Chapter 36
Two weeks later
“This place is incredible,” Clover murmured as Micah parked behind a moving van in front of the Morrow estate. “Oh, it looks like your sister is already here.” The peacock blue Bronco was a big giveaway.
“Pretty sure she got here before the sun was up.” His tone was dry, but she didn’t miss his smile.
“I feel like the pictures don’t do this place justice.
” She couldn’t keep the awe out of her voice even if she’d tried.
The estate itself was massive, the grounds that she could see were lush and colorful and she knew this was barely scraping the surface.
The pictures Micah had shown her had a tennis court, small hedge maze, a giant pool, solarium, and a pond somewhere a few acres away from the main estate but still on the grounds.
“No kidding.” He met her at the front of his truck, slid his hand into hers with a familiar ease.
She leaned into him as they approached the front doors, which were wide open.
The last two weeks had been like a dream.
They’d been inseparable—except when they were working.
Being with him was like nothing she’d experienced in the past. She’d been so worried about things not working out that she’d been too afraid to imagine if they did.
She was trying to change that mindset, focusing on the two of them and how amazing Micah was.
Berkley stepped out, frowning at something on her tablet, but she smiled when she noticed them.
In jeans, a T-shirt displaying her company’s logo and well-worn sneakers, she’d clearly come to work hard.
“Hey you two! Maeve said you were stopping by, but… Oh, I guess it is time. I’ve sort of lost track at this point. ”
Micah frowned. “Did you eat this morning? Do I need to get you something?”
“Okay, this is why you’re my favorite brother.”
Micah practically preened, making Clover smile.
“And yes, I definitely ate. And I’m mainlining coffee at this point.
Maeve is in the solarium. Pretty sure you know the way.
” She gave him a knowing look, then gave Clover a quick hug and kiss on the cheek.
“I’m having a girls’ night Saturday. I’ll text you the details later.
There will be karaoke and you’re invited. My brother is not,” she mock whispered.
“Oh no, I don’t think I can live without hearing you sing karaoke,” he deadpanned to Berkley.
Clover snickered as they stepped through the front doors. “I won’t be singing but a girls’ night sounds fun.” She took in the organized chaos of moving boxes and furniture with tags on it for certain destinations.
Maeve had hired Berkley’s estate cleanout company to sift through everything and figure out what to donate, what to sell directly and what was going on an auction site.
The auction was mostly bigger pieces. Even though Berkley’s company normally didn’t handle moving stuff, she was making an exception and helping Maeve get settled into a new place a few hours north of Sanctuary Falls.
She’d taken on everything including hiring a reputable moving company, movers, and all the logistics that went with that.
She’d even helped Maeve find a good real estate agent—who’d helped her find her dream home.
A brick Cape Cod on half an acre in a quiet neighborhood with old trees and a lot of families with dogs, according to Maeve.
Maeve would be attending UNC Chapel Hill and she was pretty sure Ilena and Taryn were going with her.
She wasn’t sure of the specifics yet but they’d been talking as if they’d all be living together.
Clover could admit she was curious about how things would work out now that everything had sort of settled down.
Meaning the media storm had tapered off a bit.
They found Maeve in the solarium sitting in a patch of sunlight next to a lemon tree, a cup of tea next to her and a book in her hand.
She smiled and stood when she saw them. “Hey, you two. Your sister is a force of nature,” she murmured as she hugged Micah, then Clover.
“This was the only place I could find to hide basically.”
Clover laughed lightly and sat next to Micah where Maeve indicated. “How are you doing?” she asked.
“Good…overwhelmed. Suddenly being able to live my life is weirder than I thought. And all the media requests. Whew. Sinead has been amazing though. She put me in touch with someone who’s been handling that side of everything.
I still can’t believe my parents are going to face justice.
” She shook her head slightly. “Is it weird that I almost feel bad that they’ll go to jail? ”
“You’re human,” Clover murmured. “And your feelings are valid.” Clover was glad those assholes were going to be spending time in prison, though kept that to herself.
She’d almost let the man she loved slip through her fingers because of her own cowardice.
Being a human with emotions was just plain hard.
Maeve sighed, nodded, more to herself. “Yeah, I guess. Anyway, thank you guys for meeting me here. I know you said you didn’t want any money for helping me—”
“And we stand by that,” Micah murmured, his tone patient.
Because they had absolutely had this conversation before. Clover smothered a smile at Maeve’s exasperated expression.
“Fine. But I know you use those safe houses,” she whispered the last word even though no one was around and the Feds would never know of their existence, “to help people. Am I right?”
Micah nodded. “You’re right.”
“You help like…women, right? Abused women?”
“Yes. Mostly women, moms running from abusive partners.”
Clover already knew this, but it still made her love him even more. Of course he used that big brain of his to help people. He was one of the kindest people she’d ever met.
