One of Cain’s men walks to me, frowning. “She needs something for the shock. A hot drink with sugar, or a shot of brandy.”
“No fucking time,” Felix snaps. “We’ve got a gang of men from that commune on our heels, and even with the Prophet gone, we don’t know who they are in cahoots with in law enforcement.”
“It’s time to leave, right now.” Mal runs his fingers through his hair and blows out a stressed breath.
Cain nods. “Yes. We’re leaving. You guys follow us in the RV, and let’s get on the road.”
I automatically get in the back of the truck, and Roman starts to climb in beside me, but Cain shakes his head. “I want to be next to her. You sit up front, and Mal can drive.”
“I almost fucking lost her, too,” Roman snaps.
“And you’ve spent every minute with her recently.” Cain glowers at him.
Things are bad enough without my men fighting. I glare at them, just wanting to be on our way now that the fog in my head is clearing.
There’s nothing I can do for Daisy, and her parents will make sure she’s put to rest properly. Maybe I can plant a tree for her or something, but for now, we must leave. A fight will only slow us down.
“You can take turns,” I snap. “Cain you can sit with me first.” I slide into the back.
Roman shoots Cain an angry glare but relents and climbs into the front seat. Around us, doors slam shut and engines roar.
I’ve been getting close to Roman, but things are so unsteady for me right now that I want to be near Cain. He’s been a presence in my life for the longest, and I feel as if I might float away, so I’m hoping he’ll ground me.
Malachi turns and gives me one fast, concerned glance, then focuses ahead and guns the engine. We drive back out the way we came.
I scoot across the seat, reaching for Cain. He pulls me into him. I’m not wearing my seatbelt, but, if I put it on, I can’t get as close to him as I need to be. And I need to be close. The shaking, which feels as if it’s coming from deep inside me, is getting worse.
It’s as if I’m literally falling apart. God help me, what if I totally lose what little was left of my mind?
“Come here, Fee. It’s okay.” Cain uses his childhood name for me, and he pulls me onto his lap, my feet over the other side ofhim, me sitting side on. His big arms wrap around me and hold me tight, and he cocoons me in that feeling of safety I need.
As we bump along the track, and Cain keeps on holding tight, I finally start to feel something release. Like a damn cracking deep inside, a sob escapes me. I slam my hand over my mouth, embarrassed at the sound, but another follows and my chest heaves.
“It’s okay, Angel. Let it out. I’ve got you.” Cain kisses the top of my head and gently rocks me as I cry myself to sleep in his arms, while Malachi drives like a bat out of hell through the woods.
When I open my eyes, it’s to see we’re pulling into a rest stop.
“Where are we?” I mumble.
“Just outside Harrisburg,” Cain answers. “We came a different way back. Thought it would be wise to vary our route, just in case.”
“It barely makes any difference timewise.” Mal swivels around to look at me. “How you feeling, baby?”
“Shaky,” I answer truthfully.
“You need some sugar.” Mal gets out of the car and stretches, as Roman yawns and cracks open his own door.
“Come on, Angel. Let’s get you some sustenance.” Cain strokes his thumb over the back of my hand.
“I can’t eat.” The thought of food makes me want to throw up.
“At least get something to drink, maybe one of those iced things all you girls love, in those big cups? Some sugar will help you feel less shaky.”
I furrow my brow. “Or shakier, I would think.”
“No. When you’ve had an emotional shock, your adrenaline spikes and your blood sugar drops, so a sweet drink can help.”
Is that even true? I have no energy to argue, though, so I merely nod and follow Cain out of the car. The RV pulls up behind us, and Deacon climbs out.
