She laid her head on my chest as I pulled her close. I didn’t say anything but just stood there and held her. Parker didn’t cry, nor did she speak. She clung to me like her life depended on it. I’d never felt so close to her. I didn’t want the moment to end, but when she pulled away, I didn’t have a choice in the matter. Parker placed the palms of her hands on my chest as she looked up at me and said, “Thank you, Jared. I needed that.”
Without saying anything more, she walked over to the dresser and grabbed some clean clothes, then disappeared into the bathroom. Knowing she needed some time to herself, I took the envelope out to the front porch and sat down on the front step. I put on the latex glove Billy had included in the bag, and a sense of dread washed over me as I pulled the phone out and looked down at the screen. I knew I wasn’t going to like what I was about to see on Parker’s video, so I inhaled a deep breath and tried to prepare myself. After several moments, I finally forced myself to pull up the video.
My chest tightened the second I saw Parker’s beautiful face appear on the screen. She was wearing the wig Billy had given her and was using a filter that added freckles to the bridge of her nose, but neither hid the look of turmoil that was written all over her face. I did my best to brace myself as I hit Play and listened to her say “Hello, I am Parker Weston, the daughter of Mark and Laura Weston. I lived with them at 115 Dolman Drive, Sausalito, California, until the day Lorenzo Rossi murdered my family.” My chest tightened as I watched the tears start to pool in Parker’s eyes. I knew this shit was going to be hard on her. I just had no idea how much.
“I was there that night...hiding in the closet. I heard the gunshots when Rossi killed my sister. I saw him with the gun in his hand, and I testified to that fact during his trial. I was cross-examined, and my testimony was recorded. Mr. Rossi is a member of a notorious crime family, and I was the key witness in his case, so I was put into witness protection. I was placed with Peter and Sally Brant. They were wonderful to me. They helped me cope with the loss of my family. I’d been with them for almost a year when Rossi’s men came after me.”
Parker started rocking back and forth, crying heartbreaking tears as she continued filming herself. “Rossi had the Brants killed, and if Mr. Brant hadn’t helped me get away, he would’ve killed me too. I’ve been on the run for almost a year. I know it’s only a matter of time before they find me again, and I’m just...”
She covered her face with her hand and took several deep breaths, trying to collect herself. It gutted me to see her so upset. It made me want to hunt down Rossi and kill him with my bare hands. That feeling only grew more intense as she went on, “I’m just so tired. I don’t have it in me anymore. I’m tired of being alone. I miss my family. I want to be with them, so I’m done running. I’m done hiding. By the time you see this message, I’ll be gone. I will have taken my life and returned to the people I’ve cared about the most. Before I go through with this, I have one request: Don’t let our lives be lost in vain. Keep Lorenzo Rossi behind bars where he belongs.”
Parker was sobbing uncontrollably when recording stopped, making me feel even worse for her. I took the phone and walked back inside. After placing it in the envelope, I removed my latex glove and started down to the basement. I stopped when Billy appeared in the kitchen. “We’re all set on our end.”
“Good.” He took the envelope and peeked inside. “How’d she do?”
“It was tough for her, but it’s definitely believable.”
“That’s good to hear.” He slipped it under his arm. “It’s time to put all this into action.”
“And what exactly are we going to do?”
“We aren’t going to do anything,” he answered flatly. “You have your brothers. I have my team, and we work alone.”
“Understood.”
“Good.” Before making his way back to the basement, Billy said, “We will be gone for the night. I’ll need you both to remain here until I get back.”
“We can do that.”
“No one is expected to come around, so make yourselves at home.”
“We will. Thanks, Billy.”
He was walking down the basement steps when he announced, “I’ll be in touch.”
Once he was gone, I opened the fridge and looked for something to fix for breakfast. I figured after last night and her rough morning, a bite to eat would do Parker good. I grabbed the bacon and eggs, then turned on the stove and got busy cooking. I’d just started frying the bacon when she walked into the kitchen wearing a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. Even though her eyes were still puffy from crying, Parker looked beautiful as she stepped over to me. “Wow, something smells good in here.”
“Thought I’d make us some breakfast.”
“Good, I’m starving.” She ran her fingers through her long, damp hair. “Anything I can do to help?”
“You could see if Billy has any biscuits.”
“Sure thing.” Parker sauntered over to the fridge, and as she opened the door, she asked, “Is he going to be eating with us?”
“No. He’s, uh... not gonna be around today and tonight.”
“Oh?” She pulled out the biscuits and started placing them on a pan. “So, he’s gone? He’s all set to do whatever it is he’s planning on doing?”
“Yeah.” I turned to face her, and the anguished expression on her face hit me right in the gut. “It’s going to be okay, Parker. He’s gonna take care of this.”
“Are you sure?”
“I wouldn’t be standing here if I wasn’t.” I stepped over to her and slipped my hands around her waist, pulling her closer. “I know you’re worried, but this will all be over soon.”
“And then what?” She looked up at me with doe eyes as she asked, “Are you going to send me on my way?”
“Oh, no, baby. There’s no way that’s gonna happen.” I lowered my mouth to her shoulder, trailing kisses along the curve of her neck. “Now, that I’ve got you, there’s no way in hell I’m letting you go.”
Parker
“You’re not letting me go, huh?” I smiled as I slipped my arms around his neck. “I kind of like the sound of that.”
“That’s good, because I meant it.” His eyes were filled with emotion when he added, “I think we’ve found a good thing here, and I plan to hold on to it.”
“I think we have a good thing too.” Jared said exactly what I’d been thinking since the night he showed up at my apartment. We shared an unlikely connection—first, it was driven by lust, but it quickly turned into something more. There was no denying it, I was falling for Jared, and falling hard. I eased up on my tiptoes as I pressed my lips to his in a soft, tender kiss filled with promise. It didn’t take long for things to become heated. We were both at the brink of losing control when the smell of something burning forced me to break free from our embrace. “The bacon.”
“Shit.” Jared rushed over to the stove and pulled it off the burner. “It’s a little charred around the edges, but I think it’s salvageable.”