Page 111 of Ruthless Secrets
I’msick to my stomach as I buckle Zoe into her car seat. She’s half asleep, dressed in her pink onesie that used to belong to Holly, clutching her bunny.
As I look at my daughter, I know that I would take a thousand bullets for her if needed. I will do whatever it takes to make sure she is safe, even if it costs me my own life.
Arms wrap around my waist from behind, and I catch a waft of Clara’s fruity shampoo.
I hold her arms and squeeze them, hoping I could hold on to her forever. “Ready to go?”
She hugs me tighter. “No.”
My chest is being cracked open. I can’t let this be the last time the three of us are together.
Turning around, I wrap Clara up in my arms and kiss the top of her head. Neither of us speak. Instead, we just savor the feeling of being with one another.
“Marco.” Jax snaps me back to reality.
I look up to him nodding his head toward his car.
It’s time to go.
After making sure Lila, Rosa, and Holly are situated with Jax, I climb behind the wheel of my own car and start making the drive toward the highway.
Alio’s cabin is not easy to find, so Andre texted to let me know our cousin would be meeting us along the way.
We drive in silence.
I’ve said everything I’ve been wanting to say for a while.
When I told Clara I loved her, the words didn’t feel strange or foreign. If anything, they felt natural. I just hope I get the chance to tell her how much I love her every day for decades to come.
The roads are practically empty at this time of night.
After an hour of driving, I finally reach the turning where I’m supposed to meet Alio and notice a silver Mercedes already waiting.
“That’s Alio,” I explain to Clara as he flashes his headlights at us.
I follow Alio’s car down off the highway, and we drive for a few more miles until we reach a narrow, winding dirt road, through the forest, which stretches endlessly on both sides.
It’s dense and dark, swallowing any sign of civilization, which is exactly what I want.
This place is impossible to find unless you know where to look.
I glance in the rearview mirror to see Clara stroking Zoe’s hair. The fear in her eyes as she meets my gaze in the reflection is like a knife in my chest.
I’ve done this to her.
Somehow, I manage to keep my hands steady on the wheel and my expression neutral.
If Clara could see how I was really feeling, it would send her into a panic.
When we finally reach the cabin, I exhale slowly.
It’s made of thick walls with reinforced doors and securitycameras covering every angle. The place runs entirely off its own power, so there’s no fear of security failing if the main power lines go down.
It makes me feel marginally better that even if someone did manage to find it, getting inside would be a different story.
As I cut the engine, Alio’s wife, Marissa, steps out onto the porch to greet her husband as he gets out of his car. I’ve not seen my cousin since my father’s funeral over a decade ago but under the warm porch lights, he looks exactly the same, except his dark hair is now flecked with gray, and he’s gained a few more lines on his face.
I feel comforted to know that I’ll be leaving my family in the hands of someone I trust.
