There was a sharp inhale on the other end, and then the sound of breath breaking apart.
“Are you safe?” her mother asked. “Miles told me you were safe, and that Donovan was with you, but that there was trouble at that summit thing you attended. He said—” Her mother’s words tangled.
“I’m safe,” Delaney said, though her hand had started to tremble. She gripped the edge of the table harder. “It was scary there for a moment, but everything’s fine. Donovan helped get me out of there.” She glanced over at Bobby. “And some others.”
“And Roman? Miles said he had got himself hurt, but he wouldn’t give us any details. Just that someone had breached your hotel, and that you were no longer considered low-risk.”
“He’s fine. I hear he’s back at the office by now.”
Her mother made a sound that was half prayer, half sob. “We were so scared Laney. That man, Agent Miles Alvarez, he just showed up on our door early in the morning. The sun hadn’t even come up yet, Laney. He’s the one who told us thatsomething happened. He told us we needed to be ready to hurry again. Laney, I don’t want to move again. I like my neighbors.”
Delaney closed her eyes. “I’m sorry. I should’ve called sooner.”
“You don’t apologize for surviving,” her mother said, though her voice wavered. “But when a marshal shows up on your doorstep after fifteen quiet years, it brings everything about that nightmare back.” She took a slow breath. “Why is this happening again, Laney? It’s been so long. They should have forgotten about us.”
Delaney sighed as she looked over at Donovan. “Because I didn’t stay in my office where I belonged.”
“What do you mean? That makes no sense.”
“Do you remember Bobby Jenkins?” She glanced over at him, a smile automatically slipping across her lips.
“Bobby? What does he have to do with this?”
“He’s here. Or rather, he was in Biloxi, at the hotel. He spotted me and did a web search for Julia Moretti. That’s how the Serranos discovered who I really was.”
“But your old name isn’t connected to this one,” her mother said. “How did they find you?”
She looked over at Bobby, smiling still. “Because Bobby’s a determined guy. He didn’t believe me when I told him he was mistaken about who I was and did a search on Delaney Rhodes as well. Whoever was watching connected the two searches.”
“Wow, Bobby Jenkins,” her mother said. “You were so in love with him back then.”
Delaney pressed her lips together, fighting the surge of emotion in her chest.”I still am.”
She heard the ruffling of her mother covering the phone for a second, and then muffled voices. Her mother spoke to her father, her father speaking fast, and then the scrape of a chair.
When her mother came back, her voice was steadier, and Delaney could hear a smile in the woman’s tone. “He was good to you. I remember how you used to light up when he came over. You thought we didn’t notice. Your father just told me he always liked that Jenkins boy.”
Delaney gave a small, broken laugh. “Yeah, well, everything was much simpler back then.”
“Nothing is ever simple in this life, sweetie,” her mother said. “We all must play the cards we’re dealt. You should be thankful the Lord brought him back into your life.”
Across the room, Bobby stood rigid near the doorframe, watching her. He wasn’t even pretending not to listen as he stared over at her, concern etched on his features.
“So am I, Mama,” she said into the phone. “So am I.”
“And what does he say about what’s going on?” her mother asked.
Delaney felt the smile spread across her face. “He says it’s time to put an end to it, and I agree with him. I don’t know how yet, Mama, but somehow, we’re going to get these people off our backs. I’m not walking away from him again.”
“Nor should you,” her mother told her. “That was my only regret in all of this. That I had to pull you away from him.”
As time passed and Delaney had grown up, she had tried to tell herself it was only teenage foolishness, that it was never really meant to be. “He was the only thing in my life that ever felt real.”
“And he’s all right with it?”
Delaney’s gaze didn’t leave Elvis as she gave a slow bob of her head. “He’s perfectly all right with things.”
There was a pause, and then her mother asked the question that truly mattered. “What do you intend to do now?”
