Page 93 of Betrayed

“Can we have the room?” he asked.

“Of course,” Sammie answered as she stood.

After she left, he closed the distance and wrapped his arms around me.

He pulled back when I stiffened. “What’s wrong?”

“How could you not tell me about my father?” I failed to keep the hurt out of my voice.

“I told you there was circumstantial evidence pointing to his involvement. That was all we knew at the time.”

He did tell me, reluctantly, just last night.

“You really didn’t know about the warrant?” I asked.

“No, but I suspected it might happen. I wanted to believe in his innocence, for your sake.” He held my hands. “I’m so sorry, Blake.”

Not knowing what else to do, I hugged him and cried.

The man I worshipped, the man I wanted to be like, the man who shaped my choice of career, was a fraud. A criminal.

“I wish I didn’t have to say it, but we have to get you ready.” Judging by the raw emotion in his voice, his reluctance was stronger than his words suggested.

I stepped back and wiped my eyes. “Can I go to the bathroom first?” I wanted to wash my face and make sure my bladder was empty. I'd never tell anyone, but I was afraid my nerves might get the best of me, causing an embarrassing accident.

The room was a hive of activity as AJ led me to the back, where Doug and Maxwell were waiting.

“Hi Blake,” Doug said when we got close.

“You remember Doug and Maxwell?” AJ said, instead of offering a formal introduction.

“I do. Hi, Doug, Hi, um, Maxwell.” I felt weird calling her by her last name.

“You can call me Max,” she offered. “Did AJ tell you the plan?”

“You’re going to bug me.”

“That’s right,” she said, picking up a vest. “We put a recording and tracking device in the vest.”

“So I’ll be wearing a wire? Won’t that piss them off?”

“Yes, but they’ll expect it,” Doug offered, as if that was explanation enough.

AJ rubbed small circles on my back with his thumb, surprising me with his open display of affection.

“Won’t they find it?” I asked, sounding a hell of a lot calmer than I felt.

“Yes, we’re stroking their egos by meeting their expectations,” Max said.

“The second one,” Doug picked up something small and white off the table, “will be a hell of a lot harder to find.”

“So they can’t find it?” I asked, staring at the small device in his large hand.Where does it go?

“They can, if they sweep you with the right equipment after I turn it on. So, it’s not impossible, but it is unlikely,” Doug answered.

AJ’s voice came over my head. “This better work.”

“I’ll do everything in my power to make sure it does,” Doug said.

---