an hour ago.”
“We did, but I took a longer route to make sure that we weren’t followed.” Abe held Roxanne’s elbow, helping her up the stairs while she held Cici’s hand.
“Were you followed?” Vic asked.
“No, we managed to leave at just the right time.”
They entered the cabin and she was amazed at how large the inside was. The main part of the building had twelve-foot ceilings with beams going from one side to the other. “This is — amazing.”
Abe shrugged, but she caught a glimpse of the pride in his eyes. “It’s home.”
“Oh, thank God!” Roxanne looked over and almost cried when she spotted her mother coming forward with outstretched arms. “Mom!”
As Roxanne embraced her mother, relief washed over her.
Sandy wiped tears from her face. “They said that you were being followed. I was so worried.”
Roxanne looked down at her daughter, worried that she had heard the reason for their sudden departure for Abe’s cabin. Abe sensed her apprehension, and knelt on one knee. “Cici, why don’t ye run upstairs with Lexi and see which room ye would like to sleep in.”
“Really? I can pick it?” Cici’s jumps up and down with excitement that could not be contained.
“Yes, go on.” He shooed her up the stairs and Lexi followed her. They all waited until she was out of sight.
Roxanne turned back to her mother. “There were two men in a van waiting outside Cici’s school. When Cici’s teachers walked her out, I noticed a man got out of the van and started to approach us. I was scared so I got one of Cici’s teachers to drop us off at Abe’s office. The guys in the van followed us.”
“Do you think Darryl sent them?” Her mother’s face paled.
“Yeah, they have to be working for Darryl. They were waiting outside the bail bonds office too. Abe offered to bring us all here to his place.”
Her mother hugged her again. “I am so glad you two are safe. If things ever get bad, you take Cici and leave. Don’t think twice about me. I want you two to run.”
“Mom, I’m not leaving you.”
“You will too, if it will keep you safe.” Her mother insisted with that specific tone that Roxanne always knew meant business.
“Actually, I’m going to do everything I can to protect all of ye, so no talking about anyone leaving anyone behind.” Abe interrupted them before they continued arguing. He walked between them, took their arms, and led them to his large sofas. She tried to frown but ended up shaking her head. He certainly knew how to handle women. Her mother was eating up the attention.
Sandy wasn’t upset, but instead seemed alert and excited. There was a spark in her eyes Roxanne hadn’t seen in awhile. She was grateful for that.
“What shall we do, Abe?” Her mother asked as she sat down.
Roxanne sat down on the sofa next to her mother, and when Abe squeezed into the tight spot right next to her, she was pushed against him. He moved his arm to the back of the sofa to give her a little room, but she was still pressed against his side. Her body responded with her nipples hardening. This was not the time or place. Her mother was right next to her, for heaven’s sake. She glanced at her mother, who gave her a knowing look and a wink in return. She felt heat rise to her cheeks.
Abe cleared his throat. “We’re going to keep the three of ye here while our lawyer, Lauren, finishes her investigation.”
Vic stepped forward. “Lauren called earlier today. She arrived on New Earth hours ago but there was an attempt to break into her hotel room.”
“Oh no, is she okay?” Roxanne reached for Abe’s arm.
Vic sat in a chair across from them. “Yeah, my bounty hunters took care of the intruders. They confessed to being hired by Hadley. We’ve already called and had the authority pick them up.”
Roxanne perked up. “Well, that should help if they testify against him.”
“A little. What we need is proof that Hadley rigged the case. If we can do that, then get it
“We did, but I took a longer route to make sure that we weren’t followed.” Abe held Roxanne’s elbow, helping her up the stairs while she held Cici’s hand.
“Were you followed?” Vic asked.
“No, we managed to leave at just the right time.”
They entered the cabin and she was amazed at how large the inside was. The main part of the building had twelve-foot ceilings with beams going from one side to the other. “This is — amazing.”
Abe shrugged, but she caught a glimpse of the pride in his eyes. “It’s home.”
“Oh, thank God!” Roxanne looked over and almost cried when she spotted her mother coming forward with outstretched arms. “Mom!”
As Roxanne embraced her mother, relief washed over her.
Sandy wiped tears from her face. “They said that you were being followed. I was so worried.”
Roxanne looked down at her daughter, worried that she had heard the reason for their sudden departure for Abe’s cabin. Abe sensed her apprehension, and knelt on one knee. “Cici, why don’t ye run upstairs with Lexi and see which room ye would like to sleep in.”
“Really? I can pick it?” Cici’s jumps up and down with excitement that could not be contained.
“Yes, go on.” He shooed her up the stairs and Lexi followed her. They all waited until she was out of sight.
Roxanne turned back to her mother. “There were two men in a van waiting outside Cici’s school. When Cici’s teachers walked her out, I noticed a man got out of the van and started to approach us. I was scared so I got one of Cici’s teachers to drop us off at Abe’s office. The guys in the van followed us.”
“Do you think Darryl sent them?” Her mother’s face paled.
“Yeah, they have to be working for Darryl. They were waiting outside the bail bonds office too. Abe offered to bring us all here to his place.”
Her mother hugged her again. “I am so glad you two are safe. If things ever get bad, you take Cici and leave. Don’t think twice about me. I want you two to run.”
“Mom, I’m not leaving you.”
“You will too, if it will keep you safe.” Her mother insisted with that specific tone that Roxanne always knew meant business.
“Actually, I’m going to do everything I can to protect all of ye, so no talking about anyone leaving anyone behind.” Abe interrupted them before they continued arguing. He walked between them, took their arms, and led them to his large sofas. She tried to frown but ended up shaking her head. He certainly knew how to handle women. Her mother was eating up the attention.
Sandy wasn’t upset, but instead seemed alert and excited. There was a spark in her eyes Roxanne hadn’t seen in awhile. She was grateful for that.
“What shall we do, Abe?” Her mother asked as she sat down.
Roxanne sat down on the sofa next to her mother, and when Abe squeezed into the tight spot right next to her, she was pushed against him. He moved his arm to the back of the sofa to give her a little room, but she was still pressed against his side. Her body responded with her nipples hardening. This was not the time or place. Her mother was right next to her, for heaven’s sake. She glanced at her mother, who gave her a knowing look and a wink in return. She felt heat rise to her cheeks.
Abe cleared his throat. “We’re going to keep the three of ye here while our lawyer, Lauren, finishes her investigation.”
Vic stepped forward. “Lauren called earlier today. She arrived on New Earth hours ago but there was an attempt to break into her hotel room.”
“Oh no, is she okay?” Roxanne reached for Abe’s arm.
Vic sat in a chair across from them. “Yeah, my bounty hunters took care of the intruders. They confessed to being hired by Hadley. We’ve already called and had the authority pick them up.”
Roxanne perked up. “Well, that should help if they testify against him.”
“A little. What we need is proof that Hadley rigged the case. If we can do that, then get it