Alec nodded, but Mom threw her arms around him before taking a step. When he returned the hug, she put her mouth to his ear and whispered so low he could barely hear, “Don’t do anything stupid. I need both of you to come out of this alive.”
He buried his face in her neck for a brief moment to choke back the emotion. It took a sharp reprimand from Mr. Ortiz for her to disengage. She walked to the door, took a deep breath, and slowly turned the knob.
Mr. Ortiz watched through the blinds as she disappeared outside. “Your turn, Mr. Savage.”
“On my way.”
From his vantage, Alec couldn’t tell what was going on. He could only determine Dad had done as asked when Mr. Ortiz’s shoulders relaxed a fraction.
“Stay on the line,” Mr. Ortiz said. “I’ll make the call.”
He had to look away from the wi
