What I didn't expect was the major production leaving entailed. Caden and Maddie would still go on their honeymoon; after all, I had inadvertently ruined their wedding reception and had no desire to cause them any further delays. Burke insisted all of our guards accompany me and Finn, which created additional anxiety.
Burke and Logan would be alone. Unprotected.
"Don't worry about me. I'll call in reinforcements. We have plenty of men to lend a hand, but I need to know you're as safe as possible so I can keep my focus."
My husband kissed my forehead and helped me pack, but my hands wouldn't stop shaking. I would have six guards and two employees to watch over me and Finn, and he would have one companion.
"You were right, by the way, when you guessed it was Carson. I truly think it was him."
I froze with a shirt in my hand. "It was?"
"He'd want to prove himself to the Navarros, and what better way than to take us all out?"
Involuntarily, the corners of my mouth turned down. "With thallium poisoning?"
"It's meant to be slow-acting, so someone must have fucked up. If done right, we would have felt like we were coming down with a cold for a week or so, and then the worse symptoms would kick in and it would be harder to heal."
"Not for nothing, but ingesting paint to combat it isn't precisely a treat."
Taking the shirt from my rigid fingers and folding it into my suitcase, he said, "It's not exactly paint."
"Might as well be."
"Either way, you'll take the medication with you. Don't forget."
I shook my head. "I won't forget."
We waited until midnight to leave, starting off in one of the SUVs in which I had never ridden. The rest of the guards would leave at one-hour intervals in case anyone watched the house. When Burke made it to the outskirts of town, he pulled into a mostly-empty parking lot and turned off the headlights.
"Don't move until I give the all clear," Burke instructed as he pulled the keys from the ignition.
All I could do was nod with my heart in my throat. The extra precautions were freaking me out.
Burke scoped out the area, walking around what appeared to be an abandoned vehicle with what I'd come to learn was a bomb detector. He must have decided it was clean; he signaled me to get out of the car. Carefully, I unhooked the car seat from the base and slid from the back of the SUV, darting glances in all directions as I met Burke in the middle of the lot.
"You get in the car with him, and I'll get the base."
Fear lodged in my gut as I watched him walk away. If we really had targets on our backs, anyone could lurk in the shadows. When he finally returned, I breathed out heavily.
"At least Finn is still sleeping."
He inclined his head in silent acknowledgment and turned the engine. Only once we were back on the road did I relax, but even then I understood we remained in danger. Burke drove far out of our way before heading toward our hometown. I was a little sad at the missed opportunity to go to Bristol, but I had already invited Danny and Brenda to stay with me in Chester. They would have the chance to visit in a few days.
After another car switch and more circuitous driving, we eventually pulled into the driveway of the house Burke owned in Chester. Nostalgia washed over me; we'd made love there so many times at the beginning of our relationship.
Exhaustion came close to overtaking me, but I needed to figure out what to do with the baby before I could rest. Finn was wide awake, and I was never more thrilled to see Wyatt and Daisy greet us in the foyer of the modern mansion.
"I didn't know you were coming!" I said to my friend.
"I didn't either until the last minute. I got some time off to visit Mom and Dad, but I'm giving you a few days first. We have your bags stacked in the living room. Do you need help sorting them out?"
"All I really want right this minute is to sleep." I yawned, and Finn kicked his legs in exuberance at the sight of people he knew.
"I'll take him for you while you nap," Daisy offered, reaching for the smiling baby bouncing in my arms.
"Thank you."
With a hug for my baby and my friend, I yanked on Burke's hand until he followed me up the stairs.
