She paused.“Wait.”She studied him a moment longer.“If you want them tokeepacting the way they are right now, is there a reason they might not be when they get the news?”
He arched an eyebrow at her, and the borderline playful way he did it made her gasp and clap her hands over her mouth as she sobbed with relief.“He’s alive!”she whispered through her hands.
Trent pulled her into his arms, holding her, his hand cupping the back of her head.“I didn’t say anything, baby.I was ordered to keep a secret.Okay?Youhaveto keep acting the way you are until you officially receive an update.”
“Gillian already knows, right?”
“Gillian knows what she needs to know,” he cryptically said.“And she’s been Primed to keep secrets she needs to keep.”
She nearly melted against him as she silently cried against his chest.“Fuck your brother,” she softly said.“I will punch that fucker myself when he gets back.”
Trent chuckled.“You’ll have to stand in line behind Dewi and Gillian,” he whispered into her hair, and she clutched him tighter.
“Why are we really going to Florida?”she asked.
He made her meet his gaze.“Ray Dorland.Also, Ken made Peyton promise him that Dewi, Gillian, Tam, and you, plus all the babies and kids, would be in Florida and nowhere near Idaho when that plays out.So…” He shrugged.“Can’t punch Peyton for that, at least.”He smiled.
“Oh, that rat bastard.I’ve been terrified!”
“I know, baby.I’m sorry we couldn’t update you sooner.”
She buried her face against his chest again.“I get it.People look to Gillian and me, and we have to be pitch-perfect.”
“Plus, it’d be hard to explain how she’s pregnant again if we didn’t tell you.”
She gasped and swatted his shoulder.“He washere?When?”
He grinned.“In the past couple of days.”His smile faded.“Things are in motion.A bunch of things.Miranda Segura has unexpectedly disappeared from the grid, and we suspect she’s dead.Things are in flux.I would feel better having you guys down there.No, it’s not as remote as Idaho, but Ray Dorland has no idea about the Florida compound or where it is, and not being remote is a plus in some ways.”
“Because if we need to move out fast, we can blend into the population?”she asked.
He nodded.“Badger will take you car shopping.They wanted another vehicle anyway.Get a big SUV, or a van, or something like that.I want you guys to have fun.The kids will enjoy the hell out of the beaches.Take them deep-sea fishing.Let them go to Disney.The whole summer vacation experience.Spare no expense.Keep their minds off the fact that they’re not home and keep them too busy to ask questions.”
“How long?”
“At least until after the lab is taken down.And also use the excuse that you’re helping Gillian, Dewi, and Ken with the plans for the expanded pack compound.Which really is the truth, too.”
“Okay.We building a vacation house there, too?”
He smiled.“Baby gets what baby wants.”
She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close.“Oh, sonowyou’re sweet-talking me.”Her smile faded.“I hate that we’re leaving with Malina so young.You should be spending this time with her.”
“I know.I don’t like it either, but I’ll visit a few times.I promise.So it won’t just be you down there alone the whole time.Okay?”
“Okay.”
“Maybe we’ll even take a few days alone together.”He smiled.“Leave the big kids with Aunt Dewi and take the baby and go off somewhere.”
She snickered.“I don’t want another baby right now,” she said.“Malina will have plenty of playmates, including two sets of Irish twins, thanks to her aunts.”
Trent
He cupped her ass in his hands, holding her body pressed against his, and silently gave thanks she forgave him for keeping the truth about Peyton from her for so long.To be fair, Peyton hadn’t specifically forbidden him from letting her play twenty questions with him and guess the truth.
He damned sure couldn’t lie to her once she knew it, either.
His fingers kneaded her soft flesh through the denim of her jeans.“Want to take a quick naked run with me?”He playfully waggled his eyebrows at her, making her laugh.
