Page 23 of Disgrace

At least, not today.

She was banking on the fact that the enforcer was rather new to watching her, and quite young in the grand scheme of things. She hoped that those facts would keep him from calling her brothers to let them know she had skipped out on him, if only because he was one of the many men in their family who had a healthy fear where Kev and Darren were concerned.

He wouldn’t want to get in trouble.

Not for her.

Siena slipped into the back hallway that led to the offices, and the private room used for confession. The priest was already greeting a man standing outside the private room, and gestured for the man to go in.

He didn’t even see Siena.

He didn’t see her take a sharp right, and head out the exit, either.

Siena glanced down at the peach-colored dress and matching pumps she wore. Even the peach hat on her head was Sunday services appropriate. And wedding appropriate, although she wasn’t sure if she would even be attending the wedding.

That invisible clock in the back of her mind only stopped ticking down when she slipped inside her Lexus, and turned on the ignition. She was no longer counting days or minutes or seconds to when she would see John again.

To when he would be out again.

She was finally in the fucking homestretch. Even just a few days of not seeing him was far too long.

Whatever trouble might find her for this …

So worth it.

CHAPTER FOUR

LEONARD SAT beside Johnathan on the bench just outside the entrance doors of Clearview Oaks. Up above, the sky was a pale blue, and cloudless.

Despite the beautiful day, the humid heat was enough to make John wish he was not wearing jeans at the moment. The thick material stuck to his skin, and made him hotter. He pulled out the collar of his T-shirt, and waved it a bit to create the illusion of cold air.

His attention to the weather did not escape his therapist’s notice.

“Quite hot out,” Leonard noted.

“It’s been like this for a while. Going through a spell, I think.”

“Better hot, than cold.”

John nodded. “Truth.”

Leonard passed a look at the brown paper bag resting beside John’s thigh. “It didn’t take you very long to pack up your things, did it?”

A smile passed between the two men. Even John couldn’t help but chuckle when Leonard shook his head.

“I didn’t come in with very much,” John admitted. “I had everything packed before breakfast this morning, actually.”

“And I suppose you didn’t ask for anyone to bring you very much while you were here, either,” Leonard said. “At least, you never asked me to make that request on your behalf to someone in your family.”

“No.”

“Shame.”

John cocked a brow. “What is?”

“Sometimes packing up your things and leaving a facility can be just as cathartic as anything you find comforting—or even, a great satisfaction. Something you completed. Or even, a goal you achieved. A challenge in your life that you bested, and your reward, so to speak, is packing up your things.”

“It still felt … rewarding.”