Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 82165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
“No, you’re not leaving.”
Pulling out the drawer, she grabbed a handful of clothes and threw them into the suitcase.
“For fuck’s sake, Cadie, will you just stop for a second, please.”
She opened another drawer and did the same thing. I walked over and grabbed her, turning her so she would look at me. “Stop. Stop this right now.”
Her eyes looked crazed. “You don’t understand, Kian. If the CIA knows I’m here, they also do.”
“The CIA didn’t find you, the FBI did.”
She let out a humorless laugh. “Because that makes it better.”
“Cadie, stop for two seconds and just breathe.”
“I can’t!” she screamed. “If they find me, they’ll kill me. And they may kill you or Opal or Katherine. No, I can’t risk it.”
“Do you trust me?”
She looked up at me, and when I saw the tears in her eyes I nearly fell to the floor. She nodded.
“Say it.”
“I trust you, but–”
Pressing my finger to her mouth, I shook my head. “But nothing. I just found you, Cadie, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let you walk out of my life. We’re going to do this together.”
She chewed on her lower lip. “Your brother is in the CIA?”
I closed my eyes and sighed before looking back at her. “Today has been a day of surprises. My mother and father are also coming for Easter this weekend.”
Her eyes widened. “What?”
“One problem at a time.”
I saw the corners of her mouth twitch with a hidden smile. “I think my problem is a lot bigger than your parents coming to visit.”
“You’ve never met them.”
That time she did laugh.
“Are you calmed down?”
She nodded, but tears appeared again. “I would never forgive myself if anything ever happened to you or Opal, Sally, Katherine. Aurora. I’ve met so many amazing people in this town. The last thing I want to do is bring trouble.”
“You won’t.”
“How did the FBI find out about me?”
I took her hand in mine. “I think you should let Mark tell you that.”
She looked at her suitcase once again.
“Cadie, please trust me.”
Her eyes met mine, and she nodded. “Okay.”
We walked back into the living room only to find Mark eating from a tub of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.
Cadie and I walked over and sat down on the sofa. “Help yourself to the ice cream, Mark.”
“I’m starving, Kian. I haven’t eaten breakfast or lunch.”
Standing, Cadie asked, “Would you like for me to make you something to eat?”
Mark looked at me. I shrugged. “You can tell her what you told me while she makes something to eat.”
Then I realized she hadn’t gone to the book club meeting. “I thought you had book club.”
Cadie was pulling different things from the refrigerator. “It’s not until later. I was coming home to change. I guess I better let Aurora know I won’t make it.”
“No, you should go,” Mark said. When we both looked at him, he explained. “The last thing you want is to change your routine or act like something is wrong.”
Cadie sighed. “But something is wrong. I have a crazy family hunting me down.”
Mark held up his hand. “Let me tell you what I know, and then we’ll talk afterward. Is that fair enough?”
Nodding her head, Cadie replied, “Fair enough.”
Cadie
When Mark finished telling me how the FBI had stumbled on my name and how he had entered the picture, my head was spinning.
“So they asked you to come in and talk to me?” I asked.
“Mainly it’s because I’m from here. But yeah, they had their reasons.”
“And you guys don’t know why I ran?”
Mark shook his head. “Would you like to tell me?”
I pressed my lips tightly together. When I looked at Kian, he nodded. I trusted him and knew I could trust Mark, even though I had just met him. Strangely, he hadn’t told his family he was the CIA, but who was I to judge?
Clearing my throat, I told Mark everything I had told Kian.
“Did you see the guy Michael shot?” Mark asked.
“Um, not really. He was maybe in his forties. The only reason I say that is he had some gray streaks in his hair; that was about all I could see.”
“And you said you saw two cops. Boston cops?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
Mark sat back and whistled. “I hate crooked cops.”
Kian leaned forward. “Is there anything any of them said that you might have heard and didn’t think was important at the time?”
Mark looked at his older brother and smirked.
“Um, let me think.”
Closing my eyes, I tried to go back to that night. It was four months ago, and I had tried like hell to forget that entire evening.
My mind quickly took me back. I could see Michael, his father, leaning in and telling him to finish off the person he had the gun pointed at.
“He was second, and he betrayed us, Michael. He stole from us. Finish him.”