“Should we put her to bed?”
“Probably a good idea. It’s going to be morning when we get there, so she’s going to be ready to see the sights. Come on.”
Jason closed his computer before stepping over to me and effortlessly scooping Willa up into his arms. She opened her eyes sleepily for a moment before closing them, yawning deeply. I followed Jason, watching him take Willa to one of the bedrooms and laying her down before wrapping her up in blankets and kissing her softly on the forehead.
It was so odd. Jason was a criminal. But there wasn’t the slightest doubt in my mind that he loved that little girl more than anything.
What the hell was I doing? Did I really have a right to throw his family to the wolves in order to save my own just because of how he made a living?
Jason glanced back at me. “Come on. I could go for some coffee.”
“Yeah. That sounds good.”
He closed the door softly, Willa rolling over and pulling the covers even more tightly around herself.
Once we were back in the main cabin of the plane, Jason went to work getting some coffee ready.
“Listen,” he said. “I know this is kind of a last-minute thing. But thanks for being so flexible with your plans.”
“You kidding? This is what you’re paying me for, right?”
He flashed me a smile over his shoulder as the coffee machine started. “Still. Working for someone like me isn’t the easiest thing in the world. But you’ve been great so far. Willa loves you, and having you around is going a hell of a long way in making my life easier.”
Just wait until I do what I’ve got planned. Wait until I screw everything up for you.
The coffee finished, and Jason brought the two cups over to me on the couch, along with some milk and sugar. He took his black as I added a touch of milk to mine. He sipped, his eyes on the middle distance.
“She’s been through a lot,” he said. “Losing her mother.”
“Cancer, right?”
He nodded, but not before pausing for a moment. “Yeah. Cancer. Happened so quickly. She barely remembers anything, doesn’t even remember visiting her in the hospital over the month while she was…passing away.”
“Awful for a kid to have to go through that.”
“It’s toughened her up, I think. But not in a good way. All kids are born innocent, and the more they’re exposed to how rough the world really is, the more of it they lose. And the thing about innocence is that when it’s gone, it never comes back.”
“I know all about that. When my parents died, it was like I had to become an adult when I still felt like a kid. No one looks after you, and you have to do it all yourself.”
“You didn’t have anyone?”
“Just me and my brother.”
“Your brother…where is he now?”
Fuck. Fuck-fuck-fuck.I’d let it slip and now I had to think of something fast.
“He’s…in LA. Does production work in Hollywood. Wanted to be a producer or something like that, but it’s a hard industry.”
Another lie that came out so quickly I couldn’t believe it.
“Don’t know much about all that, but I can only imagine. Maybe he’ll get his big break someday.”
Or maybe he’ll live to see the end of the month.
He went on. If Jason knew I was lying, he didn’t show it.
“And I want to thank you—again. You may feel like you’re still learning the ropes, not sure of yourself. But trust me, you’re making a big difference in Willa’s life.”