Page 43 of Pax

Deanna was crying, shaking her head as Annie rubbed her back.

“Didn’t they understand that all I wanted was them! I wanted them alive,” she cried.

“Honey, they thought they were doing the right thing,” said Claudette. “None of us is perfect. They thought they were protecting you when they kept the information from you about the business. Then, they thought they were giving you a wonderful start to a new life with the money.”

“I know what they were trying to do,” said Annie. “And I also know that maybe they didn’t handle it the best they could have. But they were trying, Deanna. None of us are perfect. We all make mistakes with our children. We’re human. We do the wrong things for the right reasons. That’s why God gives us grandchildren.”

The women all laughed, nodding at her while Deanna smiled at the women.

“Think of it this way,” said Claudette. “You get to do something you’ve always wanted to do. Travel? Buy something that’s a total luxury.”

“That’s not really me,” she said, shaking her head.

“Well, you don’t have to do anything with the money right now,” said Adam. “We can put it in the bank for you or in a safe here on the property. You decide.”

“Won’t the bank look at us suspiciously depositing all this cash?”

“Maybe, but we know people at the banks, and they won’t question us,” said Ben. Deanna nodded, looking into the box once again, shaking her head.

“All those vacations when they said they didn’t have a lot of money. We would stay in a tiny little motel on the beach, pack our own bread and things for sandwiches. We’d eat cold cereal for breakfast with the milk Mom had in the cooler. They could have been enjoying their lives instead of saving this for me.”

“They did enjoy their life, honey. They enjoyed it by watching you grow and saving this for you. Saving it so that they never had to watch you scrimp and save,” said Claudette. She stood, kissing Deanna on the cheek. “Sounds to me like you had amazing parents. Not everyone is that lucky.”

Deanna watched the woman walk away and then looked at the others and smiled.

“I’m lucky. Very, very lucky.”

It would be a few hours later that Pax called to check in and see how she was doing. He didn’t think she’d ever stop chattering about everything that she’d done.

“It looks wonderful, Pax! I hope you like it. I’m so nervous, and the money, I can’t believe they left all that money!”

“Babe, I’m going to love the house,” he chuckled. “I love you, Dee. The money means nothing to me. Do something for yourself with that money or just save it. We don’t need it.”

“That’s what your mom said, too. I just need to think a little about what I want to do. How is it going there? Any leads?”

“Not really. We know that some on the boats had disabilities, and a few were traveling with their parents or other relatives. We just can’t find who it is that’s been sending them across the border.”

“You’ll figure it out. I know you will,” she said, smiling into the phone. “I miss you.”

“I miss you, too, babe. We’ll be together soon enough, and then we won’t ever have to be apart again.”

“Now, you know that’s not the truth,” she laughed. “You guys are notorious for taking everything that comes your way. But it’s one of the many reasons I love you so much.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

“Everyone has been sent addresses for individuals with disabilities in the area. Let’s see if we can find out who has been contacting these people,” said Luke to the team. “Don’t attempt to do anything on your own. Let’s just make sure no one gets on a boat any time soon.”

As the men began to make their way to the addresses on their phones, Brax drove his team along a narrow highway. Cars were driving too fast, weaving in and out of the path of oncoming cars.

“Jesus, look at this idiot behind me in a car hauler,” he said. The others turned to look and shook their heads. “He’s going to tip those pretty cars over before he gets them to the dealership.”

When the hauler passed him, he looked at the driver, shaking his head. As it moved in front of him in his lane, they all realized it wasn’t a car hauler at all. Instead, it was a boat hauler carrying six boats similar to those that had been used before.

“Are you seeing this?” asked Saint.

“Seeing,” nodded Pax. “Follow him?”

“I say yes,” said Saint.

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