He scrambled up and brushed himself off before offering me a hand. We both grunted with the effort.
“What ifIwanted to try outdoor sex?” he asked when we were both upright again, grinning.
I raised an eyebrow at him. “Do you?”
“Maybe I’d like to be a little adventurous one of these days.”
I huffed a laugh and swung my arm over his shoulder, moving us along. “Fine. But you’ll need to rub Biofreeze all over my back for a week afterward.”
He smirked. “I’ll take care of you, old man.”
I tried not to focus too much on that flicker of hope his words ignited, a brief glimpse of a future we might have together.
Even if it involved dirt in places I’d never be able to scrub clean.
If he wasn’t trapped in the tower, if he could exist the way he was now, indefinitely, didn’t that mean we had a shot at something close to a normal life?
He’d have to start over in a town that wasn’t so familiar with his face, yes. I’d happily go with him, though. Our lifestyle would be unconventional and probably very isolated, but if he were content to have that with me, tolivewith me…
I’d go to the ends of the Earth for you.
I would snatch that future with him in a heartbeat. Absolutely.
Would he want that, though?
I shook my head, focusing back on our surroundings. Charlie and I kept our heads on a swivel for the rest of the hike, but it was becoming increasingly clear to me that for whatever reason, the killer wasn’t going to confront us in broad daylight.
Actually, I didn’t think he wanted to confront us at all. His modus operandi appeared to be luring unsuspecting people into a situation where he had the upper hand, where he was in control.
I shuddered. He couldn’t keep going on forever. With modern technology and testing, it was only a matter of time before he slipped up or was backed into a corner.
I just hoped no one else was around when he lashed out, the way cornered and wounded animals would just before they were caught.
We stopped off at Lake Sapphire on our way down. As beautiful as ever, she greeted us with stunning views and a nice, cool breeze. Charlie was quiet as we rested in the shade, peering out at the wide stretch of glacial-blue water.
Seeing the wonder in his eyes, I realized… This was the first time in thirty-nine years he’d gazed at something other than what could be seen from the lookout.
“Is it different?” I asked quietly.
He merely shook his head no. A single tear tracked down his cheek.
I wanted this moment to last forever. Under any other circumstance, I would’ve thrown my nonsense about disliking outdoor sex out the window and taken him skinny dipping,before laying him out to dry in the warm sun while I drew as much pleasure from his body as possible.
As it were, we were technically in a public space, and I was not an exhibitionist.Especiallyfor a serial killer.
So I clung to his hand, instead, until it was time to depart.
Another two hours later, Charlie and I stopped about a hundred yards away from the small dirt lot where I parked my truck.
“I’ll be fine,” he said, reading my mind. “I need to rest, and so do you, Reece.” He brushed a thumb across my cheek, probably noting the dark circles that’d formed from another sleepless night.
I could sense a migraine in my very near future.
“I’ll find you later when you’re alone at your Dad’s. Don’t worry about me.”
I pulled him into a fierce embrace and pressed my face into his hair. “Promise?”
He kissed me. “I promise.”
