***Note - Harry does NOT have tattoos in this story (yet) so disregard the tats in the above photo ;) ***

I slept remarkably well considering a man who wanted me dead was on the loose. I think it helped to feel that there was safety in numbers even though Theodore likely wanted Harry and Clive dead as well; and if he found out about Anne, she would be at the top of his list. At least we were all together and under police watch, not continuous protection but they were on top of our situation. 

The next morning, we made contact with two officers from the Vancouver police. They stopped by to introduce themselves to us, a woman named Janelle Courtland and a man named Frank Marklein. It was a brief meeting, just making us aware that they were apprised of our situation. They gave us their business cards and of course, they reiterated the directive to lay low, stay off social media and to notify them if we needed to leave the hotel.

I couldn't help but feel a little bit like we were trapped again. At least this time, I knew Theodore wasn't going to show up and scream at me for something or hold a gun to Harry's head. But it was unnerving just sitting there waiting for something to happen.

Nathan was in contact with us daily, either by phone or stopping in to our new accommodations, keeping us updated about the case and all that it entailed. One day later in the week, it occurred to me to talk to him about something.

"So, you know that I contacted my brother-in-law when I was trying to figure out Harry's medications, right?" I said.

"Yes," he answered.

"Well, I promised him that I wouldn't bring him into any of this. So if there's any question about how I decided to reduce Harry's medications, then it has to be on me. Meaning, I take responsibility for making those decisions; I don't want him to be involved at all."

"That shouldn't be a problem on our part," Nathan confirmed. "But if Theodore wants to go after him, his lawyer could very well call him to serve as a witness, but I highly doubt he would. Was Theodore aware that you had been in contact with your brother-in-law?"

"Shit," I said and then, "Sorry, but yes. He knew. He was monitoring my emails and saw a video that I had sent to Charlie, my brother-in-law."

"The only way that Charlie might get dragged into it is if Theodore's lawyer thinks he can prove something by calling on him as a witness. I sincerely doubt that will be the case because he's going to be too busy trying to explain the illegal medications that were forced on Harry to begin with, as well as Harry's lack of a formal education, the neglect, and the numerous false medical documents. But I will let you know if I hear otherwise, all right?" 

"Sure, thanks," I said.

And so we survived day to day with bits and pieces of information from the outside world, usually through the news or the police or Nathan Greenwood. One day he told us that the Victoria police department had agreed to re-open the case for the disappearance of Mary Lemke, Harry's first nanny; and the next day he told us that there was a new warrant to search the property. With shovels. And small machinery.

Nausea roiled in my gut at the implication. How the hell was Harry going to deal with it if they found out that Theodore had killed Mary? And buried her on the property? A shudder of revulsion shook my body. Harry hadn't been in the room when he told us that. Anne and I decided not to tell him unless there was a definitive finding. His sweet, innocent heart had already been through so much.

We also learned that several of Harry's nannies had been located and questioned: Kim Johnson, Margaret White, Tina Warnke, Barbara Henderson, and Regina Kallo; some would be called to testify in court while others simply gave a statement to the police. I honestly hoped I could meet a few of them and give them a piece of my mind or at least ask them what the hell they were thinking. How could anyone have misunderstood Harry's intelligence? How could they have not taken the time to get to know him?

Each day was one day closer to Theodore's trial, which hadn't been set yet but we hoped and prayed it would be soon. At the end of the second week, my parents flew back to Ohio so Mom could go back to work and Dad could make some long-term arrangements with his company. He hoped to work remotely so he could come back and stay with us until the trial. Luckily, the hotel where we were staying gave us a deal on the rooms since they were aware of our situation and they also knew of our need for secure housing. The cost for the two suites worked out to be less than renting a four-bedroom apartment which is what we would need if all of us wanted to stay together.

One afternoon, Officer Courtland had come to escort Anne to various places so she could do a variety of necessary things, like setting up a bank account and finally getting Harry's birth certificate from the courthouse. Clive decided to go with them because he had a few things to take care of, with Officer Courtland's blessing, of course. Harry and I desperately wanted to get out of our room for a while, they told us it would be better to stay in and "lay low." I was getting so sick of that phrase.

After they left, we decided to hit the workout room. We had been exercising most days, both to deal with boredom and to stave off the rising angst we both felt as we waited for the trial, for the day when Theodore would hopefully be put away for good.

