Chapter 5

Annie

I ride with Aiden in the back seat of Jake’s black SUV as he drives us to my parent’s house. We’re followed by two of Jake’s colleagues in another SUV, and my mother drives herself in her Mercedes coupe. I’m not sure where my father is right now... probably in his own car.

Everything’s happening so quickly, it’s hard for me to keep up. I only just saw Jake for the first time in years, and yet it all feels so right again. My lips are still tingling from our kiss back in the conference room.

That kiss… I suppose it was crazy to kiss him like that, but when he asked, I couldn’t say no. It was a dream come true, kissing him again. Feeling his lips on mine, his hands on my body. I could have melted. But the truth is, it was a foolish thing to do. I don’t know anything about his life now. Is he married? Or does he have a girlfriend? I have absolutely no idea. I can’t just go around kissing men I know nothing about.

Aiden is buckled into the seat next to mine, his favorite toy clutched tightly on his lap. His gaze is locked on the back of Jake’s head, and I’m sure he’s scared. Thanks to Ted, Aiden has grown wary of men in general, let alone someone as physically intimidating as Jake. Aiden looks at me with big, wide eyes, and I can tell he’s got a million questions.

I reach over and pat his leg. “It’s okay, honey. Everything’s going to be fine.”

Then I catch Jake’s gaze in the rearview mirror. “We’ll need to get Aiden’s booster seat,” I say. “It’s in my car, which is parked at my parent’s house.”

Jake nods. “No problem. You can bring whatever you need. Clothes, toys for the boy. If you forget anything, we’ll get it for you.”

“Where are we going, exactly?”

“Somewhere safe,” he says. “I can’t say more than that right now.”

Instead of worrying about his cryptic answers, I attempt to relax in my seat and give Aiden a reassuring smile. I trust Jake. Even though I haven’t laid eyes on him in over a decade, I believe him when he says Ted won’t be able to get to us. Jake has always exuded confidence, but it’s even more palpable today.

I finally have a moment to look at Jake—really look at him. In some ways, he hasn’t changed at all. He’s still tall, dark, and handsome. He still gives me butterflies. Although now, he’s clearly older, more mature. His face has lost any softness it might have had in high school. Now, it’s all sharp planes and angles, strong jaw lines, and an aquiline nose that looks like it’s been broken a time or two. Physically, he dominated high school sports, excelling at whatever he did. But now, his body looks like it has been carved from stone, all hard muscle and rough edges.

He’s clearly not a boy any longer. He’s all man now, and the impact he has on me is unsettling. Just looking at him now makes my insides quiver.

Jake pulls the SUV into my parents’ driveway and parks near the bay of garages. Another SUV pulls up beside us, followed by mother’s car. My father’s Mercedes-Benz, bringing Cameron as well, brings up the rear. Everyone exits their respective vehicles so we can convene in the driveway.

Jake points in my direction. “Annie, go inside and collect your things. Lay everything you want to bring out on your bed. Charlie, help Aiden get his things. Bring them to Annie’s room as soon as you’re done.”

Charlie approaches Aiden slowly, as if she’s addressing a frightened animal, smiling at him as she holds out her hand. “Hi, Aiden. I’m Charlie. Can I help you pack your things?”

Aiden looks back at me, and I nod. “It’s okay, sweetie. Why don’t you take Charlie inside and show her your room.”

“Yeah,” Charlie says, holding out her hand. “Come show me your room.”

Charlie takes Aiden inside the house, and as soon as they’re out of hearing, my father steps forward, clearly not happy.

 “Get their things?” my father says, scowling at Jake. “Why? They’re not going anywhere.”

“Yes, they are,” Jake says. “They’re coming with me to a safe house.”

My father shakes his head adamantly. “Absolutely not! They’ll stay right here with us where they’ll be safe. Surely your people can guard the house.”

Jake shakes his head. “I think this afternoon was a pretty good demonstration of why the status quo isn’t good enough. Patterson is determined to get to your daughter and grandson. I’m taking them to a secured facility, where he can’t do that. End of discussion.”

My father’s expression darkens. “Where exactly is this secure facility?”

Jake takes a menacing step toward my dad, towering over him more than a few inches. “That’s classified information, Frank.”

“Bullshit! You are not taking my daughter away—”

“Frank, you hired us to keep your daughter and grandson safe. Now you need to let us do our jobs.”

“For how long?”

“Until Patterson is no longer a threat.”

“What does that mean?”

Jake looks completely nonplussed. “Until he’s either in jail or dead. Either works for me.”

My mother gasps, her eyes wide, but she doesn’t say anything more. Neither does my father.

“After you,” Jake says, motioning me toward the house.

Killian and Cameron follow us inside, and we all head up the stairs to the bedrooms.

* * *

As Jake leans against the door jamb, watching me quietly, I stand in the center of my bedroom, feeling at a complete loss. It’s hard for me to know what to pack when I don’t know where we’re going, or for how long. “What should I—”

“Bring whatever you want,” he says.

“But I don’t know where we’re going, or for how long—”

“Just grab the basics for now. If you forget anything, I’ll get it for you. You don’t need to worry about a thing, Annie. And as for the duration, that’s open-ended. Just grab what you want to bring and lay it out on the bed.”

It’s a little unnerving to root through my underwear drawers and my clothes closet while Jake is watching me like a hawk from the bedroom door. Hastily, I grab a couple pairs of jeans, a few tops, a sweater, and one dress. A pair of sneakers and a pair of boots. Then my undergarments, panties and bras, and a few nightgowns and PJ shorts.

I fold the clothing as neatly as possible and arrange the items in a couple of small stacks on my bed. I set my boots on the floor, then run into the bathroom to grab my toiletries. I also grab my laptop, my iPad, power cords and chargers, and the small stack of paperback books on my nightstand.

Just as I’m done collecting my things and have everything laid out on my bed, Aiden and Charlie enter my room. Charlie is holding a stack of Aiden’s clothing, socks and underwear, and Aiden is juggling half a dozen stuffed animals and a red toy car in his arms. Charlie sets Aiden’s clothing on the bed, then motions for Aiden to deposit his toys there as well.

“Is this everything?” Jake asks.

I nod hesitantly. “I’m sure we’re forgetting something, but this will have to do for now.”

“Have you got suitcases?” Jake says.

“Oh, right, of course.” I pull two small, wheeled cases out of my closet, one for each of us, and my toiletries organizer.

I lay one of the suitcases on the bed and unzip it. But before I can start packing, Jake holds out his hand. “Wait.”

Cameron and Killian walk into the room.

“Ready?” Killian says.

Jake points at our belongings on the bed. “Yeah. Go ahead.”

Killian pulls a small device out of his jacket pocket, something about the size of a pack of playing cards. He pushes a button. Then small indicator lights along the top start blinking.

“What’s that?” I say, watching Killian wave the device systematically over our belongings.

“It’s a bug detector,” Cameron says. “It detects tracking devices, listening devices, any and all bugs.”

 “What in the world are you doing?” my mother says from the open doorway.

“Checking for tracking devices,” Killian says.

“What?” I say, utterly shocked.

Jake steps forward. “How else do you think he always knows where you are? He’s bugging you.”