Page 25 of Release You

She stopped in her tracks and turned to face me. What was going through her mind right now? “No. Made it as far as New York.”

“Why? What stopped you?”

“I ran out of money. Well, most of it, anyway. I guess I freaked out when I realized five thousand dollars wouldn’t last forever.” She winced.

I brushed her cheek. Her soft skin felt cool against my fingers. “Tell me about your time in New York. Tell me about your first con.”

She let out a laugh and continued walking down the dark tunnel. “It was by accident really. I met a guy at the bar where I worked. I was eighteen.”

“And you worked at a bar?”

“I had a fake ID. I needed one to work. But that’s a different story.” She waved a hand in dismissal. “Anyway, I met this guy, and he seemed very into me. By then, I knew I’d never make it to Paris, and I was just trying to survive somehow. That night, I was so tired and fed up with my reality…I made up some sob story about me, and he bought it. I think I just wanted someone to feel sorry for me. I told him I was going to NYU and that my parents had cut me off. I acted like a spoiled brat, and he ate it up. Then he did something that surprised me and changed my life forever.”

I stuffed my hands in my jean pockets. Nikki had gone through so much on her own. What had this prick done to her?

She chuckled, placing her hand on my chest. “Relax. Nothing like that. He offered to pay for my tuition. ‘Stick it to them. Your parents are assholes.’ I believe those were his exact words. The guy was clueless, but I accepted his offer. Then quickly realized how much I could get done if I set my mind to it. In one summer, I got my GEDandgot accepted into NYU. Granted, not everything was entirely legal.”

“I wish I’d been there with you.” I shook my head. “Did you finish school?”

“I did. Went through three rich boyfriends, but I got it done.” She stopped to flash her light at the pile of rubble Russ and I had left behind. “Looks like someone

tried to close off this tunnel in a rush.”

“Yeah.” I nodded.

My heart raced as we climbed over the debris. The last time I came here, Mom had refused to leave with me, but I was sure she’d change her mind once she saw me with Nikki. Once she realized it wasn’t too late to be a family again.

The rest of the way, Nikki didn’t offer any more details on her life in New York, and I didn’t press her on it. At the end ofthe tunnel, we found the steel ladder that led to another manhole and my childhood home. Being here, hiding like a criminal, still hurt. But having Nikki by my side made everything less painful.

“This is it. We’re on the north side of Mom’s Garden.”

Nikki placed a hand over her mouth, her gaze fixed on the heavy cast iron cover with the Cavalier seal embossed on it. Was she thinking the same thing I was? Through that opening at the top, beyond the brick wall surrounding the property, was the mesquite tree where we’d agreed to meet the day I lost her. Why was she being so stubborn about us? We obviously had a lot of unfinished business, but that didn’t matter. She wanted me as much as I wanted her. This thing between us was far from over.

“Kill that.” She pointed at my flashlight before hers went out. I followed her lead and plunged us into darkness. The water trickled down through the opening and puddled at our feet. With a sigh, Nikki stepped closer to me and slipped her hand into mine. “I never thought I’d be back here.”

“Me neither. Are you ready?” I squeezed her fingers.

“No. But let’s do it anyway.”

I climbed up the ladder first. Cold and slimy under my touch, it rattled every time my foot landed on a rung. When I reached the top, I shouldered the manhole cover and moved it out of the way. A layer of mud avalanched down the opening and onto my clothes. Great. I bet Nikki was dry and comfortable in her high-tech suit. On the bright side, the cloudy, dark sky and rain turned everything, including us, to the same pale gray color. If we couldn’t see the guards, there was little chance they could see us.

“Don’t move,” Nikki whispered, pressing her warm body against mine. I snaked my arm around her waist to keep her steady on the narrow rung while she adjusted her night-visiongoggles on her face. “There’s a guy in uniform walking along the wall. What’s with the double security? Is your uncle nervous about something?”

“He should be. I’m back in town, and he’s keeping my mom prisoner in her own home.” How lonely she must’ve been all these years, doped up on God knows what kind of meds for a condition doctors couldn’t diagnose. “Can we go now?”

“Yeah.” Nikki rushed through the last steps as the ladder squeaked under our weight. She headed straight for the hidden door behind the bushes, dropped her backpack on the ground, and crouched next to it. “Gosh, I don’t remember this door being this small.”

“I know. You think you can work this lock?”

She snorted and glanced up at me. “There’s nothing even fancy about it. Now stop talking. I need to concentrate.”

While Nikki worked her magic, I sat against the wall, wiping mud off my pants, wishing I’d worn the suit she gave me. “You remember when we used to sneak out in the middle of the night?”

“Yeah, I remember. Can you imagine what your mom would’ve said if she’d found out you were sneaking around with the help?” She forced a laugh.

“You were never the help. And Mom knew. She knew about the hot chocolate and the tunnels.” I reached for her hand.

“What? How come you didn’t tell me? All that time, I thought we were drinking stolen hot chocolate.” She shook her head, smiling.

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