I spent the next hour on the couch, staring through the window as if he’d come strolling in from the grocery store. Jarrod was next to me, and if it weren’t for his constant flipping through the channels or checking his phone, I would think he wasn’t at all worried.

Jarrod was supposed to take me to Fleetwood so I could hide out at the shop, but I’d convinced him to stay just a little longer. I hated the thought of being so far away in case something happened. Honestly, it didn’t take much to talk him into it.

Watching the time and the entrance to the complex did nothing but make me nervous. I’d already chewed off both thumbnails, and if this lasted much longer, I doubted I would have any thumbs at all…just nubs. Finally, my car pulled into the parking lot. I jumped up and ran to the door, but Jarrod grabbed my arm to restrain me before I could fling it open.

“Be careful. You don’t have any idea who’s driving it.” His concern laced his voice until it flowed through me, stifling my heartbeat. “Just wait a minute to see who gets out before you go down there.”

Jarrod carefully pushed me behind him to shield me with his body. When he reached his hand to his lower back, I noticed a handgun tucked into the waistband of his jeans. I was torn with how I felt—terrified of the weapon, yet strangely safe. Although, I was far more petrified than anything, and if it got much worse, I’d have to run to the toilet.

Time dragged on, every second lasting years, until finally, the driver’s side door opened. I held my breath and waited. When Talon’s scuffed, black boot hit the pavement, I didn’t waste a second getting to him. I practically yanked the door off its hinges and flew down the stairs, ignoring Jarrod’s frantic pleas to stop. Nothing or no one could keep me from him.

Except his face.

I made it to the last step and came to a screeching halt. He was beaten and battered, only standing there out of sheer determination. My heart shattered, and I couldn’t keep myself from him any longer.

I ran to him, slowing just before reaching the car. At first, it looked like he was cradling his arm with the way he held it across his stomach, but as I began to observe him, I noticed he was holding his side. I lightly touched him over his ribcage with my fingertips in an attempt to soothe his ache.

“They aren’t broken…I don’t think.” Raw and unsettled pain filled his voice.

Taking a minute to absorb his injuries, I noted the torn skin over his knuckles and blood stains on the front of his shirt. When I made it to his face, my gaze lingered on his obviously broken nose and purple eye, which was almost swollen shut.

A gasp slipped past my lips before I could suppress it. There was no way this had happened at the sheriff’s office…which meant he’d gone after my uncle instead. And if he was here, alive, that meant my uncle was dead.

“What did you do?” I cried out, unable to suppress the sobs that tore through my chest.

He reached for me when I took a step away, but it was the wince and groan of agony that stopped me from retreating. And when he wrapped his fingers around my arm, tugging me with the strength of a child, I went willingly.

“Shh, sweetheart. It’s okay.” Even his hushed words didn’t offer me any comfort. They did nothing except remind me that he’d been hurt. And that reminder set about a fear in my chest over what had truly happened, and what this meant for him—for our future.

He ran his hand along my back, but when he spoke, his words were harsh. “Why are you here? I told you to go to the shop. You shouldn’t be here.”

“She wanted to wait for you,” Jarrod answered, and I realized Talon wasn’t talking to me. “I figured it wouldn’t hurt to give it an hour or two, just in case you needed us. I wouldn’t have let anything happen to her, so calm down.” He took a deep breath before pleading, “Please tell me he’s alive.”

“He is, but he won’t be coming after her any time soon.”

“What does that mean?” Jarrod’s voice became deeper.

“He’s not gonna die, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

I was able to breathe a sigh of relief, yet I still couldn’t pull away from Talon. I couldn’t look at his face or see his eyes—that would make this too real. As long as I kept my eyes closed with my cheek against his chest where I could hear the thumping of his heart, I could pretend this was any other day.

“What happened?” Jarrod’s question was more of a demand.

I’d never heard him speak that way, much less to Talon. Regardless, I refused to open my eyes or say anything. I needed to find out what Talon had done in order to process everything. At this point, I wasn’t sure how many more minutes I had with him, and the longer it took to get information, the more my fear strangled me.

“He was all nice when he answered the door, then he saw the Honda in the driveway and became suspicious. When I confronted him, it was like a switch flipped. At first, he tried to deny everything. Then I mentioned the house in Florida…he would’ve killed me if he had the chance.”

Tears ran down my face, yet I didn’t make a sound, and it took everything in me not to squeeze him tighter. I couldn’t get the images out of my head. I’d seen Uncle Danny mad before; I’d witnessed firsthand how quickly his temperament could change.

“Why did you even go there?” I questioned against his chest.

“He was expecting you at his house, and I had no time to get enough information from the cops. They more than likely would’ve taken my statement, asked a few questions, and then gone on their merry way. That wouldn’t have kept you safe. I couldn’t take that chance. I needed to keep him from coming after you, and I didn’t have many options.”

