#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.”

kid,” Victor says, putting a finger under Alvin’s chin so he looks up at him. “You did great. You really tried to help me. Mommy’s

for his rash words yesterday. “She probably thinks I’m chasing

I told Ian that,” Alvin says, equally frustrated. “He tried to tell her, but she didn’t

We tried, and we’ll try again. But now, we have to go home and regroup. We’ll try to find her some other way if Ian can’t tell you where they

This pursuit of Evelyn had consumed his mind completely,

he has to address, an ex who has promised to destroy his house on the loose. Not to mention the constant threat that Walsh and Willard pose to

sighs, pulling out of the lot and hitting the road. So much to do and no real plan for how to address it all. It’s time

Victor asks. “Should we get a couple of

instead?” Alvin asks, wrinkling his nose

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

knows she can’t take it out on him. He already apologized and knows he did

that she never expressly forbade him from mind-linking with his

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,

steps. Now, they were forced to run without knowing where they were going. And Victor

also didn’t know what to do with Ian’s other piece of information. That Alvin had reported that Victor came in peace, an apology on his lips, wanting to make amends – not just to retrieve his stolen son or something equally

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 mistrust his father if he told him to tell Ian

enough to find her. And then, the control would be out of her hands again. That, she knew, she

has never not been a man of

shuts her mind to that idea, still feeling 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

at a roadside motel that looked a little nicer than some of the other ones

do?” Delia asks as they all climb out of the two

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,

and then looks up at her. “Free breakfast in the

in with her to book the room. Half an hour later, they’ve all changed into their pajamas and are seated

says, eyebrows raised, as she

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