It had been creepy.
"Do you have proof of this?" Val asked.
"I could get it."
"I need to send that information to Elder Ridge along with my report. The more information that we have the better chance we'll have of building a case against Payne."
Val climbed to his feet and dusted his ass off. "I'm going to head back into town to make a few phone calls. If anyone shows up, head further up the road. It meets up with another road. If you take a right it'll take you to the highway."
"And if we take a left?" Rad asked.
"They will never find you."
"Isn't that what we want?" I asked.
Val shook his head. "Not like this. When I say they will never find you, I mean they won't even find your body. The road to the left leads into the badlands. You'll get lost and never find your way out."
Well, when you put it like that... "So, we turn right then."
"You turn right."
As soon as the sound of Val's motorcycle faded into the distance, Rad grabbed me, lifted me until his lap, and then wrapped his arms around me.
"You remember those papers I gave you before you left the ranch?"
I squinted for a moment, trying to remember. "The driver's license, birth certificates, and social security cards?"
"If we can get Elder Ridge on our side, we can register you and Sy with Ze'ev's pack under those identities. With Sy listed as your son, Payne would have to fight us in court to get him and you have some of the same DNA as Sy so even if he demanded a paternity test, we could fight that."
"Wouldn't a DNA test just show that we're brothers?"
"I'm not sure, but I know you have DNA in common. Hopefully it would be enough for us to argue that Sy is yours."
I'm not sure that would hold up in court.
"The important thing is to get you and Sy registered with the council as belonging to our pack," Rad continued. "If we do that under your assumed identity, and with Elder Ridge's help, Payne won't be able to get to you."
"Do you really think that will work?"
I had doubts.
A lot of doubts.
Huge doubts.
"It will never work." I drew in a shaky breath. "If Payne can't get Sy through legal means, he'll just take him."
"That's another reason we need to get you registered as belonging to our pack. Once you're there, if Payne tries anything, not only do we have the legal means to fight him, but there will be a lot of people there that will fight to the death to keep you and Sy safe."
It had been a long time since someone was willing to fight for me.
Maybe forever.
Chapter Fifteen
~ Ajag ~
"Will you kiss me?"
