Page 81 of Beneath the Surface

Panic wrings my insides. “God forbid you let your merit and ideals get you there.”

Frank shakes his head. “People don’t vote on ideals. Not anymore.”

I stand up. “This is ridiculous. There’s a reason I stayed away all these years. I have no interest in helping you.”

My father’s brows rise to his hairline as he leans back in his seat. “I don’t remember giving you a choice.”

“I’m not a kid anymore. I won’t just jump and say how high.”

He hums. “Rumor has it you spend a lot of time around kids these days.”

My blood freezes, his insinuation spreading through me like a sickness. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

He shrugs. “Collateral.”

Fear grips my heart and squeezes. “You wouldn’t,” I rasp.

“I’m just a father willing to doanythingto get back his child.” He takes another sip from his glass. “Surely, you understand.”

The jab doesn’t go unnoticed, grief pulsing hot and sharp through my chest. But I tamp it down, knowing that a reaction will let him know where I stand. And the quickest way to lose the battle is by showing all your cards. But I’ll be damned if I let him do anything that would put Lily or her son in harm’s way, and he knows it. I was so stupid to touch her in public,rightafter running into Olivia. There’s no way they didn’t follow us home.

“Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak.”

Sighing, I sit back down, running a hand through my hair and nodding. And with my agreement comes the knowledge that every plan I made revolving Lily is now nothing more than a dream. A “what could have been” moment.

They drop me back off at my motel room a few hours later, reminding me once more what’s at stake if I try to disappear. I grabThe Art of Warthat’s propped on the corner of the desk and open it, my eyes scouring for words of advice—something to calm the storm that’s raging through my body.

“All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when we are able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must appear inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.”

As long as Lily is here, as long as she’s alone, she’ll be vulnerable.

She can’t stay. But she can’t be with me either.

So with my heart cracking from the weight of my decision, I pull out my phone, and I make the call I didn’t want to make.

My chest burns deeper with every ring.

“Mason.” His voice is sharp.

Blowing out a breath, my stomach churning more with every breath I take, I force the words from my lips.

“Chase. I found her.”

38

Lily

Ihaven’t heard from Alex in two days, and it has my nerves on edge. It’s not like him to just disappear, and the fact that it’s happened after what I thought was a monumental night sends tendrils of unease curling around my spine.

Maybe he’s sick.

It’s times like these where I wish I had a cell phone, so I could send him a text, orsomething. But instead I’m just here, floating in limbo, waiting for him to either put me out of my misery or for the other shoe to drop.

Where is he?

“Mommy, I wanna pway ball.” Chase comes from his room, a bright orange ball wrapped in his tiny hands.

“Okay, baby. Just give me a minute and we’ll head out.” My plan is to take him to the park, then stop by the Motel Eight and check to make sure everything’s okay with Alex.

---