until further notice, we’re to be moved to an undisclosed location.”
I felt my stomach tighten. “Go.”
Just because my parents had forcefully dragged me around the world, advancing from one government position to the other, didn’t mean that I wanted them to stop. And I sure the hell didn’t want some crazy asshole to hurt them.
“We’re going,” Dad confirmed. “We just wanted to let you know that you could possibly be compromised. I have an old buddy that’s in your city. He’s keeping an eye out. And where you’re at for sure should be just fine because nobody but Brad and I know where you are. But I wanted you to be aware of the possibility that something could be out there waiting when you got out.”
I looked at the woman that was doing sit-ups on the yoga mat in front of me.
The thought of dragging her into my life was abhorrent to me.
What woman would constantly want to have to live their life on the edge, waiting for something, anything, bad to happen?
Because I sure the fuck didn’t want to do that.
And kids? My God. What would happen if I brought kids into this mess?
“Don’t worry, though,” Dad said. “The secret service is already on this. They have a safe location for me and your mother picked out, and they’re getting it ready now. But until then, I’m going to wait at the cabin.”
The cabin being the one place that was ‘hidden’ from anything and anyone. Prying eyes, keyboard and physical, would never be able to find the place.
“Keep Brad with you,” I suggested. “And make sure Mom doesn’t get on the computer and tell anyone where she is.”
My dad laughed and hung up.
When I dropped the phone from my ear, I continued to watch Carolina do the rest of her sit-ups.
“Who was that?” she asked as she switched to side planks.
“That was my dad,” I admitted.
“Everything okay?” she wondered, her face sheened with a thin layer of sweat.
“Yeah, he’s fine,” I lied.
“Good,” she grumbled as she fell to the floor in an exhausted heap. “I swear to Christ, I’m so ready to get out of here.” She looked over to me. “No offense, it’s not your company or anything, but I’m bored as hell. I want to go back to work.”
There was a knock at our door, causing us both to stand.
We didn’t go to the door, but I did call out, “Yes?”
The door opened and Jace appeared.
Jace wasn’t wearing any protective clothing, however.
We both frowned at him.
“We’ve been informed that the patient that we thought had Ebola instead has an autoimmune disease,” Jace said. “You are now free to leave.”
My mouth all but fell open.
“I’m sorry, but what?” Carolina asked, sounding pissed.
“Autoimmune. Not Ebola,” Jace repeated.
I had heard him correctly.
“I don’t even know what to say,” I admitted. “I spent twelve days locked up because y’all didn’t do your job?”
Jace winced. “We did our job. This is proper protocol for a situation such as this. I’m sorry that it was necessary, but the discomfort of a few is better than the pandemic death of thousands.”
He had a point. But still.
“We just get to leave? Just like that?” Carolina asked as she started to walk toward him.
“Just like that,” Jace confirmed. “We’ll have all of your things packed up and waiting downstairs for you if you don’t want to take it now.”
I gestured at Carolina. “I’ll come get it later and take it to her.”
Carolina looked at me.
Her smile was beautiful.
But the tightness in my gut from my father’s phone call wouldn’t go away.
• • •
CAROLINA
Quarantine- Day Twelve
“Would you…” I stopped and shook off the weirdness.
What Saint and I had wasn’t weird. It was great.
It was… perfect.
“Would you like to come over?” I asked quietly.
He hesitated at the doorway.
“I should probably go home first,” he admitted. “The cats haven’t seen me in weeks, and I need to check on Smoke. We haven’t been apart this long since I got him six months ago.”
I moved until my hand was nestled inside of his.
“Meet me there then?” I said softly. “When you’re done?”
Or you could invite me to come with you. I’d totally come in a heartbeat.
“I’ll come as soon as I’m done,” he agreed a little too quickly. “Can I bring Smoke?”
I obviously agreed without hesitation.
I didn’t have any pets of my own, but not because I didn’t want them. Because the last dog that I had passed away a few years ago, and I hadn’t gotten another one. I