Page 169 of Always Us

“How long have you been planning this?” I ask.

“For several months now. I’ve already shared my concerns about Hanniford with the members, and at the meeting this afternoon, the topic came up again. I explained how I’m being followed everywhere I go and that there’s a good chance Hanniford will eventually discover the identities of some of the other members. Everyone agreed that it would be best if I step away for a while.”

“But they could easily end this,” Garret says. “They could just kill Carson.”

“He’s not the only one who’s been following me. There are others, including that FBI agent. Getting rid of Carson, I mean, Justin, won’t make this end.”

“So they’re not going to kill him, right?” I ask Pearce.

“I can’t control what they do. What Justin is doing is dangerous and he’s putting himself at risk.”

I get a sick feeling in my stomach. Carson annoys me, but I don’t want him getting hurt. Or killed.

Pearce continues. “The members aren’t worried about Justin right now. He’s young and a nobody, so if he told his theories to the press, it’s unlikely they’d take it seriously. Hanniford is the one they’re concerned about. He’ll be the one they’ll go after. He’s been voicing his theories to anyone who will listen. So far, his theories haven’t gotten much traction. People aren’t taking him seriously. But if he was able to provide evidence to support his theories, it could cause problems.”

“Problems, as in it could destroy the organization?” I ask.

Pearce laughs a little. “No. That would never happen. And even if it did, nothing would change. Hanniford doesn’t understand that we aren’t the only group trying to manage how things are run in this country. If we weren’t in charge, one of those other groups would be. And as much as you don’t like the organization and what they do, those other groups are far worse. It’s better us than them. And at least now you’re on the inside. You’re protected.”

“That doesn’t make me feel any better.”

Pearce puts his arm around me. “You and Garret need to go on with your lives and stop worrying about this.”

“What are they going to do to Hanniford?”

He smiles. “Jade, I just told you to stop worrying about this. Focus on school and your future with Garret.”

“I just don’t like people getting hurt. I don’t want Carson to end up like his sister.”

“I’ll see what I can do.” Pearce lets me go as Lilly comes back down the stairs.

We leave for dinner, and when we get back we play a board game with Lilly. There’s no more talk about Carson or Hanniford or the organization. I ask Garret about it later when we’re in bed and he repeats what his dad says. I’m not to worry about it. We’re done with this. We’re not looking back. We’re staying out of it and focusing on the future. It’s exactly what I want to do, but I think it’ll take a while for me to put this behind me and accept that this is over. That the organization will finally leave us alone.

The next morning, Pearce drives us to the private airport where he keeps his jet. I’m not thrilled about getting on a small plane, but all the regular flights were booked with people flying home after Christmas. If we wanted to fly commercial, we’d have to wait until later this week and we can’t. We need to get home. We promised Sean and Harper we’d meet them in LA tomorrow.

On the drive to the airport, Lilly’s sitting next to me in the back seat. When we’re almost there, she says, “Do you have to go?”

“Yeah. Garret and I are going to see Sean and Harper tomorrow in LA. We’re spending New Year’s with them.”

Lilly tugs on my arm. I lean down and she says, “Sean is cute.”

I laugh. “He is cute, isn’t he?”

Garret’s in the front seat, but he heard us talking. He whips around and says to Lilly, “Did you just say Sean is cute?”

She nods, a shy smile on her face.

“Since when do you think boys are cute?”

She shrugs. “I don’t know.”

He sighs and turns back around. I swear, he will not survive if we have girls.

I feel Lilly staring at me, specifically my stomach. “Are you having a baby?”

“Baby? No, I’m not having a baby.” I look down at my stomach. I don’t look pregnant, so why would she say that? “Why would you think I’m having a baby?”

“Mom’s having a baby. Why aren’t you?”

---