This time, it seemed genuine.
His gaze moved over her shoulder.
He said one last thing before all hell broke loose.
It was simple.
“And I’m okay with it.”
* * *
JAMES KNEW HEhad only a short amount of time before the sheriff’s department was on his tail. He didn’t blame them or the man he had basically carjacked inthe parking lot. Desperate times called for desperate measures and there was no way in hell he was going to just sit around while Rose had jetted off to who knew what. Much like during the chase through the hospital, Rose had a considerable lead ahead of him. It was only by sheer luck that he’d seen another car booking it out of the main lot by the time he reached the main road.
It was Lloyd Harrison.
Two cars managed to get between them before James could ride his tail and, because of those two cars, he was slowed down enough that he lost Lloyd on a turn onto County. James cussed up a storm as he raced down the new road without a car in sight.
There was no way Lloyd had been that fast. He had to have turned off somewhere.
No sooner had he had the thought than James spotted tire marks streaking through the dirt and grass off the shoulder ahead. He slowed.
Then he saw the metal gate of the Seven Roads Cemetery, on the ground, bent and broken.
Rose.
As soon as he was past the gate, he was more confident in his choice. Two sets of very distinct tire marks had kicked up dirt and grass along the road leading to the left. James followed that for what felt like an hour but must have really only been a minute or two. When the road started to curve to the right, though, he saw the trail of tire marks veer in the opposite direction. That road led in between trees, away from the open land of the cemetery plots.
James reduced his speed as he went left. If he had been a tried and true local, he would have probablyknown exactly where he was headed. Instead, he was caught off guard when a large house came into view in the distance.
It had seen better days, that was for sure.
It also had seen Rose.
Their borrowed truck was parked off to the side, alongside the vehicle Lloyd had been driving. James didn’t even bother turning the car off. He barely put it in Park before he was leaping out and running.
The smell of mold and dust filled his nostrils. Humidity tightened its grip. James knew he wasn’t, but it felt like he had been holding his breath since the hospital. There was no one and nothing that jumped out of him.
“Rose!” he yelled, caution now be damned.
Silence.
Was she somewhere in the house? Where and who else was here?
He ran to his left and into what must have been the old living area. She wasn’t there. James ran in the other direction. His steps echoed.
“Rose!” he yelled again.
This time, the silence was gone.
“James!”
It was her. Faint, but he heard her.
He skidded to a stop before pivoting to go back to the entryway.
“Rose! Where are you?”
He heard her call him again. It was coming from outside.
