Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 81887 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 409(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81887 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 409(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
It’s not reassuring, exactly, but it’s what we need right now.
“Take this.” I slip off my leather jacket and hand it to Damiano. “Cover her with it. Hide the blood.”
He wraps it around Briar’s shoulders, and it swallows her small frame, making her look even more fragile.
“The eastern fence has a loose section,” I tell him. “Behind the old elm that got hit by lightning last year. You can get through there without being seen from the house.”
He raises an eyebrow. “How do you know that?”
“I’ve been checking the perimeter of these fancy estates for years,” I admit. “Old habits. Rich people always have the best shit to steal, and I like knowing all the entry points.”
“Of course you do.” He shakes his head, but without real judgment.
“Meet us at my place when you’re done here,” I say. “You remember where it is?”
He narrows his eyes and clenches his jaw. “I remember.”
Right. The last time he was there, things didn’t end well between us. Another memory best left buried for now.
“Go,” he says. “I’ll handle this.”
I turn to Briar, who’s leaning heavily against him. “I’m going to take your other side, okay? We need to move fast.”
She nods, still dazed but at least responsive. I slip my arm around her waist, opposite Damiano’s, and she flinches before forcing herself to relax.
“Ready?” I ask.
She takes a shuddering breath. “Ready.”
We guide her through the maze, Damiano leading with the confidence of someone who helped build the damn thing. Every turn looks the same to me, but he never hesitates. The moonlight occasionally breaks through the fog, illuminating the path ahead in brief, silver flashes.
Briar stumbles more than once, her strength clearly fading. The next time she nearly goes down, I decide.
“This isn’t working,” I say, stopping. “I’m going to carry you.”
She stiffens. “I can walk.”
“Maybe, but not fast enough.” I meet her eyes directly. “I’m not him. I’m not going to hurt you. But we need to move, and you’re about to collapse.”
She holds my gaze for a long moment, then gives a small nod.
“I’ll lift you on three,” I say. “One, two, three.”
I scoop her up as gently as I can, one arm under her knees, the other supporting her back. She weighs almost nothing, light as driftwood. Her body is rigid at first, but as we start moving again, she gradually relaxes, her head eventually resting against my shoulder.
She’s ice cold. Even through my jacket and her clothes, I can feel it. Her skin has that bluish tint around the edges, like someone who’s been in the water too long.
“Is she always this cold?” I ask Damiano quietly.
“I can hear you,” Briar says, muffled against my shoulder. “And yes, I’m always this cold. Poor circulation. Part of the autoimmune package deal.”
I glance down, surprised to hear her speak with strength. There’s a touch of irritation in her tone despite her obvious exhaustion.
“Sorry,” I say. “Didn’t think you were still with us.”
“Just because I’m not talking doesn’t mean I’m not here.” She shifts slightly in my arms. “And I don’t need you two discussing me like I’m some fragile damsel who needs rescuing. I can handle myself.”
Damiano catches my eye, the corner of his mouth quirking up slightly. Good. She still has some fight in her.
When we reach the edge of the property, Damiano guides us to the section of fence I told him about. Sure enough, several planks are loose, creating a gap just wide enough to slip through.
“I’ll go back now,” he says, his eyes lingering on Briar. “Make sure everyone leaves. Then deal with... the rest.”
“Be careful,” I say, surprising myself with how much I mean it.
He gives me a look, somewhere between annoyance and something softer. “Yeah.”
Before going, he reaches out, briefly touching Briar’s shoulder. “You’re going to be okay,” he tells her. “We won’t let anything happen to you.”
She doesn’t respond, but her eyes follow him as he turns and disappears back into the fog.
The forest path is narrow and dark, barely visible in the misty moonlight. I’ve walked it a hundred times, though, even drunk out of my mind, so my feet know the way. Briar shivers continuously in my arms, small tremors that seem to start deep inside her.
“Almost there,” I tell her, though my place is still a good ten minutes away. “Just hang on.”
She nods against my shoulder. “I killed him,” she whispers, the first words she’s spoken since we left the maze.
“Yeah, you did.” No point in sugarcoating it. “And he had it coming.”
“I didn’t mean to.”
“I know.” I adjust my grip, pulling her closer to share what warmth I can. “But if you hadn’t, he would have killed you. Or worse.”
“There’s something worse than death?” Her question is distant, almost dreamy.
“Living with what he would have done to you,” I say. “Trust me, you made the right choice.”