Page 60 of Secret Triplets for Christmas

I noted a piece of paper on the pillow and picked it up.

I have something at work.Talk soon. - Lindsay

I was disappointedshe wasn’t here but pleased that my time with her hadn’t been a dream. No… touching her, making love to her, that had been real. And this time, it had been different. It wasn’t overlaid with guilt or questioning whether it should be happening.

I checked my watch and noted it was late afternoon. I laughed, thinking how delightful it was to have sex and a nap in the middle of the day. My heart swelled with happiness wondering what this new phase between us would bring. Was there a chance for us? And if so, how would that work? Would she be willing to come to California or would I need to return to Boston?

Normally, I recoiled at the idea of returning to Boston permanently. All I’d known here was pain. Nearly everywhere I went in the city, I was reminded of that pain and of losing Liam. But right now, lying in my warm bed with Lindsay’s scent lingering on my sheets, the idea of coming home, coming to her, filled my chest with hope.

How was she feeling? God, I hoped she was okay. Here I was, planning our future, and for all I knew, she’d lied about having to go to work. Maybe she left because she regretted being with me. Yes, she’d told me that she had felt the same about me, but that didn’t mean she wanted a future with me. Her note said,talk soon. Was she just saying we’d connect again soon or was there a deeper meaning?

I recalled how she'd said she needed to talk to me. She'd said it twice, once before and once after sex. The first time, my need to hold her outweighed wanting to talk. The second time, my fear of what she might say had me stopping her. At that moment, I wanted to savor the feeling of love. Perhaps I should have given her the words. If she knew I loved her, would that make a difference?

I realized that I’d turned the corner when it came to Liam and Lindsay. I was ready to let go of my guilt and fully love Lindsay. But to do that, I needed to put my past behind me, which included dealing with whatever Liam had that someone wanted. I had to take control of the situation. Be proactive. I decided I needed to take care of two tasks, convincing the texter to leave Lindsay alone by telling him I’d find whatever it was Liam had and returning to California for a brief trip to search through the few of Liam's belongings I had. It seemed like a long shot, but then again, if Liam had hidden something, it could have been in the few items I’d kept of his.

I didn’t want to leave now that things were moving with me and Lindsay, and yet, until this was behind us, we couldn’t move forward. I had to hope that Lindsay would be safe while I was gone. I had to convince whoever was following us around that I was the key to what he wanted, not her.

I rose from bed and dressed, feeling remarkably energized and hopeful for the future. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt like this. Hell, maybe I never had.

Once dressed, I returned to the table with all my paperwork and where I’d left my phone. I picked it up, planning to text the person who was harassing us. I considered the possibility that the texter had already disposed of the phone he used for the last communications with us. If that was the case, it'd be much harder to negotiate with him. But I couldn't waste any time worrying about that. Hoping he hadn't tossed the phone yet, I drafted a message.

Whatever Liam had, I'll find it and give it to you. Just leave Lindsay alone.

Sending the message, I hoped it would be enough to keep Lindsay safe while I traveled back to California. The thought of leaving her behind didn’t sit well, but it was necessary to ensure her safety.

Next, I researched flights to California. I found a nonstop flight leaving at seven tonight. If I hurried, I could make it. I booked the flight, and since I had clothes at home, I didn’t bother packing a bag. I grabbed my coat, my wallet, and my phone and rushed out to the rideshare I ordered. On the way, I messaged Lindsay to let her know I had to return to California but that I’d be back. I wondered if I should have called her. I wanted to. I wanted to hear her voice. But that fear that her leaving while I slept meant she wasn’t feeling for me like I felt for her prevented me from calling. I didn’t want to hear that in her voice or have her outright tell me we couldn’t be together.

The one call I did make was to Donovan.

“Giving up?” he asked when I told him I had to return to California.

“Not at all. I’m wondering if I have whatever this fucker is looking for. I’m going to find it. In fact, I messaged whoever it is and told him I’d hunt it down as long as he left Lindsay alone.”

“What did he say?”

“He hasn’t said anything yet.”

“Chances are that phone is gone. He probably didn’t get the message.”

“That’s why I’m calling you. Can you look out for Lindsay while I’m gone?”

There was a pause. “Yeah, sure. What’s the deal with you two?”

What was the deal? All I knew for sure was that I loved her and was finally ready to pursue that love.

“I just want to make sure she’s okay. She’s innocent in this. It’s fucked up that Liam has brought this on her.” This was the first time I'd let my anger at Liam’s choices get to me since before his death. Even if he was trying to do good at the time of his death, he shouldn’t have involved Lindsay. Why the fuck had he been at her home that night?

“Of course. I’ve had someone watching her place. If she goes over again to clean up, I’ll make sure she’s protected. I helped her the other day hoping we’d find something.”

Envy reared at the idea of Donovan spending time with her, but I had to put that aside. He was a cop. He was from the old neighborhood so he understood Liam’s world. He was the best person to watch out for Lindsay.

“Thanks. I appreciate it.”

The flight was uneventful.Seven hours later, I landed in San Francisco. It was two in the morning in Boston, but only eleven Pacific time. By the time I entered my condo, it was twelve thirty, and while fatigued, I was also keyed up to find what Liam had hidden. I tossed my keys on the table by the door and made a beeline to the closet that stored Liam’s items. I’d pawed through them before and hadn’t seen anything, but I didn’t look that closely either. If Liam had taken something to bring the crew down, he’d have hidden it well. I’d need to look deeper.

"Alright, Liam, what did you leave behind?" I set the box on the coffee table and sat on the couch. I pulled out the baseball he’d a homerun with in Little League. It didn’t seem likely it would be a hiding place, but I studied it and then set it by the box. There was a worn baseball glove that I put on. Memories flooded back of watching Liam play baseball. He’d been good. So good that part of his scholarship for college was for baseball. An injury ended his team days and had us scrambling to pay for the last two years of college. We’d done it, and so it was all the more tragic that he hadn’t lived to fulfill his potential.

Shaking my head of the memories, I used my fingers to search the inside the glove for anything that could be hidden there. A jump drive? In the index finger, I felt something soft, like paper. My heartbeat ramped up. Was this it? I was able to get the small folded up paper out. It seemed crazy that this old, worn paper could be what got Liam killed. What could be on it?

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