Page 103 of Stay With Me
I look over at the map. “I won’t be too much longer.”
She nods as she trails her eyes over everything I have set up in the shed. She stops on the map and tilts her head, pulling away to examine it closer. “Weird, does that look like a star and a moon combined?” She runs her finger over the lines I’ve traced and looks over her shoulder at me.
I nod, and she freezes. “It does. Are you okay? Does that mean something to you?”
“Well, my name is Luna, and Matthew’s dad would call him the star of Bethlehem for The Family. That he would always guide us the right way.” She snorts. “I always wondered if he knew how demented his son really was or if he just didn’t care.”
“Sadly, a lot of parents don’t care to notice. Other times, the kids are good at hiding it from the people they need to hide it from.”
She nods and turns back to the scattered photos. “Can I look at these?”
“If you want. Maybe you can see something that we don’t.”
Her hands shake as she shuffles through the photos. She pauses on one, and the photos drop from her hands.
“What did you see? Are you okay?” I ask, my chest tightening with just the thought of her recognizing something.
“That’s one of Matthew’s favorite snacks. When we got old enough to run errands and sell things in town, he would buythem and hide them from the elders,” she whispers, the color draining from her face.
“Are you sure?” I ask as I bend to pick up the photos and look at them closer.
Her eyes slam closed. “Yeah, he would tease everyone that he got treats, but we couldn’t have them.”
I crowd behind her and move her hair over her shoulder. Leaning down, I brush a kiss over her shoulder. “Hey, I’m here. Take a breath with me,” I say softly and take a few breaths. Once our breaths are synced, I ask, “What about the people who worked off the compound? How did he get away with that?”
“They all had to hand their checks over to Father. It was drilled into us that whatever we earned had to go to The Family, but he wasn’t watched as closely.”
I bracket her between the workbench and my body. I can’t protect her from her past, but I can try and protect her from them trying to catch up. I kiss her neck, my lips lingering.
She turns in my arms and pushes at my chest. “They’ve found me, haven’t they?” she whispers as she eyes the door.
“Yes” is all I can say. Fear threatens to strangle me at the thought of her leaving.
A humorless laugh escapes her, and she shakes her head. “I should have taken Jess and run. What a joke that I thought I could settle down here and start an actual life.” She tries to push me away, tears filling her eyes.
I wrap my arms around her and pull her close. “Hey, I want you to hear me out.”
She stops pushing and rests her forehead on my chest.
I bring my hands up to her face and tilt her head up to look at me. My heart stutters in my chest at the pain on her face.
“The Family might be here in Griffin’s Den, and as much as I’m hoping we can stop them before they get anywhere near you, we have the first lead and can try and get ahead of them, but I’venotified Hunt and his team to see if they can get here. I want to be realistic, for your safety and Jess’s. I want you to promise me you won’t go anywhere alone. If you’re ever cornered, you need to do everything you can to not get put into a car with them. Kick, scream, bite, whatever you can, okay? But if you want to leave, I’m leaving with you. Or we can talk to Hunt about putting us in the witness protection program until they’re caught. Or you can claim the city as yours and not let them run you out of town. The choice is yours, and I’ll follow you to the ends of the earth to help keep you and Jess safe. Do you get me?”
She nods. “I don’t want anyone else to be in danger. Can you see what Hunt thinks? He knows them almost as well as I do.”
I lean down and kiss her lips softly. “Yeah. My gut tells me they’re hoping you run. Here, you’re surrounded by people all the time. Stay with me, my Lunabella, whether it’s here in Griffin’s Den or we go on the run. Trust that I will do anything within my power to keep the two of you safe.” I can see the fear in her eyes as she weighs her options. “Please,” I add, knowing I’m not above getting on my knees and begging.
“I trust you more than I trust anyone. I’ll stay, but after your conversation with Hunt, can we make several plans on what to do?”
“Whatever you want, baby. Now, let me send everything you mentioned today to Hunt and the others in the department. It shouldn’t be long. Go inside, and I’ll meet you in bed soon. Okay?”
“Okay. I’m going to pack a go bag for Jess and me just in case we have to leave in a hurry.” She stands on her tiptoes and kisses under my jaw.
I take a deep breath, knowing this is our reality right now. “It should be less than an hour. I’ll pack my bag when I get in, and we can put them all together and talk about a couple of plans.”
She nods and walks out of the shed. I watch her the whole way, and once she’s out of sight, I fish my phone out of my pocket and start a group call with Hunt and Mike. Hopefully, if I make both calls at the same time, I can get to my girl faster.
FORTY-SIX
