In Seconds

money or something else and negotiations didn’t go as planned.”

“You said, ‘for one.’ What else makes you think they’re coming here?”

“Besides the fact that they’ve sworn to see us all dead?”

“Yeah.”

“They’ve already started to make good on that promise. They stabbed Vivian’s mother to death sometime in the past week.”

Myles felt his eyebrows jerk up. “They killed her mother?”

“Neighbor found her.”

Shit… This was serious, all right. “And Vivian knows?”

“About her mother? As of this morning, she does.”

How was he supposed to react to that? Vivian was caught up in something bigger than he could ever have imagined. “And the names of the men who broke out of prison are…”

“I only know one of them. He’s called Ink. Spent a lot of time with him back in the day but don’t remember his real name because I never used it. All I know is that he’s a crazy son of a bitch.”

“What does he look like?”

“He’s got tattoos—”

With a scowl, Myles pulled his shirt out of his pants in preparation for removing his uniform once Rex left. “Let me guess. Those tattoos are all over, including his face. Lightning bolts for eyebrows?”

Rex stopped trying to make his escape and actually advanced toward him. “You’ve seen him.”

He recalled the uneasiness he’d felt in the presence of “Ron Howard” and his younger buddy. “Yesterday. With a kid maybe nineteen, driving a stolen truck. Only I didn’t know it was stolen at the time, or I would’ve arrested them.”

This news seemed to infuse Rex with enough adrenaline to overcome the physical symptoms of his addiction. He quit shaking, became extremely focused. “Were you alone?”

“Yes.”

“Then it’s a good thing you didn’t try. Where are they now?”

That was the million-dollar question. “I wish I knew.” Especially because he was pretty sure that Rex was right. These escapees had killed Pat. Two men fresh out of prison would need to buy some regular shoes. They might even buy the same shoes. And those shoes would likely be cheap, common and brand-spanking-new.

Rex cursed, paced and cursed some more. “You have to find them before they find Laurel. You realize that.”

“Who’s Laurel?” This was getting more complicated by the minute.

He waved impatiently. “Vivian. Of course I’m talking about Vivian.”

“Her real name’s Laurel?”

“Used to be. Laurel Hodges. At least, that was her married name.”

TH. Those were the initials of her husband. His name was Tom Hodges. Myles finally knew, but that was little consolation. The woman he’d slept with at the cabin wasn’t even the person he thought she was. No wonder she’d been so secretive, so hard to know. Understanding brought a touch of comfort because it explained so much. And yet…he’d already lost Amber Rose. Only a fool would get emotionally involved in this.

Myles thought of a dozen additional questions he needed to ask. But Rex wouldn’t wait any longer. “She’ll have to tell you the rest,” he said. “She’s got enough going on over there packing up her kids’ stuff. I don’t want her to realize you know until after I’m gone. It’ll only upset her that I told you.” He paused. “There’s just one more thing you need to understand.”

“What’s that?”

“You can’t trust anyone. Especially anyone from California or the Federal Bureau of Prisons.”

Myles frowned. “Don’t tell me you’ve concocted some conspiracy theory. You were just gaining a little credibility.”

Rex didn’t like that response. He came over and got right in Myles’s face. “Listen to me. This gang is more powerful than you think. They bribe, threaten, coerce, do whatever they need to do in order to gain information. If you put Laurel’s location out there, they’ll access it, and they’ll show up long before the cavalry. Or they’ll wait until she’s supposedly safe, and then they’ll make their move.”

Myles refused to back away. “I can’t let anyone know she’s here. Is that what you’re saying?”

“If you do, she’ll wind up dead.”

And with that he walked out, letting the screen door slam behind him.

Myles blew out a sigh as he tried to take in everything he’d just learned—the fact that it was Vivian who’d brought Pat’s killer to Pineview, that she must’ve suspected and hadn’t told him, that she was probably too scared to trust anyone but should’ve trusted him…?.

Sometime later, he sat on the couch and leaned his head back as he continued to think. He must’ve fallen into an uneasy sleep because that sleep was disturbed the following morning when he heard car doors opening and shutting outside.

Leaning up to peer out the window, he saw Jake and Mia standing in Vivian’s driveway while Vivian—or Laurel—and Rex loaded her car.

“How long will we be gone, Mommy?” he could hear Mia ask.

“For a few weeks. It’ll be a great vacation. You’ll get to play with your cousin, see the new baby after she’s born, be with your aunt and uncle.” Vivian’s voice sounded unnaturally high, too high to be as excited as she was pretending.

“I can’t wait!” Jake seemed genuinely enthusiastic. “It’s been so long since we’ve seen Uncle Virgil. I’m going to tell him about the fish I caught.”

Vivian said something Myles couldn’t quite hear; he guessed it was about how proud his uncle would be. Then Mia spoke up again. “Will we get to see Daddy when we’re there?”

The slight delay in Vivian’s response suggested this wasn’t an easy question to answer. “No, sweetheart. I’m sorry. Not this time. Maybe later. Daddy doesn’t live anywhere near Uncle Virgil.”

“Will we get to see Dad for Christmas, then?” Jake asked.

“Maybe,” she replied. “I’m working on it.”

By trying to stop the men who were trying to kill her so she could come out of hiding? Was that what she meant?

“I’m going to ask Santa to bring Daddy to our house for Christmas,” Mia said, which obviously meant it had to happen because Santa would never disappoint her the way mere mortals would.

Neither adult argued with her. Rex kept loading the luggage; Vivian got Mia and Jake buckled into their seats.

“You have everything?” Myles heard Rex ask.

“I think so,” she said.

Rex grabbed her arm before she could climb behind the wheel. “Are you sure you won’t change your mind and go with us? Please?”

She slipped out of his grasp. “I can’t,” she said, and Myles could tell she was weeping.

18

“You look worried.”

Virgil glanced up to see his pregnant wife at the door to their home office. “I don’t know what to do.”

“She won’t come?”

They’d discussed Laurel before, lying in bed last night, whispering so they wouldn’t wake Brady. “No.”

“Do you feel you need to go to Montana?”

The strain in her voice let him know she wouldn’t be glad to see him do that. She was scared of losing him. He was equally scared of losing her. After all he’d been through in his life, he was happy, whole, at last. But he