Page 42 of More Than A Boss

11

The last twenty-four hours had been a whirlwind leading up to this moment, when she and Casey were cruising at 30,000 feet over the earth. It was a two-and-a-half-hour flight to Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport. There, they would rent a car and drive to the condo, which was a beach-front property on Holmes Beach, Anna Maria Island.

Both women were emotionally spent and did not talk much during the flight. Normally, Allie would have been excited for this visit. She and Jeff had spent several vacations with Casey and Charlie at their condo over their married years. Anna Maria Island still felt like old Florida. It had such a quaint charm to it. You could ride bikes everywhere. There was great food, and the wide beach with soft white sand was one of the best kept secrets. She knew after settling in that it would be the perfect place to relax and heal from their trauma.

Casey planned on staying for 10 days to get some much-needed healing time for herself, and to support Allie after the ordeal she had been through. There was nothing like hanging out on the beach with your bestie to get things back in perspective. The condo was a simple two-bedroom with quintessential beach décor. It was on the second floor, so they had a great view of the ocean. After unpacking their suitcases, they both sank down into the comfortable chairs on the balcony.

“Is this for real?” Allie asked. “What the hell! I’m still in shock, quite frankly. What just happened?”

“I know, right?” Casey responded with her eyes closed. “Here we are sitting in shorts and tank tops, while a mere three hours ago we were in heavy parkas and there was snow on the ground. We may as well make the best of it since we’re here. I for one, am going to pig out on seafood and bask in the sun.”

“I feel a little guilty,” Allie admitted. “Leaving Zane to deal with that mess alone.”

“He is far from alone. He has Darcy and the police department, three partners, Annika, Stella, the other lawyers at the firm, and, we must not forget … Helen.” Casey threw Zane’s crazy ex-wife in for levity.

“Ha ha ha! You are so funny,” Allie said, lightly punching her friend’s arm.

“What do you want to do for dinner?” Casey asked.

“Well, I’m with you, when in Rome…,” Allie said.

“Seafood it is!” Casey smiled.

—

It was decided that the only way to keep Will and his family safe was to move them temporarily to a safe house. They were flown to Chicago and put up in in a two-bedroom luxury apartment in the Gold Coast River North section of the city. Their apartment was right downtown, with the added perk of being along the train route and close to everything. Will and Camilla were given driver’s licenses with false identities, a credit card, and some cash. They were instructed to buy the essentials that they would need like clothing, and toiletries. The apartment was equipped with all the kitchen paraphernalia needed for cooking, including spices and basics like ketchup and some canned goods. It boasted a large living area, kitchen, and dining room. It was a far step above the motel room they had been existing in for the last two weeks.

The two older children were running around excitedly while the baby was fast asleep in his carrier. “Kids are so resilient,” Will said wistfully.

“Thank God!” Camilla responded. “Will, how long do you think we will have to be here?” she asked.

“I have no idea. Your brother’s trial date is coming up,” he said.

“Why must you testify?” she pleaded. “Can’t you just plead the fifth or something?” she asked naively.

“It’s too late for that. Would you rather I go to prison for a crime your brother committed?” Will asked with frustration. “What do you expect from me, Camilla?” he said, displaying anger at her for the first time since their nightmare began.

“I don’t know, Will. I just know that if anything were to happen to my babies, I couldn’t survive it!”

“Your babies? They are our babies! And me? Could you survive something happening to me?” he asked quietly.

“Of course not!” Camilla said huffily. “Don’t try to twist my words!” she said, snapping at him, then immediately breaking down in tears.

Will immediately felt remorseful and pulled Camilla into his arms and held her until her tears subsided. “My love,” he said, brushing her hair back. “We will get through this.”

“My brother though?” she said quietly.

“Camilla, this, all that has happened, is a result of his decisions. Not yours, not mine. He can burn in hell, as far as I am concerned!” he said angrily.

“I know you feel that way, but at one time Christian was a good man. He saved me from my horrible father. He took beatings so that our mother would not have to. He’s had a very difficult life. I still love him, even though he has turned into a very bad man. I know that boy still exists somewhere inside of him,” she said, trying to convince Will.

“That’s your opinion and one I don’t share. I can never forget or forgive what he has put my family through. I trusted him! I gave him a good job, an opportunity to live a straight life with a well-compensated career. Maybe not as extravagant as he was accustomed to, but nonetheless, a decent wage,” he said resentfully.

“I know you’ll never be able to see the young and handsome boy who played with me in the poverty-stricken streets of Mexico, but I can never erase those memories,” she said sadly.

“I am not a monster, Camilla! I’m trying to understand why you still feel any sense of loyalty to that sociopath. It is really beyond my capabilities as a human being. I’m sorry that I’m failing you here, but I also feel that you’re failing us. That boy you knew is dead. He’s been replaced by a savage animal,” Will said.

“I’m sorry you feel that way. I will not mention my brother to you again,” she said stiffly, walking away from Will.

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