Page 83 of The Pretenders of Copper County
But when I logged in, I found a new email waiting for me.
An email from my cousin.
Seeing Nicky’s name on my screen unleashed a flood of emotions that made my stomach flip around like the giant fish Bob had just caught, anxious and hopeful and guilty because I hadn’t considered reaching out to him even once, despite everything that was going on.
Because he hasn’t been a very good cousin, the new, more confident part of me thought.Because I don’t know if I can trust him.
But you can’t fix your relationship if you don’t try, the kinder part of me prodded.
I forced myself to take a deep breath, and then I opened it.
Chris—
Hey. I know I’m probably the last person you want to hear from, but I don’t know who else to turn to. Some guys came around my place today wanting to know where Danny is. They didn’t believe me when I said Ididn’t know. They beat me up pretty badly and told me to “tell my uncle Robert Evanovich sends his best.”
I know we left things in a really shitty place, and I really regret that. I’m so scared Chrissy. I really need your help. We’re still family, right?
Love,
Nicky.
My heart squeezed hard, and I stood up from the table in a panic. The Evanoviches had gone after Nicky.
Poor, poor Nicky.
Why hadn’t I considered that this could happen? Sure, Nicky never struck me as a person who needed protection before, but that didn’t mean he was prepared to handle something like this. I should have contacted him before. Warned him or something.
Ineededto contact him now.
I grabbed a napkin from the stack on the table and a pen from the little holder on Dolores’s counter, scrawled down Nicky’s phone number, and slammed the laptop shut. I was halfway back to the cabin in search of Reed before I remembered.
Reed was gone. In town at his meeting. I’d have to handle this myself.
Even as I thought this, a car pulled up the driveway. A bright yellow car, driven by a familiar figure who waved when he spotted me.
“Watt!” I cried in relief, running up to the driver’s door. “Hey. Um. Could I use your phone, please?Now?”
“Well, sure, but…” Watt stepped out of the car, then pulled his phone from his pocket. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah. Sort of. It’s just a…” A thing I couldn’t talk about at all unless I wanted to put Watt in danger, too. “A family thing. One of those times when I really regret not bringing a phone on my, um, honeymoon. You know?”
“Hmm.” His gaze narrowed, but he unlocked the phone and handed it over. “Reed around? I wanted to show him my car.”
I shook my head. “He had a work meeting, so he went to town for privacy and better internet.” I hesitated. “Uh. I’m just going to go make my call—” I pointed at the caretaker cabin.
“Stay here if you want privacy.” Watt shrugged. “I wanted to check out the paint job you did in Cabin 5 anyway. I’m thinking the color might work for my downstairs bathroom.”
“Sure.” I turned away and dialed Nicky’s number with shaking hands. A second later, my cousin’s cocky voice came over the line.
“Fromadgio.”
Fromadgio?I frowned. Nicky’s last name was Costello. “Nicky? It’s me. Are you okay?”
“Chrissy? Fuck, it’s so good to hear your voice.” His confident demeanor fled, and he sounded like the kid he’d once been… and happier to hear from me than he’d been in years. “Shit. I’ve been calling you every day, and you didn’t answer, and I figured you were still angry that I was such an asshole before you left. But thank God you called, man. Is this your new number?”
“No. No, no. I’m borrowing a friend’s phone. I lost my own, and… and things have been a little weird. I’m sorry I haven’t called you. I wanted to give you time to calm down, but I… I should have checked in with you before now.” I sat on the steps of the caretaker cabin and massaged my forehead. “Are you okay? Are you safe?”
“I think so. For now, at least. But where areyou? Danny didn’t tell meyouwere leaving town, too. Then I found out you were in Vermont?—”
