Page 46 of Fortunate Miracles
We stay up fairly late in the living room while I try to study. After taking my pill and doing my nighttime routine in the bathroom, I get a hug from Zander before he retires to his room.
Knowing it will take a bit of time for the pill to kick in, I ask Nick to join me in my room until I fall asleep.
He settles on top of my bed and turns the tv on low while I get under the covers. “I’m scared, Nick,” I confess, snuggling into his side.
“I know. We’ll be okay,” he replies, putting his arm around me and pulling me even closer. “Sleep, Shortie.”
Nick
As I’m sitting in the guest bed talking online with Fawx, a message pops up. No one should be able to enter our secure chat. I ask if he sees the message too, and he does. I let him trace it to its source before opening it. After he's confirmed it’s from the hacker Patrick is using, I open it. The first thing I see is a photo of Shortie. There’s a man I don’t recognize in the background with a gun pointed at her.
Patrick: Nick, did you think I wouldn’t find out about witness protection? That won’t save you or the girl. Come home to me, and I’ll leave her alone. You and I have unfinished business.
Fuck. I’m going to Tennessee, and there’s a damn leak in the local FBI office. Maybe I can get some answers first.
Nick: What am I missing?
Patrick: I thought you were smarter than this, son.
Nick: Answer and I’ll come.
Patrick: I arranged for Beth to get hooked on drugs again. I made sure Ben’s letters reached Summer.
Patrick:I am Lily’s father. I had the results switched so that John was listed as the father, hoping he could get the money. I would have left Summer alone if he had won, but at least she suffered because of the case.
Patrick: See you soon.
Fuck. He’s been manipulating so much I didn’t know about. Fawx is still online with me, so I remind him about the promise he made to watch out for Summer and help her if she needs him. He offers to monitor Tennessee and me too, which I appreciate. Logging off, I get up and grab my bag. I go into Z’s office and write a letter to Summer and Troy and leave them on the island. Deciding it’s best to wake Z, I quietly open his door and slip inside with my duffel bag.
He’s immediately awake when the door clicks. “Nick,” he says, turning on the bedside lamp.
I press my finger to my lips and go into his closet, and he follows. Closing the door, I turn on the light. He sees my duffel bag, and understanding dawns. “What happened?”
“He reached out through a chat room. If I go to him, Summer will be safe. He knows about WITSEC. He made sure Beth overdosed, was helping Ben get the letters out, and is Lily’s father, not John. The trial was a setup to get money.”
Zander stands there, stunned for a minute, sighing wearily, then nods. “What do you need?”
“Cash and a burner phone.”
He opens the safe room and hands me a wad of cash, a phone, and an extra charger. “Are you sure you want to do this, Nick?”
“No choice, Z. She comes first, always.”
“Thank you for keeping her safe. I’m sorry, Nick,” he replies. He genuinely looks upset.
Nodding, I put the phone in my pocket, splitting the cash between myself and the duffel bag. “I knew I'd have to deal with him again. Keep vigilant for a while yet. Let Ceres stay with Summer.If nothing happens after a few weeks, then you should be fine. It was always me he wanted revenge on. I wrote letters to Summer and Troy. They’re on the island.”
Z pulls me into a hug. “I know about the new deal with the FBI you and Troy arranged. Stay safe and stay alive until you can return home. Do you have a plan?”
“Figure out who his boss is, then kill him.”
“Timeframe?”
“Probably months. He won’t trust me now.”
“Reach out to any of us if you need help. I meant it, Nick. You’re being heroic enough; no need to push it further. Promise me.”
“I will, but most likely you won’t hear from me at all until it’s over.” Checking my watch, I see it’s time to leave. “I have a cab to catch at the end of the driveway. Keep her safe.” I walk out of the closet and out the front door. Time to start my old life again.
