t call me back, you would have been unpleasantly surprised when our squad raids the party you’re at.”
My blood runs cold. “How do you know where I am?”
Silence.
“Frank,” I whisper hiss. “Frank, you can’t force me into witness protection. I refuse. End of—”
His tone is robotic. “A protective custody order has been issued. You are to be detained and remain in custody until—”
“Custody?”
“Teresa. Listen to me—”
“Don’t call me that.” I shiver at my given name. The best part about getting a new identity was the fact that I don’t have to be called the name my mother and father called me.
“Just. Listen. This only happens when there is an immediate threat to your life.”
“Did you have me followed? We agreed, it’s better that no one knows—”
“Come on, Tess, we always know where you are. But this isn’t about us. They found you, Tessa.”
“That’s impossible. How?”
“Check your phone.”
My breathing is erratic and my vision starts to blur. This has to be another dream. Another horrid dream.
I wait for the message and open it with a gasp.
It’s an image of me . At first, I can’t tell where I am because they’re all zoomed in, until I scroll through each one .
They’re all right here in this bookstore.
“Tessa, are there surveillance cameras where you are?”
I step out from under the stairs and peek at every corner of the ceiling.
My stomach drops.
“Tessa?”
“At least two,” I whisper, my throat clogging.
“ That’s how they found you.”
“How did this happen? And how do you know about it?”
“The Brunetti family knows you’re not far, Tess. They know you’re testifying. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to hire a geek to hack into every surveillance camera within a forty-mile radius,” he shouts.
“How do you know it’s not someone else?”
“I can’t get into specifics with you—especially over the phone, but our cybercrime division detected illegal intrusion and repeated focus on your face through these cameras. Digital footprint is linked to other organized crime investigations. This is definitely our guy, Tess.”
My heart pounds. Levi is holding two drinks, looking for me. Jackson is in a Phantom mask as he hops over to his dad, holding a black cat mask.
Levi shrugs in response to a question from his son and they both look around for me.
They’re in danger. My new friends. Levi, Jackson. If they track me here…
Frank is right.
I need to get out now.
I duck under the stairs. “What do you need me to do?”
He sighs with relief. “I’m going to make this easy for you. We don’t want a scene as much as you don’t. My team will meet you outside of town and take you to a safe house. I’ll be there and can share more info then.”
“I need an hour. ”
“Not a minute more. I’ll text you an address. You'll need to abandon your car there."
I want the floor to swallow me whole. But now’s not the time to cower. I step out and make my way through the crowd.
Slapping a wide grin on my face, I whisk the mask out of Jackson’s hand from behind him.
He spins. “There you are!”
I slip it on. “How do I look?”
“Mysterious,” Levi says flatly. “Fitting.”
I meet his blue eyes, still so soft when they look back at me. He hands me a drink and winks.
The patience of this man .
I take the small plastic cup and taste the sparkly beverage.
Now’s not the time to ask for something stronger, Tess.
“I’ll be upstairs. See you later,” Jackson calls as he races off.
I nearly drop my cup with the urge to chase after him and wrap my arms around his little body. I want to tell him I love him and that I’d never ever leave him.
Not by choice.
Levi watches me and I wait for him to ask where I went or why I’m on edge. He takes a step closer, hooking his arm around my waist. “You look like…you could use a mini hotdog.”
I laugh. It levitates me, how easy he can be with me when he senses my tension.
“Come on. Let’s make some rounds and act like we want to be here.”
“I do want to be here, but—”
“Tessa, you look like you want to crawl into a hole. Not socialize and laugh at people's bad jokes. I don’t mean mine—I’m hilarious. I mean like Noah’s or my dad’s.”
Another laugh and I lean into him, needing desperately to feel him.
After a moment, I slip off my mask. The minutes are ticking by. “I’m not feeling well. I think I’m going to get back to the house. Um…lie down.”
Turns out there is something more painful than a bullet.
Lying to the man I love.
It physically pains me.
He takes my drink. “I’ll take you.”
“No. No. I’ll be alright. This place is part of your investment. Charlie is like family. Probably will be soon.” I step back. “You should be here. I’ll be alright. I’ll call an Uber.” I bite my bottom lip.
Levi glares at me. “Tess, what’s going on?”
“I’ll take her.” Aiden steps beside us, his strong presence cutting in. “To be fair, I was just on my way out myself. I’ll drop her by the house.”
Levi hesitating. Then nods. “Alright. I’ll be home soon.” He leans in to kiss my cheek and slips away.
