“We’ll drive.” Valen doesn’t hesitate, doesn’t even question me. “We can split the drive between two days. If Roman leaves tonight with Rip, there’s no reason for us to hurry. We—we might need time to adjust, emotionally, to all of this.”
A lifetime of stories passes between us as our gazes connect. An understanding. He doesn’t have to remember me to understand me.
Grant stares with a brotherly affection forming in his expression as he smiles at Valen. Then he nods. “Okay, you leave before sunrise in the RV, and if anyone asks, we’ll say we sent it home. By the time you arrive in New Hampshire, Roman will have confirmed the property’s truly secure.”
“And if it’s not?” Chase presses.
“Then we call in reinforcements,” Valen says. “Clover and Chief will stay in the tank while Roman and I handle it. But if it’s clear—if any evidence is there—we get it and get home. There’s no reason to linger in that shithole.”
Roman’s already typing on his laptop. “I’ll leave in two hours. The property’s outside a small rural town. I’ll get eyes on it as soon as possible. We have some guys stationed in the Northeast Kingdom up there. They can get to it in an hour.”
“What about Savvy?” Chief asks, looking directly at me. “She’s still in the hospital.”
My chest tightens. “I?—”
“You should tell her,” Grant says solemnly. “Talk to your friends and allow them to support you.”
“She almost died,” I say. “And while I don’t want to bring this to her doorstep, I do need to end this madness. Savvy— She’s always protected me, even when I couldn’t protect myself.”
“Then we’ll go talk with her, explain why you have to go,” Valen says as I stand on unsteady legs. “We’ll do this together.”
My fingers take up their dance at my side.
I can’t get used to this. Him. Me. Us. Together.
Everything ends eventually—it’s the only universal truth I know.
I take a deep breath.
“Okay,” I say.
“I’ll let Grey know you’re on your way,” Roman says as I grab a weighted sweater off the arm of my chair and wrap it around myself.
“Thanks,” Valen says, but my mind is already creating happily ever afters in case our story turns out to be a nightmare.
The hospital smells the same,but this time there’s a pungent floral scent too. Proof of how loved my friend is.
Valen waits in the hallway while I slip into Savvy’s room. She’s awake, propped up on pillows, looking so much better than she did a week ago but still so fragile it makes my heart hurt.
“Hey,” she says, her smile fading when she sees my face. “What’s wrong?”
I pull a chair close to her bed, take her hand in mine, and tell her everything—mostly.
The packages. The journal pages. The red writing. The property. The tree. The decision.
Valen.
When I’m done, she’s quiet for a long moment.
“And you want to go? On a road trip, with a man you barely know, to a place that could potentially be dangerous?” she finally asks.
“It won’t be dangerous,” I quickly counter, knowing it’s a lie. “Roman’s going ahead to ensure it’s safe. And…I do. I want to go. He’s not a stranger, Sav. Not to me.”
A small smile lights up her face. “It’s just…so unlike you. I had to check. I’m sure as fuck not going to hold you back, but I also can’t say I really trust him.”
“Chief and Wrecks are coming too.” This is what it must feel like to beg parents who care to go to a sleepover.
Her burst of laughter has her clutching her side as the pain of her injuries sets in. “Still, I think we should have a schedule for you to check in with us. And one check-in per day has to be a FaceTime call. Oh, and we definitely need a password, something you can use if he’s holding you hostage for his sexual depravity.”
