I stood and paced the floor. It sounded plausible, but I still didn’t trust him, and there was no way to verify his story without seeing his proof.
“Aaron deserves to have the truth known.” Vince’s tone was bitter. “Mason has covered it up for too long, living his life as if he did nothing wrong. It’s not right.”
My insides twisted into knots as his words hit me. He had a point about Aaron, but his words about Mason felt wrong. I didn’t think he’d fully been living. His eyes, haunted at the mere mention of Aaron. How he rubbed his thigh when he spoke about him. And if I understood how shifters felt about their fatedmates, it would have been near impossible for him to walk away from me, let alone stay away.
He could have introduced himself at the funeral and offered comfort. Then used his relationship with Aaron to build one with me. If my attraction to him had been half as strong then as it was when I first met him, he could have easily managed it. He hadn’t done that. He’d given up his mate instead.
I suspected the truth wasn’t as black and white as Vince was making it out to be. Still, if he had evidence, I wanted to see it and judge for myself.
“Where are you?”
“I’ll send you the GPS coordinates.” Vince’s satisfaction was obvious and grated on me.
The phone dinged with a text, and I put the coordinates into my phone. The meeting location was two hours away in a large, wooded area called Blackwater Pines. I studied the map, making my plan before responding to him. “I’ll be there in four hours.”
“It won’t take that long.”
“I need to slip away without anyone knowing. They’ll be expecting me at lunch.” I held my breath, hoping he’d believe me.
His pause was long; if it weren’t for his breathing, I’d wonder if he’d hung up on me. Finally, he spoke. “Four hours, then.”
The line went dead. I rushed to my suitcase, tossing my clothes out piece by piece until I found the ones that would blend in best with the wooded area. My brown hiking boots were heavy and would slow me down, but I judged them to be a better choice for the terrain than my sneakers.
I debated leaving a note so someone would know where I’d gone, but I didn’t want anyone to stop me. In the end, I scribbled a note about meeting Vince but didn’t include the location.
Then, I slid my lock picks into my pocket, just in case, and grabbed Aaron’s pocketknife. I’d kept it close by since themilitary had returned his things but had never had cause to use it. I hoped I wouldn’t need it now, but I wasn’t leaving anything I could control to chance.
If Vince thought I was an easy mark who would play his game, he was very wrong.
SEVEN
Mason
Declan’s words still echoed through me. I didn’t know whether I believed them, but they were becoming easier to hear. Despite that, my shoulders were tight, and my heart pounded as I walked to Brooke’s cabin.
I should probably wait until after lunch, as the conversation was guaranteed to be emotional, but since deciding to tell her, I was itching to get it done. It didn’t help that my bear rumbled beneath my skin to check on our mate. So, I’d begged Hannah and Mae for a packed lunch for Brooke and me. That way, we wouldn’t have to face anyone if our emotions were high.
I took the steps to her porch slowly, my mind blanking on how to convince her to let me in. Hopefully, she wouldn’t feel as strongly about not seeing me as she had last night. I considered briefly what I would do if she turned me away. Would she listen to Declan? It should come from me, but if that wasn’t possible, he could be my voice.
I knocked and waited, but there was no response. Knocking again, I opened my senses and tried to scent her, but the smell of wild roses and rain was almost gone. She wasn’t here.
I started down the steps, but my bear tugged at me as my stomach tightened. There was an instinct inside telling me to turn back.
I crossed the porch to the window and peered inside. My heartbeat sped up when I saw clothes everywhere, as if her suitcase had been upended. It didn’t look like someone getting dressed. Had Vince come back? Gone through her things? The fear wasn’t rational. Why would he do that? But something still felt off about it.
I returned and tried the door. The knob turned freely in my hand. Guilt spiked over invading her personal space, but I brushed it off. I needed to ensure she was okay.
I pushed open the wooden door and tried to scent whether anyone else had been in the cabin. My shoulders loosened slightly when I only smelled her.
I promised myself I’d only take a quick look to make sure everything was okay. Then I’d try to find where she was. I was breaking her trust again, but if it kept her alive, I could live with it. I stepped over a pile of clothing and scanned the bedroom area. My gaze ran over the bed, the nightstands, the?—
I moved to the closest nightstand, where the base of the table lamp held a scrap of paper in place. The writing was messy, as if dashed off quickly, but the words were clear enough they chilled my blood.
“Gone to get answers from Vince.”
Nothing more. No location. Nothing to help me find her. Urgency now powered my search. She said Vince had given her a burner phone. I tore the space apart—even checking under the mattress—but didn’t find it. She must have taken it with her.
My hands tightened into fists, the note crumpling beneath my fingers. I closed my eyes, trying to calm the fear and rage building inside me. Fear that she was in danger. Rage that Vince would have an opportunity to hurt her.
