Page 79 of Lethal Deceit

“I’ll go pull the drapes upstairs so you can set up.”

Silas follows her inside the house, and we all trail in after him.

“Good. You’ll need to be out the door within the hour. I don’t want Caleb alone out there. He’ll be scouting the perimeter and tagging possible entry points.”

“On it.”

Jake appears, phone in hand, a frown on his face.

“Luke arrived a few minutes ago. He’s got eyes on the back of the house."

Silas sets his laptop down and nods.

“Mick? Can you grab the supplies and bring them inside? We’ll stage gear in the bedroom for rapid deployment if needed."

Rather than wait around, I preempt Mick, going back into the garage and opening the driver’s door to locate the latch to open the trunk. Mick joins me, his face tight with concern as we pull out the equipment and food in the back.

“I thought I would have heard from them by now,” he says.

“Maybe I should try calling them?”

I shake my head. “You want them to think you’re scrambling to get the money together back in Miami."

He drags his fingers through his hair and looks at the garage door.

“She’s right down the street. What if Hightower gets it wrong? What if Brooke gets hurt?”

I draw him to one side, so we’re hidden behind the van.

“I’m not going to pretend I know what you’re going through, but I do know what it feels like to be helpless and to have to rely on other people."

Unable to look at the pain on his face, I slide my arms around his waist and press my cheek against his chest. Instantly, his arms wrap around me, soothing and comforting, causing me to release more words in a tumble. “The people I relied on weren’t like everyone here. They didn’t care what happened to me, but Hightower cares about you, and they care about your sister too."

Mick huffs. “Look at me."

I look up, and his fingers brush across my chin. “They care about you too."

I start to shake my head, but he frowns. “Is that so hard for you to believe—that people can care about you?”

“How could they? I’ve done nothing to warrant it."

He shifts his weight, his expression softening as he speaks.

“No one earns God’s love. He gives it freely. Maybe that’s why it matters so much to us that you know that."

My mouth runs dry, and somewhere in the pit of my stomach, a knot forms.

“Everything I’ve done to you…”

Mick blinks slowly then leans forward and gently kisses my forehead.

“I’m going to forgive you for. Can you forgive me for being such a self-righteous moron?”

Moisture swells in my eyes, and warmth spreads throughout my entire body. I feel like I’m having an out-of-body experience. Like I’m looking down on myself and seeing a moment in my life that shouldn’t be happening.

“I don’t know how to do any of this,” I say, my voice croaky.

He pulls me in closer, wrapping his arms around me, drawing me in and locking eyes with me, making me face the enormity of what’s happening.

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