"Never. Hawk knows everything we do, you can ask him for details. We'll be back by Friday night. If anything comes up, you can call."
"And if the killer decides you're an easy target now that you're out there without security?"
Beside me, Scarlett sat up straight, turning horror-filled eyes my way. With everything that had happened, she'd temporarily forgotten the reason she was at Heartstone Manor in the first place. I hadn't, but some things were worth the risk. Thatcher's life was one of them.
Chapter Thirty-One
TENN
I shook my head at Scarlett. Vanessa's killer was not our biggest problem right now.
"West, whoever it is would have to find us first. And they don't want me dead, they want me punished. Otherwise, they would have shot me while I was alone in the gardens. Or any number of times I've been alone in the open. Only a handful of people know where we're going, and half of them work for Sinclair Security."
West grunted into the phone but didn't say anything except, "Get your ass back here asap, got me?"
"That's the plan. Call Hawk for more if you need it."
"Yeah, later. Stay safe."
The second I hung up, Scarlett said, "Are you sure about this? I forgot about Vanessa. How could I have forgotten about Vanessa?"
"Because you're scared for your kid and you didn't even know Vanessa. Give yourself a break."
Scarlett stared out the window, watching the trees flash by. "I keep replaying it in my head. Thatcher leaving with Elliott. I keep thinking—if I'd been closer, I could have grabbed him, made him stay. But—" She sighed. "He's thirteen, but he could easily pass for sixteen or seventeen. He's been like that since elementary school, always at least a head taller than everyone else. And he's strong. I couldn't have dragged him back in the house even if I’d tried. He was determined, was positive Elliott would get hurt if he didn't stay to watch out for him."
I reached across to take her hand, squeezing her fingers gently in mine. "We'll find Thatcher. If Hawk says this Floyd guy is a bloodhound, I believe him."
Her fingers squeezed mine back. "I'll feel better when I can put my arms around him." She let out another gust of breath. "I am going to kill Elliott if the Learys don't get to him first."
"Do you share custody?" I wanted to know everything about her ex, but I wasn't sure how to get her talking. Starting with the kids seemed like a good idea.
Scarlett laughed, but the sound was bitter. "No. Not even close. He gets them for the occasional sleepover when he feels like playing Dad. It doesn't happen as often as it should, so I try to make it easy for the boys' sake. They love the asshole no matter how many times he lets them down."
"They'll figure it out eventually." I spoke from experience.
I'd been them once, hanging on to love for a dad who didn't really give a shit about me. I'd wanted him to love me so badly for so long. And then, one day, I didn't want it anymore because I knew my dad's love wasn't worth the cost. If I hadn't figured it out before then, I'd known the day I watched Griffen walk down the long drive of Heartstone, his backpack slung over his shoulder, cast out by his father for trying to do the right thing.
Scarlett sighed again. "I wish Elliott would get it together so they don't have to figure it out." She glanced over at me. "He's never done anything like this before, you know. Committed a crime—at least that I know of." She stared at the trees for a moment, sifting through her thoughts. "Damn. This isn't the first time, is it?"
I looked over to meet her eyes before looking back to the road. "I doubt it. I don't think you get to know people like the Learys, have them put you to work if you haven't committed a few crimes to get in their orbit."
Scarlett swore under her breath. Shifting in her seat so she faced me, she said, "He's never put the boys in danger as far as I know. Though now, I'm realizing that there's probably a lot that was going on that I didn't know about. But what I'm saying is that I had no clue. Until this happened, I would have said the worst thing he did with the boys was load them up with junk food or show them an R-rated movie. Or bailed on their sleepover night because something came up. Not great stuff, and it bothered me, but none of it was bad enough to cut him off from the kids. Nothing like this."
"Is he the reason you said you don't need another person to take care of?" Her response to the idea of marriage had stuck with me. She laughed again, and this time her laugh was unexpectedly less bitter.