Page 50 of Crow's Haven
“I really do,” she says fiercely. “To be honest, we’re out of other options right now. This falls more in the last hope category. It’s the safest option we have right now. And it’ll keep you close, give us breathing room and time to figure out why they’re blaming you for that child’s death. I’ll handle your groceries, your phone bill, and anything else you need. Nobody will trace it back to you.”
I think it over for a few seconds and decide to take them at face value. This is the first real chance I’ve had at something beyond just running.
“Alright, I’ll do it.” My voice is thick with emotion. “Thank you. I don’t know how to tell you how much this means to me.”
Her tone softens, warmth evident even through the phone line. “You deserve a chance to clear your name. I won’t let you fight this alone.”
A quiet breath escapes me, relief so sharp it borders on pain. “What do I do now?”
“I’ll text you the address,” she says calmly, her practicality returning.
“Alright, I have enough left over from the money you sent for a bus ticket,” I pause for a moment. “Won’t they ask for ID?”
“No, I doubt it. But if they do, just say you got your wallet stolen or something. If the worst comes to the worst, you can grab another lift with a trucker.”
“Oh, okay. That’s quick thinking.”
“We’ll get to the bottom of this. If someone is trying to put the blame on you, then they’re gonna slip up eventually.”
I swallow thickly. My cousin is the only person who truly believes in my innocence. And to hear her say it out loud means the world to me.
“I hope so,” I say.
My cousin pauses, her voice turning gentle. “This isn’t the end. You know that, right? It’s just a pause, a chance to regroup. No matter how long it takes, we’re gonna clear your name.”
The sincerity in her voice steadies me further, a lifeline of comfort and trust. “I believe you.”
“Good,” she says warmly. “You can do this.”
Chapter 15
Crow
It’s been one week of chasing down clues leading nowhere, bullshit sightings that go cold, and every damn lead crumbling before we even get near it. One week of waking up with my gut twisted and throat dry, haunted by the thought of Sharon out there alone, desperate and scared. All ‘cause I blew up when I found out her most closely guarded secret.
Guilty or not, she don’t deserve to live her life on the damn run.
My ass is parked at the clubhouse bar, my fingers drumming tensely against the wood. It don’t matter how many times I turn this shit over in my mind, I can’t milk any more leads out of what we know.
Beside me, Siege and Rigs study their phones, eyes narrowed with exhaustion and frustration. None of us have slept much lately. Sharon’s disappearance weighs heavy on our minds, draining us as we chase down leads.
“Any word from that cousin?” I ask tightly, glancing towards Rigs. After some digging, we’d found more info on Sharon Jackson and managed to get a number. I know the answer before he even responds.
“Nothing,” he replies gruffly. He’s clearly as frustrated as I am. “She swears she hasn’t heard from her since the night she ran.”
“This is fucking bullshit,” Siege mutters, jumping up to pace restlessly near the bar. “She’s covering for her.”
The only thing of use the cousin said was that my old lady’s name really is Sharon, but instead of Jackson, her surname is Carlin. Zen also managed to do a deep dive, and we found where Sharon Carlin worked. There was nothing in the newspapers about the death which was really strange unless the hospital was trying to hush it up. One of our contacts at Las Salinas PD came up trumps with info on the arrest warrant though. Which was interesting. Pushing that to the back of my mind I mutter, “She’s straight-up lying about knowing where Ladybug is.”
Rigs chimes in, “I agree that she’s lying to us. The cousin is way too calm about all this. She knows more than she’s letting on.”
Siege’s eyes narrow. “She’s definitely helping her. You said Sharon left with just the clothes on her back. She had no vehicle, money, or phone. Someone’s feeding her resources and that person cares enough to also keep her hidden.”
I tilt my glass and get ready to take another sip. “If the cousin helped Sharon before, it stands to reason she’s helping her now.”
Siege is still pacing, his movements getting stiff and jerky.
I shoot Rigs a worried look, before glancing over at Siege, “Brother, you’re exhausted and starting to break down. We all are. Time to grab a few hours of shut-eye. After we get some sleep, we’ll come together and look at the situation with fresh eyes.”
