Page 54 of Into The Rabbit Hole
How exciting. She looked at him, gazing deeply into his loving eyes, and couldn’t imagine saying no. “Yes.” She jumped into his lap, threw her arms around him, and kissedhim.
He slipped his arms around her waist, lifted his head, and smiled up ather.
“Are you sure it’s okay? I mean, with everything happening.” She thought they should considerthat.
“Yes, we need to. There’s always been something happening to distract us and get in the way. There’s a lot I have to face, especially with Zeek, and I need some time off before I can do that. We need time off from everything andeveryone.”
As much as she loved everyone, she had to agree. They needed a break. “Where do you want togo?”
“Hawaii, how about there? It’s not too far to be if we’re needed and just far enough to getaway.”
Her jaw dropped. “Hawaii? Really?” She’d always wanted to go there,always.
“Yeah. Is that a yes, then,baby?”
“It’s an absolute yes. Thanks so much.” She lowered to kiss his lips, feeling lucky and excited at the same time to go away with him, but also thankful to have himhome.
* * *
Regina
* * *
The same eveningthat Cora unleashed the virus she devised, Aaron fed the press with the oil rig story telling the true tale of how over a hundred men lost their lives due to not having the correct health and safety procedures in place. Everyone now knew that Ben falsified documents to make his part in the disaster seeminnocent.
And by the following morning, Regina tuned in to the main news to watch the release she’d actually been waiting on. It was a given that Aaron would focus on his mother. After all, this whole misfortune was forher.
She’d just gone into the kitchen, made her coffee, and was about to butter her toast, when she saw the reporter come on the TV interrupting the morning news report with her breaking news story. The minute Regina heard that, she knew what it was, even before the reporter opened her mouth to deliver themessage.
The headline then ran across the TV screen.Benjamin Vanderville and ex-con Jackson Donovan accused of killing Rachel Dean, a previous secretary to the state’sattorney.
Brian came in for breakfast at the same time and stood next to Regina. He glanced down nervously at her as the reportercontinued.
They watched pictures of Rachel fill the screen. Pictures from significant points in her life, and then there were pictures of her with who Regina presumed wasAaron.
“Rachel Dean was presumed missing twenty years ago and is to this day on the missing persons register,” the reporter stated. Her name, which Regina previously missed, flashed up on the screen. It was Julia Gibson. “Just this morning it’s been mysteriously brought to light that she may have been killed. The police were issued with a wedding band and they are currently running tests for fingerprints. We’ve also been told that she was killed because she had knowledge of all the shocking stories we’ve been airing this week with regards to Benjamin Vanderville. The police are currently investigating, so we’ll keep you updated once we knowmore.”
Regina switched the TV off and pushed her toast to one side. She turned right into Brian’s embrace and rested her head against his chest. He held her and they stayed like that for a few seconds in the silent comfort of eachother.
“I’m scared,” she whispered against his chest. Her chest tightened, and a bevy of knots twisted within her stomach, all making the spaces around her ribs and lungsconstrict.
The waiting, the wondering. It was getting to her in a way that she felt like she could no longer manage. There was more to come. She could feelit.
“I wish I’d gotten you out of this mess years ago,” Brian whispered against the top of herhead.
Before she could answer him, her phone started ringing. It was on the counter beside them. She left his arms to answer it and froze when she saw that no caller ID come up on thephone.
It could have been anybody. That was a logical way to think of it. It could have been a salesperson, it could have been a company calling in regards toRunway. But her gut instinct told her it wasAaron.
Brian moved past her and picked up the phone. Maybe he felt it, too. Maybe he felt that it was him,too.
Brian answered thephone.
“It’s Aaron, put me on speaker phone, Brian.” He was speaking that loudly that she couldhear.
Her nerves spiked and skin prickled. Brian pressed the button and put him onspeakerphone.
“Aaron, we are sorry for what happened to your mother,” Brian said. Regina looked at him, looked at the stern expression on his face and was grateful for his strength. “Since you know everything, you know that Regina is divorcing Ben. Wade and Taylor have nothing to do with any of what happened. Why can’t you leave themalone?”