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“What happens to me doesn’t matter. Aaron risked his life for me more than once. He’s my best friend, and I will not leave him to the wolves.”
Maxen brushes the back of his hand down my arm and takes my hand. Bringing our joined fingers to his chest, he says. “What happens to you does matter. To a hell of a lot of people.”
He lifts his other hand to trail his knuckles down my cheek. “I was wrong about you, Fate. Your true blindness is your inability to see how much you could mean to someone. I don’t want to see you put yourself at risk, but I can’t stop you. What I can do is help you.”
I take a step back and study my lover’s face. “I get what you said about protecting the industry, but you know as well as I do that Knot and his lawyers would be able to weather whatever happened. So why are you really offering to help Aaron? I thought the two of you couldn’t stand one another.”
“I think he’s a dick, yes, but that dick didn’t sell out his country.” Maxen steps closer and reaches up to cup my cheek. “But I’m not doing this for him. I’m doing it for you.”
Voice whisper soft, I yield, “Ok.”
A corner of Maxen’s mouth lifts, and he asks, “Ok, you’ll let me help and watch your back, ok? Or ok, you’re just humoring me?”
“Ok, fine. You can help. But only you. I don’t want anyone else involved. It’ll be hard enough for the two of us to stay under the radar.”
“Done. So, what now? I think we should find out what evidence the Feds have. That should tell us where to start looking.”
“You do that. I’m going to try to find Aaron.”
I start to walk away, but Maxen grabs my hand to stop me. “Are you sure that’s wise?”
Looking back over my shoulder, I give him the raw truth. “I’m not sure of anything. That’s why I need to find Aaron.”
I’m in my car two minutes later, though I have no idea where to start. Aaron not showing up today means he’s already gotten wind of the allegations against him. I guess that’s what surprises me most. The Aaron I know would face these charges head-on to refute them. Especially considering he knows he’d have the entire staff at Knot Corp in his corner.
Since he wouldn’t show up to the compound, I’m sure he’s also not at home. Those would be the first two places the feds would look. He still hasn’t returned my message, so I’m guessing he’s ditched his phone.
He knows the code to your door, Sadie. That’s a good enough place to start.
The lobby and hallway are quiet in my apartment building, with most people being at work and school. I punch in the code and thumb the latch, and my door swings inward with a squeak—I need to get that oiled—and I step inside and look for Aaron.
Finding no trace of him, I drop down onto one of the bar seats near Gunny’s bowl. Where the hell is he? “You haven’t seen him, have…”
Something in Gunny’s bowl catches my attention, a decoration I didn’t put there. “Where did that come from?”
In place of the oyster bubbler is a pirate’s chest that’s too big for the bowl. Each time the bubbler lifts the lid, the treasure inside is exposed, the treasure and a small glass cylinder.
I reach inside the bowl, lift the lid to the chest, and remove a tube containing a piece of paper. I’ll be damned. Aaron was here.
Drying off the tube with my shirt, I twist off the lid with fumbling fingers and remove the note inside.
Sadie,
I did not do this, but someone must have gone through a lot of trouble to make it look like I did. I’m going to find out who. Tell Knot he won’t find me and not to waste his time looking. By doing this on my own, I’m protecting Knot and everyone that works under him.
I’m going to a quiet place that no one can find without a hand-drawn map.
Grim
The note falls to my lap, and I drop my head into my hands as relief floods my system. I know where Aaron is.
I don’t yet know how to help him, but I know my next step. Aaron told me where he was going, and since that cabin has no phone or cell signal, the only way I’ll talk to him is face to face. Translation: Aaron is expecting me, and I won’t disappoint.
I’m quickly on my feet again and rushing into my room to pack. Once that’s finished, I pull out my secure work phone, step into the bathroom, and turn on the shower. My boss answers on the first ring. “Knot here.”
“I need a couple days off.”
“You found him.” Not a question.
