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I know the truth.

What truth?

Looking down at Dani, I made a decision.

The office was gone. Whatever the perpetrator was looking for, they didn’t find. I didn’t keep files in my filing cabinets for this very reason. They were for show.

Zach kept my files on a secure server only he and I had access to. Dani’s files hadn’t even been uploaded there. They were all on a small drive hidden in a keychain attached to my car keys.

I closed the door and locked it once again. Mindy would eventually come in looking for me. I had emailed her last night, letting her know I would be closing my practice. I had already moved all my patients to other qualified colleagues in preparation.

I had decided to take Dani and run. Disappear. I didn’t know if Danny and Dante were ok, but Danny was smart enough to find me if they survived. The promise I made to Dante to protect his daughter was my only concern now.

Leaving my office in its current state, we re-entered the elevator. I pressed the button for the parking garage and when the elevator opened again, I quickly hit the button on my key fob and started my car.

Buckling Dani into her seat, I climbed into the driver’s seat, hitting the locks. I didn’t know who was leaving the notes, but it wasn’t Dante. Dante would not have demolished my office the way it had been.

Whoever had done it, had done it in a rage. Someone was angry. The question was, what were they angry about?

I drove home, trying to keep a nice steady speed. I didn’t want to attract attention. Pulling into my driveway I turned off the engine and sat for a minute, allowing my heartbeat to slow.

Once I felt a semblance of calm, I stepped out on the driveway and quickly removed Dani from her seat. I walked hesitantly to the front door. We had only left the house forty-five minutes ago. Closing my eyes as I turned the lock, I anticipated a sight similar to my office.

When I finally opened my eyes after opening the door, I was relieved to see nothing had been done. I closed and locked the door, not taking any chances with our safety. Without knowing who had left the notes and who had entered my locked office, I no longer felt safe anywhere.

I quickly grabbed our bags, stacking them up by the door. I had planned to pack the car tonight while Dani slept, but plans changed all the time.

We learned to adapt.

Once the bags were stacked, I unlocked the door and moved them to the porch. Continuing to move in stages. I didn’t feel comfortable letting Dani leave my side. So, we stepped out on the porch and I sat her on a step while I stacked the bags a third time at the bottom of the steps.

One more time and we would be ready to go. Lifting Dani to my hip, one by one I took the bags and set them in the trunk. Keeping her against my body, the only place I felt she was safe. I was thankful I made the decision to get an SUV rather than a car. This would be much more comfortable for traveling.

I had considered getting a new car under my new name, but decided to wait until it was necessary. No one knew I was leaving. It would be at least a week or two before Mindy realized something had happened. By then, she would call, and I would act surprised when she told me the state my office was in when she found it. Assuring her all was well when I left.

With the bags settled in the back of the vehicle, I buckled Dani back into her car seat and climbed in myself, starting the car.

I sat for just a minute as I looked at my home.

I had worked hard for that house. That’s all it was. A house. I knew that now. Looking in the rearview mirror at the little blonde-headed girl smiling back at me, I understood what a home really was. It wasn’t the wood and nails that surrounded you. It was the love you shared with the people in your life.

As I put the car in reverse, I backed out of the driveway, silently saying goodbye to my old life.

“Alright, baby girl. Let’s start our new life. Just you and me.”

Chapter Nineteen

Ghost

February 8, 2025, Diamond Creek, Nebraska.

“Where are we on Kelley?” King asked as he walked into the room, slamming the door behind him.

Well, this was off to a great start.

“The son of a bitch is hiding. The girl at the motel claims she doesn’t know where he lives. And I had her call him with a bullshit story that some guy was causing a scene, beating on a woman. He said he’d handle it. But I sat there for two hours and he never showed.”

“I want him found.”