Page 17 of Tapped

“I hate carrots,” Chase whines.

“Wait a second.” Micah catches up and grabs my arm. “You can’t just leave. What’s your plan?”

Micah can’t stop looking from between me and Chase as my son hops on one foot at my side. “We’re going home where I’ll arm my security system. Then I’m going to make popcorn and turn on a ridiculous cartoon that’s bad for his brain, but they’re the only ones that keep his attention. Then I’m going to open a bottle of wine and contemplate where I went wrong. In the midst of all that, I’ll call my attorney, who also happens to be my brother. That will surely get to my parents and sister in record time. It will be a whole thing, which is the reason I’ll need the wine first.”

His smirk is gone, and he’s back to frowning. “That’s your plan? You’ve got a hit on your—” He pauses, glances at Chase, and has the decency to shut his mouth. “After what you learned today, that’s your entire plan?

“That’s my plan for now. You’ve done your part. I’ll take care of everything. I always do.”

Brax rustles Chase’s hair before he hands me his card. “Call if you need anything. Anytime.”

“She has my card.” Micah turns back to me. “It’s my case. Call me.”

“Thank you. We’ll be fine.” I stuff the card in my purse and turn to the only human on earth I would literally lay my life down for. “Let’s go home, baby.”

I can’t shake the unnerving feeling of walking to my car after what I just learned. I need to get my shit figured out fast.

I never want to come back here again.

5

CHILLING

Evie

Andrew hangs up from his call and turns to me. “That was the security department. Someone will be here right away to sit in front of the house tonight.”

I exhale a relieved breath. “Thank you.”

Andrew is the oldest. He’s fifteen years older than me, and has always acted like a parent instead of the older brother who would get me out of trouble or buy me beer in high school. I might as well have had three parents growing up.

I called him on my way home from the DEA. I had no choice. He’s my attorney and drew up my divorce papers. He promised he’d keep it under wraps with the rest of our family until I handled things at home with Chase. The last thing I need is my mother breathing down my neck. She’ll demand that Chase and I move in with them. As desperate as I am for childcare—and now, security—I need to wrap my head around everything that has happened.

I’m not an idiot. I know dealing with my family is better than hiding from a killer. I just need a minute to process what happened today on my own without having to manage everyone else.

“You and Chase should go to Mom and Dad’s. You’ll have an extra layer of security at their house with the gates, and the guard can sit outside the house there.”

Lovely. Andrew not only argues for a living, he’s now building his case against my inner thoughts.

“I’ll think about it. It’s almost Chase’s bedtime.” I glance into the family room at my son. All I see are his little bare feet sticking up over the back of the sofa where he’s watching cartoons upside down. He’s starting to chill out for the night. I’m not going to uproot him now. I lower my voice when I turn back to my brother. “He hasn’t even asked where Jeff is. If that’s not telling, I’m not sure what is. Had I done this long ago, I wouldn’t be in this spot. I’m an idiot for thinking I could fix my marriage.”

“It doesn’t matter how much I agree with you, now is not the time for that. Don’t do that to yourself. You can’t change anything, and you had no idea he’d turn into a murderer. I haven’t heard the recording yet, but from what you described, he’ll be charged with attempted murder times two. You won’t have to worry about him for a very long time. I’m no divorce attorney, but this will be sped through the courts. No judge will make you go through the motions.”

I pick up my glass of wine and mutter, “Look at you, all glass is half-full. So unlike you.”

“I know. It feels wrong,” he deadpans. “Look, even with security sitting outside all night, if you insist on staying here, I can rearrange my trip in the morning and stay with you.”

I take a sip of my wine and let it warm me from the inside. “It’s okay. I have cameras surrounding the house. As long as someone is outside, I’ll be fine. I’m going to take Chase to the clinic with me in the morning. He can hang out in my office until I can figure something out. Plus, you need to quit being so nice. It’ll suck when you go back to being distant and obsessed with work. We haven’t seen you for over a month, you know. If this is what it takes for a mini-family reunion, then the Litchfields are more cold-hearted than I gave us credit for.”

“You’re the only warm-blooded one in the family, Evie. No one but you would have the patience to work with every blue-haired senior in the Miami metro.”

“Don’t give me shit. I love my patients.”

“Mama said shit!” Chase yells from the family room.

I hope he uses his multitasking skills for good and not evil when he starts kindergarten in the fall. “Sorry, baby.”

Andrew rolls his eyes but picks up his phone to read a text. “That was fast. Your security guard is here. Are you sure you don’t want me to stay?”

---