He nodded as he slid his phone in the pocket of his pajama pants. “Yeah. It’s done, baby. Your boy Ceasar is supposed to take a plea deal. He copped to money laundering, tax fraud, and a whole bunch of other shit that I didn’t even know he was doing. They found the dummy accounts he was using to hide the money and everything. Just know he’s out of your life for good.”
My body dropped against the doorframe as I nearly lost my footing. “So that’s really it?”
Kannon nodded as he took my hand and led me to one of the overside gliders on the porch. Once he was seated, he pulled me into his lap. After kissing the side of my head, he replied, “That’s really it, baby. What you gonna do now that you’re free?”
“Honestly, I don’t even know.”
Freedom didn’t even feel real at this point. I was really free. The sleepless nights, fake smiles and relationships, and the constant fear that one wrong decision would end my career were all over. No more Ceasar, no more contract, no more pretending. I knew that I wouldn’t heal overnight, but I was confident that with Kannon by my side, I would survive. For a long while, I stood there soaking in the moment as I stared out over the water.
“You good?” Kannon asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.
I didn’t try to fight my tears because I knew Kannon could handle them. I let them flow freely as I rested my head on his chest. “I don’t even know what that feels like anymore, but I know that Iwillbe.”
“How about we figure it out together?”
“You saved me, Kannon,” I whispered.
“You saved yourself, Carrie Ann. I just showed up when you called like I told you I would.”
“Thank you,” I told him once again. I would never get tired of thanking Kannon for setting me free. No matter how he viewed the situation. I knew that he was my hero.
“The world is your oyster, Carrie.”
“That’s the scary part. What happens now?”
“Now you start over and do things your way. Now you don’t have to worry about Ceasar, the label, or the puppet strings.”
“And you?”
“I’ll be right here every step of the way for you and my son.”
I had to laugh. “You’re going to wear that my son shit out.”
“I told you, didn’t I?”
It had barely been a week since the ultrasound proved the paternity of my baby to be a healthy baby boy. The little bump was barely noticeable, but he was making his presence known a little more every day by letting me know what foods and smells he didn’t like.
“You did.” I agreed.
Kannon was the calm to the storm that had raged in my life for years. He was my safe space and my peace. It felt good to be in control of my story, no matter how blank the pages might be right now. I was free. If freedom came with the comfort of the arms of the man who proved he would walk through fire to set me free, then there was no limit to what the pages would hold in the future.
AYear Later and a Half Later
“Sir, what’s your name?” one of the three officers on duty asked for the third or fourth time. I was so committed to my character that I’d lost count.
“Just take me to my hotel room for the night,” I slurred as one of them pulled me out of the back of the patrol car.
“Put him in the drunk tank. Let morning shift book him. He’s so out of it he don’t know his own name.”
“I’m with you when you got a good idea. I’m about to see if there’s any more cake in the break room.”
I threw myself on the bench against the wall and closed my eyes. I had exactly twenty minutes to carry out my plan. Once theofficers were out of earshot, I sat up. The sound of keys jingling got closer as I stood and walked over to the bars. When Blaine’s connect unlocked the cell, I stepped out and followed him as he escorted me to the shower.
“Count to ten then move fast. The cameras are only going to be down for twenty minutes. My guy is waiting for you.”
I nodded but didn’t speak as I stood out of view of the camera. He gave me twenty minutes. I wouldn’t even need ten. After counting to ten, I made my move. I never slowed down as I passed my guy standing in a cut. I had studied the map enough to know how to get exactly where I was going.
When I made it to the end of the hall, I went to the supply closet that was unlocked as promised. I found the vent in the wall over the shelves and used it to crawl up into the crawl space. I counted the dorms as I slid my body from one to the next.
