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I opened my eyes, lifted my head, and pushed away from the desk in the office at the safe house.
“He wasn’t working with the Sorens, but he wasn’t a saint, either. I know this doesn’t change what happened in that room, and I’m not telling you how to feel, but if it were me, I’d be okay with killing a man like that.”
“Damn straight,” I overheard Wyatt in the background, obviously also listening in to her words of wisdom and backing up his daughter’s feelings.
Maybe it was time to reconsider everything I thought I knew. Part of my struggles with moving on had to do with the fact I’d taken the life of an innocent man. But this new intel changed things somewhat.
I didn’t wish what happened to his wife on any woman. I also knew what I’d want to do to a man I’d learned had hurt a woman in any way. And maybe I wouldn’t kill him, but I’d eye-for-an-eye the shit out of him for it.
“Thank you for checking for me, and for your thoughts on the matter as well.” More to consider and talk to Dr. Logan about. I needed to pivot to another topic for now. Let the news about Anurak sink in and marinate. “Anything yet from the hacker aside from Alyssa’s files he sent last week?”
“No, but he said he’d be in touch. Who knows when that’ll be. I mean, his job is kind of done, I suppose,” Gwen answered. “I’d like to know who our cyber guardian was, though. Maybe he’ll reveal himself. Maybe he won’t.”
“Yeah, because that’s what you need in your life. A hacker getting you into trouble so you test out that ninth life of yours,” Wyatt grumbled, finally coming into view on the screen behind her. “Hey, Oliver. How ya doing?”
I folded my arms, allowing my thoughts to settle a bit before answering, “Pretty good. Better when this is officially over. Also, nervous for Mya to publish her article.”
“POTUS has rounded up four families and over fifty names on that list so far,” he reminded me. “We’re definitely making progress. We have them on the run with nowhere to go, and no one left to help them.”
“Pretty wild about what we uncovered in that vault, though,” Gwen mused. “I mean, the only good thing they did was help keep the cold war from going hot. Aside from that, all the calamity they caused was for their own collective benefit. Bloody arseholes.”
“That’s putting it mildly,” Wyatt commented. “I have a few more choice words for them.” He shook his head. “Once Mya’s story is out in the world, though, the people will handle the rest of them for us.”
“And I can escape this cage?” Gwen turned toward him, a hopeful look cutting across her face.
“How’s Mya? Her family?” Wyatt asked instead, earning an eye roll from his daughter.
“They’re making up for lost time. Her mom’s trying to teach her to cook as we speak, and it’s quite the comedy show.” Seeing Mya with flour on her cheeks earlier while singing and dancing with her sister in the kitchen, had my heart bursting from my chest. It’d honestly been difficult to step out to take Gwen’s call.
“I can’t imagine what that must be like.” Wyatt grunted. “Actually, I can, a little.” He peered at his daughter. “Twenty years of not knowing you . . .” He huffed out a deep breath as if growing emotional on us. “Anyway.” He coughed into a closed fist, shuttering his reaction and becoming all business again. “The only other update I have for you, which you probably already know, is that Michael is home. All good. Well, in their safe house, but with his wife and kids.”
I did know, because I’d spoken to Julia almost on the daily. “That’s great.”
“And from what I’ve heard, everything is still moving forward with that bad-guy hotel, huh?” Wyatt turned his attention back on the screen and away from Gwen.
“From what Carter said last we spoke, yeah.” At the sound of the door opening, I looked back to see Mya, swiping the pad of her thumb across her cheek to brush away the flour there. “Dinner is in five.”
“Is it edible? I mean, you did make it.” The smile from her was worth the tease.
“We’ll let you two go,” Gwen commented, and I swiveled around to see Gwen waving Mya’s direction. “Be in touch.”
I ended the call, and knowing she’d be asking about what I’d learned, went ahead and updated her on the news from Gwen.
“Oh.” Mya fidgeted with the hem of her pink tank top and crossed the room. “Are you okay? How do you feel about this?”
I dragged my hands through my hair, still unsure. “It’s one of those weird things where I want to be relieved he wasn’t a saint, but I’d feel like shit for being happy about that, because he abused his wife. So, you know, it’s fucking awkward is what,” I said bluntly.
“It is.” She reached for my hand and laced our fingers together, gathering our palms between us to rest over her heart. “But regardless of what Gwen said, you’re not a killer. I need you to believe that. Somehow, find a way.”
“I will. You know what they say, ‘If there’s a will, there’s a way.’” I blew out my cheeks, hoping to rid myself of the heavy along with the breath. I reset my eyes out the window over the desk, which had a similar view from our bedroom upstairs. “I do think there is something else I’d like to try tomorrow night, though.” After the new information, I wanted to ensure learning about Anurak didn’t trigger my nightmares to return.
If my nightmare-free streak continued after revisiting that info, I was optimistic that meant I was truly out of the woods.
“Oh yeah? What’s that?” she asked.
I looked back at her, closed one eye and couldn’t help but tease, “Anal.”
I wanted to break the somber-y mood before we joined her family for dinner, where Mya’s cooking hopefully didn’t poison me. Here I am making up words in my head now.