We both chose the treadmills, even though I preferred when Harry used the elliptical. It was in front of the treadmill which meant when he used it, I got to watch the tight muscles of his backside as they flexed. Can you blame me? I avoided looking at him like a pervert for all those months so I allowed myself a little indulgence when I could now. Even so, my favorite part of him, besides his amazing heart and soul, would be his astounding grin. That smile never failed to take my breath away and make me happy, no matter what.

We worked out for the better part of an hour, Harry glistening and panting with the exertion of he had put into jogging on his treadmill while I opted to walk, but still at a speed high enough that I more than broke a sweat. Definitely a good way for both of us to work out some of our nerves and apprehension.

We cooled down by walking slowly back to our suite, chugging water as we went. "You know what sounds perfect right now?"

"Hmm?" He asked, swallowing a giant swig of fluid.

"A nice hot bath. With bubbles. And a glass of wine."

"Sounds nice," he said as I slid the key card into the slot. The lock flashed green and we entered the suite. "Can I join you?" I shot a glance at him and he gave me a mischievous smirk.

"I hoped you would," I quipped and I stripped off my tank top before we reached our bedroom.

"All right then," he agreed.

"Grab a bottle of wine from the cabinet and bring two glasses," I grinned.

"Do...do you think it's okay?" He asked hesitantly.

"You're not taking any medications except Singulair. Have you taken any of the anxiety medicine they gave you at the ER?" I asked. He shook his head. "Then you should be fine. You're 20, almost 21, and the legal drinking age here is 19."

"Is it not the same in the US?" He wondered.

"It's 21 there. Underage kids who live near the border of Canada have been known to cross over for a binge now and again. At least before they strengthened the borders."

"What does that mean?" Harry asked.

"I'll explain it some time," I said, not wanting to discuss terrorism right now. "Just get the wine." I went to the bathroom and started the faucet running into the over-sized tub, pouring a generous amount of bubble bath into the steaming water.

By the time Harry appeared in the bathroom, I was naked. He stopped short, just a little taken aback but then he grinned and handed me the bottle of wine.

"Do you want me to show you how to use a corkscrew?" I asked and proceeded to give him a demonstration, removing the cork in one piece from the bottle. I poured the wine while he stripped his sweaty clothes off and we stepped into the tub at opposite ends, glasses in hand.

"Oh man, this feels awesome," he sighed. "Why did I ever stop taking baths?"

I giggled and said, "Because you grew up." And then I stretched my arm, clinking my glass against Harry's. "To bubble baths," I said.

I took a sip and he followed suit except he took a large gulp. "Oh my god," I laughed, seeing the cringe on his face as he choked down the liquid. "You're supposed to sip it, not chug it," I said, laughing even harder as he distorted his face in several ways.

"I'm not sure I like wine," he finally said, practically spitting.

"It's an acquired taste," I said. "That means it might take some time to get used to it."

"It's not as good as juice," he said in a matter-of-fact way.

"No, it's not as sweet and it has a little kick sometimes," I said. "This is Merlot, so it's very dry which means there's not much sweetness at all."

"You got that right," he said and cringed again, sticking out his tongue in disgust.

"The next time I have a chance, I will buy us some sweet wines and you can taste them. I think you'd like some of them but you have to sip. Slowly."

He set his glass aside and we both shrugged down into the bath, letting our legs overlap. I sipped my wine and we just relaxed, enjoying the quiet and the occasional soft pop of bubbles around us. After the water cooled and my wine disappeared, we took turns washing each other's bodies, indulging in the sensual experience together.

After the bath, we did what we usually did in the afternoon - most often out of boredom - and we took a nap. After a workout, a warm bath and a glass of wine, it was easy to slip into a contented sleep, safe and warm in Harry's arms.

When I woke up, Harry wasn't there and I didn't hear any sounds in the suite. I didn't think Clive and Anne were back yet, but I wondered what Harry was doing. I got dressed and went out to the living area and found a note from Harry on the table.

Jules
Front desk said there was a delivery for me. Be back in a few.
H

The note startled me and I suddenly had a very bad feeling. What kind of delivery would he be getting? I looked around for my key card and headed to the door only to hear the lock open from the other side. I readied myself to lecture Harry about being more careful except I was met with his terrified face.

And behind him was Theodore, pressing a gun to the back of his neck.

* * * * *

Thank you all so, so much! And to show you how grateful I am, I'm giving you a double update (yay, you don't have to wait after reading this cliffhanger chapter!)

love you, Babes <3