There’s no way I’m taking Hatch through the chaos surrounding my house. I have plenty of offers from people I’d normally trust—like the guys in the band—to watch him for a bit so I can go with them to pack, but I can’t do it. I’m not letting him out of my sight. Every time he opens his eyes, he’s going to see me, and know he’s okay.
The police help us at the hospital by not only getting us to the car that Milo has waiting, but also by blocking any other vehicle from leaving the area for a few minutes so we can’t be followed. They promise to do the same for Dani and Jude at my house.
When I get just outside the city, with no cars tailing us, and Hatch asleep in his car seat beside me, I finally start to relax for the first time in days.
Milo has arranged for us to stay at a house of another musician who is on tour for the next couple of months. It’s a house located on the outskirts of a small town where hopefully, we won’t be noticed. We’re supposed to be in the studio, working, but I couldn’t give two shits.
All that matters is the boy who murmurs “dada” when I scoop him up and carry him inside to wait for Dani.
Chapter Two
Naomi
I’m living a nightmare.
The last few days seem like a page torn from a horror book. I’ve never experienced anything like the fear I felt when Caden was missing. If it weren’t for my lawyer, I wouldn’t even know that he’s fine and back with Axton and Dani.
Not even the accusations and questions spat at me from the cops came anywhere near the terror of not knowing if he was okay.
“Why did you take him?”
“We know you were in on it. We have forensic evidence, so you may as well tell the truth. Were you going to ask for ransom?”
“How do you know Beverly McFarland and Franklin Koll? You planned this with them, didn’t you?”
No matter how much I denied it, they wouldn’t believe me. Over and over, I tried to explain that I had no idea who those people are.
“We’ll see if you change that story when Beverly wakes. Do you really think she’s going to protect you? Or that Franklin won’t admit you were involved? The first to talk gets the lighter sentence, and you weren’t the one who actually took the child, so you have the best chance at leniency if you’ll just tell the truth.”
There was nothing I could say to convince them, but without enough evidence to hold me, they had to let me go with a warning not to leave the state.
I’m free for now.
The lawyer ushers me out to his car and gives me a ride to Paige’s house. There’s no doubt that we’ve been followed by paparazzi, who have their teeth sunk deeply into this tragedy. I won’t be able to stay here long.
Paige meets me just inside her front door, throwing her arms around me in a tight hug. “Are you okay? They wouldn’t let me talk to you!” she cries.
“I’m alright. I’m so sorry. My lawyer told me they questioned you.”
“They did.”
“They think I had something to do with the kidnapping. And they asked how I got the interview with the nanny agency. I’m so sorry I had to tell them and bring you into it. But Caden was missing and they weren’t going to find him if they kept focusing on me.”
“It’s okay. Hiring a friend isn’t against the law. And my manager knew that I was hiring a friend, just not, you know, that you were related to the client.”
“What did you tell the investigators?” I ask.
She leads the way down the hall and into the living room. “The truth. I knew you had a nephew in the system and when I saw his name, I hired you so you could take care of him. The agency told them I had no idea that Axton was the father. They don’t suspect me of anything, but the agency fired me. Getting their name in the news like that wasn’t exactly good PR.”
I hug her again. “I’m so sorry.”
“I’ll find another job. I hated it there anyway.”
Her flippant attitude doesn’t fool me. Paige isn’t well off. She has a habit of job hopping and she had finally landed a decent one. “I just need to stay here for a few hours while I figure out what to do…where to go.”
“You’re not going anywhere! You’re staying with me.”
She sits in an armchair and gestures to the couch. Taking a seat, I shake my head. “I can’t. I’m sure the mob will follow me here and I don’t want them stalking you too. Once they see me leave, they won’t be interested in you.”
“Where are you going to go?”
“There’s a little bed and breakfast I noticed last time I was up north, right next to the cemetery. If I can lose anyone following me, I think I can hide out there for a bit. It’s pretty remote. Can I borrow your phone? The police confiscated mine and I have no idea if I’ll get it back. I need to call and make a reservation.”
“Hang on.” She gets up and disappears down the hall for a few minutes before returning with a phone. “I just upgraded a week ago. This is my old one. You should be able to just switch your number to it and activate it.”
“Thank you so much.” It only takes a few minutes and I have it activated. I pull up the website for the bed and breakfast to get their number, and turn the phone screen toward Paige so she can see the place.
She frowns at the picture. “It looks run down. And probably haunted.”
“I don’t need a palace. Just a safe place until all of this is over.”
Paige reaches over and takes my hand. “Have you heard from Axton or Dani?”
My chest tightens, and I swallow the lump in my throat. “No, I’ve been warned not to contact them.” Blinking fast, I shake my head. “Axton thinks I did it…that I arranged the kidnapping somehow.”
“Oh honey, because you didn’t tell him who Caden was to you?”
“Yeah, I know I can’t blame them. It looks really bad.”
Paige squeezes my hand. “Once they sort all this out and clear your name, I’m sure they’ll come around.”
Nodding, I wipe my eyes. “If I’m cleared. It doesn’t matter. Caden is safe. That’s all I care about right now. I’ll try to fix the damage I’ve done as best I can.”
Tears spill over onto her cheeks and she leans over to hug me. “Don’t just disappear on me.”
“I won’t. I’ll keep in touch.”
“How are you going to get your car and all your stuff from Axton’s?”
“I don’t know. I’m going to take a taxi up north. And I can buy some cheap clothes and stuff until I get mine back.”
“Let me get a few things together for you, at least,” she offers.
“Thanks. I’m going to call the bed and breakfast and make a reservation.”
An hour later, I’m on my way with a suitcase sparsely packed with a few items of clothing Paige loaned me. I’m lucky that I had my wallet with me when I was detained.
The taxi I ordered drops me at a bus station where I pretend to be oblivious to the reporters who have followed me there. Acting as if I’m in a rush to catch my bus, I speed through the scattered people. When I’m sure no one is following me, I step out the side exit and grab another taxi.