“I’ll keep an ear out.”
The man gives a brief, approving hum. The elevator dings, and Moore steps inside.
“Good. I’ll loop you in if we find out more.”
And then he’s gone, hidden behind the metal doors.
I stand there for a second longer than necessary.
People who barely know me trust me with their secrets and their futures. And the person I’ve shown myself entirely to couldn’t even give me the benefit of the doubt.
The thought hurts with its crushing weight. I force myself to breathe through it. Close my eyes and inhale sharply.
But it keeps pressing on my lungs until the backs of my lids burn. My chest heaves. And then Jackie’s words by the campfire come rushing back, ramming into my ribs, and the ache finally fractures. What breaks through the pain is sharp anger.
Chapter Twenty-One
JACKIE
“If anyone asks, I’m meditating in the boathouse,” I call out as I head down the flagstone path.
The guard straightens the moment he spots me, eyes narrowing slightly when he clocks the bundled sweater tucked under my arm.
“I’ll be back in an hour.”
He nods, but not before giving the sweater one last suspicious glance.
In my defense, I’m sneaking out like a teenager with a hidden bottle of cheap gas station whiskey because Carter doesn’t keep alcohol in the house. I’m also hiding from Eliza. She’d never say anything, but I’ve heard the stories about some of her foster parents, and I don’t want to make her uncomfortable.
One would think being tied to the third-richest family in the country would buy me a little freedom. The luxury of disappearing anywhere in the world, no questions asked. But, no. My overprotective, pig-headed brother insists on having me directly in his sight. And for some unknown reason, he’s decided to take Adam under his wing, too.
So here I am, stuck in the middle of nowhere, Maine. Drowning in the tension.
I swing the boathouse door open and inhale the damp scent of cedar.
It hurt so much to be close to him before the night by the fire, but after seeing the hate on his face…
It ripped my soul apart.
Under my shoes, the wood floor creaks in the silent night while I locate the perfect hiding spot. This is how low I’ve sunk. A heavy sigh scratches the inside of my throat, and I blink furiously a couple of times to keep the tears at bay.
I hate that there’s nothing I can do. That I have to be sheltered like a fragile porcelain doll. It’s everything I swore I’d never be, growing up. Even Logan is vague about what they’ve been up to. I have no idea if they are closer to solving this than they were in May.
How the fuck did I end up here?
If the hackers want money, why haven’t they made any demands? The explosion made no sense. And my house? I don’t even want to think about it. It makes my skin crawl knowing they had their hands all over my things.
My chest feels like a pressure cooker.
All the fear. The helplessness. The conflicting feelings toward Adam. The doubt. I can’t solve anything. It’s all pushing outwards, crushing my ribs until it’s hard to breathe.
I slump onto a fishing stool, propping my head on the life vests hanging on the wall.
Biting the inside of my cheek, I blink hard.
I’ll get through this.
This nightmare will be over soon. I’ll get back to my life. Away from…him.
