Chapter 7
SEVEN
After the incidentwith the washing machine, her interactions with Anthony were uneventful. Mostly notes she left, though he had taken to texting her for updates on what dinner was waiting for him at home. The way he got excited about the simple meals she prepared for him really did wonders for her ego.
Her other clients were just housecleaning jobs, weekly or biweekly, and she wasn’t nearly as friendly with them. Not that she was friendly with Mr. Olson, despite the temptation to add smiley faces to all of her text messages to him. Or the completely disarming way he’d managed her daughter’s temper tantrum close call and walked them to the bus stop with Lia on his shoulders.
Anthony Olson was a puzzle she couldn’t help but want to solve. He was a man of few words and somehow appeared perpetually angry. Lia softened his hard edges, and Kaylie couldn’t help but love how tenderly he treated her daughter. He’d held her tiny fingers in his giant ones, the same fingers that he’d pressed to her lips. A moment that she’d admittedly relived a hundred times since then.
“I’ll handle it,” he had insisted. Kaylie was as independent as the next girl, but there was a little feminine wisp buried inside her that positively cheered at the way he’d taken control, taking that little burden from her.
She would never let a man dominate or intimidate her again, not after Paul’s controlling nature. But Anthony gently insisting she let him do the laundry? Oh yeah, such a hardship.
Kaylie fumbled with the remote, attempting to navigate the channels to find a cartoon for Lia. Mr. and Mrs. Martin didn’t have streaming services, and the house was so full of antiques that she was terrified Lia was going to break something valuable if left without something to watch.
The anchor”s voice droned on in the background, reporting the usual mix of local events and global headlines, but Kaylie was preoccupied with the task at hand.
As she toggled through the menu, trying to locate the familiar animated characters that would keep Lia”s attention, the anchor”s voice became more urgent, breaking into Kaylie”s concentration.
”A high-ranking member of the notorious Moreno crime family has been apprehended in Baltimore. Dominic Santoro, also known as ”The Razor,” had arrest warrants in five states, most notably in New Jersey where the Moreno crime family operates.”
Kaylie”s hand froze on the remote, her attention forcibly redirected to the unfolding report in the corner of the navigation screen. Her breath caught in her throat as she absorbed the information. A mixture of fear and disbelief gripped her, realizing the gravity of the situation.
Baltimore. She’d left that city behind just before moving to the Alexandria area about a year ago.
A shiver ran down her spine as she listened intently to the details, the task of finding a cartoon forgotten in the background. Lia began to whine, tugging at Kaylie”s sleeve.
”Mama, where”s my cartoon? I wanna watch Bluey,” Lia protested, her innocent voice interrupting Kaylie’s rapidly spiraling thoughts about the news report unfolding on the screen.
Kaylie tried to reassure her with a forced smile. ”Just a moment, sweetie. Mama”s trying to find it.”
But her eyes remained fixed on the screen, the images of Baltimore police officers flashing before her. The past threatened to resurface, and Kaylie couldn”t shake off the unease that settled over her. A knot tightened in her stomach, and her mind raced to connect the dots.
She had managed to carve out a semblance of a normal life for herself and Lia after fleeing the clutches of the Moreno mob. Yet, the past could always catch up with her, no matter how far she tried to run.
Kaylie reached for her phone, fingers trembling as she typed a quick message to Drew. If anyone knew what had happened, it would be him. But could she wait to be sure? If Moreno was already in Baltimore, who was to say they wouldn’t be here soon?
She should leave town, just in case.
A pang of regret filled her at the thought of leaving. She’d never hesitated before, but something was different this time. Alexandria had become home. A glance at Lia, playing quietly on the floor, gave her the answer she needed. She had to keep her daughter safe.
Nothing else mattered.
Lia played nearby, oblivious to Kaylie’s own ratcheting anxiety. She moved with purpose, determination in every step. She couldn”t afford to waste time, so she finished cleaning the Martins’ house faster than she’d ever cleaned before, scooping the cash off the counter where they left it for her. Then, she packed Lia up and hustled back to the bus. Instead of taking it to her next client’s house, they headed back home.
As she made her way through the tiny trailer, memories of the life she left behind in New Jersey flashed before her eyes. It all seemed like a distant nightmare she had barely escaped. But now, with the sudden arrest of one of Paul’s right hands, the nightmare threatened to resurface. Why had Dominic been in Baltimore? He had to have been looking for her.
”Mommy, what”s wrong?” Lia asked innocently, looking up from her toys.
Kaylie forced a smile, trying to reassure her daughter. ”Nothing, sweetheart. Mommy just needs to take care of something important. We”re going on a little trip, okay?”
Lia”s eyes sparkled with curiosity, but she nodded. Kaylie was thankful for her daughter’s easy-going nature. Lia trusted her without too many questions, and Kaylie would do everything she could to deserve that trust.
In the bedroom, Kaylie moved methodically, packing clothes and essentials for herself and Lia into a small suitcase. She grabbed the go bag from under the bed, checking the contents and turning on the emergency phone. Every rustle of fabric, every zipped compartment seemed louder in the urgency of the moment.
Staying in Alexandria was no longer safe; not if the tendrils of the Moreno mob had already made it to Baltimore. It was only a matter of time until they found her here. But maybe… if Drew gave her the all clear, they could come back. But these hours could mean the difference between escape or capture, so she wasn’t going to wait.
As she finished packing, she peeked at Lia again, watching the little girl play with her toys, feeding her stuffed elephant a piece of pretend pizza. A lump formed in Kaylie”s throat as she realized the weight of the responsibility on her shoulders. She had to keep Lia safe, no matter what.
She grabbed the suitcase and her phone, glancing around the trailer one last time. Nothing from Drew yet, but she couldn’t wait. Taking a deep breath, Kaylie helped her daughter throw her toys into a small backpack.
With Lia in tow, Kaylie locked the door of the trailer behind them. The quiet crunch of her footsteps sounded on the gravel drive, her heart pounding with fear and determination. She sincerely hoped they’d be able to come back, but she wasn’t counting on it. Hopes like that always led to broken expectations.
Instead, she just had to trust that the Lord would keep them safe and guide their steps in uncharted waters. Her faith had been a wonderful gift from her past, rediscovered in the hardest moments of her life. She’d often wondered why she couldn’t have had these stronger convictions and faith when she met Paul. Maybe she wouldn’t have fallen into his web if she’d truly believed the stories about God her foster family had tried to teach her all those years ago.
She couldn’t change the past, but she’d determined that the future was going to be different. And her daughter was never going to question her worth the way Kaylie had.
She stepped out into the street, shielding her eyes from the afternoon sun. Kaylie cast a glance over her shoulder, half-expecting to see a shadow lurking in the yard behind her. She walked through the escape plan she’d rehearsed and sent a message to her list of clients, apologizing and requesting some time off.
When she never showed back up, they’d move on and find someone new.
Even Mr. Olson, she realized. The thought brought a sharp pain to her chest. The gentle giant had wormed his way beyond her defenses with his gruff exterior and thoughtful gestures.
Of all the people she’d met here in Alexandria over the last six months, she thought perhaps she’d miss him most of all. But in a few weeks, or maybe a month, she’d be nothing but a blip in his life. Just another flaky housekeeper who disappeared.
But at least she’d be alive.