“Patricks will know something’s up now.”
“Don’t worry about Patricks. He’s not the biggest problem here.”
“Yeah.” He sounds angry and I can’t blame him, but he has to let me help. “I hate the idea of being a burden. I’m not that kind of man. You’re mine to protect, Delia.”
“And you can protect me,” I say. “You can do it better if you’re here all the time.”
He lets out a sigh. “You’re right. And Tab will be safer there at the manor.”
“So you’ll do it?”
“Only if your mother agrees first.”
“I’m going to have to tell her the truth. You realize that, right?”
“I realize,” he says. “We’ll do it together then.”
“That might be a bad idea.”
“Think there’s a better way?”
I hesitate. The last thing I want to do is sit in front of my parents with Max and tell them this story. But I know he’s right. If he’s going to come stay here for a while, they have to know the truth.
“No,” I admit. “I don’t.”
“Tomorrow. I’ll pack up and we’ll come tomorrow morning. I think you should prep your mother tonight.”
“How?”
“Tell her I’m coming with my daughter and we need to talk to her. Tell her it’s important.”
“Okay,” I say, taking a deep breath and letting it out. “I can do it.”
“Thank you,” he says. “For this. For everything.”
“You don’t have to thank me. Remember, you saved me?”
He chuckles. “I remember. And I’ll keep you safe, I promise.”
“I know you will.”
“Talk soon.”
He hangs up the phone.
I sit there in the hall and stare at the carpet. I want him to come live with me so bad, but the idea of speaking to my mother about it scares the hell out of me. I’m terrified she’ll make us go to the police or do something worse.
But then again, my mother’s never been conventional about that sort of thing.
Maybe she can help, even. That man Mikey did say something about my mother… and his boss… being allies.
Which means they might already know each other.
I shake my head and stand up. I’ll plant the seeds tonight. And tomorrow, we’ll see if we can make them grow.14MaxArchie smiles down at Tab then looks at me. “Don’t worry,” he says. “I’ll have the staff watch after her. They’ll love it.”
“Thank you,” I say. “Tab, you be good, okay?”
Tab nods at me, clinging to my leg. I pick her up then pass her to the butler. He takes her, frowns at her, but she lets him hold her anyway.
“Mrs. Lofthouse is waiting in the formal greeting room,” Archie says. “First door on the left. Delia is there as well.”
“No Mr. Lofthouse?” I ask.
He smiles at me. “Mr. Lofthouse leaves this kind of thing up to his wife. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some cupcakes that need frosting, and a little girl that might be able to help.”
Delia giggles and Archie carries her off. I hate leaving her with people I don’t know, but this is an important moment. I’ll make sure to give her plenty of time for the rest of the day.
I walk to the formal greeting room. It’s a small space with two couches facing each other, a fireplace, a small bar, and a large oil painting of a ship at sea. Delia is sitting on one couch, adjusting her skirt and fidgeting, while her mother sits with a small frown across from her.
“Good morning,” I say from the doorway.
Both women stand. Mrs. Lofthouse walks over first. We shake hands and she eyes me, holding my hand a moment too long. “My daughter tells me that you need help,” she says.
“I’m not accustomed to asking for help, ma’am,” I say.
“Well.” She smiles a bit. “I can understand that.”
Delia gives me a nod and looks terrified. We sit down, Mrs. Lofthouse across from us, and I lean toward her.
“I’ll tell you the truth,” I say. “I suspect you’ll find out if I’m lying either way.”
“Yes,” she says. “I will.”
“I was an undercover agent embedded with a small but powerful crime family. Through my efforts, several of their highest-ranking officers were imprisoned, and in retribution, they killed my wife. I went into hiding after that, but they tracked me here, and now they want more revenge.”
Delia’s mother doesn’t flinch at my story. She stares at me without smiling then tilts her head. “And I suppose you want to stay at the manor with your daughter?”
“That’s the plan,” I say. “Delia believes they’re scared of the Lofthouse family, or at least they respect it. I believe I can keep my daughter safe here for the time being, until I can figure out what to do.”
She leans back and studies me. I don’t look away, afraid that if I show even the slightest bit of weakness, she’ll pick up on that and use it against me. I can feel her weighing me, judging me, wondering if I’m worth the trouble.