Page 55 of Bitter Truth
“Which is?”
“That being with me might be what’s endangering you. That the reason your life is at risk is because of me.”
He swallows hard, checking the road with a wary expression that suggests he expects to see danger approaching at any moment. Standing, he gives me a grim look before shutting my door gently and hurrying around to the driver’s side, sliding behind the wheel.
I wait until the car is in motion before saying, “That’s what I don’t get, Jake. How are you sure it was your mom that put the hit out on me? What’s this proof that you have?”
“The private investigator I hired was able to track down the sniper’s bank accounts and get me his financials. I tracked the money. Deposits made to both him and the inmate who killed Bianchi came from the same bank account. One held by Cadence Glover. My mom’s middle and maiden names. And there’s only one branch. It’s in the Keys.”
Pulling my seat belt loose, I turn to face him, studying him as he drives. I’m impressed. “Was this information obtained through legal means?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Does anyone else know?”
“Only Julian.”
“So what’s the plan?”
He lifts his gaze from the road long enough to glance at me. For the first time since he stepped inside that abandoned building earlier, he smiles. “We’re going on vacation.”
CHAPTER 28
I’m using my finger to get the last of the crumbs from the bottom of an empty potato chip bag when the Tamiami spits us out in Homestead. Looking over, I catch Jake watching me.
“You still hungry?”
So far, I’ve had two candy bars, a container of jerky, pretzels, and a party-size bag of BBQ chips. I’ve eaten every bite of food in the car. Still famished, I nod.
“What are you in the mood for?”
I look down at myself. There’s no way I can go inside any place wearing these filthy clothes, especially not a restaurant.
“We’ll get takeout,” he adds.
“Burritos, then. And enchiladas. And maybe a couple of tacos.”
He grins and points at the phone Julian had left in the glove box along with a half-dozen SIM cards. “Why don’t you find a spot and place the order. We’ll pick it up first.”
“First?”
“We’re going to need some supplies. Toiletries, clothes… I wasn’t able to pack anything before I left. I was too afraid someone might be watching the house. And it’ll be less noticeable shopping around here than where we’re going.”
It’s just one more thing that Jake’s already thought of. And he’s thought of a lot.
From the untraceable car and phone to ditching his truck in a remote parking lot in the opposite direction of our destination. Having Hal, the head of security from his law firm and an ex-Army Ranger, a man he’s known—and trusted—for the last decade, keep watch over the sanctuary. Getting Julian to have a fake ID produced for me in the same name as his mom’s bank account.
Even the research he’s done and the plan he’s come up with. For the first time since I’ve been back in Florida, I don’t feel like a bad influence on him. It seems that I’m not the only one who can cause trouble. And there’s something insanely sexy about that.
Maybe that speaks to how damaged I am. Or maybe it’s more about recognizing the risks he’s taking for me. Because even though his career, his freedom, even his life are in jeopardy if we get caught, he hasn’t hesitated for even an instant.
And as he follows my directions and pulls into a parking space, I vow to do whatever it takes to keep him safe and make sure we get that chance at happiness together that he’s worked so hard for.
I watch him cross the lot, waiting until he’s disappeared inside the restaurant before pulling out the ID Julian had made—the one with my picture beside the name Cadence Glover. It’s an amazing fake. Holding itto the light, I check the holograms, the optically variable ghost and data, even the gold look-through.
Every safeguard the state has in place to make it nearly impossible to accurately manufacture a legitimate-looking counterfeit has been achieved. It makes me wonder exactly what kind of resources the lawyers at Myers and Kleinman have access to.
And, flipping down the vanity mirror, sighing at what I see, if they can work the same kind of miracles on people. Because the image of me on this ID no longer matches my reflection.
