Don't Let Go

CORDELIA POV

Time seemed to fly as Elliot adjusted to our routine. His best friend, Ethan, was hired to work in our kitchen and came by on his days off from the steakhouse to move a few things and get to know how our home functions. He was really nice and Janet loved having someone with so much experience around.  Dad and I agreed it was a good change across the board.  We know we can trust Elliot so Ethan quickly found his footing.

Elliot joined us on a trip to the gun range then we did a special weapons day so he could get up to speed and learn safety, as well. We even had one of Aidan's buddies from the Army come by one day for an intense workout boot camp that began at 430 that morning.

We ran so hard that I puked and Elliot couldn't move for about 20 minutes. It was intense but in the end brought us closer together. Every day we found a way to quote "Best in Show," even if it was as simple as him calling me Cookie or me asking if he liked snow peas.

My favorite was after that boot camp.  As we recovered afterward, Elliot turned his head toward me and just said, "We are so lucky to have been raised amongst catalogs."  Somehow I wheezed out a laugh and reached over to shove him gently but that was the most I could move before finally collecting the energy to stand.

Lewis continued to act suspicious at times but would hang out in my sitting room most days when he was free. I made sure Elliot was always there, too, which he did not like.  If anything that made me even more determined to keep Elliot around.

Maybe it's jealousy, but I don't really care. I saw Lewis confront our new bodyguard after Ethan left the cookout. While I could not hear what they said, the way both stood told me a lot.  Elliot had been nothing but kind, understanding, and willing to help since he met with my Dad a week ago.  I have history with Lewis but his recent behavior was just off kilter enough for me to be concerned.

Tonight is the double feature at the drive-in theater. We set everything up so Lewis believed we were seeing a new superhero movie at the Cineplex. He had the morning off and Aidan was heading to the original theater so it was just Elliot and I in one of our trucks.

One of our contract security guys, Josh, also helps out at the drive in since his girlfriend runs the place. I have met her a couple times before so it was easy to arrange Josh as their security for the evening. They occasionally had police presence when it seemed like they'd be busy so it made sense and did not tip anyone off.

"The Princess Bride" was a popular film.  It was understandable that they would want to prepare for a busy night with security monitoring the facility.

Our Go bags were in the second row seat of my truck, including a burner phone and cash. I was anxious about being out but Aidan has buddies in the police force and assured me we would be safe.  Elliot and I ran through the game plan while on a long walk earlier in the day.  While the safe house was a great option that Hector could monitor, the best choice if there was any hint that Lewis was involved would be to just drive for awhile and find a motel that takes cash.

I made sure Elliot was comfortable with the circumstances, as much as possible, and tried to keep myself calm.  This was new territory for him but I knew everything would go smoothly if we stuck together.  We have more than enough cash on hand plus live in a state with a ton of large cities where we could blend in with the locals.

Janet packed us a cooler with sodas and cheesecake plus we brought along a couple of ham and swiss sandwiches on croissants Elliot made.

They were perfectly buttery and fluffy.   I struggled to roll out the dough and manage the butter block but he was taller and had better leverage. Watching his arms flex as he worked distracted me enough that Elliot cracked up laughing at my expression.  We teased one another constantly so Janet spent the time grinning at me like a maniac whenever Elliot gave me a sweet smile.