Page 58 of The Other Side

“We will,” Thea said.

“We’ll keep her completely out of sight until she’s well enough to travel home.”

Thea wrung her fingers in her lap. Could she get someone to drive her home? It was a long drive, and they’d have to stop often for her to elevate her foot.

“Thanks for letting us know. We appreciate the heads up,” Brett said.

“Anytime. Have a good evening.”

Thea ended the call and stared at the phone. “I hate this,” she whispered.

Brett reached for her hand holding the phone and lowered it to the seat of the couch. “I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

“I don’t know why they want to do this. I mean, I sort of know why, but not really.”

“I guess siding with a Patton is incriminating enough.”

She slumped against the back of the couch and wrapped her arms around her middle. She was putting all of these people in danger just by being here.

Brett stood and went to the fireplace. Would he figure out it was best to get her out of here? She had no car and could barely walk. Add on the hefty hospital bill she would be getting soon, and everyone might as well kick her while she was down.

The door opened, and Hadley walked in, letting in the cold. “Brr.” She shivered and hung her coat on the rack by the door. When she turned to Brett and Thea, she came to an abrupt stop. “What’s wrong?”

“My uncle filed a missing person report for me,” Thea said.

Hadley’s eyes widened. “Oh, no, no, no. The police didn’t tell him anything, did they?”

“No, but it means he knows I’m here, and he’s looking for me.”

Hadley sucked a breath through her teeth. “That’s not good.”

Brett sat on the coffee table in front of Thea. His usual carefree demeanor was gone, replaced with quiet calculation. “I won’t let them find you.”

“I know you want to keep me safe, but they know I’m here. I’m sure they know where you live. They keep tabs on all of their enemies.”

“But they can’t get to you here. We upped security not long after they built the wedding chapel and started having public events here,” Brett said.

“It’s still not safe,” she whispered.

“Would it be better to get you back to Alabama? There’s a good chance they’d try to follow us,” Brett said.

“I’ve thought about that. I’m sure they have someone watching this place, but I can’t stand the thought of putting anyone else in danger.”

Thea looked from Brett to Hadley. Her complexion had paled, and she was staring at the fire.

“I need to go,” Thea said. “I can’t do this to Hadley.”

“Wait,” Hadley said. “You can stay. I’m okay with it.”

“I’m not,” Thea said as she tried to push up from the couch. Her arms ached from the stitches and bruises.

“No.” Hadley moved around the couch to stand in front of Thea. “You’re still so beat up. It would be hard to ride in a car that far like this, and you’re not released to fly. What if you got in the air and your lung collapsed? I think we need to be vigilant.”

“I could stay.”

Brett’s deep words vibrated in Thea’s chest. Of course, Brett had always put himself between her and danger. He hadn’t known it back then, but he’d saved her years of this mess. He was the reason she left, but he was also the reason she wanted to stay. She’d desperately wanted to stay.

“Just during the night,” Brett said. “I think if you stay around the main house or the barn during the day, you’ll always have someone nearby in case something happens. I could sleep on the couch at night and leave first thing in the morning.”

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