Bonnie

Bonnie stared at her red duffle-bag and sighed. She was packing for their trip and was already done in less than two minutes. All of her clothes, the nice ones at least, were already packed. She had managed to find a skirt under one of the bags with her pictures albums in her trunk, but that was it.

She felt woefully under-dressed for the trip, but there wasn't much she could do about. The closest mall was almost an hour away, and she didn't feel comfortable with the idea of going to a crowded, public place like that. She wished she'd gone through with her idea to buy some clothes online.

Anxiety gripped at her throat. She took a deep breath and then started pacing her small room.

It was the trip. She was anxious about traveling. She wanted to be with Dylan. That part of the trip she was looking forward to. She was looking forward to having him all to herself and the idea of sharing a hotel room.

No, it was the airport, the airplane, the city, the people. They were going to New Orleans. It was way further East than she wanted to go. It was a big city. There were people there that might say something to the Trio.

She'd called Detective Patton and told him she was going. She half wanted him to talk her out of it, but he said to go. The Trio didn't have a presence in New Orleans. As far as organized crime went, the Trio was small potatoes. It was why Brett's testimony was so important. They could shut down the Trio before they became a significant threat.

But, just because they were small didn't make them any less dangerous, just less likely to have agents in other cities.

She sighed and fiddled with the hairband on her wrist. She'd spent the last month avoiding big cities, and here she was packing to go to one. It felt weird. It felt dangerous.

Her burner phone began to buzz. Every time it rang, her stomach dropped and today was no different. If anything her stomach dropped further today.

The number displayed Detective Patton.

Her throat closed and she nearly dropped the phone. Worst case scenarios rushed through her mind. Her brother was dead. They'd found him. They'd found her. She had to run.

“Hello?”

“Hello, Bonnie. It's Patton.” He sounded calm, but that was his default setting. “I wanted to be the one to tell you.”

Her breath came in short gasps. “Tell me.”

“The trial date's been set,” Detective Patton informed her.

It took a moment for the words to sink in. It wasn't bad news. It was just news. Her brain stuttered to a stop, and she let out a giant sigh of relief. Her brother was fine.

“That's it?” she asked. Her legs gave out as she sat down hard on the bed. She had been ready for the worst.

“It'll be on the third,” Patton replied. “You okay?”

“Yeah. Yeah.” She nodded and lay back on the bed. Her heart was still jumping out of her skin like a cartoon character. “Do I need to be there?”

“No. In fact, I'd recommend you stay far, far away,” the detective told her. “You aren't taking the stand, so we don't want you near it. Your brother will be fine. I know you'd like to give emotional support, but it's better if you stay safe.”

“Okay.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Thank you for letting me know. Is Brett doing okay?”

“He's great. He said to tell you that he's officially applying for the academy next year,” Patton replied with a laugh. “I think he likes hanging out with cops all day.”

She chuckled. “Watch, he'll get a job out of being a murder witness. That would be just like him.”

“How are you doing?” Patton asked.

“I'm good.” She meant it too. “I really like it here.”

“Excited for your trip?” That was a loaded question.

“I'm a little nervous, but you said the Trio doesn't have a presence in New Orleans, so I'll be fine. Right?” She half wanted him to tell her to stay home.

“You should be,” he told her, not really answering her question. “But stay on your guard. Now that the Trio has an end date, they have a deadline. They are going to push harder now.”

“Should I cancel the trip?” she asked.

“You don't have to. Just be cautious. You said you're going with Dylan Abbott, so that should be more than enough security,” he replied. “If anything, you've got better security now than your brother does.”

She looked over at the door of her cabin. She could see the blinking lights of the security system Dylan had installed for her and she knew there was a guard patrolling around her cabin. He promised even more security for their trip. She hoped it would be enough.

“Thank you, Mike.” She felt safer knowing that her former neighbor and friend was watching her back. She hated needing someone else to make her feel safe. She would be glad when this was all over.

“Of course. You stay safe,” he replied. “I'll call you if I get any other news. I know this isn't much, but it does mean that the end is in sight. You'll be able to come home soon.”

I am home, she thought. It surprised her.

“Thank you again,” she said instead. She clicked the phone off and set it on the bed beside her.

She didn't feel strong enough to get up, so she just kept her eyes closed as she lay on the bed. The world spun beneath her, and her fingers clung to the bedspread.

The trail was coming. Her brother would testify, and this would all be over. She could go home.

She swallowed hard. She didn't want to go home. She didn't want to leave Dylan.

Dylan. She was safe with him. She was home when she was with him.

She turned her head and looked at her packed bag. The idea of traveling away from this safe haven made her stomach go sour.

The trip was a bad idea. The trial date was set, and it put a deadline on finding her. They would be looking for her, and she was going to a big city. She didn't want to go. She wanted to stay here. She was safe here. She had a bad feeling about this.

She had to tell him no.