Chapter 24

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

JJ

Aziza was concentrating on helping Four come up with coping mechanisms. She wanted to do the hypnotizing and uncover all that was done to him, but it was far too soon. Helping him learn to take care of himself mentally was most important to her.

Shep had texted me that no one had shown up at the laundromat, and I wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing.

It was ten o'clock, and Aziza was finishing up with Four when my phone vibrated in my pocket.

"Hello?"

"Babe, listen, the five of us are headed to a diner…" I listened as Shep explained everything to me.

I walked into the kitchen and saw that Mason was also on the phone.

Gabe? I mouthed to him, and he nodded.

"Aziza is still here. She's getting ready to go but after she's gone, Mason and I will get Max and Four out."

"Be careful. We'll meet up with you guys when we can."

"Love you."

There was a breathy laugh. "I love you too. See you soon."

Mason was still on the phone so I went to the living room, where Aziza told Four she'd see him tomorrow.

"Aziza, before you leave, I need to talk to you privately."

We walked to the foyer while Four gravitated over to the television. I spoke low so he couldn't hear me.

"We have a situation. Seems that the people who hurt Four might have found him…or at least are closing in. We need to move from this location."

She gasped. "Oh, no. Of course you do. I can meet wherever you're all at."

"Can I call you once we're there? I don't know if they might figure out who you are to us and follow you."

She nodded. "Sure thing. We could do a telehealth session just to keep the consistency for Four. I promise to be safe and vigilant. Angel explained a lot to me when I first decided to help Four, and now I'm invested."

"Thank you, Aziza. I will call you as soon as I know more."

She gripped my arm. "Please be careful, JJ. All of you. These people, they're monsters."

I mustered a small smile. "I know."

Once Aziza was in her car and on her way off the property, I returned to the kitchen, where Mason was packing food.

"We don't have time for that."

He rolled his eyes. "Actually, we have plenty of time. The brothers are being followed. No one knows we're here, therefore leaving us time to make sure we get everything we need before we go."

"Whatever. Okay, I'll go in all of the rooms and grab everyone's go bags. Nick and Noel have computers and things at the other place, and they stored equipment in the van."

Max saw me rush by and he shouted, "Where's the fire ?"

"We have to leave. No, they haven't found us, but they will if the guys lead them here. They're being followed. Everything will be explained later but whatever you have, clothes, anything we got for you, throw in the duffel under your bed and meet us in the living room in fifteen."

Thankfully, Max didn't argue. He ran off to do what I ordered. I started tossing bags down the stairs. We were always prepared for the what-ifs, and I was glad we were.

I moved to Four's room, grabbed all the clothes we had for him—toiletries, all of it—and was just zipping up the bag when I looked up and saw Four standing in the doorway.

"Oh, hey."

His eyes shifted from me to the bag and back. "Leaving?"

"We all are."

"They come?"

I shook my head. "Nope. We're getting one step ahead of them. Shep realized they were probably following them as they left their meeting so before they get the chance, we're going to a different location while they lose them."

He didn't say anything, just watched as I lifted the duffel.

"Come on, Four. The other house is really nice too."

He followed without commenting. He never left my side as Mason, Max, and I carried things into the van. He didn't help, but I imagined it was because he wasn't asked to. Four likely didn't understand the concept of just doing something.

"Four, can you grab the cooler on the table in the kitchen?"

He nodded and followed directions. Once everything else was packed up, we slid the cooler in, and the four of us got into the van.

"Is there a secret tunnel or something?" Max wondered aloud, and Mason and I turned to look at him as if he were crazy.

"No, we're not Batman." Mason snorted and started the engine.

"We're just going to drive away?" Max was clearly flabbergasted.

"Yup." I smiled. "They don't know where we are yet. Calm down."

Mason turned on the radio, and Elton John's "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" filtered through the speakers.

"Know what's weird?" Mason spoke softly.

"What?"

"We practiced getting off the property undetected like a hundred times, and honestly, did we ever have to? The twins had everything rigged."

I'd thought about that. "But it's still good to be discreet, even if the place is sealed up and bouncing signals off."

He shrugged and drove. I stared out the window watching the trees, houses, and world speed by.

We'd call the brothers as soon as we were settled. Before then, they weren't moving. It would be up to them to make sure they weren't followed to the safe house, and I really hoped they weren't. We only had one plan B.

I made a mental note to call Lizzy and let her know we'd need to close the store for a few days…at least until we figured out what we were doing.

"Are we still going to the charity ball?" I glanced over at Mason, who was driving.

"I don't know what we're doing now. Plans changed, and once we're all together again we can strategize."

"True, it's just a lot of money to throw away." Nick had been able to get me and Mason on the list, but we'd had to front the hundred thousand and there weren't refunds for things like this.

"It would be, but maybe we can find a new reason that going to that charity would benefit us."

I smirked at the devious glimmer in Mason's eye. "And what reason would that be?"

He chuckled. "If they do know who we are, how frustrating would it be for them if we waltzed right in?"

Laughing, I lightly tapped Mason's arm. "This is why we're friends."

He reached over and squeezed my hand. "This is why we're brothers."

Even though we weren't related by blood, that didn't matter to Mason and me. He was my brother in every way that mattered, and I loved him.

As we drove to the safe house, I thought about this family we'd built. I'd die for every single one of them, and I believed they would do the same for me. And without question, without remorse, I'd kill for each and every one of them to be able to live.