Page 31

I curl my fingers around the thick card. I have no intention of using it on myself, but I’m sure it will come in handy for Clara.

“I think that’s everything.” He rubs the back of his neck. “I’ll take care of Clara tonight. I want you to get some rest.”

I nod, appreciating that.

His hand grips the doorframe. “If there’s anything you need, please don’t hesitate to let me know.”

“I will.”

“And make sure Clara has her favorite stuffed animal with her at all times.” He smiles, adjusting his glasses. “She calls it—”

“Squish.” My lips curve up. “We met earlier. He seemed pretty special to her.”

His eyes soften. “Yeah. She loves that little guy.” A few seconds of comfortable silence pass between us before he softly taps the frame with his knuckles. “I’ll see you tomorrow then. Get some sleep.” He shifts and takes a step into the hall.

“Alex?”

He stills, glancing over his shoulder.

I step toward him. “Thank you.” The words don’t feel like enough, but I have to say them. “For all of this.” I wrap my arms around myself. “For giving me a chance at freedom.” My voice wavers on the last word.

He holds my gaze for a heartbeat. “Of course.” Then he quietly closes the door behind him.

I face the room and take everything in again.

I feel like I’m standing in a home magazine spread.

Everything is spotless and exactly where it should be.

I swipe my finger over the top of the bureau and lift it, noting not a speck of dust.

And from what I noticed as we quickly walked through the downstairs, after he urgently ushered his sister out the front door with only an extremely brief explanation, it seems like Alex likes everything…clean. Very clean.

Something I’ll have to remember.

My eyes drift over to the bed that calls to me, exhaustion weighing heavily on every bone in my body. I want to dive headfirst into the plush comforter, but first… I’m in desperate need of a shower.

I head to the bathroom, and soft lights automatically turn on as I enter. Slowly, I remove my dirty clothes, every muscle aching, begging for rest. I turn on the shower and step beneath the water.

My eyes well with tears as an invisible weight I’ve carried for years slowly lifts from my shoulders. “I’m safe,” I whisper, pressing my back against the tiled wall. Tears spill freely, mixing with the water droplets that run down my face. My knees give out, and I slide against the wall until I’m sitting with my knees drawn to my chest. A sob escapes from deep within me, one I’ve been holding inside for days. Maybe even years. Steam billows around me, and I wipe my cheeks, an unstoppable smile spreading across my face. “I’m free.”

Chapter eight

Alex

My eyes flutter open to sunlight spilling through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting my room in a warm golden glow. I must’ve forgotten to close the curtains before I fell asleep.

In my defense, yesterday was one hell of a day.

Once you enter your thirties, killing ten men, setting a house on fire, attending a memorial service, and then discovering the woman you thought was dead is still, in fact, alive and seeking you out for help can take a toll on a person.

I let out a slow breath and stretch, every muscle in my body protesting. Reaching over, I grab my glasses from the nightstand and slide them onto my face. When I look at the clock, it’s just after eight a.m.

I sit up in a panic.

Clara.

I overslept, and Clara isn’t crying for me to get her. I snatch the baby monitor off the nightstand, crank up the volume, and zoom in on the screen, only to find an empty crib. My stomach drops.