Becca.
Life at ho was strangely, and blessedly, normal. While Jas took frustrating call after frustrating call, Alessandro and Dahlia were completely oblivious to the danger around them. They played with Layla, Jas, and , ate, slept, and had not a care in the world.
Antoinette even ca over from ti to ti for coffee, and we’d talk openly about what was going on in our lives. It was refreshing to have soone “normal” to talk to about such things.
Two days from the trial, Jas was looking increasingly harried, but the kids were still happy as could be. Alessandro was sucking down an applesauce pouch and Dahlia was making a ss of so puréed peaches.
When the doorbell rang, I assud it was Antoinette. I put Alessandro on my hip and went to the door.
I stumbled back when I saw who it was. “Allegra!”
Allegra looked worn down. She had a pack over one shoulder and a sad loneliness in her eyes. “Is she here?” Allegra asked.
I blinked several tis, then called back into the house loudly. “Layla! Allegra’s here!”
There was a pause, then Layla ca scurrying to the foyer with Dahlia in her arms.
They weren’t the only ones, however. Jas marched down the grand staircase like an oncoming storm.
“What the F*CK are you doing here?!” Jas bellowed.
“Jas!” I hissed. “Language!”
“F*ck,” Alessandro said proudly.
His first complete words continued to be swear words..
I groaned. “Oh, that’s going to be great at the trial.”
Jas looked a bit flustered, but recovered quickly. “So is an assassin showing up on our doorstep. You’re not staying here, Allegra. How could you endanger our family this way? Don’t you know what’s been going on?!”
“I’m getting a hotel. I just got off my flight. I couldn’t wait any longer to see my baby,” Allegra said. She stepped into the house and, mindful of Dahlia, gave Layla a hug and a kiss.
“That’s truly romantic and touching, but what if the Cartwrights are having this place watched? How exactly are we going to explain you showing up to the judge?” Jas snapped.
“I don’t care. I don’t care what you say to the judge,” Allegra sniffled. “I had to see Layla.”
“NOW?! You had to see her NOW, of all tis?! You couldn’t have waited another week?” Jas snarled.
I watched them argue back and forth like so dark tennis match, neither giving any ground. In truth, this was a disastrous ti for Allegra to show up, and I was mostly on Jas’s side. But I also rembered all the tis I just couldn’t wait one more minute to be with him.
“Maybe it would be best if we closed the door and argued inside,” I suggested.
“Maybe it would be best if Allegra got the HELL out of here,” Jas retorted.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Allegra said.
I sighed. “Allegra, that is incredibly selfish of you, but be that as it may, we shouldn’t be putting on a show for the neighbors. Co on, let’s all go to the living room.”
Jas finished descending the stairs, a look of pure murder on his face.
Allegra put an arm around Layla’s shoulders as Layla led her to the living room.
I carried Alessandro.
“F*ck!” he said again, even more proud of himself.
I shot Jas a dirty look, but he was too busy scowling at Allegra to catch it.
“So, you ca here to steal Layla away, is that it?” Jas demanded once we were all seated.
I quietly asked the butler to get us so coffee and snacks. I figured we’d be at this for a while.
“Yes,” Allegra said, a stubborn tilt to her chin. “If she’ll co with .”
“Perfect timing, Allegra. Just perfect. Are you TRYING to yank our case? What the F*CK are you thinking?!” Jas shouted.
“F*ck!” Alessandro repeated with great enthusiasm.
I groaned.
“I am thinking that I can’t live another minute without her, that’s what I’m thinking. I’m sorry the timing is bad, but, co on, Jas. With us, when is the timing ever good?” Allegra pointed out.
“You could have co to Italy. Any ti,” Jas growled. “But no. You pull shit like this.”
“I love her!” Allegra argued. “I’m not waiting another second for her!”
Layla looked over at during the verbal sparring match. “Becca? I don’t... I don’t know what to do. She is the love of my life, but I also love you and the kids.”
I reached over and patted her hand. “Layla, we love you, too. You have to make the best decision for you, though. I won’t stand in your way if you decide to go with Allegra.”
“What about the children?” Layla asked.
“Layla, you are irreplaceable, but we can get another nanny, even though they will never be as good as you,” I assured her.
Layla looked conflicted, and rightfully so. “Well, I couldn’t even think of leaving until after the trial.”
I smiled at her. “That’s very kind of you, Layla.”
“F*ck,” Alessandro grinned.
“We’re dood,” I sighed, bouncing Alessandro on my knee. He was quite pleased with himself.
“Well, as long as we don’t make a big deal of it either way, he’ll move on to another word,” Layla said.
“F*ck! F*ck, f*ck, f*ck!” Alessandro chirped.
“And that’s your fault, too!” Jas bellowed, stabbing a finger in Alessandro’s direction.
“I seem to rember you being the one who said ‘f*ck,’” Allegra said.
