#Chapter 164 – War Room

“What is it?” Victor asks, a little breathless, suddenly horribly worried. Had something happened, someone gotten hurt?

“Mommy’s really mad at us,” Alvin says, his lower lip starting to tremble.

“What?” Victor says, confused. “Who? About what?”

“At me and Ian, for telling you where they went,” Alvin says, clearly feeling guilty. “He said she said that they ran for a reason, and that meant they didn’t want to be found. And that Ian had broken her trust by going behind her back to tell you.”

Alvin slumps down in the chair, clearly feeling very bad. “We didn’t mean to break her trust,” he murmurs. “We were just trying to help. And we miss each other.”

Victor’s heart goes out to his son and he puts a hand on his shoulder. “Aw, kid,” Victor says. “Don’t feel so bad. You didn’t know how she’d feel about it, and you talk to your brother every day like this, right? So, it was just natural for you.”

Alvin nods, but Victor can tell that he doesn’t really feel better yet. Still, he needs more information.

“Did Ian tell you where they are now?”

“No,” Alvin says, shaking his head. “He says he wasn’t going to tell me for two reasons. One, because he didn’t want to betray mom. And two, he didn’t know, because they weren’t telling him things now. He just knows that they drove a long time, and they’re on a highway. But that’s all he knows.”

Alvin shrugs, looking up at his dad.

Victor grits his teeth, looking out the windshield and working hard to control his frustration. He doesn’t want Alvin to feel any worse. Then, thinking over Alvin’s words, he turns back to him. “Wait,” he says, “who is ‘they.’ Are they still with Delia?”

Alvin nods. “And aunt Emma. She’s there too.”

Emma?! Victor is shocked by this. How the hell did she get involved?

“I’m sorry, papa,” Alvin says, looking down at his hands. “We came all this way for nothing.”

putting a finger under Alvin’s chin so he looks up at him. “You did great. You really tried to help me. Mommy’s just running a little scared right now – and that’s my

rash words yesterday. “She probably thinks I’m chasing after her to punish

Alvin says, equally frustrated. “He tried

can do. We tried, and we’ll try again. But now, we have to go home and regroup. We’ll try to find her

This pursuit of Evelyn had

has to address, an ex who has promised to destroy his house on the loose. Not to mention the

to do and no

we get a couple of crab legs for the road?

can we have cheeseburgers instead?” Alvin asks, wrinkling his nose a little. “I

they drive along the highway, Evelyn is still livid with Ian. She can’t help it. She does her best to bury her anger deep inside her, but it’s hard. She’s already scolded

it out on him. He already apologized and

point, of course, when he noted that she never expressly forbade him from mind-linking with his twin. So, that one’s on me, Evelyn thinks, rolling

the beach town, with everyone packing hastily and piling into the cars, heading out as fast as they could. They probably had a four-hour lead on Victor, Evelyn knew, but still. She had felt better when

beach, figuring out their next steps. Now, they were forced to run

came in peace,

thinking about it, wondering if it could be true. But, as incredibly smart and complicated as Alvin and Ian are, they’re still sweet, trusting six-year-olds. There’s no reason that Alvin should

be a lie designed to keep Evelyn in one place long enough to find her.

of Evelyn pushes back against that idea, knowing that Victor has never not been a man

very much the animal of prey today, wanting to run, to maintain control, to make her own decisions, build her own life. And now she had Delia and Emma as part of her team as well – she couldn’t just abandon them, when Emma had

a little nicer than some of the other ones they

this do?” Delia asks as they all climb

the pile of cash sitting in her trunk. This place seemed to strike the right balance – anonymous enough to take the cash and not ask questions, but nice enough that their car wouldn’t get boosted in the

up at her. “Free breakfast in

an hour later, they’ve all changed into their pajamas and are

half bad,” Delia says, eyebrows raised,

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