Page 57 of Strict Confidence (Rochester Trilogy 2)
“She’s—”
“She’s too goddamn young to be embroiled in this.” Mateo’s voice softens. “I know it blows. But you have to send her back home. Anything else happens to her, and you’ll be on the hook for it. Maybe not legally, but morally. You won’t be able to live with yourself.”
“I—” He’s right. That’s what hurts more than everything else. That’s what’s stopping my goddamn heart. “I know. Yes. You’re right.”
Mateo nods. “I’ll take her to the airport. You have to go tell her.”
I go back through the door and into the living room.
Paige is quiet now, but it’s only because she’s cried herself to sleep in Jane’s lap. Her arms cradle the morning paper in its plastic bag. Jane leans against the back of the couch and runs her fingers through Paige’s hair. She swallows hard. “Do you think we should call—”
“We’re not calling anyone.” We can’t. Joe Causey did this, and Joe Causey will know if we call the police. What good would it do? I have to resolve this on my own. “Jane.”
“Yeah?” She glances down at Paige in her lap. A dead rat left for her, and she’s more worried for Paige than herself. God, what have I been thinking, letting her stay here? I should have known better than that. I should have known from the first night she walked into my house that it wouldn’t be simple. My love is dangerous. That’s been proven today.
“It’s time to go.”
Her brow furrows, but she doesn’t stop stroking Paige’s hair. “What do you mean?”
“You need to leave.”
Causey wouldn’t come after a child. He wouldn’t come after his own niece. He doesn’t realize that he’s hurting Paige anyway. He has no idea the pain this will cause. He’s blinded by spite, and something has pushed him over the edge. I don’t care to analyze it now. All I know is that I have to get her away from this place. When Jane’s somewhere safe, I can make Joe believe I don’t care about her. I’ll make sure the investigation finds the real arsonist here in Maine.
Jane shakes her head. She doesn’t understand. “Go upstairs? Is someone coming to take care of the rat?”
“No. You’re going home. Back to Houston. You need to pack your things and get ready to go. Mateo will take you to the airport.”
“Beau.” A shocked whisper. “What are you saying? I’m not leaving.”
It’s a struggle to keep my voice in check. I don’t want to startle Paige out of her sleep. Enough has happened to that girl to last several lifetimes. I’m about to make it worse. Paige might never forgive me for sending Jane away. I had no other choice won’t be a good enough explanation. It hardly sounds like one in my own head.
But it’s the only way I can keep her safe.
“You’re going on the first flight out.”
A tear slips down Jane’s cheek, but she doesn’t sob. She barely moves. “You wouldn’t do this. I know you care about me. I know you love me.”
“I do love you.” It’s a knife to the throat to say the words to her like this. Damn you, Rochester. Damn you for letting it get so out of control. “That doesn’t change anything.”
Jane’s mouth drops open. “It’s everything.”
“It doesn’t.” I’m an asshole, standing over her to say this. I should get down on my knees and hold her hand. I should beg. But if Jane sees that kind of softness from me, she won’t leave. And she has to leave. She has to leave today. Before this goes any further. I take out my phone. “People who love each other don’t always end up together.”
Jane blinks and another tear falls down her cheek. She shakes her head. Christ, I can see it in her eyes. What she’s thinking. She’s thinking this is about Emily, and the fact that I didn’t get what I wanted from that relationship.
She’s wrong. This isn’t about Emily, and can’t be about Emily. I was never going to get what I wanted from any relationship with Emily because what I want is Jane. I just didn’t know it yet. She hadn’t walked into my life yet. I couldn’t have known.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m booking you a flight.”
Jane allows herself one single, stifled sob, but then she swallows hard and makes the rest of them disappear. “I’m not leaving you,” she says, her eyes on the ceiling. But then she brings them back to me. “I’m not leaving Paige.”
“You are.” My only consideration for the flight is how quickly it can get her back to Houston. “Because you don’t work for me anymore.”
Her eyes go wide. The very first day I met Jane Mendoza, I was casual about my power over her. You’re locked in for a year. I’m not. I can fire you anytime I want. She must be remembering it now. It’s still true. According to the terms of our contract, Jane is an at-will employee. The agency contract is designed in everyone’s favor but hers. I only have to gesture at dissatisfaction to fire her. They don’t even require a written explanation.
