She looked down, her thumb brushing over Rhea’s knuckles. “Me either.”
For a while, we sat in comfortable silence, letting the day settle around us.
"So," Elin said, reaching for the syrup, "Rhea, you packed? Remember, essentials only, nothing that can be traced back to you."
Rhea nodded, her expression growing serious. "You mentioned a secure line. Will I be able to contact Gav?"
"Not unless it’s an emergency," I answered, meeting her eyes across the table. "It's too risky. But Elin can get a message to me. She’ll be your contact."
"And if something goes wrong?" The fear she'd been hiding finally crept into her voice.
I reached across the table, taking her hand in mine, but before I could say anything, Elin chimed in, “You will be perfectly secure. I’ll walk you through everything when we get there.”
The weight of what we were planning settled over the table. In just a few hours’ time, Rhea would be gone, hidden away from the world until her new identity was secure. And I would be facing the wrath of two of the most dangerous men in California.
"Enough doom and gloom," Elin declared, breaking the tension.
Rhea finished her coffee, then went to start packing her things, leaving just Elin and me in the kitchen.
I leaned in close, my voice low. “Thank you, Goddess. For giving us this morning.”
She smiled, slow and wicked. “You’re very welcome, Pretty Boy. But don’t get used to it. Next time, you’re making breakfast in nothing but an apron.”
I raised an eyebrow, picturing it. “Yes, ma’am.”
She kissed me, quick and possessive, tasting of coffee and something sweeter. I wanted to stay there forever, just soaking her in, but there was too much to do.
Chapter 44
IwatchedGavriel’shuglinger, saw Rhea press herself into him, eyes bright and stubbornly holding onto any tears. She fought until he finally pulled away—just then a single drop betrayed her resolve. She wiped it away angerly and tried to smile. He smoothed her hair, murmured something I couldn’t catch, swung onto his bike, and we watched as he rode off.
“Come on. Let’s get you settled.” I grabbed her duffle bag as she snatched the suitcase. We loaded them into the back seat and drove off. Dad’s wasn’t far, but I drove out of the city, and doubled back. Rhea’s hands fidgeted in her lap all the way. She stared out the window, face set in that familiar distant mask. I said nothing, driving through the back streets with tall pines and bushes of manzanita by homes that were still dark this early in the morning.
Driving down an alley, I pulled into the hidden drive behind the house. The backyard sat obscured from the street, invisible to passing neighbors and their dogs.
I used my key and held the door open for Rhea. She opened her mouth to say something, but I wanted us to stay quiet untilwe were in the bunker in case one of Azzaro’s guys had bugged the main house. We moved down the narrow hallway, down the half-rotted steps to the basement, my footsteps heavy in the stale air.
“Why are we at Joel’s?” Rhea’s voice was small, almost swallowed by the concrete walls.
I didn’t answer her question. Instead, I slid an old shelving unit aside until a seam in the wall appeared—a hidden door. I pushed it open, and she brushed past me into the safe house Dad had built in secret.
Filtered air, unnaturally dry but clean, greeted us. After closing the door and locking it, I turned to Rhea. “This is why we are at Dad’s.”
Where we came in, there was an arched ceiling to mimic the sky, fake grass, and as you turned the corner, there was approximately 300 square feet of yard that led to a porch.
“It looks like the outdoors, but completely underground.” She was looking around in total awe. “I didn’t know this was down here.”
Smiling, I couldn’t wait to see her reaction to the living space. Dad had gone all out. He knew he might have to disappear for a few months, and he wanted to be comfortable. “Ready to see your temporary safe house?”
“Umm . . . yeah.”
Opening the door, I stepped inside and let her follow me in. “Welcome home.”
“Holy shit.” Her eyes were wide as she took in over 1,000 square feet of living space.
“Open-floor plan to help it not feel claustrophobic, electric fireplace, all fed by solar installed on top of the main house. Two bedrooms in the back, with a full bathroom. Shower only though. There is a pantry in the hall that is stocked with enough food to keep a small family alive for months. Everything ishooked into the sewer lines, the water supply as steady as any in the city.”
We made our way toward the back and put her bags in the main bedroom before turning to the pantry. She finally saw the rows of metal shelving with all the supplies she could want.
