Forsaken Duty (Red Team #9)(19)

“I have a little house. They don’t know I own it. I bought it before I started here. I gave my friend the money to buy it for me.”

Addy frowned. Bonnie had been preparing this for a while…and not for Addy’s benefit. How terrible this world was that her own nanny was trying to sneak out of it.

“It’s for my retirement. It’s safe. You can go there. The money I’ve been stashing is there. You can use it to get food and supplies so they can’t track you.”

“Why would you do this? It’s a risk for you as much as for me. It’s your retirement. And if they find out you helped me…”

Bonnie turned to watch the boys. “I can’t have children. You and your boys are the closest I’ll ever be to a family of my own. I can’t stand by and do nothing when I could help you.”

Addy’s heart beat hard. It could work. Cecil wasn’t home. He was usually gone for weeks after one of his attacks.

But then she remembered why it wouldn’t work. “The guards search your car when you leave.”

“The drive is a couple miles long. I could let you out before I get to the guard station, then meet you on the other side. It’s rough terrain, but if you’re careful, you and the boys can make it.”

“You’ve given this some thought.”

“I have. His attacks on you are getting more frequent and more violent. He’s going to kill you one day. And then what will happen to your boys?”

Addy closed her eyes. She had only to inventory her aches and pains to know her window of opportunity to get out was closing fast. “How will we do it?”

“I go shopping every Tuesday at about this time. We’ll go today.”

“I can’t get in your car. If they’re watching us, they’ll see that.”

“Then take the boys for a walk in the woods. When you’re out of sight from the house, head southwest, straight for the road. It’s a long walk for the boys. And you’ll have to move fast. That will bring you to the road far enough from the guard station that no one will see you getting into my car.”

“Bonnie, you can’t come back either. He’ll kill you for this.”

“I know. I’ll stay with you at my house. The search will die down in a little while.”

God, the search. She hadn’t even thought of that. Cecil would have his men out looking for them, telling the media lies, getting the cops involved. He’d say Addy kidnapped her own boys.

Before she could let her panic explode, she reminded herself that she had to take it one step at a time. Get out. Then make a plan. She would be completely on her own, though. She couldn’t call her parents. Or Wendell. And certainly not Owen, who’d gotten her into this in the first place.





8





Owen took a seat at the long, empty table as he listened to their fading footsteps. He wasn’t sure hatred was a strong enough word for the vibe Addy was giving off. There was an open bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon on the table. He filled his glass, then just stared at the blood-red liquid. Kelan probably had the perfect word for it, but it wouldn’t be in English.

How long did wounds of the heart live in the blood? Forever?

A server came in with a tray of plates, followed by the butler.

“Oh, my apologies, sir. I thought I heard Ms. Jacobs come down,” Spencer said.

“She did. And then she went back upstairs. I believe she would like their supper served up there.”

“Very good. I’ll see to it, then,” he said as he served the first course.

Owen looked down at his plate of succulent filet mignon. Everything here was far more formal than anything he’d become used to. The ceremonies were the same as they’d been at Senator Jacobs’ house. Nothing like the noisy, chaotic, familial meals of the team and their women and children. He missed them. He lifted his glass and swallowed an inelegant mouthful.

Visits to the Jacobs’ or to Val’s had been welcome breaks in his childhood. After his dad and Val’s had had some sort of falling out, he would have gone crazy if it hadn’t been for the time he’d spent with Jax and Addy.

He’d been a little surprised to learn that after his father’s death, his wishes had been for Owen to go live with Val. He didn’t think their fathers had talked in years. It had been even more shocking when he’d gotten the word in a postmortem letter that his father expected him to protect Val.

From what? Or whom?

Shit. He straightened in his chair. Everything mattered. Every action. Every word. Every outcome. All of it had meaning. The letter his dad wrote hadn’t been one he’d drafted years before his death, when setting up his estate. No, it had likely been written after he’d faked his death. He’d sent Owen to Val’s on purpose. But why?

Owen picked up his silverware and cut into his steak, eating absent-mindedly while he pondered things he should have long ago considered. When the meal was over, he thought about going up to check on Addy, remembering what happened with her toe.

How had it healed so quickly? The sink was full of blood. She’d dripped blood all the way back to the house from the playground. It was not a surface scratch but a deep cut. And now it was almost gone.

When he finished his meal, he went outside and found himself walking they way they’d taken back to the house. It was dark outside but the moon was bright. Someone had rinsed it off. He shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans.