“The filter will make it a little harder to recognize her.” He handed me a burner phone and a large yellow envelope with the district attorney’s address written on the front. “I also put a latex glove inside the envelope. Make sure her fingerprints are the only ones on the phone when you put it inside. Give it back to me when you’re done, and I’ll have it mailed when it’s time.”
“You got it.”
When I got up to the room, Parker was still in bed asleep. She looked so gorgeous, so peaceful, lying there, and the thought of something happening to her had me feeling like the weight of the world was crumbling down around me. The club had worked with Billy for years. I knew he was incredible at his job and that I could trust him, but I was still concerned. It was Parker’s life on the line, so I had to make sure his plan went off without a hitch. That thought had me grabbing my laptop out of my bag. I was trying to be careful not to wake Parker, but when I turned back around, she was sitting up in the bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “Hey, what are you doing over there?”
“I’m just getting my laptop.” I held it up to show her. “Got some stuff I need to do for Billy.”
“What kind of stuff?”
“Just uploading some records.” I walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed. “There’s something you need to do for him too.”
“Oh?”
The blood drained from her face as I told her, “You need to make up a suicide note... or video. Whichever you think you can handle.”
“I’m not sure I can handle either.” Parker drew her legs up to her chest and propped her chin on her knees. “I don’t even know what I’d say.”
“Just cover the basics.”
“So, what? I’ve been on the run for over a year, and I just can’t take it anymore?”
“That’s for you to decide.” I placed my hand on hers. “It’s gotta come from the heart. It’s the only way people will believe it’s legit.”
“Okay… I’ll, uh, try.”
“You’ll do fine.” Then I handed her the wig. “Billy suggested wearing this and using a filter when you record.”
She picked it up and studied it for a moment. “Did he have any other suggestions?”
“Just do the best you can. Whatever you come up with will be fine as long as it’s believable.” After wiping it down, I gave her the burner phone Billy had given me. “Just let me know when you’re done.”
“Okay.” When I stood, she asked, “Is there a particular place I should go to do this?”
“Find a quiet corner... somewhere no one will recognize.”
“Okay.”
I leaned over and gave her a kiss on the forehead, then left her to collect her thoughts. She was weighing on my mind as I carried my laptop into the kitchen and sat down at the table. Eager to get this shit done so I could get back to Parker, I reached in my pocket and pulled out the flash drive Billy had given me. I immediately got started on uploading information to all the various locations. Sadly, it didn’t take long to hack into her small-town dentist’s office. Their security was total shit, and her doctor’s office wasn’t much better. I had everything swapped out in less than an hour. Once I was sure I had everything taken care of, I headed up to the bedroom to check on Parker. When I first walked in, I didn’t see her, so I checked the bathroom. There was no sign of her there, so I figured she’d gone outside. I was wrong.
As soon as I stepped back into the bedroom, I spotted her in the corner, sitting on the floor with tears streaming down her face. She lifted the phone as she announced, “I did it.”
I walked over and knelt down beside her, pulling her into my arms. “You okay?”
“No, but I will be.” She slipped the phone in the envelope as she said, “Please, just tell me I don’t have to do it again.”
“I’ll check to be certain, but I’m sure it’s fine. Right now, all I’m concerned about is you.”
“I’m fine,” she tried to reassure me. “I just want to take a shower and try to put all of this behind me.”
“Okay.” I stood, then reached down and helped Parker to her feet. “I’ll get this to Billy. Let me know if you need anything.”
“Could you hold me? Just for a minute?”
As I wrapped my arms around her, I whispered, “Baby, I’ll hold you for as long as you want.”
She laid her head on my chest as I pulled her close. I didn’t say anything but just stood there and held her. Parker didn’t cry, nor did she speak. She clung to me like her life depended on it. I’d never felt so close to her. I didn’t want the moment to end, but when she pulled away, I didn’t have a choice in the matter. Parker placed the palms of her hands on my chest as she looked up at me and said, “Thank you, Jared. I needed that.”