Chapter 36: Jacob

*VICKY* After my evening with Leon, things went radio silent between us for a few days; at work and in our personal life. He was angry—and had every right to be—-but he was also giving me space to come to my own conclusions. Conclusions I realized I needed to deal with before it was too late. Leon was right. He could protect himself, and if he was willing to jump into the fire with me, who was I to deny him that? He was his own person making his own decisions, and he deserved the opportunity to make those choices for himself. Not have me do it for him. I picked up my phone and dialed his number. If someone was using him as a bargaining chip, and his life truly was in danger, he needed to know. The call rang three, then four times. For a minute, I wasn't sure he was going to answer. Then I heard the phone line click. "Hello?" I felt instantly comforted by the sound of his voice. He was okay. The man I had talked to in the park wasn't lying, at least about that. "I'm ready to ta