In Hiding (Final Book in the Boss's Niece Series)

Mel's Mom

I was sitting in a cafe, waiting for Debra Anderson, my hit woman mother.

She had contacted me about a week after I found out who she was and told me she wanted to meet me. I was nervous. Knowing she was a hit woman and she wanted to meet me, alone, was frightening. But, I had brought my gun with me in case she tried to do anything.

"Melanie?"

I looked up to see the woman from David's funeral. Debra Anderson. My mother.

"That's me. You must be Debra." I said, standing up and extending my hand to her. "It's nice to finally meet you."

Debra had tears in her eyes as she quickly hugged me. I froze in surprise. I looked around the almost empty cafe. There wasn't a lot of people there, meaning not a lot of witnesses.

"Oh my, you've grown so much." Debra said as we sat back down. "You look so much like me, but you have your father's eyes and his nose. You have my hair and my mouth. And-and you're married. I can't believe it. What's his name?"

"Spencer Reid. I work with him on the FBI." I told her. "I have a daughter, too."

"Can I see her?"

I took my phone out of my pocket and showed her a picture of Haley. Her hand went to her mouth as she tried to hold back her tears.

"She looks just like you."

"She has Spencer's eyes, though." I said. "And she's smart like him."

"You're smart, too."

"But Spencer is considerably a genius. Don't get me started." I said. "Anyways, I got that letter you wrote for me when I was a baby. I'm guessing this is the job you left me for."

"It was for your own good, Melanie. I didn't want you or your father to get caught up in my job and get hurt."

"You're 52." I remembered. "Does that mean-"

"I was 16 when I had you. Your father was 18. And yes, I have been doing this since I was 16. My father, your grandfather, used to be a hit man. One day, one of his old clients came to ask him to kill someone and when he refused, his old client took me. Instead of using me as a...a sex slave-"

I shivered at that thought.

"-he made me a hit woman. I've been working since then. When I met your father and became pregnant with you, I stopped. But, my dad's old client told me that if I didn't start again, he'd kill you and Sean. So, when you were born, I left. I'm so sorry. Please don't be mad at me."

I looked down at my coffee. I traced the lines of the drawing, unsure of what to say. I always said if my mom came back, I'd probably be mad at her and I'd never forgive her, but considering the circumstances, I was starting to think different.

"Did dad ever cheat on you?" I finally asked, remembering my old nightmare from years ago.

"What? No, honey. He was faithful to me, especially after I told him I was pregnant. Why would you ask?"

"I used to have this nightmare where I'd see you and dad fighting and you would be yelling at him because he would be out with another woman while you and I were home waiting for him."

Debra reached across the table and took my hand. I looked up at her, feeling tears in my eyes. She was already crying. She had been since we sat down.

"Honey, your father is a good man. He would never do anything to hurt you or me. I was the bad person in our relationship and kept this big secret from him and left both of you without an explanation."

"Wait, are you telling me dad doesn't know you're a hit woman?"

Debra shook her head. "I could never bring myself to tell him. I thought he'd hate me or leave me if I told him. And, if he did, I'd never have you."

"Debra, you have to tell him. Keeping this big of a secret from someone for 35 years is a big deal. He's going to be more made at you now than if you had told him back then."

Debra gasped and put a hand on her heart.

"I can't believe it's been 35 years." she said. "Oh my goodness, Melanie, you're 35. I missed so much of your life-"

"I know, I've lived it." I said. "Why are you coming back now after all these years? Why would you choose now of all times to come back?"

Debra sat back in her seat and covered her mouth again. She was crying, but now, it wasn't happy tears. It was sad tears. Guilty tears. Reconnecting was not the reason she was here.

"Oh, Melanie." she cried. "I-I'm so sorry. I came here, tried to reconnect with you. Now I must perform an awful task."

"Debra, what are you talking about?" I asked.

"The real reason I'm here." she cried. I looked around to make sure no one was looking.

"What are you talking about? And calm down, you're making a scene." I said in a hushed voice.

"Melanie, I was hired to come to Virginia to kill someone before I retire."

"Who, Debra? Who have you been hired to kill?"

Debra let out a retched sob and said, "You."