“I wondered about the car seats and extra diapers and stuff in that one closet,” Maeve murmured.
He gave a small smile. “Left over from people traveling through.”
“If you won’t take my money, then I still want to help you in some way. Or your cause, I guess.”
“I’m just a small cog in a big machine, but I can put you in contact with some incredible women who are doing the kind of work the whole world should be grateful for.
No one knows their names but they’re out there helping women start over, create better lives for themselves and their kids. And they can always use more funds.”
“I love that, and yes, please put me in contact with them. I want to help. And not to sound crass, but I’ve got a boatload of money now and I’m not going to waste it.
I saw firsthand how selfish people can be over money.
And don’t get me wrong, I appreciate things like having health care and a roof over my head and food to eat, but my parents were just greedy and entitled.
” She looked more sad than angry as she spoke.
“I want to do something that matters. I want to leave an impact on the world long after I’m gone. ”
“Your grandparents knew what they were doing when they left you their estate,” Clover murmured.
Maeve gave a soft smile. “I miss my grandma. She was such a badass.”
“Her badassery might have skipped a generation but I’d say you’re one too.”
Maeve grinned at Clover now. “I’ll take that compliment. Are you guys hungry? Eunice is the only person I’ve kept on. She actually treated me like, well, a person. She knew something was off but could never prove it. I think she stayed on so long just for me.”
“Cormac keeps raving about those lemon things she baked,” Micah muttered. “So I’ll take anything she made.”
“Are you planning on taking selfies of yourself eating and send them to him?” Clover asked dryly.
“Jesus, you really do know me,” he murmured.
She’d known him all along—and never should have doubted her feelings for him.
Maeve grinned at them. “I’m so glad I met you two. And not just because you saved my life. All our lives really.”
“Where’re Ilena and Taryn anyway?”
“Already in Chapel Hill getting settled… I bought them a house. They’re a little shell-shocked and tried to reject my gift but…” She shrugged. “I convinced them to just take it. They’ve had their own trauma and we’re all starting over together.”
“Is it in the same neighborhood as you?”
She laughed lightly. “No. I knew I couldn’t convince them to live there but my real estate agent found this adorable three-two near the college that I just knew they wouldn’t be able to say no to.
Taryn is talking about going to school. And Ilena still has no idea what she wants to do and now she doesn’t have to stress while she figures it out. They have room to breathe for a while.”
“And the Feds really don’t want anything to do with her?”
“Nope. I mean, other than asking her to testify against Mosker. And I’ll be testifying as well that he was holding her captive, that she was just as much a victim as me. He can’t hurt her anymore. Or her sister.”
“He won’t be going to trial,” Micah said quietly. “He was killed this morning in holding.”
They both turned to look at Micah in surprise.
“What?” Clover blurted.
“You’ll be getting a call from Sinead soon. Or maybe even the Feds.” He shrugged.
“When did you find this out?” Clover asked.
“On the drive here. I was going to tell you.”
“Who killed him?” Maeve asked.
Micah shrugged. “I think he pissed off a lot of people in his line of work.”
Not exactly an answer, but Maeve didn’t push and neither did Clover. Mostly because she didn’t care who’d killed him. The guy had only caused harm wherever he went.
“With him gone, any ounce of danger you might have been in is gone,” Micah added. “All the others involved are pleading out.”
Clover had a feeling it was because whoever had killed Mosker had been sending a message. They knew he worked for someone and he probably tried to flip on his boss. And it got him killed.
“Wow…” Maeve said. “Has anyone told Ilena?”
“I don’t know,” Micah said.
“I’m going to call her just to give her a heads-up.” She stood, her expression concerned.
Clover and Micah both stood, and after hugs—and grabbing some snacks from Eunice’s stash of goodies—they headed out.
“I can’t believe you’re actually taking pictures of yourself eating and sending them to Cormac.” Clover shook her head. They were still in the driveway because Micah had “needed” to do this before they left. His words.
Micah just grinned as he shot off another text. “You have a very different relationship with Nick.”
“Yeah, we’re not lunatics.” But she grinned because she loved the way he was with his siblings.
“You ever think about kids?” she blurted, then wished she could take the question back.
But no, they’d opted for honesty and she wanted to have the kind of relationship where she could talk about things freely.
“Not that I’m asking for like…whatever. Just hypothetically. ”
“I never thought about them until you, if I’m being honest.”
Oh god, she loved this man and how open he was. “Really?”
He nodded. “I don’t want them now or anything, but I see them in our future.”
Oh. “Okay.”
“Just okay?” He leaned over, brushed his mouth against hers.
Tingles skittered over her skin, sending little waves of pleasure to all her nerve endings. She really did love him. “I see them too. Just…not now,” she said with a laugh.
She loved how new things were and wanted to enjoy this time with him for as long as possible. Though she hoped it was the start of something long.
As in, forever.