Chapter 13
Cade held onto Meg. He hated what he was doing to her. Hated putting her through this. She’d been through enough. He placed his cheek on top of her head, the softness of her hair making his pulse jump. He was attracted to her, no doubt. But he couldn’t do anything about it.
She pulled back and gave him an embarrassed smile. “Sorry. That was stupid. We almost died yesterday, and I’m upset about a ukulele.”
“It meant a lot to you. That’s not stupid.”
She wiped under her eyes. “I guess we’re stuck in here until he stops.”
Cade nodded.
Meg’s eyes grew large. “What if he stops somewhere for the night and doesn’t unlock the back? What if we’re trapped in here for days?”
“He’s got boxes to deliver. He’ll open the back. Don’t worry.” Cade shoved his bag behind him and pressed his back against it. “Come here. Lean against me. You’ll be more comfortable.”
Meg did as he said, her back pressing against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her. A little guilt wormed its way into his gut as he held her, but he pushed it away. He needed this. He wanted to be close to her, even if it was just for a short time.
The truck swayed, and Cade rested his head against the hard metal side. He had to calm Meg down. He could feel her trembling, even with the movement of the truck. “Tell me about your dad.”
“He was the kind of person who would do nice things for people, for no reason. He never expected anything back. He was kind, just to be kind.” She glanced up at him. “Like you.”
Cade was so taken aback by her statement, he didn’t know what to say. She turned back around and continued. “Although he worked a lot, he would make sure I was well taken care of. And he would sometimes take a day off, and he’d call the school and say I was sick, so we could go to the movies together.” She laughed. “It was a small thing, but it meant a lot to me.”
“Sounds like he was a good dad.”
“He was.”
She took one of his hands and traced his dagger tattoo with her finger. The touch made his heart pound. “Can I ask you a question?”
He wasn’t sure what she would want to ask, but he was curious. “Go ahead.”
“How did you escape from prison?”
He exhaled. He was surprised she’d waited so long to ask. “It’s not an exciting story, really. I was on transport and there was a minor accident. While everyone was distracted, I saw an opportunity to run away. I took it.”
She was silent for a moment before she quietly asked, “Do you think you’ll ever be able to prove you didn’t kill that girl?”
“I’m going to do my best.”
“What if that means your brother has to go to prison?”
A lump formed in Cade’s throat. He didn’t want to think about Nicholas being involved in all of this. It ate him up inside. But if Nicholas had killed Angie and planted the knife, he would have to pay for his crime. “I’ll do what I have to,” he finally said.
Meg threaded her fingers through his. It was a simple gesture, but it felt like it held significance to Cade. “It might be hard for you.”
“I know it will be hard for me.” Cade tried to push past the emotion choking him. “My brother was my life growing up. He and Zane and I would spend hours together during the long summer days, fishing in the creek out by the woods, and riding our dirt bikes. We were thick as thieves.”
“You’ve mentioned Zane before. He was a friend of yours?”
