“If you hurt that dog—”
“Me?” she asked, pointing to herself as she slammed the gas and raced toward the airport. “Dog lover.
“Uh-oh.”
“What’s
“I put in your Michigan cop with the GPS dog. And from what it says here . . . well . . . looks like
34
Whattya mean,
“She. Naomi. She knows we’re in an airport,” I tell him.
“But all those fake reservations—”
“Will hold her off for ten minutes. She’s smart. She knows Lauderdale is closest. We need to go,” I insist. “And
“Th-That’s not possible. I
“And I
“Please . . . your father needs to settle his spirit,” Serena begs, trying to pull away.
“Cal, let go of her!” my dad growls.
Once again, a nearby TSA employee turns toward us. But it’s not half as bad as the flat black box that I spot over his shoulder, hanging in the corner. Another camera I missed. Staring directly at us.
Following my eyeline, my father freezes when he sees it. He knows what it means. He knows Naomi’s on her way. And he knows what Ellis will do to Serena when he finds out she’s been seen with us.
“Calvin, how much cash do we have left?” my father asks.
“That’s smart—no, good thought,” I tell him. “If we hide her in a motel, she’ll be safe until—”
“I’m not getting her a motel. I’m getting her a plane ticket.” He turns to Serena. “You’re coming with us.”
“Wait . . .
“Don’t argue with me, Calvin. Not about this. I know what I’m doing.”
“Oh, that’s right—I forgot how good you were at saving the women you love.”
My father stops right there, burning me with the kind of glare that should come with medical attention. Serena starts to scratch his back. It doesn’t help at all.
“Enough with the subtext, Calvin. Where’s all the anger
“
“That’s not what happened!”
“You kidding? I
My father falls silent, like he’s surprised I remember.
We’re both breathing hard, but he’s the one to break the quiet. “Why’d you follow me after the hospital, Calvin? Was it to help me, or just to remind me of my life’s greatest regret?”
I shake my head. “You have no idea how much you don’t know me.”
He studies me carefully, unsure of whether to fight. But he also knows that if we don’t move quick, we’re not going anywhere.
“Lloyd, if this is the journey—between you and Cal . . .” Serena begins behind him, “maybe I was wrong. Maybe I’m not meant to be on this trip.”
“She’s right,” I shoot back.
“She’s
“We’re not leaving her. If we get her someplace safe . . .”
“Where? In what time?” my dad challenges. “You said they’re already on their way. And then when they pull the video from those cameras—you saw what happened to Timothy. Once Ellis shows his badge and sees that Serena was with us, he’s gonna track her down, leap for her throat, and . . .” He looks over at Serena, refusing to say the words. “Tell me you think I’m wrong, Calvin. She knows what
I stare at Serena, knowing the answer. The last thing I need is another death on my conscience. Besides, I heard her ask about the package last night. At least this way, I’ve got my eyes right on her.
“The moment we get to Cleveland, we’re checking her into the first hotel we see,” I say.
“That’s fine,” my dad says, rushing back to the airline counter.
Behind him, Serena makes a quick pit stop in the restroom.
And I’m left alone by the floral sofas, staring through the tall plateglass windows, studying the arriving cars and taxis, and praying Naomi and Ellis aren’t as close as I think they are.
35
First of all, his name’s not
“Yeah, I kinda figured that from his ID saying
“
“Like Cal.”
“No. Very much
“You already did
“Excuse me?” Scotty asked.
“You can’t say
Scotty paused, stewing in silence. “
“Just tell me what he did,” Naomi said with yet another glance at the GPS’s glowing crimson triangle. Still on target.
“See, that’s the problem, no one can
“You’re joking, right? Another broken bird with parent issues? I thought you said he wasn’t like Cal.”
“Trust me, this is far from Cal. Anyway, Mom gets slammed in the car wreck, young Edward is untouched, and as a result, he gets sent to live with his recently divorced dad for two weeks while the mom recovers. Two weeks. Instead, a few days into the visit, his father tells him that his mom has suddenly died. Young Edward never went back home again.”
“Oh, boy. And Edward believed him?”
“Dad said it, didn’t he? Of course he believed him. Until one rainy day when now fully grown