Page 215 of Broken Bonds

She smiles. “You’ll see.”

I finish my tasks and I drive Mom back to the house. We move to the living room to watch TV, my head in her lap. I need this time with her. We had damned little of it the older I got, not able to risk one of my brothers or my father interrupting.

She plays with my hair. “Once it’s all over, I’ll probably go back.”

“Back?”

“To Atlanta.”

“Why? Live here with us.”

“I want to sell everything. Liquidate the business. Disband the pack. You won’t lose me again, honey. But you’re newlyweds. I’m sure Todd would prefer I’m not here.”

I sit up. “You’re wrong. He wants you here as much as I do!”

“Honey, I’m not disappearing. I will move here but…” Another of those heavy sighs. “I’ve never lived alone. I don’t want a big house. I want a little place all my own. My furniture. My decorations. Just…mine.”

“Then you can move into the apartment. And we’re not newlyweds yet. I need you here, Mom.”

She cups my face. “Honey, I promise I will be here for you and the baby. I will be here for your wedding. Atlanta’s only a few hours away. But I have to wrap up my life there. Liquidate everything.”

“BT needs her gramma.”

“BT?”

I laugh. “Bad Timing. Todd calls her BeetleBug.”

She fingers the band on my left hand. Todd switches his out every morning for a silicone one so he doesn’t ruin his. “When’s the wedding?”

When, indeed. “That’s the question, right? We’d already be married if it were up to Todd. I reminded him Dad probably had alerts out. If I showed up in a system somewhere, he could find me.”

“Smart.”

“Will it bother you that he’s going to die? Dad, I mean.”

“Honey, it would bother me more if he didn’t.” Her brow furrows, thunder in her gaze. “My only regret is I won’t be there to pull the trigger myself.”

Chapter Eighty

Todd

New World Order

I really like Freya, and I’m glad this part of the plan worked flawlessly. She quickly settles in and Mal’s buoyant joy, thanks to their reunion, makes me happy. Even better, Mom loves Freya, too, and they’ve quickly become friends.

Four days after her arrival, I’m helping unload a truckload of supplies at the rec center when Jax approaches.

His expression tells me this isn’t…good.

“What?” I ask.

He motions for me to follow, and we walk over to the far side of the compound. He hands me a burner phone. “I’ll let you know.”

I stare at it. “Let me know what?”

“When it’s time.” He meets my gaze. “Sterling’s people are tracking Mal and Freya’s phones. Three of his guys showed up in Maine the next afternoon, looking for them. Sterling hasn’t filed a missing person report yet, and her car was driven back from the nature preserve.”

“So what’s this for?”