tip to the police that Killian was seen in this area. It must have gotten back to them.”
I lean in. “So that means my father will know we were in the area. Has there been any more activity?” I ask.
“I’ve seen an increase in cars but nothing too concerning yet. Do you need the address of a new place to go?”
Shepherd holds the phone so we can both hear it better. “Not yet. We’re coming back because there’s something we need to get out of the cabin first. We don’t want you going near it, so just stay home. You know nothing, okay?”
“I can get it for you guys. It is my cabin. It wouldn’t be strange for me to get it,” he says.
“Just stay at your place for now.”
“Fine, fine. You guys remember I used to be a journalist, right? I have friends that could break anything you have to the news. We could get something out there.”
Shepherd’s silent for a moment and I realize that I don’t know what to say either. Will it be like all the other times I tried to tell someone? “I… I don’t know. Every time I went to the police or tried to run… my father’s reach goes so fucking far in this state. He controls so much that the corruption could go further than we could imagine.”
“We’ll think about it,” Shepherd says. “For now, stay away, we’ll be in contact.”
“Okay. Be safe.”
“We’ll try,” Shepherd says as he ends the call.
“I want to just curl up and sleep.”
“How about a shower instead since you’re filthy?” he asks as he gets up and takes my wrist before pulling me after him into the bathroom. I want to stop and force him to drag me but he manages to get me inside before he turns the shower on and starts to strip.
I honestly want to curl up right here and sleep for at least a week, but I know that if I crawled into those white sheets, I would leave half the forest behind, so I strip and step into the tub with him. Before I can get far, he wraps his arms around me and draws me in close to him, holding my naked body against his.
“You know I’m tired when I’m not instantly horny,” I mumble.
He grins at me. “You’ve been awake like forty hours at this point,” he says before kissing the side of my face. “Killian… how could you ever forgive me for what I’ve done to you?”
“But you’ve done so many more positive things. You’ve made me happy, you’ve made me smile, you don’t hit me or treat me like shit, or even devote your time to ruining my life. You were a different person back then, Shepherd. You killed because you were taught that it was the only way to survive. Yeah it… it’s hard to think about or digest but… in my mind… you didn’t kill her, my father did. You asked me if people can change, and I don’t need to ever answer that question because you’re proof they can. You’ve changed so much.”
He lets out a breath, like he’d been holding it for hours, and I feel him sag against me. “A lot of it was because of you. I felt like I could finally be the person I wanted to be with you.”
“I’m glad.”
Shepherd pulls me under the water as the heat of it beats down on my back. I close my eyes and just listen to the sound of the water drumming on the bottom of the tub. I don’t know how we’ll get through this, but I know the only way I can is with Shepherd by my side.
Twenty-Eight
For about three days now, we’ve slowly been picking our way back toward the cabin by moving a few towns and then stopping to hide in a hotel room. While Shepherd heads into the store, I stay outside with Bear so we’re not seen together. I have a hat on and some sunglasses that seem to take up half my face in the hopes of remaining unnoticed. Shepherd is also wearing a hat and sunglasses, but he’s managed to look sexy in them while I look like an idiot.
He heads in to get some food for us, pet food, and more bandages to replenish the stuff we’ve used up, even though he’s healing really well. When he returns, we stuff the new items into our backpacks before walking to the nearest hotel.