“Yeah, soon there will be more news vans than pick-up trucks in Idaho. At least Mr. Castle got out.”
The other guy grunts. “You think these assholes care? They’re all just waiting around for the ultimate money shot. The omega or the kid. With a payday like that, they won’t leave until they do.”
I step away from the window, watching the two security guards head off on patrol, unaware that their words have reached my ears. Not that any of it is news. The story of Ellis Castle’s secret son has exploded across the world, with fans clamoring for the next scrap of gossip, and every reporter vying for the moneyshot that will break the internet. Not that the paparazzi seem to be interested in anything remotely resembling the truth. A quick scan of the headlines and it’s clear that I’m everything from a social pariah to a honey trap. According toone article, I’ve been blackmailing Ellis for years, while another claims that he rejected Leo at birth, and I’ve been sobbing into my pillow ever since.
The only upside to this nightmare is that Leo is still blissfully unaware of what’s going on. He’s spent the morning playing video games with Tristan, while Otley cooks up a storm, and Logan prowls the perimeter like a guard dog on high alert. If there’s a plan for tomorrow, I’ve yet to hear it, which is why I’m now packing a duffle bag of essentials and lacing on a pair of hiking boots.
“Planning a covert exfil?” Logan drawls from the doorway, his arms folded over his chest.
“Something like that,” I mutter, shoving the photo album into the bag and forcing the zipper closed. “What do they say about packing a Go Bag? ‘Be prepared for the unexpected.’”
“Always good advice,” Logan murmurs, crossing the room to take me in his arms. If he can feel the stiffness in my body, he doesn’t comment, resting his chin on my head and rocking us slowly side-to-side. “You know if you want to hit something, I’ve been trained to take a punch.”
I snort, pressing my nose into the hard muscle of his chest. “I just hate feeling so helpless. Ellis gets to fly off to fight the dragons, while I’m…”
“Left behind with Bloomer and Joey the Wrench?”
There’s a soft, needling edge to his voice, and I pinch him in the ribs. “Stop it. I just keep telling myself, if there was ever a time to get over my stupid phobia, it’snow. Leo needs to be safe, and if I could just get on that damn helicopter, we could all be miles away from here…”
“Wait.” Logan cups my face, his eyes as serious as I’ve ever seen them. “It’s not a stupid phobia. And getting on a bird when you’re already under stress would not end well.”
I shudder, imagining a panic attack at ten thousand feet with a distressed Leo looking on.
Logan doesn’t miss my reaction and his jaw tightens, his nostrils flaring. “You want to leave? We’ll leave, LeeLee.”
I turn to stare out the window, taking in the dense woods that are no doubt crawling with dirt-digging reporters. “How?”
He rubs a hand over the bristles on his chin. “I have an idea, but I’m not sure you’re gonna like it.”
It turns out that Logan’s plan doesn’t involve a hard hike through the woods, although he waits until nightfall before he shares it with me. He sends me to grab Ellis’ elf king wig from the Airstream, while he collects a few things from our room. When I join him on the porch, Tristan and Otley are both there, clearly in the middle of a tense discussion. “What’s going on?”
Tristan grins as he grabs the wig and pulls it on, striking a pose. I blink at the transformation and he laughs. “Can you tell I was a drama nerd in high school?”
As I look him over, I realize he’s wearing the Rosie’s Blooms polo shirt that I gave Otley. He’s also using one of my watering can bandanas to tame his new, blonde mane. “Why do I get the feeling that I’m about to be in two places at once?”
“Because they’re not gonna leave while you’re here,” Logan tells me, handing Tristan the keys to my truck. “But if Lily Percy drives out of here, promising to hold a news conference at City Hall, every single one of those vultures will follow.”
“Okay, but I thought Ellis was doing a press conference.” A tense look passes between them and I sigh. I’ve been texting my friends – all of whom have threatened to drive out here and kick some paparazzi ass - but I’ve avoided looking at social media, so I’m obviously out of the loop. “It went that well?”
“He got ambushed at the airport and they had to detour to San Francisco,” Otley says quietly. “He’s still planning to make a statement, but things haven’t settled down like he planned.”
I bite my lip, because a part of me had hoped that Ellis could sprinkle a little celebrity stardust and make the madness go away. “And so now we’re onto Plan B?”
Logan nods. “We’ll use a diversion to break up the blockage at the gate. The security guys will ensure the truck gets out, and the dark tint on the windows should fool most of them into taking the bait. When they’ve gone, I’ll drive you and Leo to a safer location.”
“Not back to the farm?”
Logan sighs and pulls me close. “According to Clay, it’s even more chaotic there than here.”
I bite my lip, hating to think of the flowerbeds getting trampled. “So, what’s the diversion?”
“It should be you,” Otley tells Logan, who instantly stiffens. “It’s common knowledge that you’re Lily’s mate. They see you, and they’ll just assume she’s driving her truck.”
“Then it’s up to you to get Lily and Leo to safety.”
It’s not a question, but Otley’s eyes flare behind his glasses. “You think I can’t?”
“One vibe you definitely give off is getting shit done,” Logan grunts, then turns to me, his eyes narrowed. “Are you okay with this? We can meet up straight after we get a bit of distance between us and this place.”
