Keep Me (Rebel Hearts Heists #2) - M. Sinclair Page 0,92
in-person statement I gave in Monte Carlo in front of Interpol, the FBI and the CIA was deemed sufficient to spare me a subpoena.
Of course, Pierce’s family tried to cause trouble but even they couldn’t do anything against cold hard evidence.
I’ve been in the Maldives with River this whole time and Alicia and Roger just joined us a few days ago.
They decided to scrap their plans to re-wed in Hawaii in favor of the Maldives.
“I love it here guys, but I wish we’d decided on Hawaii, I’ve always wanted to go.”
Kaden
I stroke Sloane’s hand, rubbing the soft skin between her thumb and index finger, grateful to be reunited with her. If I think of how many times I risked losing her since that day in Seattle …
But it’s over now. The guys and I have been working hard to set things up so that we can all be safe. Together.
“I love it here guys, but I wish we’d decided on Hawaii, I’ve always wanted to go.”
“You will, baby. I promise that we’ll go one day. It’s just better to lay low here for a little longer.” We sent Sloane to the Maldives as an insurance policy, in case something went wrong with Pierce’s death. There’s no extradition between this small island nation and the United States.
Sloane’s green eyes shine with the reflection of the candles that illuminate our table as the evening turns rapidly into night.
“I don’t mean to sound like a spoiled bitch,” she muses. “Here’s beautiful. It looks like paradise but—”
“But being here alone with River for a whole month almost killed you with boredom?” I smirk, laughing when River bites on my bait.
“Hey, motherfucker! I’m the fun one in the family, if you forgot.”
“Ha ha. Sure.” I rib him. “You’re the one that must’ve been dropped as a baby.”
River flips me the bird. “Whatever! I’m the fun-loving one. You and Royce are the brooding assholes, Blaine’s a weirdo with mommy issues—”
“River!” Alicia scolds him, making him blush.
I laugh. It never gets old how Alicia is the only person I’ve ever met who has the power to make River feel awkward and to reduce him to silence.
“As I was saying, before I got so rudely interrupted, I understand that you’re getting some cabin fever. But baby, trust me when I tell you that this is the safest place for us to be right now.”
Sloane narrows her eyes. “Is there something you aren’t telling me? I thought you just said that the hearing with the judge about Pierce’s death was just a formality.”
I nod. “It was.”
“So why—”
“Princess,” Royce intervenes, “it’s got nothing to do with Pierce.”
“Then what? What are you guys not telling me? I thought we were totally in the clear, no more illegal shit and we said no more secrets.”
“Let’s put it this way,” Blaine says fidgeting with his Rolex, like he does whenever he’s on edge. “There’s one last thing we did that makes staying here a sensible option. VDB embezzled most of our family money and everything has been seized by the government. We should see some back but it might take years with the trial. The government owes Dad a hefty sum as compensation for his unjust incarceration but that too will take time.”
Sloane still looks confused. “So?”
“So, remember those duffel bags with cash we kept hauling around because some dumb ass didn’t trust banks?”
Her eyes widen. “The money from the bank robberies?”
I nod and River immediately takes credit. “Yup, my share.”
“Wasn’t that confiscated in Seattle?” Sloane asks, and again River annoyingly brags.
“Nope! The feds looked for it but I might’ve found the perfect hiding spot for it and it was never found. This is why the guys were a few days late, they went back for it. Did you find it all right?” he asks me.
“Yeah, right where you said it was in a gap in the floorboards in the boathouse.” I confirm.
“The boathouse? The same boathouse where—”
We all nod. The same boathouse where Pierce had held River and Sloane hostage.
“I’d been looking for a hiding place for that money when I caught wind that we were going to Europe. The house didn’t feel like a safe place in case the cops caught up with us. Which they did.”
River shoots me a look but there’s no heat, we since established without a shadow of a doubt where my loyalties lie. “Did you do what I asked you?”
I reassure River that we made a stop in the Cayman Islands where we opened some secret