I don’t tell him that the rescue was never my priority, just a means to an end. He’s safe, and that’s all that matters to him. “He’s fine,” I tell Jamie. “Just shook up. So am I.”
“I’ll bet you are. My hands are shaking so bad I’m surprised I’m driving straight,” Jamie admits. “Just get back to the estatesafe, and we’ll go from there. You did good, Constance,” he adds before disconnecting the call.
I can’t help the grim smile that spreads across my face as I drop the burner back into my purse. I feel like I should be nauseous or disgusted at what I’ve done. But I’m not.
In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever been prouder in my life.
16
“You’ll make mistakes, Connie. The trick is making the kind you can learn from instead of the kind you have to hide from.”
— ROBERT MONROE
Constance
It’s almosttwo o’clock when Trenton pulls into the driveway of the estate. I’d been keeping an eye out front waiting for him and Van to return.
Once they make it inside, Trenton turns to me with a broad grin. “Well?” he asks me. “How did everything go?”
“Pretty smoothly, all things considered,” I reply. “Tony left an hour ago to take Gregory Bianchi home. When he’s back, he can sneak Van out and take her wherever she wants to go. You and I will head out after lunch and go back to the hospital. Did the officer go along with you okay?”
“Yeah, he escorted us. There was no issue at all. He followed us back and now he’s parked out at the road again,” Trenton says. Then nods to the garage. “I saw a van out by the garage. Looked like a glass repair fellow. When Jamie called me, he just said everything was okay. We try not to go into detail on the phone. What happened, how did it all shake out?”
“The glass repair guy is one of Jamie’s crew. They’re patching up the Explorer but we’re still going to have to junk it. Irina took some shots at me and the windshield was pretty messed up. I was a nervous wreck just driving it the twenty minutes back to the estate. I was sure I was going to get stopped, but I stayed behind Jamie and we made it back without any trouble.”
“If they’re patching the windshield, why does it need to be junked?” Trenton raises an eyebrow. “What else happened?”
I glance over at Van, who immediately raises her hands in an I surrender gesture and goes into the kitchen. “I know, I know,” she says as she leaves us alone.
“Irina showed up outside the Wal-Mart just like we planned. I called her and had her move over to the park. It’s a good thing we did because she had a couple of guys following her. They might have been more Gargoyles, I don’t know. Anyhow, once we’re at the park as soon as we exchange Gregory and Jacob, she pulls out a pistol and tries to shoot me in the driver’s seat. I ducked down and hit the detonator to blow Jacob and the van straight to hell.”
“Is that when the other guys came into play?” Trenton asks.
“Yeah, they pulled up behind the Explorer and the driver jumped out and took a shot at me, too. Jamie and Chris pulled up in the Expedition and hit his door, pinning him to the truck they were driving and then they shot both of them. Irina was messed up, but she was still trying to get to the gun she had dropped, so I threw Gregory in the Explorer and ran her over a few times.”
“Ran her over a few times?” Trenton barks out a shocked laugh.
“Enough to make good and damn sure we won’t have to deal with her anymore,” I confirm. “That’s why the Explorer has to go. I have no idea how much DNA they could pull from it or if I left tire tracks they could match.”
“You guys did the right thing, then. Getting that windshield fixed will make it easier to get it over to the junkyard and get it crushed. Might have to do the Expedition if they hit the other truck. It probably has some paint transfer that could be problematic.”
“It’s a small price to pay for the relief of putting these people down permanently.”
“You’ve got that right,” Trenton agrees. “I called the estate on the way back. Leonard said he was going to make some sandwiches. You hungry?”
“No, honestly my stomach is still an anxious knot. How was Maximo this morning?”
“He’s still out, but the doctor came by and said that his vitals are strong. The nurses said that he woke up for a bit early this morning, but he was really groggy and just wanted to know if you were okay. They reassured him that you had been there earlier, and he passed back out.”
I can’t stop the relieved sigh that escapes me. “I can’t wait to see him. Was there any trouble with Van passing as me?”
“Nah, no one looked close enough at her to notice anything. She kept her head down and her mouth shut. As far as I can tell it went off without a hitch,” he says then shakes his head. “Ran over her…You are a savage, Constance Monroe. Maximo did a good thing keeping you close.”
A blush creeps into my cheeks at the compliment. “Let me get that hoodie Van is wearing so that I’ll look like I’m wearing the same clothes when we go back to the hospital,” I tell him. “Goeat. I’m going to go to the bathroom and clean myself up. I feel like I’ve sweated through all my clothes.”
“I bet you do,” Trenton agrees with another laugh. “I’d be a nervous wreck too if I had a morning like yours.” He pulls out his vape and takes a puff off of it before offering it to me. “Need a bracer?” he asks.
“No, no thank you.” I wave him off politely. “Seeing Maximo is the only thing that will calm my nerves now. I’ll be down in a few. Are you okay driving me back to the hospital and hanging out with me?”
