“My brother,” I said after a pause. “The one I pretended to be. The one who thinks I’ve lost my mind.”
She glanced at me, a small smile tugging at her lips. “Have you?”
“Probably,” I admitted. “But I haven’t lost sight of keeping you safe.”
She settled back into her seat, the unicorn blanket from the apartment draped over her lap. “I hope you know what you’re doing, Ryker.”
I laughed softly, a humorless sound. “So do I.”
We drove through the cover of darkness, past small towns and long stretches of dark highway. She fell asleep halfway there, her head resting against the window.
When we finally reached the cabin, I hesitated. It was a small place, tucked into the woods with just enough amenities to make it comfortable. But it was the first time I’d brought anyone here.
“Lily,” I said gently, touching her arm.
She stirred, blinking sleepily. “Are we there?”
“Yeah,” I said. “Welcome to our very own witness protection program.”
She looked around, taking in the cabin’s outline against the starlit sky. “This is yours?”
“Ours,” I said. “For now.”
I carried her bag inside, turning on the lights. She followed, her eyes wide as she took in the single room, the small kitchen, and the bed in the corner. It was cozy, but it was a far cry from her city apartment.
“It’s... secluded,” she said, and I couldn’t tell if she was relieved or unnerved.
“That’s the point,” I said, setting her things down. “No neighbors. No noise. No one to find us.” I pushed open a door beside the fridge. “It’s a far cry from a spa, but here is the bathroom.”
I watched her take it all in, wondering if she’d change her mind. If she’d decide this was too much, that I was too much.
But she just sat on the edge of the bed, looking up at me with those eyes that had seen through every one of my disguises. “How long do you think we’ll be here?”
“Hard to say,” I said. “Until I know it’s safe.”
She nodded, accepting that as her new reality. “And if it never is?”
I met her gaze, something inside me shifting again. “Guess you’ll be stuck with me.”
Her laugh was soft, genuine. “I guess so.”
I took a breath, feeling the weight of all the changes I’d made to be standing here with her. It felt right.
“Go to sleep,” I said, turning off the lights one by one. “We’ll figure it out in the morning.”
She lay down fully clothed, exhausted. I settled into the armchair by the window, watching the woods for any signs of movement.
My phone buzzed once, a message from Royal: You better not be dead.
Not yet, I thought, adjusting my position and smiling into the darkness.
Chapter 8
Lily
Iwoke to the smell of bacon frying. For a moment, I forgot where I was, the unfamiliar ceiling and pine-scented air disorienting. Then it all came rushing back. The field trip. The bus. Ryker.
I sat up, my clothes creased from sleeping in them, and looked around the cabin. Sunlight streamed through the small window, casting patterns on the wooden floor. Mabel sat perched on the windowsill, her green eyes watching Ryker in the kitchenette.
