M.i.A

chapter 3

Nalani

We packed in silence. But the silence was full of communication. Everytime i caught his eyes they were full of worry, concerns and were even questioning. After forty-five minutes of packing, he grabbed three bags, while i grabbed the other two, we carried them downstairs and out to the garage. He opened the trunk of the car and started putting them away.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"I called my cousin. He has a chalet in west virginia. He only uses it on vacations so he said we can stay there until we get everything figured out. He told me the extra keys were above the door and to put them back whenever we leave." He tells me while he threw in the last bag and closed the trunk.

"Are we going to contact the police?"
I asked.

We went to the passenger side and he opened the door for me. Then he rounded the hood and got in the car, we buckled our seatbelts, he pushed to start and pulled out the garage. As he put the address into the GPS, he responded.

"Yes. But i was thinking about only doing that after we contacted Trace, your friends husband? He seems like he would know how to handle something like this better, what do you think?"

I looked at his profile while he was driving. I was scared. I saw the missing paper. It was me on it, but he looks like I'm already gone and that hes preparing for mourning. I have no idea how to soothe him. But part of me appreciates how much he loves me and i know he is willing to do anything for me. He's been like ttis since we have been together. He has always loved me more than the words themselves. It hurts my soul to see him this torn up, i would do anything for him. Go into hiding for him. In fact i have. When we were in school he did some shady business here and there. Not drugs, but he did deals. He didnt know where it cane from, just that someone gave it to him and that he was supposed to give it to someone else and they paid him. Paid him well, but he wanted out. At least thats what he told me about 6 months into us dating. He said he had been doing it for a year. But he didnt tell me he was ready to stop until a week before he realized it was getting to dangerous. Enough to the point where we had to go into hiding because his dealers were looking for him. He didn't want to keep doing it, and they didn't want to let him go. After hiding for a week in his friends basement about forty minutes out of town, they found us and to an extent kidnapped us, tying our hands and placed us in the back of a suv. When we got to wherever we were going, which seemed to be a cookie cutter house in the middle of a very nice neighborhood suprisingly, they took us inside and made us talk to their "Boss." Their boss seemed very understanding about how he said he wanted out of the deal because if how dangerous it was getting and told him he was willing to cut him a deal. If he did it for another 9 months, they would let him stop and leave him alone. I, of course, did not trust this, but he immediately took their offer. He told me later on that he thinks they just need time to find someone else they trust, to do the job when he leaves. Whatever. But this, this is much worse than needing to hide because of some shady business. This was life or death. Realizing i didnt answer his question, i responded.

"It sounds good. Do you want me to call her now? She's probably off of work and on her way home."

"No baby. Lets wait a little bit. I want to get a little further out of ohio. His chalet is not that far, but far enough to hide out until this is over."

"Ok baby. Did you call your job?"

"Shit." He muttered as he pulled his phone out his back pocket and handing his phone to me. "Do you mind dialing the number for me. Its saved under 'dave-boss'." I pluged in the number and hit dial then handed back his phone.

"Hey. Dave, yes this is Justin. I'm having a family emergency and need a few days of time off." Pause, " no i shouldn't be gone that long, and anything you need me to do, i can do on my laptop. Yes i will still finish the reports for you and have them sent off on monday. Thank you. Have a good day." he hung up. "Ok thats taken care of. What about about you sweetheart."

"I will talk to Vera and she will handle it for me probably saying much of what you just said. Don't worry love."

"Good. This is will be over soon. I promise."

"I believe you baby." And i did. With every bone, nerve, and fiber of my being.