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“When? For how long?”
The last thing he wanted to do was sit there and describe his horrible decade and what led to it. He tried to give her enough info to satisfy her interest without going too much into it.
“A while ago, for about ten years,” he said. A year maybe wasn’t quite “a while ago,” but it would do for now.
She shook her head. “There’s no way I could handle watching you sit in jail for ten years. And who knows. It might be more. What if they put you away for life and it was my fault? I couldn’t live with that.”
She really cared more about his freedom than being rid of her ex? Well, her plan backfired. Knowing that just made him want to do it that much more. She had such a good heart, even for this man who had done nothing but treat her and her daughter badly. It was almost crazy that she didn’t want him dead. But the fact that she’d rather send him to jail to spare Hunter gave his heart a little spark like he’d never felt before.
Usually people wanted him to do their dirty work and didn’t much care what happened to him. They were paying for a service, and if he failed to keep himself out of trouble, it was on him. When he’d gotten caught killing his high school girlfriend’s father, he’d been so in love and so angered that she’d faced the same thing he had, that nothing would have stopped him from going through with it. Except maybe the truth of knowing her father hadn’t really done the things she claimed.
He looked over at Vanessa, at the determined look in her eyes. Then he decided to lie. At least for now. “Okay. Then let’s figure out how to get evidence against him.”
“Really?”
“It’ll take a lot. And we’ll keep killing him as a backup plan.”
As far as she was concerned. It was his main plan. But she didn’t need to know that. She could try to find evidence, and when it didn’t work, he’d come in and save the day. She wouldn’t even have to know until it was done. He could stage the photos while she was sleeping. Not that he even needed to go that far. He could go right now and sneak up on the bastard and take him out. Just like any other hit.
“I like it better as a backup. I don’t want you to get in trouble, but even if I knew you wouldn’t, I don’t want to know that you took another life because of me. That has to affect your soul. And I don’t want to be responsible for a dark place in any part of you.”
He took her hand and kissed it as he drove off. “You’re the brightest thing in my life.”
# # #
“Turn here,” Vanessa said, a plan suddenly coming into her mind.
“Why?”
“I have an idea. We might not know how to get evidence, but I know someone who will.”
She gave him directions to Mari’s family’s farm house. The closer they got, the more the excitement and anxiety built in her. She was about to see Opal—she hoped. There was still the chance something had gone wrong. When they pulled up and saw Mari’s car, there was some relief. When she knocked on the door and heard small feet running, her worry vanished, and she held only joy in her heart.
Opal tore the door open and grinned up at her. “Mommy! We’ve been having so much fun!”
Vanessa wrapped her arms tight around her little girl. Mari had kept her hidden and safe. Just as she promised.
“Heya,” Mari said, coming around the corner. “How’s everything?” She gave Vanessa a meaningful look.
“Things are… okay.” Vanessa pressed her lips together and glanced over at Hunter.
Mari’s eyes ran over him, then back to Vanessa. A hint of a smile played at her lips. “Opal, do you want to go watch the movie we started watching earlier? I have to catch Mommy up on some things.”
“Okay.” Opal hopped off into the living room.
Mari led Vanessa and Hunter into the kitchen. “Can I get you anything?”
“Water would be great,” Vanessa said.
Mari filled a glass and set it in front of her at the table, then slid into a seat. “So?”
“We need your help,” Vanessa said. “Well, more than you’ve already given us.”
“Of course,” Mari said, leaning closer.
“Child Protective Services showed up at my house this morning. On a report of child abuse.”
Mari sucked in a breath. “What happened?”
