Page 208 of Broken Bonds

I finally pull myself together—again—and hold my bunny while Todd takes over telling Mom the bare-bones plan. She holds my hand like she’s afraid I’ll disappear if she lets me go.

“So…we’re flying to Maine?” she asks.

“No. We’re driving. Not to Maine. We want people to think you and Mal are heading to Maine. Your phone and someone pretending to be you are flying to Maine, with Mal’s phone. People will think you’re traveling together. We’re changing vehicles in the hangar.”

“You’re not telling me where we’re going, are you?” she asks.

“Sorry, no,” he says. “Just a precaution. Nothing personal.”

“I understand.” She turns to me again, touching my stomach. “I want to say something that I hope doesn’t upset you.”

Ruh-roh. “Just say it, Mom.”

She sadly smiles. “I always suspected you were gay. From when you were a kid, even before I realized you were an omega. You were so different than your brothers and, honestly? I loved you for how different you were. I saw the sweet, pure energy, the kindness, and I was terrified your father would burn it out of you like he did with your brothers. You’re going to be an amazing dad.”

Okay, I’m crying again. I hug her as best I can with our seatbelts on. “Thanks, Mom.” It feels soooo damned good to have her arms around me.

That’s when it strikes me that, until I was an adult, the only person I can remember hugging me was Mom.

Ever.

“I just hope wherever we’re going that you’ll set me up with a new identity,” she grimly continues. “I never want to see that bastard again. Hell, I don’t even want contact with my other sons. I don’t care if you have to fake my death—I’ll walk away from everything as long as I have Mal.”

“You never have to go back,” Todd assures her. “We have the resources and manpower to protect you both.”

Fortunately, Todd’s not going into the fact that she likely won’t have a husband or other sons by the operation’s conclusion.

That can wait until later.

“He’ll be so upset.” She sighs, tipping her head onto my shoulder. “But I despise my husband. Sad to say, I despise my other sons, too. Because they’re trying to emulate him in every disgusting, despicable way. I hope it doesn’t make me a horrible mother to say I’m ashamed I gave birth to any of them. Except Mal.” She kisses my cheek. “He’s the best thing in my life and the best thing I ever did.”

My face heats. I’m not used to gushing praise from her. “Thanks, Mom.”

Morning meets us at the hangar and takes custody of Mom’s phone and other electronics, along with the passcodes and passwords to her socials and email. He hands them off to a woman who hurries away to kick off the next stage on their end, while we’re transferred into a van with signs on the sides identifying it as belonging to an airplane maintenance company.

We change vehicles three times in the next hour before we finally end up in the one ferrying us home. It’s an hour before dusk, but this windowless cargo van, outfitted with comfortable seats, doesn’t allow us to see outside. There’s even a small functional toilet nook tucked in the back.

Todd sits on the seat opposite me and Mom, and wears a satisfied smile as Mom leans against me as I hold May-May.

We’re an hour into the final leg of our journey when she finally notices our rings. “You got married?”

“Not yet,” I say. “Engaged.”

“Need to take care of someone first,” Todd says, his voice grim.

She sits up. “When do I hear everything?”

“We will tell you once we’re home.” He glances at the time. “About four more hours.”

We talk very little. I think Mom’s afraid to let go of me for fear she’ll wake up from the best dream ever.

It’s not quite midnight yet when we arrive home, where Jax and Shawn await us.

Todd climbs out first and helps Mom, then me. She looks around, amazed, closing her eyes and deeply inhaling.

“Is this home?” she quietly asks.

I take her hand. “It sure is. You’ll love it here, I promise.” Jax and Shawn walk over, and Todd makes the introductions.