"I know what I'm doing." His thumb traced across her knuckles. I understand the price. And I'm doing it anyway."
She lifted his hand and pressed her lips to his fingers. Tasted salt. Her own tears or his skin, she wasn't sure.
"Okay," she said. "What's the new plan?"
He pulled out his phone. "Evidence goes to the feds tonight. State attorney general in the morning. Press by the end of the day tomorrow. We were planning to coordinate everything for maximum impact after the ceremony. Now we just detonate it all at once."
"And Warren?"
"If the FBI moves fast enough, he'll be in custody before the parade on Saturday." Ronan typed a message, sent it, waited. His phone buzzed. He read the response and nodded. "Caleb's ready. He's been ready for days. He was just waiting for my go."
"And you were waiting because..."
"Because I was trying to do this the clean way. The smart way." He met her eyes. "I was wrong."
She leaned across the console and kissed him. Hard. Brief. A seal on something neither of them was ready to name.
"Do it," she said.
He texted Caleb and hit send.
The sofa in Ronan’s rental was comfortable. At least comfortable enough. His movements were stiff and slightly awkward, but he tried to cover it up. She saw through it but didn’t comment.
Lila set a cup of coffee in front of him on the coffee table then sat down beside him. She faced him, her knee brushing his thigh.
His eyes stared into hers for a few moments. His voice was soft when he spoke. “Tell me about your mom.”
She swallowed the lump that quickly appeared. Her elbow rested against the back of the sofa, and her head rested in her hand. “She has dementia. She may have gotten it anyway, but the stress of my father’s passing so quickly and without so much as a warning really sent her through turmoil. They were together for so long. They were each other’s rocks. She was lost without him. Within a year, she began exhibiting the first signs of the disease. Forgetting things. Names, people, then she forgot their wedding anniversary. She would be horrified if she understood that. They loved celebrating their anniversary. That was when I knew something was wrong. Doctors confirmed it shortly afterwards. I moved back in with her and kept her here as long as I could. But when I went to work, she was all alone, and one day she walked outside and got lost. That’s when I took her to Blossom Gardens.”
His face softened in a way she hadn’t seen before. “Do you see her?”
“Not that much anymore. It got to the point that she would become agitated when she saw me. Like she knew she should know me, but couldn’t place me, and she became unruly. The doctor told me it was best if I didn’t visit that often. The nurses send me pictures of her and keep me informed of her health. I’ve gone a couple of times during mealtime and stood around the corner just to watch her. But now she’s so bad, she has to be fed in her room.”
A tear slid down her cheek, and Ronan reached slowly with his left hand and wiped it away. She leaned in and kissed his lips softly and rested her forehead against his cheek. His presence was comforting, and to finally be able to talk about her mom to someone felt so good.
The call came three hours later.
Lila was back in her office, trying to focus on the parade route logistics, when her phone buzzed with a Tampa area code.
"Ms. Bennett? This is Agent Sarah Holloway with the FBI."
Lila's stomach dropped.
"We've received a substantial body of evidence regarding criminal activity in your community. I need to speak with you about your involvement."
"My involvement?"
"Your name appears in several documents. Property records, permit filings, correspondence with Warren Caldwell." The agent's voice was flat, professional. Impossible to read. "I'd like to arrange a meeting to discuss your cooperation."
Lila's mind raced. Caleb had said the evidence would protect her—prove she was a witness, not a participant. But this agent didn't sound like she was calling to offer protection.
"I'm not sure I understand. Am I a suspect?"
"That depends on what you tell me tomorrow." A pause. "Nine a.m., FBI field office in Tampa. I'll text you the address."
The line went dead.
Lila stared at the phone. Her heart was pounding. This wasn't what Ronan had promised. This wasn't the cavalry arriving to save the day.