“F*CK!” Alessandro parrotted.
“Christ JESUS, motherF*CKER—” Jas yelled.
“Jesbuss! Jesbus m-F*CK!” Alessandro grinned.
“Jas, please. PLEASE stop teaching Alessandro new words,” I hissed.
Jas raked his hands over his hair. “Sorry.”
“On the plus side, he definitely loves you,” Allegra said. “He’s interested in what you have to say.”
“I wish he were a little less interested in what I have to say,” Jas grunted.
“M-f*ck!” Alessandro sing-songed. “M-f*ck, m-f*ck, m-f*ck.”
Jas took several deep breaths. “God grant the serenity, to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom...”
“... to hide the bodies,” Allegra said.
I stared at Allegra. So did Layla.
Jas was silent for a beat, then burst out laughing. “I think I like your version better.”
“It’s more apropos to our line of work,” Allegra explained.
Jas sobered. “You have a point there.”
“Another point in our favor at the trial. Honestly, Jas, I don’t see how Allegra’s presence can make anything any worse,” I whispered.
Alessandro, oblivious to the fact that his life hung in the balance, kept bouncing on my knee, happily reciting his new favorite word. “F*ck. F*ck, f*ck, f*ck. F*ck.”
I hugged him close and kissed the top of his head. “Oh, what are we going to do, little guy?”
“I could smuggle him out of the country,” Allegra suggested. “Keep him with , or get him to Neal. I an, you two wouldn’t be able to be seen with him until the statute of limitations ran out, but...”
“So, like, seven years or so?” I wheezed.
“Sothing like that,” Allegra agreed. “But, you know, he wouldn’t be with the Cartwrights.”
Jas let out a long breath. “Because growing up on the run with two assassins is so much better.”
“I’m just talking about options here, Jas,” Allegra said.
Jas leaned back in his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose. “This is a disaster. An absolute cluster—”
“Don’t you DARE finish that sentence,” I jumped in.
“F*ck,” Alessandro provided anyway.
“Do you think he’ll have given that up in two days?” Jas asked.
I scowled at him. “Do you think you could not say it for two days?”
“I can try.” Jas looked off into the distance. “I really hope this witness thing cos through.”
“Do we have any details about him or her yet?” I replied.
“Witness? What witness?” Allegra asked.
Jas waved a hand. “My PI keeps saying she has a witness she’s trying to convince to co forward. I’m not sure who this witness is or what they’d have to say, just that it will be in our favor.”
“That’s it?” Allegra shook her head. “Give the na of your PI.”
“I don’t need you trying to throttle the na of the witness out of my PI,” Jas said sardonically.
“I think she’ll give it freely. Your witness probably just needs so... extra convincing,” Allegra responded.
Jas tapped his fingers on the arm of his chair. “What the h*ll? Why not.” He rattled off the PI’s information.
Allegra didn’t even have to write it down. “Well, it’s been nice visiting. I’ll be back in a bit, Layla. I’ve missed you, and I love you.”
“I love you, too, Allegra,” Layla said.
With a wave, Allegra showed herself out.
The butler showed up then with coffee and snacks. “Sorry, Ms. Woods, the espresso machine broke, and I needed to—oh dear, our guest has gone?”
“Yes. But thank you for going to all the trouble. You can set that down here and we’ll eat it,” I said kindly to the butler.
He bowed slightly and set the tray down between all of us, then took his leave.
“Are you sure it was such a good idea to send Allegra after the witness?” I asked Jas.
Jas shrugged. “We’re running out of ti and options. I’ll do anything to keep this little one. Anything.”
This was true. Jas had demonstrated over and over again that he would go to any lengths to protect the kids and . I reached over and took his hand. “I just don’t know... if we get caught in coercing...”
Jas snorted. “How do you think the other side has so many witnesses? Money talks. A lot of money sings and dances.”
“F*ck,” Alessandro said sagely.
We all tried not to laugh at his well-tid outburst.
God, I would miss him if he were taken away. I hugged Alessandro tighter, so he started to squirm.
Layla noticed and waved her hand at . “Why don’t I take the kids up for their nap?”
I nodded, tears filling my eyes.
Layla scooped Alessandro up with one arm, holding Dahlia with the other, and left there with Jas.
“I hope she doesn’t leave us,” Jas muttered as I crawled into his lap.
“I just want her to be happy,” I replied.
Jas kissed the top of my head. “We’re going to get through this, you know.”
“Are we?” I whispered. “I don’t know what I’ll do if they—”
“We’ll appeal. Or... I will arrange so other solution. The thing about being a criminal is that you can operate outside the law,” Jas murmured.
It was all so much. I closed my eyes and let the tears fall while Jas rocked .
Lose Alessandro? Have Dahlia taken by Social Services?
Lose Layla?
Everything was just slipping away, no matter how tightly we hung on.
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