“Yes. I’m so sorry I couldn’t tell you anything before now.”
“Of course you couldn’t,” her dad said, the words emotional.
“Oh, honey. I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Cassidy said. “We’re okay.”
“When can we see you?”
This was the hardest part yet. She desperately wanted to see her parents . . . but she’d discussed this with Leo. Because of everything that had happened, because she’d used Lloyd’s phone to call them over the years . . . he likely knew where they lived.
It was better for everyone’s safety if they all lay low for a while.
“It’s not safe right now,” she said.
“But you said you were good. That the drug dealer was dead . . . ,” her dad started.
“I am good now, but he had lots of bad people working for him, Dad. They were training Mario to run drugs. They sold me to one of my rescuers, like I was nothing more than a piece of meat. They’re truly evil men, and I wouldn’t want you anywhere near them.
“The men who rescued me want you to change your number; you could be found easily, since I called you from one of my captor’s phones. Make the new number unlisted. It’s also best if you get out of town for a while. Maybe go visit our relatives in Mexico? Or if you don’t want to do that, my rescuers said they could probably arrange for a safe house.”
Cassidy heard her mom gasp, and she hated this for them. Hated that her decisions had led to her parents possibly being in danger. She didn’t want to think Lloyd or anyone from Michael’s organization would bother to hurt them, but she also didn’t want to take the chance. She’d never forgive herself if anything happened to them because of her.
There was a fairly long silence before her dad asked, “Do you really think that’s necessary?”
“Unfortunately, yes. Dad, I lived with these people for years. I know what they’re capable of. They . . . they aren’t good.” It was the understatement of the century, for sure.
“We’ll look into it,” her dad finally said.
Cassidy’s shoulders relaxed a fraction.
“Have you called Alfred and let him know you’re back in the country?” her mom asked.
Cassidy wrinkled her nose. “Yeah. Legally, I had to do it, but honestly, he doesn’t care. About me or his son.”
“Maybe now that Mario’s older, he’ll be more comfortable around him,” her mom suggested lightly.
Resisting the urge to sigh, Cassidy knew her parents would always have a soft spot in their hearts for her ex, which wasn’t something Cassidy would ever understand. Just because he had money didn’t make him a good person. But her parents were old school. It was more important that their daughter be “taken care of,” even if the relationship wasn’t healthy.
She wasn’t going to get into that now, though. She’d done her best to explain why she’d divorced Alfred before moving to Jamaica, but it seemed as if they were still hoping she might reconcile with him.
Wanting to change the subject, Cassidy asked, “Do you remember Leo Zanardi?” she asked.
“I don’t talk to his parents much anymore, as we’ve grown apart over the years, but of course I remember him,” her mom said.
Cassidy wasn’t going to tell her parents that he was the one who’d rescued her, but she wanted them to know he was in her life again. “Well, I ran into him, and he invited me to come to Indianapolis, where he lives. He co-owns a towing business with his friends—it’s called Silverstone Towing—and for the first time in a very long time . . . I feel safe,” Cassidy admitted.
“That’s a relief, baby,” her mom replied. “And you’re sure Mario’s okay?”
“He’s amazing,” Cassidy said. “So smart and creative. He wants to be a dancer, and I couldn’t be prouder of him.”
“We miss you,” her dad said.
“I miss you guys too. And love you so much, and I’m sorry about everything.”
“You have nothing to be sorry about,” her dad said sternly. “You did nothing wrong.”
“You sound like Leo,” Cassidy replied without thinking.
“I always liked him,” Alice said. “He was respectful and seemed very levelheaded, especially compared to his family. It’s a shame about his uncle, being in prison and all. And everyone knows that his parents hate each other, but they refuse to get divorced.”
Cassidy felt uneasy talking about Leo’s family behind his back. She vaguely recalled that his uncle had been put in jail for domestic abuse, but she hadn’t remembered until now. And the fact that he could have such a volatile family was a little surprising. Her mom was right—Leo was levelheaded. There had been times in Jamaica when he could’ve flown off the handle, especially with Lloyd, but he’d controlled himself. She figured some of his restraint was intentional so he wouldn’t scare her or Mario, but in general, she could tell he kept a tight rein on his emotions.
“I love you guys,” Cassidy told her parents. “I’m sorry that I’ve been such a disappointment, but I’m on the right path now. It might’ve taken me forty-two years, but I’m going to make you proud.”
“We’re already proud of you,” her dad said gruffly.
“Thanks, Papa,” Cassidy said, her voice cracking.
“Take care of yourself and our grandson,” her mom said. “Call when you can—we’d love to hear from you more often.”
“I will, Mom. And you guys take care of yourselves. Be very careful. I was serious about the new phone number and maybe getting out of town. It won’t be forever, just for a while.”
“We’ll let you know,” her dad said.
Cassidy resisted the urge to sigh again. She really hoped they’d take her concerns to heart. Maybe she should’ve told them more about what she’d been through, but she wanted them to be cautious, not scared shitless.
“We love you,” her mom said softly, and Cassidy could tell she was trying not to cry.
“Love you too. I’ll call again soon.”
“Bye.”
“Bye.”
By the time Cassidy hung up, she was completely exhausted. Glancing over at the clock, she saw that an hour and a half had gone by. She hadn’t realized she’d been talking to her parents for that long, but it had been very overdue.
Without thinking, she picked up her phone again and clicked on Leo’s name.
“Everything okay, Cass?” he asked in lieu of a greeting.
Cassidy smiled. “Yeah. I just wanted to let you know that I talked to my folks.”
“And?”
“It was good.”
“I’m glad,” Leo said. “Tell me about it?”
Cassidy rehashed their conversation, and by the time she was done, she felt ten pounds lighter. “They were really good about my lying to them for so long. I think Papa may be on board with going to Mexico for a while, but it’s hard to tell.”
“Good,” Leo said. “Call them again in a few days. If they don’t want to leave and I need to arrange for a safe house, I will.”
Cassidy couldn’t help but close her eyes in relief. Once again, he was protecting someone she loved. Leo was such a good man. “Okay. And by the way . . . they remember you. Mom said that she always liked you.”