Finding Freedom (Book 4) (Piper Anderson Series)

by Stewart, Danielle

  “She’s a grown-up. At some point she needs to make the decision she thinks is best for herself.”

  “Really?” Bobby asked, shock spreading across his face. “You think she’d do better out there on her own? Running away is the answer?”

  “No, that isn’t what I’m saying. But you’re all acting like she’s some child who needs rescuing. I get that the situation is volatile, there is risk here, but she’s an adult. And as far as I’ve seen, a pretty smart one. I don’t think you should discount what she wants for herself and why she wants it. I think you’re all overlooking something.”

  Jedda’s tone was laced with skepticism and frustration as he spoke, “And what’s that?”

  “I have no idea, because, honestly, I don’t know her that well, but it seems maybe none of you do either. So before you tell her what she’s doing is so wrong and her plan for herself isn’t the right one, maybe you should understand her better. Do a little more listening and little less demanding.” Josh turned, patted Willow on the shoulder and headed for the door. She hadn’t seen that coming, and judging by the saucer-sized eyes of everyone in the room, neither did they.

  A few moments after he stepped out, stunned silence filling the room, Michael and Jules walked in. They glanced from one silent face to another, and finally Michael spoke. “What did I miss?”

  “Willow took off, had Josh drive her to the train station in Ilksville. Piper went after her and talked her into coming home,” Betty recapped, dropping her rolling pin to the table loudly.

  “Willow?” Michael asked, looking at her full of confusion. “I told you I was working on things. The wheels are in motion. Why would you go now?”

  “Brad grabbed me in the street today while I was out with Betty. Then came here and Jedda was seconds away from losing it on him. If Bobby hadn’t pulled up he would have assaulted him, and that was Brad’s plan. Maybe he had someone videoing it or something. He’s trying to trap Jedda into going back to prison. He threatened your fiancée and your unborn child.” She gestured over to Jules. “Sorry, but I didn’t want to sit around and wait for all that to happen.” Willow slipped her bag off her shoulder and shimmied out of her sweatshirt.

  Michael was speechless. His lips parted to speak but nothing came out. Probably shaken by the idea of the most precious people in his life being at risk. “We knew he was going to make threats, and now that we know he’s goading Jedda, we can be proactive about making sure that doesn’t happen.”

  “You look more like you’re trying to convince yourself,” Willow said, taking a seat next to Jedda. “Are you positive Jedda can control himself in that situation? Can you keep Jules and your daughter safe while you try to make a case here? Because if you’re the one pushing this case forward, you’re one of the biggest targets and then so are they.”

  Jedda, looked down at his sister as though he were looking at a stranger, and Willow wanted to tell him she was. “Why are you fighting this so hard, Willow? Why are you looking for all the reasons this won’t work?”

  “Excuse me for being realistic,” she huffed.

  Michael cleared his throat and leaned himself against the wall of Betty’s kitchen. “We have one other plan here.” His voice cracked slightly. “I can talk to his father. Call a truce. Turn over whatever evidence I have on him and assure him we won’t pursue it.”

  Piper locked eyes with him and spoke firmly. “None of us has asked up until this point, Michael, but now I feel like we need to hear it. What did he do? What’s the crime he’d be getting away with?”

  “No,” Willow insisted, “we’re not going to play jury here and decide if it’s bad enough to risk everything. Michael knows, and you should just trust him. If he’s willing to make this move then it’s the right one.”

  The room was silent again, the ticking clock on the wall the only noise. Every eye focused on Michael’s furrowed brow and clenched jaw. “We owe it to the people he hurt to get justice for his part in the crimes committed. I’m just worried that a lot more people might get hurt in the process. I’ve done a lot of digging around on Brad and his father. Willow is right. Their reach is far, their connections deep. Their family is talked about like a faction of the mafia rather than a law firm. I don’t know if now is the best time to go up against them. Jedda being so fresh out of prison. I’m about to be a father. I think we should make a deal.”

