“I already have a plan.” Her tone is neutral, and the expression on her face gives nothing away.
“Are you going to explain that?”
She shakes her head. “Nothing has changed in that regard. It’s still safer if you don’t know.”
I sigh in exasperation. “You need to get out of here before he comes back.”
Silence greets my statement, and I’m lining up arguments when she opens her mouth, shocking me. “I know.”
I stare at her, examining her face to ensure she’s not messing with me. “You mean that?”
She nods. “I thought I could do this, but I can’t, and I’m adjusting my plan accordingly.”
“No.” I shake my head, tipping her chin up gently so she’s looking me in the eye. “You aren’t going to do anything else. You need to heal and rest and let us take care of him.”
“I can’t ask that of you. You’re a child.”
“I’m eighteen, Mom, and we both know I stopped being a child at thirteen.”
“I never wanted this for you,” she whispers. “I was supposed to protect you, and I’ve failed so badly.”
“You don’t need to worry,” Saint says, and I jerk my head to the door. It’s slightly ajar, and only his head is visible. “We’re here to protect Harlow now.”
I gesture him inside, and he closes the door after him.
“Do you promise to keep her safe, Saint?” Mom drills a hole in his skull.
“We do. You just focus on extracting yourself from Sinner’s noose.”
She sits up, clutching the covers around her chest, hissing and gritting her teeth. She lies back against the headrest. “We both know no one willingly walks away from Sinner Lennox.”
“Which is why we have help,” I supply.
“Help from who?”
“A good friend, Mom. Someone who knows how to hide a person and keep them safe.”
“I won’t leave the state, Harlow. I can’t.” She wets her chapped lips. “At least not yet.”
I want to quiz her on that, but we’re making great progress, and if we start arguing, she might change her mind. “Okay. I’ll tell my friend that.” I pause for a moment, licking my lips. “What do you want to do about the house?” I ask, because we’ll be moving permanently to the barn tonight and I don’t want to give Sinner free rein to do what he pleases here. Knowing him, he’d turn it into a drug house or a brothel.
“I want to sell it.” She takes my hands. “I know you grew up here, but I can’t bear to live in this house without your father. Especially now that bastard has tainted it by his very presence.”
“I agree, Mom. You should sell it, and when all this has blown over, you should buy something new. Start afresh.”
Saint has been tapping away on his cell while we’re talking. “Theo has a guy on his way over to change all the locks, and if you like, he can get someone to install a high-tech security system with mounted cameras along the front wall and a new front gate that can only be accessed via a code. That way you can keep Sinner out until the house is sold.”
“Ask Theo to set that up, please.” She smiles at Saint. “He was always a resourceful young man. What is that?” Mom adds, noticing my ring, and I curse my lack of forethought. As much as I’d love to tell her I’m getting married, I can’t. A, she’d probably freak, and B, I still don’t trust her fully.
“A promise ring,” I lie. “The guys just gave it to me.”
She lifts my hand under the lamp, admiring the ring. “It’s beautiful. You have good taste.” She smiles at Saint, but it doesn’t meet her eyes. She looks like she wants to say more, but her lips remain clamped shut.
“We should pack,” Saint says, standing. “And get out of here as fast as we can.”
I pull out my cell. “I’m on it.” I tap out a message to Diesel as Saint leaves the room, telling him we’re a go, asking that he house Mom somewhere within the state so she’s close by.
I help Mom get dressed and packed, taking only essential clothing and personal belongings, while she retrieves some papers, cash, and her jewelry from the safe in her bedroom. By the time we finish, the guys have already packed up my stuff along with theirs and they are in the process of loading up the cars while a guy works on changing all the exterior locks.
Theo’s boots thump off the tile floor in the hallway as he walks toward us, carrying a paper bag. He hands it to Mom. “Something to eat and drink, and there’s some pain pills in there.”
Tears pool in her eyes as she takes the offering. She kisses his cheek. “I’m sorry if I was less than welcoming when you first arrived.”
“It’s okay. I understood.”
The screeching of tires outside has all of us turning our attention to the open front door. Adrenaline surges through my veins, and I withdraw my knife, ready to swing into action if that’s Sinner or any of his perverted friends.
But it’s a friendly face, one I’m not expecting.
“Lincoln?” Mom’s brow puckers as she stares at my dad’s former work colleague. “What are you doing here?” Mom’s head whips around to me. “Is this the friend you were talking about?”
“Actually,” Lincoln says, stepping inside the house. “My brother set this up, and you can trust him. Trust me.” His face pales as he notices the marks and injuries clearly visible on Mom. “Jesus Christ, Giana.” He drags a hand through his dark hair. “What has that bastard done to you?” Lincoln’s anguished eyes meet mine briefly before flicking back to Mom. He takes her hands in his, drawing closer. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t there for you. I promised Trey, and I didn’t do enough.”
“I’m not your responsibility,” Mom says, squeezing his hands. “And you’ve nothing to apologize for. You’re here now. That’s all that counts.”
He nods, releasing her hands and turning to me. “My brother said you were safe, but if anything changes, you know how to reach me.”
“I’ll be fine. Just look after Mom.”
“I’ll guard her with my life.”
“I’d like a word with my daughter. Alone.” Mom glances at the guys and Lincoln.
“I’ll put your bags in the car and let you say your goodbyes, but don’t take too long. We shouldn’t delay.” Lincoln swipes Mom’s bags and exits the house with my guys in tow.
“I know we need to have a long talk, and I promise we’ll do that soon. For now, I need you to promise me that you won’t do anything reckless. Don’t go after Sinner for this, Harlow, and stay out of his way. Let your boyfriends protect you.”
It sounds so weird hearing Mom say boyfriends, as in plural, but I guess I’m lucky she’s accepting of our unusual relationship. “I could say the same to you about Sinner. Whatever you are planning, don’t do it. Trust us to deal with this. We are going to handle it.” I hug her gently. “He’s going to pay for what he did to all of us, Mom. He’s not getting away with it.”
CHAPTER 15