Page 30 of Keepsake

Alvaro made me believe he had a relationship with the kids. Caridad acted like he was something. I shook my head, turned right, following the instructions, and opened my mouth to talk, but Dash beat me to it.

“I wanted out of there. I couldn’t deal with Tita hovering anymore, and at that school, everyone knew our business. I knew I didn’t need to trust you to come over.”

“I want you to trust me.”

“I don’t need to.” He spelled it out. “You gave us a new home and now you’re driving me to a fancy school. That’s fine. I just need three years and then I can take care of them on my own.”

I frowned. “You what?” I glanced to my side, waiting to see if it was a prank, but Dash was serious. “That’s your plan? I said I can pay for college.”

He shook his head. “I can take care of them by myself. That’s what I am doing, right? I’ll take care of them officially when I turn eighteen. I just need somewhere to be until then. Somewhere that isn’t… there.”

My mouth gaped open and then I closed with a snap. The GPS kept calling directions, and I followed, concentrating on that instead of what I just heard.

That was why the kids wanted to come with me.

They just wanted away from their grandparents.

Somethingskinnyandquickpinched the skin of my upper arm, making me yelp. I had Lachlan in my arms when I turned to look over my shoulders at Logan’s outraged expression.

“What was that for?” I wanted to know.

She looked at her side, Dash coming just behind her with an odd expression. He held his arms up to take Lachlan from me, but Logan stopped my hand, turning to Dash. “We got him.”

I shrugged, a little worried about why she was acting so weird. We were in the parking lot of the fancy private school where she arranged a meeting. It was all going according to Logan’s plan, so what crawled up her ass?

Ignoring her, I passed Lachlan to Dash. “Just give us a minute.”

Logan’s face fell like nothing I’ve ever seen when Dash took Lachlan and moved away, with Vienna on his heels.

“What’s going on now?”

She turned her eyes from the children to me, narrowing them straight away. A gust of wind slapped me in the face, making me shake even if I was wearing my biggest jacket. “And say it quickly.”

I was in no mood to stand outside more than necessary.

“You said you were close to the children.”

“No, I didn’t.” I arched an eyebrow. “That’s what this is?” I shook my head and moved away, but she grabbed my arm.

“I thought you were here because I was a stranger to them. It turns out you are one, too.”

“I’m their uncle,” I said, even as she squeezed my arm with those powerful fingers of hers.

“According to Dash, you are a stranger as much as I am,” she told me, her jaw set, eyebrows meeting in the middle. “This is the last time you hide something from me. You got it?”

Done with this whole thing, I stepped closer, making her crane her neck up to keep eye contact. I let her sweat, dark green eyes widening as she took me in so close.

“I’m not responsible for whatever you think you know, Logan. I’m their uncle. I’m the reason my mother isn’t here sniffing in your business. I’m sacrificing my time to play house with you so you and my mother don’t end up in a legal battle.”

“You know, the only person you are helping here is your mother. Any court would give me the children.”

“Are you sure of that?” I tilted my head. “Because Dash is fifteen years old, he can testify and say you’re a stranger.”

Surprisingly, her reaction was the opposite of what I thought. Logan laughed, a bitter and horrible laugh. “No. To the court, he would smile and say he wanted to be with me.”

“You trust so much he wants to be with you?”

She wasn’t wearing a glove, I bet her fingers were freezing. She finally let my arm go. With a last look, she shook her head. “You really don’t know shit.”

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