  Piper made a derisive sound and looked at her friend incredulously. “That doesn’t sound like the Michael I know.”

  “No, it doesn’t, because the Michael you’ve always known never had so much to lose. I can’t just make these decisions for myself. I have to think about my family.”

  “What about your contact at the FBI? Agent Stanley?” Betty asked, stepping between Piper and Michael, breaking the tension that was growing between them.

  “The case isn’t federal. There wouldn’t be anything he could do.” Michael pulled Jules into his arms.

  Jules looked up into his face as she spoke. “You know we’ll be fine, you need to do what you think is right. We’ve got lots of people here to protect us.”

  “This really is different, Jules. For a lot of reasons.” He rubbed her stomach affectionately. “Look how close you came today to getting put back in prison, Jedda. You’re having these attacks, and you’re not getting treated. At some point, something is going to snap. Can you really look me in the eye and tell me if Brad were here right now, you could walk away. You could leave that alone?”

  “It’s easy for me to tell you right now that I could, but in the moment, something like today when he was talking about what he’d do to her, it was like I couldn’t control myself. I felt like an animal. I shoved Crystal aside, I could have hurt her.” Willow watched as Crystal rubbed Jedda’s back gently. She felt a stabbing pain in her heart at what her problems were doing to her brother, but it was dulled slightly by the fact that he wasn’t alone.

  “You’re doing your best, Jedda. And I’m not hurt,” Crystal whispered as she smiled that full-face smile Willow constantly saw on her.

  “We don’t need to decide this tonight. Let’s all take the weekend. It’s not my decision alone to make. Really it’s up to Willow to decide,” he said, kissing the top of Jules’s head. “Crystal, can I talk to you for a second?” He gestured for her to come out to the front yard with a forced casual look on his face.

  “Sure,” she shrugged, swallowing hard as though she’d just been called into the principal’s office. Everyone in the house tried to busy themselves with idle conversation, but Jedda burned to know what Michael might want with Crystal. He leaned back to get a better view of them through the window. Was it about her job? Some other trouble Brad was going to cause her? He assumed Michael didn’t want to burden him with any more stress, but he refused to be left out on what might be going on.

  He watched as Crystal’s gestures became defensive and Michael’s more aggressive. They were arguing, a genuine disagreement that he couldn’t begin to figure out the reason for. Suddenly Betty stood in front of him, intentionally blocking his view. “You want another glass of sweet tea?” she asked, pouring it before he even answered.

  As Crystal quietly stepped back into the house Michael stayed in the doorway and gestured for Jules to come out with him. “Night,” he called, a bite of anger still present on his tongue.

  “We should get going, too,” Bobby said, pulling Piper to her feet.

  “Is the wedding still going to happen Sunday?” Clay asked in a hushed voice, as he carried an armful of dishes over to the sink.

  “Yes,” Betty assured definitively. “The wedding is happening. We don’t let threats or bullies keep us from living our life. Those two deserve to be wed. We’ve got everything lined up. We’re not backing down now.”

  “Fair enough,” Bobby said wearily, kissing Betty’s cheek and heading with Piper for the door. “We’ll be by in the morning to help finish everything. Everyone try to stay out of trouble until then.”

  “Clay
and I are off to bed, too. We need a good night’s sleep if we’re going to get all this cooking done tomorrow and be ready for the wedding the day after that,” Betty said, leaving Crystal, Jedda and Willow in the kitchen.

  “I’m going to head back to my hotel.” Crystal slipped on her coat and grabbed her purse from the counter. “Good night.” She leaned into Jedda self-consciously for a hug. She let him go quickly and hustled out the door, her cheeks blushed.

  “What was that all about?” Jedda asked gesturing back outside where she and Michael had been talking.

  “Nothing. Just—nothing. I’ll be by tomorrow to get things ready,” she said in a rushed voice as she disappeared outside.

  “Is she your girlfriend or something?” Willow asked, shifting away from Jedda into a chair across from him instead.

