Page 28 of Beyond Redemption

Olive stared at Bodhi with desperate eyes, begging for forgiveness, but he didn’t speak.

I offered an explanation he could understand. “If anyone found out, if even one mistake was made, they would’ve come after her. We did this to keep her alive.”

Bodhi swallowed. “You mean the Carlisis.”

I nodded.

“And now they’ll see the basement videos,” he said, voice thin. “Everyone will.”

“Yes,” I said simply.

“The Maddoxes,” he whispered. “The Olliviers. Falyn. You’re leaving, tonight… to go back to them?”

“I’m… not sure yet,” Olive said, looking to me.

“We’re going to move her to an undisclosed location,” Liis said.

“Somewhere in Virginia?” Bodhi asked.

“Undisclosed,” Liis echoed.

I shook my head no.

Bodhi’s shoulder’s sagged, seeming lost. After a full minute of thought, he straightened. “I’m coming. Just give me a couple of hours to pack,” he said, standing. “Don’t leave until I get back.” He kissed Olive quickly on the mouth, a ghost of a smile on his lips. “Don’t leave until I get back.”

“Bodhi,” I said. “You can’t come with us. It’s not safe.”

His brow furrowed. “Why would you take her somewhere that isn’t safe?”

I sighed. “Being near her isn’t safe. Not until we neutralize all threats.”

His jaw ticked as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “Do you think I give a single, solitaryfuckif it’s safe?” He pointed to her. “She’s not just my girlfriend, Thomas. I’m in love with her. I’ve planned a whole future with her. She’s going to be my wife and the mother of my children. If you leave without me, I’ll look for her. And I won’t stop until I find her. I’ll go to Vegas and knock on the Carlisis front fucking door if I have to!” He looked to Olive, who was holding her hands over Stella’s ears. He frowned. “Sorry.”

“Okay,” I said, standing, holding out my hand. “Okay. Let us get a plan together. I’ll see where you fit in.”

Olive stood and crashed into his arms as he wrapped them around her.

“Where you go, I go,” he said against her cheek.

She let out a breath that might have been a laugh if her body wasn’t shaking.

His eyes snapped to mine. “She doesn’t go anywhere without me. No one will make sure she’s safer than I will.”

Olive looked up at him. “I’m not going anywhere without you. I promise.”

He gently raked back her hair and smiled down at her. “I know.”

Liis and I traded glances. We no longer had a choice.

Bodhi’s phone buzzed, and he reached down to check it. “It’s Sunny. Someone in Illinois connected Livvy to the drive-by shooting, the internet picked it up and now it’s running in the conspiracy circles.”

“Liis?” I said, doing a quick search. “It’s all over social media. Call Sol and get us a car and a flight.”

“Copy that,” she said, tapping on her phone. “Where are we going?” she asked.

I thought about it for a moment. The family would call; they’d want face time with Olive and wouldn’t take no for an answer. I thought of my getaway home in Chinle, Arizona, but it had been compromised when we were there with Trenton and Camille—and it wasn’t big enough. But… Arizona could still work. There was only one place I could think of to accommodate everyone and keep us all safe. “Baboquivari.”

Liis nodded once, turning to finish her conversation in the living room. “Sol, it’s Lindy. We need a quick exit to Arizona,” she said into the phone.