Everything was quiet for a moment before Jarrod asked, “So where is he now?”

“Probably on his way to the hospital. I called for an ambulance before I left. I was worried about him getting to one of his minions first, but I couldn’t risk being there when the cops showed up. I needed to swap out the cars first.”

“First?” I released my hold on him and retreated a few steps, not allowing him to stop me. “What does that mean? Where are you going?”

“I have to turn myself in.”

“Do they know it’s you? Did you tell my uncle who you are?”

“No, but that doesn’t matter.” It was hard to see his expression through the swelling, and based on his voice, I could tell he was determined. There was no changing his mind. “I need to make sure he doesn’t get free.”

“And how will you do that if you’re in jail?”

“He has to tell the authorities everything he knows, which means he’ll have to turn himself in for assault on an officer.” Hopelessness droned in Jarrod’s words as he answered my question. “Right now, they’ll think someone showed up to his home and attacked him. They’ll bandage him up and let him go free. And I highly doubt he’ll let someone else deal with Talon.”

“When do you have to do that?” I moved closer, suddenly needing to touch him.

“Now. I only came to return your car so you’re not dragged into it. They’ll be coming for me, and it’s best if I get there first. People got the wrong impression last time, and I can’t risk that happening with this. I’m not running, and they need to see that.”

I stepped into him and rested my forehead against his chest with my hands covering the sides of my face. I just wished this would all to go away—that I could open my eyes and find out this had all been a nightmare.

“Go get your bag, sweetheart. You need to go with Jarrod.”

“If he’s in the hospital, then I’m fine here.”

“I can’t guarantee that. The only way I can protect you is if you’re at my place…where I can ensure you’re being taken care of. If he gets released from the hospital, and I’m in custody, I can’t do anything to stop him from coming after you. Please, sweetheart. Go with Jarrod.”

He was right. Except that didn’t mean I wanted to listen. I didn’t have a clue when I would see him again—or if I’d see him again—and I needed one more minute.

And then another.

And another.

This could very well be the last time I’d get to touch him, kiss him, hold him. So I pulled my face away and glanced up. It didn’t take him long to cover my lips with his, even though it was clear it caused him pain. When we broke apart, I settled my hands on his chest, too worried to touch his face, and he rested his chin on the top of my head.

“I love you,” I whispered into the breeze.

He didn’t say or do anything, and the longer I waited for some hint of recognition, the more my heart thundered. A part of me was happy that he hadn’t heard me—knowing how I felt without reassurance of a future could destroy him—yet the rest of me ached at the possibility that he might’ve changed his mind after finding out the truth.

“Come on, Maggie,” Jarrod called out. “Go get your bag so Talon can head to the station. If he doesn’t get there soon, things could go from bad to worse.”

That was enough to make me pull away. I didn’t want this to be the end of us, and if I continued to prolong it, keeping him from following through with the rest of his plan, it would only add one more nail to his coffin.

Regardless of what would happen, I’d love him until the end of time.

* * *

I’d been at the shop for twenty-four hours without a word from Talon or any information about Uncle Danny. I hadn’t slept, couldn’t eat—wasn’t even able to keep down water. I was too nervous, scared, anxious to do anything productive. And the longer it went without news, the worse I got.

It was past three in the afternoon when Jarrod came up to the apartment. He’d done this several times to check on me. The sight of him gave me hope, but as soon as he’d shake his head, I didn’t care to be around him. Honestly, I wished he’d leave me alone until he had something to tell me. Except this time, he didn’t shake his head—he didn’t smile, either. Instead, he took a few steps through the door, held it open, and said, “Reggie’s downstairs. He would like to see you.”

It took me a second to understand what he meant, and suddenly, I remembered that Reggie was his friend in the sheriff’s office. I jumped up and ran past Jarrod, then I took the stairs two at a time. When I made it to the bottom, I peeked into the office. A man in a green uniform, who I assumed was Reggie, sat in the chair across from the desk.

He stood as soon as I stepped into the small space, his arm outstretched. “Ms. Abrams? I’m Lieutenant Carmichael with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.”

I shook his hand, yet I couldn’t speak. My heart raced, causing my ears to ring and my head to throb. I had no idea what was going on, and somewhere in the recesses of my mind, I didn’t believe anything good would come of this.

“I have a few questions I hope you could answer for me. Is that okay?”

“Is this about Talon?”

His gaze narrowed for a moment, and I couldn’t help but notice the bright-green color and how calming they were. “It’s about some of the claims he’s made. Due to the nature of his allegations, I will have to elevate it to someone higher, but before I do that, I need some information.”

He gestured to the chair behind the desk, waiting until I took it before reclaiming the seat across from me. With a deep breath to clear the emotion from my voice, I asked, “Who are you going to with this?”