  “No. She’s just a friend. But a good friend. I wonder what she and Michael were talking about.”

  “You don’t think it’s weird that she just strikes up a friendship with you out of the blue? Then comes all the way down here to ‘help’ you out.” Willow made air quotes and a face that showed her cynicism.

  “Do you have any friends?” Jedda shot back defensively.

  “I did,” Willow admitted as she picked at her flaking red nail polish. “Or I guess they weren’t really my friends. They all kind of scattered once I was on the news. They were more Brad’s friends.”

  “That was at school, what about before that? On the island. You must have had friends. You grew up there.”

  “Sorry if you expected me to be a social butterfly or something. But I wasn’t. I never really connected with too many people there. I had a social circle, everyone does when you live in that kind of world. But I wouldn’t call any of them friends.”

  “But your parents, the people who adopted you, they were good people, right?” The hopefulness in Jedda’s eyes only fed the pain in Willow’s heart.

  “Yes. They’re perfect, actually. Smart, kind, selfless. They’ve given me everything. I’ve wanted for nothing,” Willow said pensively, her gloomy face not matching the happy message she was portraying.

  Jedda didn’t seem to understand what was bothering her. He couldn’t seem to grasp the disconnect between what Willow’s life turned into versus how she felt.

  “I’m happy that things worked out for you. I know this is a bump in the road, but it will get better. And you can go back to how things were before. Whatever you and Michael decide, I’ll support it. If you want to face this guy head on, I’ll be there. If you want to make a deal, I’ll support you on that, too. It’s hard for me to not react the way I do when you’re in trouble, but I’m trying.”

  “You’d do anything for me. You’ve made that very clear,” Willow groaned with an air of exhaustion.

  “You say that like it’s a bad thing. I’ve got your back.”

  “It’s not a bad thing. It’s just not quite as comforting as you would think, knowing someone would give up everything for you.”

  “I don’t know what you mean.” Jedda’s face was twisted with pain as he reached across and held her hand.

  “I don’t either,” Willow said, sweeping away the hair that had fallen in front of her face. “I’m going up to bed. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “I hope so. Don’t run, Willow. I wouldn’t be able to take it if you left now. You get that, right?”

  “Yeah.” Willow headed toward the stairs. “I won’t leave again.” She felt a vise twist over her chest as she said the words. The idea of being trapped made her feel like an animal being hunted. She knew already as she pulled herself up the stairs that she wouldn’t sleep. She braced for another long night staring at the ceiling and fighting with herself about what she hated more. Did she hate what Jedda had done, or did she hate herself for the gratitude it made her feel? Did she hate the pressure that came from being given a second chance, or hate herself for not appreciating it and living it to the fullest? Her mind was a twisted knot of conflict as she flopped down onto the pink, frilly bedspread and buried her face in the fluffy pillow.

  The tears came like a faucet had been spun open. She should have gotten on the train. She should have left and not looked back. Jedda would have been surrounded by all these people to support him, and she’d be free of the burden that came from protection she didn’t deserve and sacrifice she was tired of people making in her name. She shouldn’t have kissed Josh. Not only because she wasn’t good for him, but because it made her feel something she wished it hadn’t. It made her want him. More than just physically. She yearned for his kind words and logical calmness.

  Her eyes burned with the salt of her tears as she rolled and stared at the clock. Let the count down until morning begin. This pain would be with her until the sun rose and the day could distract her from her self-hate. Nine hours. She’d need to fend herself off for that long.

  Chapter Thirteen

  They’d all spent the morning finishing the final preparation for Sunday’s wedding and now it was time to relax, or so they hoped.

  “I think I’ve got it now,” Crystal said as she stepped out onto the porch in Jules’s wedding dress. It was a simple silk gown, strapless with delicately subtle beading on the bodice. Everyone turned her way and broke into silly laughter as they saw the beach ball she’d tucked underneath the middle of it to try to size the dress correctly. “All I needed was a prop.” She laughed as she patted the ball.

