Page 39 of Beautiful Exile

“Hiding his tracks,” Linc muttered.

“Yes. And he used that anonymity to try again. He didn’t want to take any chances that I might’ve seen something more.”

Linc released me then as if he didn’t trust himself not to hurt me somehow. He ran a hand through his hair, tugging hard on the ends of the strands. “What do you meantry again?” he spat.

I swallowed hard. “They put me into foster care after my parents were killed. I only had one distant family member, and they weren’t equipped to take custody of a young girl. So, I lived in a house with a handful of other kids. One night, someone broke in. Apparently, they hacked CPS to find my location.”

Linc’s hands fisted as he let out a sound that resembled a snarl.

“The woman who ran the foster home, Mrs. Dearborn, saved my life. She must’ve heard something because she came out of her bedroom and surprised the masked person outside my room.” No, not a person. A hitman. A hired gun. Someone contracted to killme. “She screamed for me to run and got knocked unconscious as a result. But she did it anyway. Saved my life, just like my mom had.”

I let out a shuddering breath as my throat burned. “I was so scared. I slid out my window and ran as hard and fast as I could. I didn’t even have shoes on, but I pushed until I couldn’t go any farther. I didn’t know what to do.”

Tears pooled in my eyes as the memories hit me one after the other. “Finally, I came to a church. My family wasn’t religious, but I thought I might be safe there until morning. I hid in the back pew. I must’ve fallen asleep because the next thing I remember is a nun waking me up and asking if I was okay.”

Linc stared at me, unmoving, pain and fury splashed across his face.

“The police came and brought me to the station. That’s when they put me into witness protection.”

Linc’s eyes flared in surprise. “Witness protection,” he echoed.

“They placed me far away, across the country. Even Nora and Lolli didn’t know where I’d come from or what had happened to me. They just knew I was traumatized and needed them. They were so patient. Never pushed, were just there, my steady rocks. I’ll never be able to repay them for what they did for me.”

Linc moved again, back to me, engulfing me in that embrace. “You’re safe now.” I sensed the words were as much for him as they were for me. And I wanted to believe them. But I wasn’t sure I could.

“The note,” I croaked.

Linc pulled back but kept his hands on me. “You think someone knows about your past.”

“I know who you really are.” I recited the red scrawl.

He muttered a curse. “You need to call your case agent.”

“I don’t have one. Not anymore. I opted out of the program when I turned eighteen.”

Linc’s eyes hardened. “Why?” he gritted out.

My spine stiffened. “You have no idea what it’s like. Endless rules of who you can tell what to. Feeling like people are constantly watching you. Like the small sliver of life you’ve managed to carve out for yourself is constantly under a microscope. I wanted the freedom to live.”

I might not have seen that through in all the ways I wanted to yet and might’ve let fear keep me from reaching for certain dreams, but at least it wasmychoice, not that of some case agent looking over my shoulder twenty-four-seven. And I could take the baby steps I wanted to whenever I was ready.

Like today. Telling Linc. Hell, that was way more than a baby step. It was a monumental leap. One I’d taken because of all he made me feel.

His shoulders released some of the tension as he pulled me back into his arms. “I’m so fucking sorry. I can’t even imagine.”

I shuddered against him, my fingers twisting in the fabric of his soft tee once again. I needed that tether right now. Something to hold me to the here and now so I didn’t slip back into those awful memories.

“Who knows?” Linc asked.

“The Colsons, a handful of people at the bureau, and the marshals.”

He let out a long breath. “We need to call Trace.”

It was my turn to pull back. “I don’t know?—”

“Arden.” He cut me off. “This is serious. If someone knows who you really are…”

My life could be in danger. My stomach twisted. “Call him.”

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