Page 87 of Fallout

As far as she could see, she would be safer with Jasper. The Famous Ones had been messaging since they left. Asking if she was all right, telling them that Penny was fine, even with the bump on her head, and then asking again if she was all right. They had Peter with them, and the whole group had rolled heavy to the SUV they’d ascertained was the one.

The police were being given the information for the other two.

Destiny hadn’t exactly lied, but the Vanguard staff had been creative with what they sent over and who needed to know what.

Jasper pulled out of the parking lot. “This thing is like driving a tank.” He motioned to the screen. “Put the location in.”

“Actually, it should come up with the GPS tag on the vehicle we’re headed for as well as how to get there. So, it’ll direct you to them even if they’re moving.”

“Fancy.”

Destiny said, “I had no idea half of this stuff existed. I mean, why would a waitress have a clue about the tech they use?”

“If you decide you don’t want to work for Clare, you can be whoever you want. Have your baby and go back to school.”

“I need to support myself.”

“I get that,” Jasper said. “What I’m saying is that it’s not a hard line. You could be a waitress again if you want. I heard Vanguard has a cafeteria.”

Destiny gasped. “That’s a closely guarded secret. But if you ever go, get the cheesecake. It’samazing.”

Maybe he was only distracting her from thoughts about what’d just happened. Or worry over Simon. Either way, it was working.

Jasper chuckled. “Do they cater weddings?”

“A guy like you is going to have a company cafeteria cater his wedding?” Destiny rolled her eyes. “I’d think you would hire out the fanciest hotel in Benson.”

“Or do like Blake and Violet and find a beach, go on vacation, and stretch it to a honeymoon.”

She gasped. “They’re not!”

“Spring break. But you didn’t hear it from me.”

“That dirty scoundrel. He said nothing.” She was going to smack him upside the back of his head for keeping her out of his wedding plan ideas. Although, maybe not, considering she’d been giving them all the cold shoulder in not wanting to tell them she was pregnant.

She let out a long sigh.

“Anytime. Anywhere. For the record.” He reached over and held her hand. “As far as weddings go.”

She knew he’d been planning something big with Tessa, though maybe that was why he thought marrying her was right. Because that style wasn’t her. It seemed more like what Tessa’s mother would’ve wanted. What had been expected of both of them.

Destiny said, “I like working for Clare. It’s been crazy nerve-wracking lately, but maybe that’s not normal? And if it gets to be too much, she was talking about putting a daycare in the Vanguard building. Maybe I could run that?”

“Like I said. Do whatever you want.” Jasper let go of her hand and drove after the vehicle they were all praying had Simon inside and the kingpin so they could arrest him.

She prayed again. It was all she could do right now. It was up to the Vanguard operatives with their weapons and training and the police to take Marcus Harper down and get Simon back. She had no problem not being in the middle of it, though Jasper would probably rather be there.

“I keep praying for all this. That’s all I can do, right?” She glanced at him, but he was focusing on the road. Did he want to talk about this? “My life was so far off trajectory that I had no idea what was happening. My plan and reality diverged, and I was spinning out. And under it all, I knew what to do. I’ve learned and studied enough that I discovered the foundation that is supposed to be there when things go wrong. God holding me up. Comforting me.”

“Do you think He will help my dad and me figure out how to care for my mom?” Jasper turned a corner. “I don’t want to put her in the wrong place, but I want to know she’s not going to be hurt when my life changes. Soon. When I have a family, and she might not be allowed to be a part of it.”

Destiny didn’t like excluding someone, but bringing children into a situation where they could be hurt—or they could experience trauma the way Jasper had—wasn’t something she was prepared to allow. “This baby is already a miracle in my life. That’s how I know I can expect more to come my way.”

“I’ve already found one.” He glanced over, and she saw a flash of a smile before he focused again on the road. “Here we go.”

Up ahead on the street, two lanes on both sides, traffic had come to a halt. A black SUV was parked sideways across the lanes with the front end in the center turn lane. Someone honked and sped down the hard shoulder to get around the blockade.

Vanguard operatives surrounded the car.