  Jedda was the first to stop laughing, his mind getting distracted by the sight of this beautiful girl. Though just pretending, she was a very convincing bride, and mother-to-be, for that matter.

  It added a layer of worry to his mind. He’d pretty much written off the idea of ever being a parent. Wouldn’t she want that for herself? He wasn’t even convinced he’d changed enough to be a functioning, non-violent member of society, let alone a husband or father. Could he really ever be enough to fulfill what she envisioned for her life?

  Clearly reading the seriousness that had come over Jedda’s face, Betty sidled up to him and nudged his ribs. “She ain’t pregnant, boy, it’s a beach ball. Get a hold of yourself. Don’t go letting the fear of the future steal the fun of the present. You can only live for today.”

  “I, um . . . I wasn’t, I was just . . .” Jedda mumbled, embarrassed to be so easily read.

  “Just let things happen how they may. Don’t overthink it. I find the brain to be a real son of a bitch. It’s the heart that seems to know the way. So follow it.”

  Crystal turned and headed back in the house to hang the dress and was back in a flash to sit by Jedda.

  “It’s kind of like assigned seating out here, isn’t it?” Jedda asked as he sank onto his chair on the porch.

  Bobby and Piper leaned against each other as they moved the swing back and forth rhythmically.

  “It’s just how it happened,” Bobby answered as he laced his fingers through Piper’s. “This is really where we fell in love. We spent a lot of time out here and no matter what we were dealing with, this place felt safe.”

  Piper’s eyes lit as she nuzzled into Bobby’s arms. “I don’t ever think it’s a good idea to compare troubles, Jedda. Everyone’s journey is his or her own. I’m learning a lot about that in school right now. So I won’t sit here and tell you that I know what you’re going through or that I know how you should deal with it. But for me, I found a place that I could come back to when I was feeling out of control. When I was ready to run, I held onto the chains of this swing and reminded myself that I deserved to be happy. I think it’s important to have something to hold onto.” Whether she was meaning to or not, her statement felt like an implication for Jedda to grab hold either physically or figuratively to Crystal, and that pressure showed on Jedda’s face.

  When he didn’t respond Crystal cleared her throat and tried to make the situation more comfortable. “Piper what are you going to school for?”

  “I’m going to start with social work and child advocacy. That’s really the next step
in my own journey. I bottled up a lot of my past and felt like I had no one to turn to. I think it will be important for me to make sure other kids don’t feel the same way. It helps me on the hard days.”

  “You still have hard days?” Jedda asked, looking up from his shoes.

  “Sure.” Piper nodded. “I wonder why it had to be me and not some other kid. I struggle with bad memories and even some guilt. But on those days, it’s nice to settle back onto this swing and remember I’m not in that life anymore.”

  “Porch swing love,” Bobby said, leaning in and kissing Piper, who couldn’t contain her smile even through the kiss.

  “What is this, a high school make-out party?” Betty asked as she stepped back on to the porch with Clay on her arm.

  “Oh, I hope so,” Clay said, spinning Betty around and kissing her as she pretended to fight him off.

  “We were just going back to work,” Bobby said as he hopped to his feet and Piper followed closely behind. “We’ve got to finish the last part of the arbor and then we’re done.”

  “We have to sweep the porch and wipe down the windows and then we’re done too,” Crystal said, as she stood and reached for the broom.

  “I’ll finish the porch,” Betty said. “You two have been working hard all morning. Why don’t you go for a walk or something?”

  “Where’s Willow?” Jedda asked, trying to see into the house over Betty’s shoulder. “She hasn’t come outside all day.”

  “She’s upstairs, likely working on music for the wedding.” Betty took the broom and shooed them away as if they were pesky animals.

  Jedda and Crystal headed down the driveway to the street. “Where are we supposed to walk?” she asked as she tucked her hands into the pockets of her sweater.

  “I don’t know,” Jedda said, absent-mindedly kicking at a stone. “I don’t really feel like walking anyway.”