I swallow hard, feeling like I’m about to fall apart.
Aiden catches my hand. “You good?”
I nod and let him lead me out of the store.
We’re quiet in his car for most of the drive, until Aiden finally asks. “Who’s Frank?”
My head snaps to him.
“I was sitting on the stairs just above you during your call.”
“How much did you hear?”
“Not much. I heard his name and that you’re going to be meeting him somewhere.”
“It’s not what you think.”
“Doesn’t matter what I think. What do you plan on telling my son? My grandson? Or are you going to leave a note like the one you left me just before the summer?”
Silence falls between us after I don’t give him an answer .
Until I tell him the only thing I’ve been wanting to scream out all day. “Aiden, I’m in love with your son.” My voice cracks. “And your grandson. I just…”
He swipes a tissue out of a box in the center console and hands it to me. “You in some kind of trouble?”
I nod. “But I’m taking care of it. I’ll be back.”
“Oh I think we all know that by now. Here’s the thing, Tess—”
“This is different. I want to come back for good. If…they’ll have me.”
“That’s going to be a pretty hard sell if you walk out now.”
“Aiden…” I stop myself. If I say anymore, he’ll warn Levi and they’ll both be in trouble.
He sighs like he’s caught between a rock and a hard place. Letting me go should not be a tough decision. Yet he acts like it is.
“Please don’t say anything to him. Don’t stop me. This…my situation is bigger than any of us and I will not bring them into it, Aiden. Please don’t make me.”
He stares ahead, swallowing hard. Then finally nods. “Okay.”
Twenty minutes later, my phone dings with a cross street I don’t recognize. Frank tells me this is where they agreed to pick me up. And if I’m not there by ten o’clock sharp, they’re coming to the house.
I dig out my bag and start tossing my things into it. I’ll only be able to fit the items I came with. Nothing more.
Except one thing. I cross to the nightstand and grab Willy. My night light dolphin. I’ll need him .
“Going somewhere?”
My heart falls to the pit of my stomach. Levi stands at the threshold of my doorless bedroom, hands in pockets, eyes sharp, jaw tight.
“I’ll be back.”
He perks a brow and steps in. It’s slow, uncommitted.
“I just need a few days.”
“Few days? Why so sudden? Get called for jury duty?”
“Not exactly,” I mutter, stuffing the dolphin into the little space I have left.
His voice is soft and almost desperate. “Stay, Tess. Tell me what’s going on with you. You've got to let me in, baby.” More slow steps, but I avoid looking at him.
I shake my head. “It’s nothing. You’re being dramatic. It’s a quick visit back to my town. I’ll be back.”
My nerves are on overload right now and I’m afraid I’m running out of time. I’d say anything to get him to let me go.
He watches me as I zip up the bag. The little black dress I wore tonight flat on the bed. I’m in the same clothes I arrived in.
I put a hand to his chest. The words I desperately want to say are in my heart but my head knows it’s not fair to him.
“I’ve got to go.” I suck in a breath, walk around him and down the steps. Slipping my shoes back on, I sniffle and reach for the knob.
“If you walk out that door, don’t come back.” His cold tone echoes through the long hall.
My heart literally stops. I turn to face him. His expression icy.
“Jackson doesn’t need that. I don’t need it.”
Dropping my things, I run to him, tears already streaming down my face as I wrap my arms around him. “Don’t say that. Please don’t say that.” I sob into his neck. “I love that little boy, I’d never walk out on him. ”
There’s a beat before he loosens his arms around my waist and gently pulls me off him. He nods his head to my bag by the door. “I find that really hard to believe right now.”
I sniffle, determination coursing through my veins as I have the gall to look into his eyes. “Take it back, Indie.”
“Give me a reason.”
“ I’m your reason. Take it back .”
He cups my jaw gently, but nothing about his features are soft. “Okay. I take it back. But on one condition.” He steps closer, his expression hard. “Tell me where you’re going. Why now? And don’t lie to me or the deal’s off.”
I don’t even blink. I use my scapegoat.
“It’s Bessie. I think she’s in trouble.”
He narrows his eyes. “Bessie’s in trouble? Not you?”
I shake my head. “No.” It’s a breathy lie, but necessary.
He watches me for a moment. “Can I help?”
No one can help me.
“I’ve got this.” I kiss his lips one more time and race to the front door.
“Tessa.”
I turn. His hands are back in his pockets. Pulling his gaze off my bag, he meets my eyes. “If you’re lying…”
“I know.” My stomach clenches, and nausea strikes. “Deal’s off.”