We eat simply, soup and sandwiches that Sadie barely touches despite my gentle encouragement. I understand her lack of appetite. The clock is ticking toward a confrontation that will change everything.
"Nervous?" I ask as she stirs her soup without eating.
"Terrified," she admits, her honesty still surprising me after all her months of careful self-protection. "But also… ready. Does that make sense?"
"Perfect sense." I reach across the table, covering her hand with mine. "Fear doesn't mean you're not brave. It means you understand the stakes."
She gives me a small smile, the first I've seen since we landed in Oregon. "When did you get so wise?"
"I have my moments," I say with an exaggerated wink, pleased when her smile widens slightly. "They're rare, so enjoy it while it lasts."
Her soft laugh is the most beautiful sound I've heard all day.
As evening approaches, we head toward the restaurant parking lot, arriving an hour early to scout the location. The rain has stopped, leaving behind puddles that reflect the streetlights just beginning to flicker on.
I help Sadie from the SUV, my hand lingering at the small of her back. I pause, looking over at her.
“Are you ready to take your life back, baby?”
Chapter 29
Sadie
"More than ready," I answer confidently.
The parking lot is half-empty, puddles reflecting the glow of streetlights coming on as dusk settles. Our security team has positioned themselves strategically, two men near the restaurant entrance, another by our SUV, all looking like ordinary people but hyperaware of everything around them.
I check my phone. Twenty minutes until Elliot is supposed to arrive. My stomach clenches, a wave of nausea rising that I force back down. Poppy is safe with a trusted security member in a second vehicle nearby, close enough if I need her, far enough to keep her protected. That thought alone steadies me.
"You don't have to do this," Axel says quietly as we sit in the SUV. "We can still walk away, find another approach."
I shake my head. "No more running."
His hand finds mine in the dim interior, his thumb brushing over my knuckles in gentle, steady strokes. The simple touch grounds me, pulls me back from the edge of panic. I focus on his warmth, on the solid presence beside me.
"Remember," he says, "we have everything we need. The evidence, the recording, the photos. He's finished no matter what happens tonight."
I nod, trying to believe it. My lungs feel like they’re in a vise. I take a deliberate breath, then another.
"Tell me something," I whisper, needing distraction from the ticking clock.
Axel tilts his head. "Like what?"
"Anything. Something normal. Something that isn't this."
He smiles, a soft curve of his lips that makes it easier to breathe just a fraction. "When we get back to Virginia Dale, I'm thinking about getting a dog."
The randomness of it startles a laugh out of me. "A dog?"
"Yeah." His hand squeezes mine gently. "Big one. Maybe a retriever. Something that likes hiking."
I can picture it suddenly, Axel with a golden retriever, both of them splashing through mountain streams. The image is so normal, so peaceful, it makes my eyes sting.
"Poppy would love that," I say without thinking.
Something flashes across his face—hope, maybe. "Yeah?"
"She adores animals." My voice softens. "She gets excited every time she sees a dog at the café."
