Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 71179 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71179 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
“I’ve got a current picture of him,” Leif says. “I sent it through the phone.”
My heart nearly stops. I’m actually going to see my brother?
“He lands in Austin in an hour. I’m picking him up personally. Falcon says not to bring him to the safe house.”
“The fewer people who know about it, the better,” Falcon says. “We never know when we may have to use it again.”
I look over at Falcon and grab his arm. “Will it be safe for me to leave this house to see him?”
“Since it’s been two weeks, the McAllisters aren’t looking quite as hard,” Leif says. “At least not in this general area. At this point, they think you’ve fled the country. So we’re going to let them think that.”
“Then where should we meet you?”
“I rented a small furnished house in Giant Oak, the town over from Summer Creek,” he says. “I’ll text you the address. Meet us there at six this evening.”
“Should I cut my hair?” I ask. “Color it?”
“Don’t do anything that could draw attention to yourself,” he says. “Keep your hair the way it is, and don’t wear dark glasses or a scarf over your head. Nothing like that. But try to keep the bright colors to a minimum.”
“That won’t be a problem,” I say. “All the clothes here in my size are beige and brown and nondescript.”
“They’re that way for a reason, Savannah,” Falcon says.
“They sound perfect. What kind of car do you have available?”
“In the underground garage are two cars,” Falcon says. “Both electric, and both fully charged. A silver Nissan Leaf, and a navy blue Tesla S.”
“Take the Leaf,” Leif says. “It will look less assuming.”
“That’s what I was thinking, too,” Falcon agrees.
“And I don’t have to tell you.” His voice adopts a dark edge. “You know what to do.”
I nod. “We’ll be there.”
Falcon ends the call.
I run my hands through my hair. I can’t help smiling. “I’m going to see my brother,” I say. “I can’t believe it.”
Falcon’s face is noncommittal. “We need to go down to the bunker, find you a holster, and get you armed.”
“I have to be armed?”
“When Leif said, ‘you know what to do,’ that’s code between him and me. It means we come armed.”
“Why would I need to come armed to see my brother?”
“Savannah, your brother’s been gone a long time.” He lays a hand on my shoulder. “Do I think he’s a threat to either one of us? No, I don’t. But we can’t take any chances. Besides, if something happens, and we don’t make it to the meeting point, we need to be ready for anything.”
I bite my lower lip. Then I nod. “I understand.”
The drive is about thirty minutes long, and I look behind and beside me everywhere I can the entire time while shielding my eyes from the sun. Staying inside two weeks with only artificial light really does a number on your eyes, and the sun…
The Texas sun is so damned bright.
I want to strip all my clothes off and just bask under the sun.
But of course that’s not possible.
I can’t even leave this car for fear that one of the McAllisters’ spies will spot me and take me away from Falcon.
I quiver at the thought.
“Vannah, I’ve got this,” Falcon says. “No one is here. No one can find us. No one’s following us. Try to relax.”
“I can’t. I’m pretty antsy.” I sigh and grab his arm. “I’m scared, Falcon.”
“You don’t have to be scared as long as I’m with you.”
I believe him. I believe he’d move heaven and earth for me, just as I’d move heaven and earth for him. He doesn’t want me to do that any more than I want him to do it for me. We each put the good of the other before our own. We’ve got our own little Gift of the Magi thing going. The irony of our gifts is a seductive sin, each of us giving up our heart’s desire to find the true essence of our love in the depth of sacrifice. It’s utterly beautiful.
But I think…
I think we need to work together a little more.
We slide into the open garage of a single-family dwelling in an unassuming neighborhood. As soon as we’re in, the garage door closes behind us.
“How’d that happen?”
Then I see Leif standing in the doorway from the garage. He nods to Falcon.
Falcon and I leave the vehicle and go inside. The garage leads straight to a laundry room and then to the kitchen.
And at the kitchen table sits—
“My God, Vinnie!”
He has his back to me, but I’d know him anywhere.
My brother turns, looks at me, his eyes sunken and sad. Then he rises, rushes to me. “Oh my God, Savannah.”
I burst into tears. “I’m okay. I’m okay, Vinnie.”
“I’m so sorry I wasn’t here to protect you,” he says, grabbing me into a hug.