“Chad Bullock and the Towlers are being brought back to Kent County. The State’s Attorney has set up a bail hearing for the day after tomorrow. Your attorney has been notified. He said he’ll be calling you this afternoon once he gets our report. At my request, there’s been a restraining order drawn up; you need to sign that before it can go in front of a judge. It will be granted. Once you have the RO, your attorney will need a copy.”
The kernel of fear that was still sloshing around in my belly expanded until I felt like I was going to pass out. I didn’t want those people in the same county as Faith. I didn’t want them near me. I didn’t want restraining orders or more court appearances. I wanted them gone. Just gone. Out of my daughter’s life for good.
“Baby, they’re not going to get near you or Faith,” Holden said.
But I didn’t believe him. They would. They’d get to us somehow. They always did.
“If they make bail…” I let my sentence hang, unable to think about what would happen if they were let out. “Can’t they stay in Virginia?”
“I’m sorry, Charleigh. The crime happened in Kent County so they have to face charges here. But Holden’s right, they won’t—”
“You don’t understand,” I cut Jonny off. “They will. They play games. They’ll call me. They’ll send me letters. Patty will email me. I wouldn’t put it past them to stay just outside of the restraining order but make sure I see them.”
God, I hated them.
“None of that will happen this time,” Holden promised. “You and Faith will always have someone with you. Micky will monitor your emails. I’ll check the mail and we’ll get you a new phone number.”
“I don’t want a new number. I want them to leave me alone,” I raged. “They want the money.” Holden stiffened next to me and I knew what I had to say next would probably piss him off but I was so over the Towlers I didn’t care. “Paul would roll over in his grave if I gave it to them. He hated them almost as much as I do. I don’t want the money, I never did. I just refused to give it to them because Paul made it known he didn’t want them to have it. It’s in an account at Navy Federal.”
I looked at Nix and his face had gone blank. He didn’t like to talk about Paul’s death. All these years later, he still blamed himself for Paul getting shot. “I don’t want the money, Nix. Can you arrange for it to be donated to the Navy SEAL Foundation? There’s a little over three-hundred thousand in the account.”
“Charleigh.” Nixon softened his voice and his eyes skidded to Holden before they came back to me. “He wanted you to have that money to help with Faith. Think about her future.”
“I am thinking about her future. One that doesn’t include the Towlers kidnapping her for ransom. One that doesn’t include them dragging my ass into court once a year using her as a pawn to get their hands on money that Paul never intended for them to have. I want it all gone.”
“Charleigh—”
I shook my head to stop Nixon from speaking. I didn’t want to hear it. Nixon didn’t understand but Holden did. I turned to look at the man at my side. His face was a blank mask, no emotion evident—by all accounts, he looked like we were discussing the weather.
“Make it go away,” I demanded and he flinched. “You know, Holden.”
“Baby, that money is Faith’s. He wanted his daughter to have it.”
The tremble in his voice told me that one sentence cost him huge.
Paul was dead, he didn’t get a say. As shitty as it was for me to think, it was the truth.
“He would want his daughter safe.” My fist clenched and I fought back the urge to scream.
“Charleigh’s right,” Jameson joined the conversation. “And, Holden, don’t pretend like you hadn’t already thought about her handing that money over to Patty and Bea to buy them off. I know you did. Putting aside all of our personal feelings, the best thing for Faith is if that money is gone.”
Thank God for Jameson.
“They’re facing jail time,” Jonny rejoined.
“You don’t know these people, Jonny. They’re leeches. They’ll be right back at her as soon as they’re out. I know Paul was trying to take care of Faith but for the life of me, I don’t understand why he’d strap Charleigh with the burden. He knew what his mom and sister would do. Donate the money and be done with them. They didn’t want a relationship with Paul when he was alive—they used him as a bank—and they don’t want Faith. It’s all about the money.”
“I’ll make the arrangements,” Nix told me.
“Thank you.”
I glanced at Holden hoping I’d find him more relaxed. After all, he’d come to me and told me to get rid of the money. It had been his idea. But he didn’t look calm, he looked angry.
“Holden?”
“This is one of those times when reality smacked me in the face. I need a minute, Leigh-Leigh, and I’m asking you to give it to me.” My shock must’ve registered on my face because he leaned forward, dropped his forehead to mine, and whispered, “I need you to trust me to sort myself out.”
“Okay.”
As soon as the word was out of my mouth, Holden sagged against me.
“Thank you, baby.”
The shock I felt had nothing to do with him telling me what he needed and everything to do with him admitting it in front of his friends. He wasn’t hiding how he felt.
He wasn’t hiding us.
Holden was fighting.
22
Holden glanced at the door as Micky walked into the conference room.
“Sorry I’m late. Holly wouldn’t go down,” the tired-looking woman explained.
“Is she all right?”
The concern in Nixon’s voice made Holden’s lips twitch. He’d never doubted Nix would be an excellent dad, but he’d hadn’t
