Love and Lies- Book 1 (SYTYCW 2013) Completed

Chapter 16

“Okay,” she said tentatively. “And what does the simple plan entail.”

“Damn, there’s no easy way to say this,” he told her, looking straight into her eyes.  “It’s a basic bait and switch plan.  I want to use you for bait and draw him in so we can catch him.”

Trina didn’t wait for anyone to say anything.  “I’m in,” she announced.  “What do I need to do?”

Lev’s cursed clearly from the other side of the room.  Trevor had yet to budge.  He just stared at the detective hard until he finally exploded.  “Hell no!” he yelled.  “I’ll be damned if I’m going to let you dangle Trina out there for that crazy bastard to get his hands on her again.  No fucking way.  It’s. Not. Going. To. happen.” He clearly enunciated each word for emphasis.

Trina stood up and round on him, placing her hands on her hips. “Who are you to tell me what I can and cannot do?”

“For the record, I second that motion,” Lev announced at the window.

Trina spun around and frowned at him.

“You two don’t get a choice in the matter.  This is my life. These are my decisions.  You can either get on board with this plan or help protect me or this ship is going to sail and leave the both of you standing alone on the dock. I’m doing this.  End of story.” 

They both knew how stubborn Trina could be.  She was going to do this with or without them. 

“Fine,” Trevor grumble, collapsing back on the couch to sulk.

 “Fine! Whatever,” Lev mumbled, turning back around to stare out the window.

“Good, now that we all seem to be in agreement,” she said, sitting back down on the couch.  She turned back to the detective “What do you need me to do?”

The detective looked at the two guys both pouting like five year olds.  He shook his head and offered Trina a fatherly smile.

“You’re a brave woman, Ms. Costa.  I must admit that I really admire you taking this risk.”

“Call me Trina, please.  Ms. Costa sounds so formal.”

“Fine,” he said.  “Trina, first, I’ll need you to make yourself as visible as possible.  Take lunches outside, go into town for coffee or shopping, but never go alone.  We’ll always be following you.  I’ll have plain clothes officers trailing your every move.  We want Aaron to think that you’ve let your guard down.  But I want Lev or Trevor to be with you at all times.  Your safety is what matters most.”

“Okay, I’m listening.  What else?”

“Make this guy think that you’ve gotten over him.  Your casual dismissal of him will infuriate him more than anything.  It will force him to move quickly and make mistakes.  By the time the Fall Festival arrives next week, I think he’ll make his move.  That’s when we’ll make our move. You’ll draw him out and then we’ve got him.  We can put the ass away for a very long time.”

Trina actually liked this plan.  It was simple enough.  It really almost seemed too easy, but good enough that it might just work.  All of a sudden she was feeling a hundred pounds lighter. 

Joe sat quietly in the in the corner.  Trina couldn’t tell what she was thinking.  Her face was a blank, emotionless mask.  The guys on the other hand, made their feelings well known.  They didn’t want her to do this. 

That was too bad. This was her problem and she wanted to be the one to deal with it. 

She reached over and grabbed Trevor’s hand.  He looked up and she could see in his eyes how worried he was.

“It’s going to work,” she assured him. “I have this feeling in my gut.  I know that it will work. Trust me, okay.  I can do this.”

He grimly nodded.  He trusted her.  That wasn’t the problem. Aaron was the one that he didn’t trust. But she was determined to do this.  He would do whatever he had to do to keep her safe. 

For the next hour they ironed out the final details of detective Harrington’s plan.  They were introduced to two of the officers that would be watching them.  The detective also made it very clear that there would always be at least two plain-clothed officers watching her every time she left the house.  The goal was to keep Trina as publicly visible as possible in order to force Aaron to make his move.  The detective was hedging his bets that the move everyone was banking on would happen at a large event with lots of people around.  He explained that the Fall Festival in Greensboro would be the ideal place for him this move.

Trina wasn’t sure how she felt about being tailed twenty-four seven, but since it seemed to make Trevor and her brother feel somewhat better about the whole situation, she wasn’t about to argue the point. 

With the Detective’s departure, their plan was in place.  All they had to do was put it into action.

Soon, she prayed, Aaron Wright would finally be out of their lives once and for all.