“Don’t worry,” Jeremy continued. “They don’t know about our history. I’ll let you do the honour of explaining that to them. You’re so good at that… making up stories, changing characters. This will be fun for you.” He snickered, clearly enjoying this. “But I’m warning you… no police, no weapons. Just you and the money, and I’ll let them go. You’ve got two hours. I’m on a timeline. Don’t try anything funny, or these two little girls will not have a breath left in them by the time I’m done.”
The line went dead.
A moment later, he sent me the location.
I spoke to Alex while I quickly changed into jeans and a T-shirt. As he listened to Jeremy’s plan, my movements were efficient, automatic. I slid into casual loafers that hid a pocket knife blade in their rubber soles. I took the gun out of the shoebox and hid it as best I could in my jeans. Informing Alex that I would be at Simon’s house in twenty minutes, I ended the call.
Then I called Cat and told her I was on my way.
My tires screeched as I pulled into Simon’s driveway. I ran to the door and flung it open. Caleb and Cat rushed me inside, their faces pale. The whole family was gathered around the kitchen table. Sandra sobbed as Simon tried to comfort her. I braced myself. I was ready for their questions, and I was going to be honest.
“Nyah, thank God you’re here,” Bruce said. “Can you please fill us in? How do you know this guy?”
“Why does he want you to deliver the money?” Sophia asked.
“Why is he targeting us, and what do you have to do with it?” Cat demanded.
I took a slow breath and looked at them.
“His name is Jeremy Lipster. He was my foster father.”
Gasps rippled through the room.
“I knew it!” Eleanor exclaimed. “All of it has to do with you. I knew you were connected somehow. You were out to get us from the start—you’re bad news!”
“Let her explain, Mother,” Caleb cut in sharply.
I told them everything—about the abuse, about my escape. Their mouths fell open. I did not tell them about Alex. The less they knew about how I planned to get the girls out safely, the better.
“He is after me, and he will not stop until he gets me,” I said. “Well, now he wants money too.”
“So let’s just get this straight,” Sandra said, pointing at me. “This is all because ofyou? He’s got my children. God knows what he’s doing to them right now.” She wiped the tears as fresh ones rolled down her cheeks again.
That statement threw me back. I had anticipated anger and outrage from her, from all of them, but seeing it play out this way hurt me because it was never my intention. I had to take their emotions and accusations with a pinch of salt because I had put them in this situation. My involvement with Caleb, my relationship with him, had endangered the offspring of his brother.
“I’m sorry,” I said, looking at her with genuine remorse. “I never meant to hurt any of you. I never thought he would find me here. The police assured me of that, and they were tracking him. I promise you, I won’t let anything happen to them.” I walked to Sandra, but she backed away.
Caleb came to me then, his face drawn. He lifted my drooping shoulders gently.
“So this is what you’ve been hiding from me this whole time?”
I nodded, staring at the floor. I could not look at him. What I had hidden from him felt unforgivable.
“You should have told me,” he said. “I could havehelped you.”
“I was going to tell you,” I said softly. “The day I came to your apartment, I was going to tell you everything. But things took a different turn.”
Eleanor approached us, her voice filled with accusation. “I knew from the start there was something not right with you. The way you had my husband wrapped around your little finger, and then my son,” she mocked. “You can pretend like you are a good person, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. You?—”
“That’s enough, Mum!” Caleb snapped, cutting her off. “Nyah has been a victim her entire life, and all of you are blaming her instead of that son of a bitch. She doesn’t need to be here helping us, but she is.” He turned to Sandra. “She could have skipped town, butshe’shere, andshe’swilling to go back into danger to saveyourchildren,” he said, pointing at Sandra. The weight of the realization probably dawned on him just then as he put the pieces together. “You think he’s only come afteryourchildren. He came after Lucas, too, didn’t he?” He turned towards me. “That time at his school, he came for Lucas, and that’s why you were so upset and didn’t tell me.”
I looked down.
“She’s been trying to protect her son and herself,” he continued. “Her only mistake was not telling us sooner.”He held my face. “But I can understand why she did that… because she was trying to protect us. So the hell you’re going there alone. I’m coming with you.”
“No!” I yelled and heard it echo as the others shouted the same. “I need to go alone. Those were his instructions. Besides, I have reinforcements of my own.”
“I don’t care,” Caleb said. “I’m coming.”
