It’s strange how much power our parents have.
But it had to come to this. I only hope that Charlie can escape. Her story rings through my mind like a piercing bell and I shiver at the thought of Vince fucking Grace’s cousin, trying to get her pregnant, and failing again and again. Poor Charlie had to sit there and take it, probably not in the same room, but still—she knew what her husband was doing, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.
In the end it amounted to nothing, just one dead girl and no baby.
But Charlie’s final admission keeps bothering me. Who is Emilio’s father if not Vince? She said Riley was their first option—what was their next? A sperm bank is a possibility, but I find it hard to believe Vince would be willing to raise the son of a stranger, even if it’s a stranger they chose from a binder of highly qualified individuals.
Who got Charlie pregnant?
I catch a flash of headlights down the street and it pulls me from my reverie. I flash my lights back once. That’s the signal—Diego’s parked nearby and waiting, same as me. I glance at the clock and it’s the designated time, so I slip my gun into my waistband and climb out of the car into the crisp California evening.
The Sandtrap’s walls aren’t far and I walk fast toward them. I cross the sidewalk, glancing around for any guards, any sign of men waiting in nearby cars, or any killers walking around the perimeter, but there’s nothing. I reach the edge of the walls and keep going around, heading toward the ocean, walking through a thicket of low bushes and twigs and grass until I find the spot I’m looking for.
A dead, fallen log is pressed up close to the stone. I climb up onto it and it’s just enough height to let me jump and grab the lip with ease. I hoist myself up, heart racing, and sure enough the section of wall is clear of glass—most of it is stippled with shining shards, but I cleared this off years and years ago when I was still a teenager. This used to be how I’d sneak on and off the property without my parents knowing.
I reach the top and pause before I drop down into the shadows. Getting inside is the easy part. I don’t move, waiting several heartbeats, and there’s no sound from the house. I can see it up ahead at the top of a short rise, the lights like beacons in the windows.
I go toward the back of the property, keeping close to the wall and the shadows. When I’m parallel to the garage, I start in, moving from tree to tree and pausing to wait and listen for any patrolling goons. There’s nothing and I manage to reach the garage and the side door.
I open it up to find blackness. I turn on my phone’s flashlight and sweep it over the space—
And nearly have a heart attack when I spot Rella, Charlie, and little Emilio crouched near the Miata.
“Turn that fucking thing off,” Rella hisses. “You want to get us killed?”
“Don’t curse in front of my nephew,” I say though I wonder if he’s actually my nephew or not. I turn off the flashlight and creep inside.
Charlie smiles at me, looking wan in the moonlight. “We’re ready,” she says. “Are they waiting?”
“Everything’s set. Diego should be in position right now. Do you have what you need?”
“I have enough for a week or two, but I’ll need diapers and food and stuff soon.”
“We’ll take care of it.” I reach out and touch Rella’s arm. “Thanks for this.”
She only shrugs. “After what I’ve seen lately, it’s the least I can do. Now get the hell out of here before we get caught.” She hugs Charlie and hurries off into the night, disappearing out the far door and toward the pool.
I put a finger to my lips. Charlie nods, looking brave, and hugs Emilio tight to her chest. We start out, back into the evening and down into the trees. Emilio’s quiet the whole time, which is beyond lucky—he’s half asleep and clearly cranky, and one bad cry could spoil the whole mission. We flit from tree to tree and reach the wall with ease.
I whistle softly, and Diego whistles back form the other side.
“Emilio first,” I whisper.
Diego’s hands appear at the top of the wall. I make a basket with my hands and boost Charlie up, and she manages to hand Emilio over to Diego. We wait a moment, then Diego helps Charlie up and across.
I take a deep breath and step back. “Now comes the hard part,” I mumble, and run at the wall as hard as I can.
I jump up, hit it, kick off, and grab for the lip, my feet scrambling and my arms flailing. Fuck, this used to be a lot easier when I was ten years younger.