“None of this feels real,” Audrey said under her breath.
“Let’s just get you to safety; then we’ll figure out who’s pulling the strings and why.” Ryder kept his eyes on his sister. “Once we’re at the cabin, I expect full disclosure from you, sir. Every name. Mission. Anything tied to Mitch.”
“Fine,” Chandler agreed. “Your people are in charge. I’ll authorize everything to be sent to you.” He ended the call before we could ask more questions, and Ryder chucked the phone onto the desk.
“What does the key unlock that’s so damn important?” Reed rested his hands on his hips, scanning the two of us.
“Secrets.” Audrey’s whisper sliced through the room, cutting right through me. “It’s always about secrets.”
Chapter Eighteen
Audrey
Bags packed, everything and everyone ready to go except me. Because my little man was wrapped up in my arms as we sat on my bed, his face buried in the side of my neck as he squeezed me tight.
“I don’t care about ice fishing or making new friends. Not even missing school. I just want to be with you. Why can’t I stay with you?” Chase’s scratchy, raw voice and the tears hitting my skin intensified the pressure already building behind my rib cage. “Mommy, please. Stay with us. We need you with us.”
More pressure.
An unbearable ache.
It felt like something was pushing between my ribs and would pierce my flesh if I didn’t wrangle a deep breath soon.
“You’re going to have the bestest, bestest time,” I whispered, doubling down on his favorite word.
Thank goodness his favorite “bestest” hockey player in the world hadn’t been the grandfather who’d rejected him. Why was I thinking about that now?
Oh, I know ... because I’m about to walk away from my son, and what if I never come back? What if I die and leave him without a—
“Your mom can’t breathe, buddy.” Trevor sat on the bed next to me, the mattress sinking under his two hundred pounds of solid muscle.
I shifted around to rest my chin on top of Chase’s head so I could see Trevor. “I can’t do this,” I mouthed, hoping he could read my lips.
Trevor set his hand on Chase’s back and gently stroked it. “I want you with us, too.”
He knew why that wasn’t possible. My very presence painted a target on the back Trevor had his hand on.
“I know what happened today.” Chase shifted upright, forcing me to ease my head back so I wouldn’t knock noses with him. “Daddy sneaks and lets me playFortnitewhen I spend the night here, and so I know it was bad people out there today that wanted you.”
Trevor cleared his throat. “Sorry, I know we didn’t discuss him, uh, playing that kind of game yet ...”
“Not what I’m worried about right now.” My voice sounded as raw and drained as I felt on the inside. “I’m going to be fine, I swear to God. I just need to help your uncle with something while you get to play hooky and miss school.”
“Daddy says I’m not supposed to swear to God, so why are you?”
I closed my eyes. He had me there.Inhale. Exhale.That was the right rhythm, right? So where was that deep breath I desperately needed?
“Your mommy is right. I want her with us, but she can’t be.” Trevor’s solemn tone had my eyes opening in gratitude for the save. “And everything will be okay.” He stood and walked around to help untangle Chase from his locked-in position and pulled him to his side to hold him like he was four, not nine. Only he could do that, with his towering height and frame, after Chase’s recent growth spurt last summer.
I patted my cheeks with the backs of my hands to try to discard the evidence of my emotions and slowly stood, hoping my legs wouldn’tgive out. My gaze slanted over to the frosted window. “The snow’s picking up.”
“The snow will work to our advantage, cloaking us,” he answered in a hoarse voice. His eyes were on his forearm, on the angel tattooed there that Chase was tracing with his index finger. “Consider the snow a gift from the Big Guy. He’s going to protect us. Shield us from harm. Right, buddy?”
Well, shoot, now I was going to ugly-cry.
“Protect us from the bad people?” Chase’s voice was so small that time, so full of innocence. “Like you do?”
“I can’t do anything without God, but yeah.” Trevor met my eyes next. “I won’t let anything happen to you. And Ryder won’t let anything happen to your mom.”
