“We can’t go home,” he says sadly.
“What do you mean? We have to. What about the—”
“I have people looking after the animals for us.”
“Who?”
“The vet has the raccoon.”
“Ricky,” I murmur. Only, I guess since he’s a she, Ricki, maybe.
“What?” Jake asks, brow furrowed.
“Her name,” I explain. “One of the men who—” I shake my head, not wanting to waste words with needless details. “The raccoon’s name is Ricki. But what about everyone else? The rest of the animals?”
“Hal’s going to be staying at the sanctuary to take care of them while we’re gone.”
“Hal? Your security guard from Myers and Kleinman?”
“Yes.”
“Does he know what he’s doing?”
Jake grimaces. “No. But he has the vet’s number. Craig’s going to do his best to talk Hal through any problems he has.”
I give him a hard look. “That’s not good enough. They deserve better than that. Take me home.”
“I can’t, Cassie.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s not safe.”
“So?”
He covers his face with his hands and groans. “I just spent the last three days worried that I’d never see you again. Can you please try to work with me on this?”
“Three days?”
I sit back in the seat, swallowing vainly at the lump in my throat.
“Three days,” he whispers.
His eyes glisten. His hand wraps around mine, his grip hot and damp and desperate.
“I know this is all my fault and you have no ideahow incredibly sorry I am. For everything. I screwed up. Once this is over, we’ll handle things however you want, but until then, let me keep you safe. Please, Cassie. At the very least you need time to recover, regain your strength.”
He gives a relieved sigh as I nod.
“The girls. Amelia? Danielle?”
“They’re fine. They made it back two days ago.”
A wave of nausea sweeps through me, one that has nothing to do with my head injury. If the girls made it home that long ago, why hadn’t anyone come out to that cabin to rescue me?
Jake clears his throat, looking away. “You have no idea how much I wanted to tear those woods apart to come get you.”
“But you didn’t.”
