Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 61868 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 309(@200wpm)___ 247(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61868 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 309(@200wpm)___ 247(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
He doesn’t ask, and I don’t tell.
We all have secrets that we’ll take to the grave.
So, instead of making conversation, we head into the trees and towards the cabin.
Toward a new life.
The lights are on, and the curtains are open. The lodge illuminates the tree line around it like fire embers in a dark hearth.
West’s truck is here. Shona’s Corolla is gone.
Bill stops the Defender fifty feet away and keeps his eyes fixed in front.
“We’re square?”
“Yep.”
He nods.
As I step out onto the fallen leaves, and the wind whips around me, I prop my rifle against the car. I open the rear door and fumble to free the car seat from the belt. There are many things that I’m an expert in, but babies and their gear aren’t one.
Hallie stirs but doesn’t wake, even as I lift her weight and begin the short trek home, clutching my rifle in my other hand.
I don’t look back as Bill’s car crunches away until all I hear is the distant rumble of its engine.
My rifle is placed out of sight, having no place in a moment that should be filled with joy.
Hallie sighs sweetly, and I glance up at the sky, wondering how I ever deserved what’s waiting for me inside. The stars twinkle hopefully, blinking as clouds temporarily obscure them, a flicker of hope in a sea of darkness.
This is going to be a new beginning for us all.
I carefully open the door, noticing that it is not bolted and feeling a jolt of relief. There’s nothing to fear anymore.
As I enter the cabin, Skye, West, and Finn all rise to greet me, and Skye’s eyes widen as she takes in the baby sleeping sweetly despite the circumstances. Her hands fly to her mouth as she stumbles forward, her knees going out from under her as she approaches Hallie. I rest the car seat on the floor, and Skye’s hands hover over her baby as though she’s afraid to touch her. She twists to look up at me, awe, and gratitude in the raise of her brows and her watery eyes. “She’s mine again?”
“She was always yours.”
And then it’s like Skye has finally realized that she’s free of Carter, free of his oppression, free of his evil. Her fingers fumble with the buckle and straps, finally getting them open, and she scoops Hallie into her arms, pressing her into her chest and nuzzling her sweet head. She stands and moves like a momma, bouncing Hallie rhythmically, even though she’s miraculously still sleeping. Skye’s wide, happy eyes sweep the room, taking in Finn where he’s leaning against a chair, a relieved smile on his face.
West is standing nearby, his legs wide, still braced for the fight we found ourselves in.
“Where’s Shona?” I almost forgot that her car was gone.
“She headed back to her place right after the bust. But we’re expecting her in the morning.”
“Any other wounded?” I ask.
“Only Ethan. He’s in the hospital getting fixed up, so he shouldn’t be a problem.”
I cast my gaze back to the reunion scene in front of me and try my best to relax.
I take one final glance out the window and into the night, even though I know there’s nothing out there in the vast, dark woods that will hurt us.
The wolves are all gone.
And our girl and her baby are safe with us forever.
21
SKYE
BIRDS FLYING HIGH
Hallie stirs in my arms, and I can't take my eyes off her as her eyelids flutter and her pretty green eyes blink open. She fixes on my face, and for a few seconds, I can't breathe. Will she know me? Has our time apart fractured our bond forever.
I'm as anxious as I was when she was first born, fussing over every little sound she made, pressing my face close so I can feel her breath on my cheek.
Her chubby little hand reaches for my face and tangles in my hair, pulling. She doesn't smile, but she’s always grumpy after a nap until she has time to get used to her surroundings again. I rest my cheek against hers and hum 'Hush, little baby' the way I used to before. When she nuzzles into me, I feel like my heart will break all over again.
It doesn't feel real. To hold her weight in my arms. To feel her warm little body and listen to her little noises. We've been apart for a month, but it feels like forever.
Finn comes closer, resting his palm against my back and gazing down at Hallie. I stare up at him, so uncertain about everything.
Hallie's back, but what will it mean for us?
When these men bid on me, I didn't come with baggage. All I arrived with was a purse and the clothes I was wearing. Now, I come with a dependent. This has to mean that I've broken the terms of the contract, and that will mean no money.