“And,” he continued, “if I find that you have set up some criminal enterprise, that you’re injuring people, that you’ve in any way become like your father, I’ll hunt you down and kill you myself.”
That, too, carried the ring of truth.
I stood there, staring at him for a frozen moment, then crashed into him, hugging him tightly. He cupped the back of my head and touched his lips to mine. We kissed, probably for longer than we should’ve, letting our bodies say all the words we couldn’t.
Our bubble of time was bursting, but I didn’t want this to be the end. I had a wild thought that maybe he could come with me, but…
He can’t. You know he can’t.
Finally, he withdrew from the kiss and ran his fingers through my hair. “Let’s shave this off, pack a bag with my grandfather’s finest mall wear, and get you started on your new life.”
I nodded, and he grabbed my hand, tugging me toward the hallway.
A few minutes later, we were both grinning at the bathroom mirror. Long, curly strands filled the sink, and I was running my hand over my shorn hair, amazed at how velvety it felt under my fingertips. Rafferty found some of his grandmother’s makeup and temporarily darkened the fuzz with some sort of bronzer and a big, fluffy brush. He then dragged a wheeled suitcase down from the attic and stuffed it with a variety of clothes.
He also slipped my cousin’s wallet and phone from his jeans. Kyler’s birthday was his password, so I opened the phone and, on Rafferty’s suggestion, reset the fingerprints and facial ID.
Kyler was wearing the same jacket in his ID, so Rafferty gently removed that from his body.
He held it out to me. “You should wear this when you get to the airport.”
I accepted the jacket from him, checked it for obvious blood stains—none, thank God—then helped him roll Kyler’s body in a sheet and drag him onto the little outboard tied to the back porch.
Rafferty was right. My cousin and father could definitely fit in that boat.
Everything settled, he walked me to my cousin’s Jeep. We took a beat to check around the vehicle for an AirTag, but didn’t find one.
“Drive safely,” he said, palming my shaved head. “And take the long way around. The dam’ll either be closed down or they’ll be stopping vehicles.”
“I will.” I took a deep breath, letting it outslowly. “And I’ll figure out a way to let you know where I end up.”
His face, so serious, brightened.
“I’d like that.”
We made no promises to each other, but something about this moment felt like one.
He gave me a final kiss, then stepped back as I tossed the suitcase into the passenger seat and sat in my cousin’s place. I didn’t even have to adjust the seat. On a hunch, I popped open the glove box. There, under his registration and a couple dozen Tootsie Roll wrappers, was Kyler’s passport, right where he’d tossed it after our one trip out of the country.
I held it up, and Rafferty sent me a salute. One less thing to worry about, and I could live with that for a while, even if I couldn’t immediately get the rest of his documentation.
I sent him a wave, then backed up and headed toward the two-lane. As I bumped along the caliche driveway, I looked in the rearview mirror. Rafferty was smiling.
13
RAFFERTY
“Oh, fuck you,”Ronnie said as I dropped into the chair in front of her desk.
“What?” I asked, throwing my hands out. “I haven’t even said anything.”
Two days after Christmas, two days after Jesse walked out of my life, and I still had an ache in my chest that I couldn’t seem to get rid of.
I didn’t know which way was up, but I did know which way was out.
Ronnie sent a circular gesture in my general direction. “Your shoulders are relaxed. You look like you got laid. And you look like you have bad news.”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “If I have bad news, why are you mad at me?”
