She does know. Her mom took off when she was young, and I’m sure at some point over the years, she’s imagined what it would be like if her mom had come back.
“So, what are you going to do? You have to tell her, Bast. You can’t keep this kind of thing a secret. It’s going to come out eventually.”
She’s speaking from past experience with her husband, I know. There were a lot of secrets between them when they first got together, but they came out together in the end. Hattie and I can too.
“I’m not going to tell her, but I am going to keep her. She can’t ever know who I am to Carla.”
“Aren’t you worried that Carla will recognize you if you and Hattie go the distance?”
I shake my head. “I haven’t used my birth name in more than two decades, and it’s been that long since she saw me.” I shrug. “She’s never going to recognize me.”
Ari frowns. “Bast, this isn’t the way to start something with someone. I don’t agree with you keeping this secret.”
“You don’t have to. It’s my life. Just trust that I know best how to handle it.”
She presses her lips together to stop herself from saying whatever she’s thinking.
“I do need to fill you in on what Dad told me while I was there.”
Her eyes flare with alarm. “I almost forgot, what with all the fire stuff. Is everything okay with him?”
As hard as it is to be the bearer of bad news, I tell her everything Dad told me about his illness. When I’m done, the unshed tears in her eyes have fully released.
“I knew something was going on. I can’t believe he lied to me.” She gets up off the couch, pacing.
“He just doesn’t want us to fawn all over him. You have to promise that you won’t be all over him about it and checking in all day every day. It sounded like he and Eleanor had things handled, and the prognosis is excellent.”
She chews her bottom lip for a minute. “God, that’s gonna be so hard, Bast. I want to know what’s happening on a daily basis.”
“I mean it, Ari. He won’t tell us anything if you don’t get it in check.”
She rolls her eyes. “Fine. Whatever. I’ll act like I don’t give two shits. Happy?”
“Ecstatic,” I deadpan, knowing this will be a hard road for all of us. “Would it improve your mood to know that I need your help with something? Two things, actually.”
My sister loves to help anyone. It’s like her own little treat to herself.
“Duh.” She comes to sit back down on the couch.
“Can you drop Hattie and me off in Michigan when you leave here?”
Her forehead wrinkles. “Not exactly on my way, but why?”
“I don’t want anyone to be able to track where I’m headed. That’s impossible unless you’re flying private.”
She gives me a wary look. “Why? Who are you hiding out from?”
“I don’t think the fire at the club was an accident. I’m waiting on the official word, but I don’t want Hattie around here just in case she’s in danger.”
“Bast.” Her eyes widen. “You’re scaring me.”
I huff out a breath. “I just want us out of town until all of this settles.”
“All of what, Bast?”
I ignore her question. “I also need you to tell Obsidian that I need one of his contacts in the Vitale family.”
She stills and looks around, as if saying their name will somehow summon the northwest’s most notorious crime family. “What have you gotten yourself into?”
