I stayed there for along time, until my dad started calling my name because he couldn’t find me.
Sayer Wesley had just kissed me. Sayer Wesley had justkissed me after I’d risked my life to steal his necklace and been promised tothe syndicate. And all I could think about was doing it again.
I didn’t care about working for Roman or that Atticuswas probably going to try to kill me anyway or how pissed my dad was going tobe. Not when I had Sayer to think about.
Not when I had decided that Sayer wasn’t supposed tobe in my life, he was supposed to be gone already. Yet here he was, carving outa permanent place for himself in the brotherhood.
And in my heart.
Chapter Seven
Present Day
“Mommy, can we get ice cream?” Juliet asked excitedlyas we walked main street Wednesday evening.
I’d felt too cooped up in our apartment, tooimprisoned by close walls and a life that felt like the lie that it was. Theweather was cooling down, so we wrapped up in warm cardigans and scarves andheaded for supper at our favorite diner. Then I tucked her little hand intomine and we strolled the sidewalks like tourists, browsing gift shops and T-shirtstands.
“I don’t know,” I hesitated. “I only buy ice cream forlittle girls with manners.”
Realizing her mistake, she started bouncing on hertoes. “Please, Mommy. Please?”
She had the sweetest voice, a little raspy and a wholelot innocent. I never wanted to forget how she said her words with childishexcitement that melted my heart.“Oh, good.”I smiled.“You’re a little girl with manners. Whew.”
She grinned at me. “Does that mean we get ice cream?”
“That means we definitely get ice cream.”
The building with the ice cream and candy shop wasold, whitewashed brick walls and creaky wood floors. There was a wraparound deckout the back door with little tables where you could watch the live music atFoote’s Rest, the outdoor BBQ joint next door.
We grabbed our double scoop cones and headed out thereto enjoy the sound of bluegrass music and an open sky where stars were juststarting to make their appearance for the night. The mountain peaks had startedto blend in with the backdrop overhead and the crisp air made us snuggle closetogether while we ate our treats.
“Jules?” I asked when she’d made it to the cone partof her dessert and I didn’t have to keep cleaning her up every other bite.
“Hmm?” she asked as she crunched down on the wafflecone.
“What would you think about going on a trip?”
“With Aunt Francesca?”
I nodded. “Yeah. What if the three of us wentsomeplace new?”
“When?”
“Soon,” I told her. “I think we need an adventure inour lives.”
“I do too,” she agreed. “We should take me to thehorses.”
Her comment caught me off guard, but I should havebeen expecting it. “Um, I was thinking of an adventure with a car.” And amillion miles away from this place.
Maggie had thrown the flower away before I’d been ableto get a second look at it, but I’d shown the note to Francesca. We had bothbeen freaked out. Even days after, the memory of opening that box sent a chilldown my spine.
I had the urge to run. The need to run fast. But itwasn’t that simple.
Frisco wasn’t DC It wasn’t easy to drum up newidentifications for three people, especially when one was a child. Plus, we neededto move money. We had a big stash of cash, but we’d be leaving behind asignificant amount in bank accounts. And there were other things. Stupidthings. Like an irrational attachment to this place and what little friends I’dmade and the mountains.
This was where Juliet had been born. This was wherewe’d carved out a life for ourselves.
I just wanted to be absolutely sure before we left allof this behind that weneededtoleave it all behind.
