Chapter 19 Distance Between Truth #3
Even though she wasn’t on Maureen’s radar, she did not feel comfortable being on the same floor as her in the hotel.
Lana considered grabbing her coat and making the long hike up the hill, but she knew it was a silly idea.
There was way too much snow between her and the house.
She checked the door lock once again and walked back over to the bed.
She wouldn’t fall asleep again, she thought, and leaned back on the pillow, eyes more open than ever before. It was happening.
PAULA EASED ONTO the couch beside Kayden in the living room, tasting her coffee as she studied him. She frowned and set it down on the coffee table. How could he call that bile coffee, she thought?
He looked at her finally and smiled.
“I see you still don’t like my coffee,” he said and took another sip of his. “So what’s up?”
“Well, a lot is up. First, let me say, brother, I’m happy you found Lana,” she replied.
Kayden frowned. He hoped she wasn’t about to ask him what happened since he didn’t feel like going through everything all over again.
“Thanks,” he replied cautiously.
“And also, I should have told you my house is wired like Fort Knox.”
“What do you mean?”
“Cameras, Kayden. They’re everywhere.”
“Yeah, so—,” He started, then stopped—his face bright red.
“Yeah, baby brother, there are some things the human eyes shouldn’t see, and your best friend and brother having sex is at the top of the list.”
“Oh no,” he stood up from the couch, “I’m mortified.”
Paula started laughing.
“I know, you should be,” she laughed, shaking her head side to side, “My poor throw rug. I’m gonna have to send that to you when you get your own place,” she was beside herself with laughter.
He threw a pillow at her and sat on the opposite couch.
“I can barely look you in the face, dude,” she continued.
“Ok. You could’ve warned me,” Kayden replied.
“I should have, I’m sorry. I had no idea what was about to transpire, my word,” she giggled.
“Have you heard from her?” Kayden asked, more serious now.
“Yeah, I was with her yesterday,” Paula replied matter-of-factly.
Kayden jumped up from the couch. “What? You wait until now to tell me this?”
Paula got up and put her hands up in the air. “Calm down, Kayden, let me finish,” she pleaded.
“Well, how is she?”
“She’s fine now.”
“So when she got out of the hospital, you were there?” He asked, perplexed.
Paula looked at him, surprised.
“How did you know she was in the hospital? Have you known where she was this entire time, Kayden?” She commanded.
He ran his hands through his messy hair.
“Of course not. I had Taylor hire a P.I. in his name ‘cause I had a feeling something fishy was going on with the three I had hired to find her before. And he was finally successful,” he gushed, barely taking a breath, and sat back down on the couch.
“You never stopped looking for her,” she stated.
“No. If I had any idea where she was, I would have been long gone. I was under the impression you had no idea either, and if you did, you would’ve called me back!” He spat at her, rising from his seat.
“Just sit down and listen to me for a minute. There’s a reason for all of this.”
Paula pulled out her laptop and set it on the coffee table. She opened it, and he sat next to her.
“What’s this?” He asked, looking at the screen. Then he recognized the room and the people in it. It was his mother, Kim, and Lana.
“Before I press play, I want you to know, there is something in the works and I need you to promise me that you won’t move a muscle.”
“Press play, Paula,” he demanded, his eyes angry.
“I need to hear the words,” she protested.
He sighed, “I promise.”
Paula pressed play on the computer and turned up the volume.
Kayden watched the video in its entirety.
And witnessed in shock, his mother’s laid out the plan to force Lana to leave him, his face distended in pain.
When all the video clips had played, Paula shut down the laptop and waited for her brother’s reaction.
He had his elbows on his knees, still staring at the computer, barely able to contain his emotions.
“Kayden, remember you promised me,” she pleaded.
“I need to see her. We need to go to Florida. Now,” he replied.
“No, we don’t,” Paula stated.
He snapped his head toward her defiantly.
“She’s here.”
Kayden stood from the couch, and Paula could swear his face showed every emotion possible—excitement, anger, fear, joy.
“I’m gonna bring her to you, but it needs to be somewhere mom and Kim won’t see her. At least not yet.”
“Who cares? We have all the evidence we need!”
“Kim has plans of her own, Kayden, and I’m sure Mom has no idea what she’s been up to.”
“What are you talking about?”
“She threatened Lana that if she made contact with you or showed up here in town again, she would turn over evidence of Mom and her friends who helped to sweep some of your past cases under the rug. It’s a ‘If I can’t have him, no one will’ scenario, bro.
Kayden sank to the couch and covered his face with his massive hands. He knew Kim wasn’t an angel, but he had no idea she was that unhinged and would threaten his freedom to make sure he and Lana both suffered.
“I regret the day I ever laid eyes on her.”
“Don’t worry about her, Taylor and I are working on something to put a stop to it.”
Kayden racked his brain, trying to find somewhere in the small town that was still private where he could meet up with Lana. They could meet in Shelby, but he didn’t want to wait a minute longer than he had to, and then it hit him. Smiling at Paula, he ran upstairs to get dressed.