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CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Ben loved having Frizz and Justin here. It was awesome that he and his sister got along so well. He knew not all families enjoyed happy relationships, but he was happy they were friends.

They were at the beach, enjoying the day, when he saw Kevlar and Remi. They came over to say hello.

“Hey, Remi, Kevlar. This is Frizz, my sister, and Justin, her husband.”

Kevlar shook their hands first, then Remi. “It’s good to meet you,” Kevlar said.

“Hi, nice to meet you. Are you here for a visit?” Remi asked.

Frizz nodded. “Yes. We live in Texas. So you’re the one who writes—draws Pecky, right?”

Remi smiled and laughed. “Yes. Did Hop tell you about it?”

“He sure did. The last birthday gift he sent was covered in Pecky paper.”

Remi snorted out a laugh. “That’s great.”

“We both love it. Justin searches for it every evening after dinner to see the latest. It’s great.”

“Thank you. I love my job.”

Frizz nodded. “That’s good. I’m happy where I’m at, but I wouldn’t say I love it.”

“What are you two up to this weekend?” Hop asked.

Kevlar shrugged. “Just enjoying each other’s company.”

Hop put his arm around Vera and glanced down at her, thankful they were together. “That’s nice.”

“You all have a good weekend,” Kevlar said as he waved.

“It was nice meeting you,” Remi added before they walked away.

His life was good. He had great friends and a good family. He was in love with Vera, and he felt like they would have a great life together.

They had been at the beach for a few hours and were about to wrap it up when his phone buzzed. It was a note from Thario stating that Logan was in play.

Justin stepped close, a worried look on his face. “Hey, what’s up?”

Hop’s eyes slid to watch Frizz and Vera, who were just coming back from getting their feet wet. Worry and fear twisted together.

“Thario sent a note. Says Logan is in play.”

“What does that mean?” Justin asked.

“Not sure. I need to find out. I don’t want Frizz or Vera knowing until we leave the beach.”

“I’ll intercept. Talk to your friend and find out what’s up.”

He nodded as he texted Thario, asking what it meant. His phone rang, and he answered, watching Frizz and Vera, making sure they were far enough away that they couldn’t hear him.

“Hey, what’s up?” Hop asked.

“He bought a plane ticket to Phoenix.”

“Okay. Only to Phoenix?”

“Yes.”

“What do you think it means?”

“You all need to be careful. I wouldn’t panic but watch yourself. He’s still looking.”

“This bastard needs to go away.”

“I know, and you know, but I don’t think it has come to letting anyone else know.”

Hop grunted. His buddy was right. It hadn’t come to that yet. Would it come to that? He needed to protect Vera, but there were laws in the USA that limited what he could do. But if the bastard got close, he would end the jerk.

“I’ll keep my eyes on him and tell you if anything else happens. Just make sure to keep Vera and Frizz safe.”

“I will. Are you coming over tomorrow for lunch?” Hop asked.

“I wouldn’t miss meeting Frizz. I’ll be there.”

“Can’t wait.”

“Stay safe.”

“We will. Thank you.”

Vera and Frizz walked over, followed by Justin. He thought he was doing a good job hiding his worry, but Vera narrowed her eyes and frowned. She didn’t say anything, but he figured she would quiz him later.

For now, what mattered was keeping his family safe. The bastard wasn’t close yet, but he would have to keep watch and make sure Logan had no way of finding them. Living in hiding wasn’t sustainable. There had to be something they could do, but the police where Vera used to live wouldn’t bring charges against the jerk, which meant there were limited options available. He would just have to keep doing what they were doing and hope that if Logan came looking for Vera, they would be ready for him.