Page 93 of Taking Care of the Target

Cassie ran a hand through her hair. “I just need to make sure there won’t be worse men coming to poke around next.”

After an epic sigh, Maude explained about the Greyhound station and that she and Harold told the agents they’d given her directions to Arkansas.

Hopefully that buys me some time. Priorities. First, Maude. Then goodbyes, and then I need to get the hell out of Dodge.

“Might as well talk to everyone at once,” Cassie said.

Within a few minutes, her makeshift family was gathered in the living room. She wanted to tell them everything, but she couldn’t, so she worked through what she could and couldn’t say.

“First off, thank you all for taking me in so easily and becoming such amazing friends…” A lump rose in her throat. After she made it through this and was on her way out of the city, she’d let herself cry over the loss of these amazing people, who she’d most likely never be able to see again. “It’s not safe to tell you everything. All I can say is that I was in the wrong place at the very wrong time, and some bad people want me dead. They almost succeeded at making that happen—twice.”

Maude covered her mouth, and Deanne reached out and took Cassie’s hand. Cassie clung to it like a lifeline.

“I’m guessing the FBI wants me for their case against…the bad people. But I don’t know if I can trust them. So, I hoped I wouldn’t have to leave like this, but I always knew I was living on borrowed time here. I’ll miss you all so much.” A tear rolled down her cheek, and she quickly swiped it away.

Deanne jumped up and hugged her, then Maude got in on it, and Owen, Levi, and even Harold joined in.

“Thank you again for everything,” she said as she soaked in the hugs and the love.

Then she took a deep breath and got ready for her second round of life on the run.

Chapter Forty-Two

Vince tugged on his T-shirt as he walked into the kitchen. Bobby was already up and making eggs.

Burnt, disgusting-smelling eggs. He slid a plate across the counter to him. Vince wanted Bobby out of town, even as he wanted him there, because at least he had his brother back. But he worried what would happen when everything came to light about Vince’s involvement in Carlo’s arrest. Honestly, he worried Bobby would call him a rat. A traitor. That he’d hate him as much as Carlo would.

Not to mention he worried about Bobby being too close to old friends and dealers who might get him in trouble again. But he went to meetings constantly, checked in with his counselor from the rehab center often, and had a local sponsor. He also volunteered at an animal shelter and worked as a waiter at Rossi’s. Apparently being beyond busy helped him avoid the quiet times when he started thinking about how nice it’d be to escape for a while.

This week, Vince would have to break it to him that he’d need to quit and disappear again, and he hoped having to start over somewhere else wouldn’t undo all of Bobby’s progress.

Vince shoveled a bite of eggs into his mouth and tried not to gag.

“When are you going to tell me what really happened with Cassie?” Bobby asked.

Burnt egg bits got caught in Vince’s throat, and he downed half a glass of water to keep from choking on them. “I told you. After everything that went down at the club in New York, I was afraid Big Al might come after her. So I got her out of town, told her exactly who I was, and after that she didn’t want anything to do with me, which was what I’d hoped for.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I can’t mention her to Carlo because he’d be mad you told her about the organization. You must think I’m stupidandhigh if you think I actually bought that story.”

Vince’s fork clattered against his plate. “If you tell Carlo, you’d put my life in danger. And if you don’t care about my life, think about Cassie.” He knew he should’ve told Bobby a different story. He worried feeding him the lie about Cassie being dead would send him spiraling since she was the one to believe in him in the first place. Plus, he’d seen how much Bobby immediately liked Cassie, and he didn’t want to tell that big of a lie to the only person he had left. “Don’t think he can’t get to any of us just because he’s behind bars. I really need Cassie and my relationship to be kept between you and me.”

“Chill, bro. It hurts me that you think I would do that to you or to her. Even at my worst, I…well, I put your life at risk. I was a shitty brother, okay? But I wouldn’t purposely send anyone after you, knowing that they’d hurt you.”

More than anything, Vince wanted to trust Bobby. He’d nearly broken down and told him everything a dozen times since he got out of rehab. But the risk of him slipping and talking to the wrong people, even if he didn’t realize he’d done it, was too great.

Vince ran his fingers along his jaw. “Speaking of Carlo, have you been to visit him?”

“Hell no. He gave crazy New York dealers permission to kill me. He can rot in jail for all I care. The question is, why haven’t you visited him?” Bobby narrowed his eyes. “Did you two have a falling out? I know something’s up.”

“Yeah, something is. You’ve got to get to the animal shelter, and I’ve got to go to Rossi’s.”And act like everything’s normal.

Putting on a false front all the time was slowly eating away at him. They should arrest people and have their trials the next month instead of drawing out the torture. McVee said they were lucky to get a date so close, but lucky was the last thing Vince felt. Miserable described his state the past several months perfectly.

He tried to keep his contact with the feds to a minimum, but if they were going to insist on protection, Bobby needed to be included in that. Otherwise, Vince would take his chances hiding himself and Bobby on his own.

“You’re forgetting that I met Cassie,” Bobby said as Vince reached for his keys. “She went to that club with us, and she told me she wouldn’t be okay without you. She knew you, and she loved you anyway. All I’m saying is if I had a girl like that, I would’ve forgotten about this godforsaken place and gone with her.”

Even though his back was to his brother, he closed his eyes, trying to shutter away the clash of emotions rising in him.

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