Page 25 of Desolation

“Don’t be a stranger, Landon. I’m here whenever you need me.”

I say goodbye and hang up before I can get choked up from his words. I love my brother. We had a shit childhood and he did everything to protect me from insults and flying fists. He’s always been my protector and I’ve always been grateful for him. But now it might be time for me to be my own protector. If only I can get the courage to make the damn call.

Chapter Ten

Mari

I sip on a mug of coffee as I sit by the pool watching the waves crash against the shoreline. The smell of salt in the air brings me a comfort I haven’t felt before. I’ve been staying with Dax for two days now. His house is amazing. I can’t get over the sleek modern design. I swear everything here runs on a computer. There is a freaking iPad in every room to control the lights, temperature, fireplaces, hell even the shower can be turned on through it.

He offered me a guest room but I felt like I was intruding on his space. Of course, he laughed at that saying his thirty five hundred square foot house was far too big for just him. But I won that argument and am staying in the pool house. It’s at least twelve hundred square feet. It has a spacious bedroom with all the bells and whistles of everything in the main house, even the iPad control system. The kitchen is decent. It has enough counter space for me to cook. Dax even had the refrigerator filled by his housekeeper the first day I was here.

Glass doors expand the length of the wall facing the pool, giving me a great view of the clear water and the ocean beyond. The last two nights I have found myself sitting on the edge of the pool, feet dangling in the water, as I look out at the expanse of the ocean, trying to make out where the water ends and the endless sky starts. The light pollution from the city makes it hard to see stars but if you look hard enough you can make out a few sparkling lights at the horizon.

“Good morning.”

I startle at the sound of Dax’s voice. “Shit. I didn’t hear you come down the stairs.”

“I’m stealthy.”

I snort at that. “Whatever you say.”

“How are you doing? Still okay out here?”

I turn toward Dax as he takes a seat next to me, coffee in hand. “I feel like I’m intruding.”

“Nonsense,” he says with a flourish of his arm. “You should have come here in the first place instead of going to a women’s shelter.”

My face grows serious. “I knew whatever was in that file was bad. I know I could have been followed here. I didn’t want to put you at risk, Dax. It’s why I changed my appearance, got a fake ID. I need to ensure no one I know gets caught up in whatever it is I’ve found.”

Dax shakes his head. “You involved me the second you called me.” I go to interrupt but he holds up his hand. “I’m glad you did. You have a right to be afraid. I have no idea what Michael has to do with that file but you are safer here. Do you really think Michael would look for you here?”

I shrug. I have no idea if Michael would think I came to Dax. I don’t even know if he knows I made a copy of that file. “Maybe.”

“Mari, I haven’t talked to him in years. Hell, I barely talk to you anymore.”

“Life is busy.”

“No shit. You have what? Two NPOs now and the foundation?”

I smile as I think about what I’ve made of my life. I am proud of the work I’ve done. I just hope I can go back to it one day. “Well, I run the foundation. I just serve on the board at the NPOs.”

“Damn. You are a busy woman.”

“Says the man who travels the world for whatever psycho spy shit you are doing.”

He laughs before taking a sip of coffee. “I’m not a spy. I’m just good at deciphering things.”

“How did you get your job now anyway?”

He smirks as he answers. “I could tell you but then I would have to kill you.”

I slap his arm as I laugh. Dax and I always had a great friendship. Since the day we met at freshman orientation at Harvard, we’ve been two peas in a pod. Our friendship is easy, we’ve never had to work at it. And even though we don’t get to talk or see each other as much as we like, it’s always easy for us to reconnect.

“Honestly,” he pauses, “I was designing some security software for them when they had a breach in their firewalls. I found some things they should be aware of. Fixed the security problem. Didn’t think much of it. But a few years ago the owner came to me and asked if I wanted a job. I was sick of the corporate world. I already made enough money to retire so I figured why not.”

I smile at him as he talks. I think it’s crazy he made enough money by the time he was thirty-two to retire but he always said he would.

“You’re safe here, Mar Bar, okay? Don’t worry.”

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