Understanding brightened his eyes. “Internal Affairs. You don’t have to worry, Ms. Abrams. I’m doing everything I can to make sure it all falls into the right hands until we know more about the allegations.”

Even though my heart was in my throat, I nodded.

“Thank you.” He grabbed a leather binder off the desk and flipped it open to a yellow legal pad. Using the pen from inside, he prepared himself to take notes. “Talon says you’re not sure where your mom is…how long has it been since you’ve had any type of contact with her?”

“Six years. I came home from school and she was gone. My uncle told me she went for a drive, so I didn’t think anything of it. I waited and waited, except, she never came back. I think it was a couple days later he said he filed a missing person’s report.”

“You think it was a couple days later? Or you think he filed a report?” he clarified.

“He filed one. I just can’t remember if it was one or two days after she didn’t come home.”

He jotted something down on the paper. “And then what happened?”

“About two weeks later, he told me he heard from her, so he closed the case.”

“You didn’t talk to her?”

“No, sir. The last time I spoke to her was before I left for school the morning she left.”

He nodded and continued to write. “Do you happen to remember what day that was?”

“May ninth.” I would never forget it.

“Thank you. Now, what can you tell me about the house in Florida? Whose was it?”

“Well, it was my grandfather’s—on my dad’s side. He passed away almost four years ago and left it to my father in his will, but since my dad’s dead, it went to my mom.” I no longer believed what I told him, but I felt I should offer the story Uncle Danny had given me.

More nodding. More writing. “Was this secondhand information? As in…is this something you were told? Or have you seen documents? Any proof that your mother took ownership of the house?”

“Umm…no, I haven’t seen anything. It’s just what my uncle told me.”

“Have you ever wondered why she’d talk to him and not you?”

“Yes, and he told me it’s because it’s too difficult for her to hear my voice.”

He didn’t have to say anything. It was written all over his face that he didn’t find one word of that to be true. Which only made me feel like a fool for believing it for so long. In fact, there was so much I should’ve seen long before I did, especially after discovering Uncle Danny’s double life.

“Well, I can tell you that as far as public record is concerned, the house is in your mom’s name. The taxes are paid every year, and she’s the account holder on all the utilities.” He licked his lips, and on any other day, I would’ve taken notice of how nice his mouth was, but not today. “I heard you spent some time at that house a few years ago. Can you tell me when?”

“Yes. I got there in October and left at the beginning of March.”

“And why did you leave?”

“Someone had broken into the house. He beat me until I was unconscious. After I was discharged from the hospital, my uncle brought me home.”

Without looking up from his legal pad, he asked, “Do you know who your attacker was?”

“Daniel Culberson.” When his eyes shot to mine, I added, “Captain Daniel Culberson with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.”

He asked a few more questions about the attack, to which I gave him honest answers. And when I offered the explanation as to why I’d originally left, provoking my uncle to come after me, I could see the seriousness in his eyes. He wasn’t taking this lightly, and I couldn’t appreciate it more.

“Now, can you tell me about Talon? Is he okay?” I needed answers.

Reggie put his pen away and closed the book. “Yes. He’s been seen by a physician, and aside from his nose, he didn’t sustain any broken bones. Mainly, bruises and cuts. Nothing time won’t heal.”

“Has he been arrested? Will he be released now that I’ve told you everything?”

“I’m afraid it’s not that simple, ma’am.” He sighed, showing how distraught he was over this situation. “These things still have to be verified, which takes warrants and investigating. I’m doing everything I can to expedite it. As of right now, he’s looking at pretty serious assault charges.”

“W-what about my uncle?” This question terrified me more than asking about Talon.

“I’m not sure how much you’ve heard, but he had to undergo surgery. He made it out and is recovering at the hospital. He had some internal bleeding, hence the operation. He also sustained a few broken ribs, a collapsed lung, and a concussion. His jaw was shattered, so his mouth is currently wired shut.”

“So he won’t get out anytime soon, right?”

“That’s correct. His room is also being monitored, and he’s not allowed visitors.”

Finally, I was able to breathe a little easier—granted, I still wouldn’t be able to calm down until Talon was okay. Not just physically, but that he was free. And after talking to Reggie, I wasn’t sure how long that would be. I just had to hold onto hope that it would happen.

And that night, as I lay in Talon’s bed, surrounded by his scent, I allowed myself to contemplate my uncle’s injuries. There was a small part of me that was scared of the violence Talon was capable of. It was shocking, considering I’d never seen anything other than a caring man. Even when he was pissed at me, there were glimpses of compassion. I could only imagine the level of hatred that ran through him when he’d come face to face with the man who’d hurt me and killed the baby he never had a chance of knowing. And while an ounce of me feared him, the majority felt grateful. There was no doubt in my mind that as long as he was by my side, nothing could ever hurt me again.

* * *

After forty-eight hours, I’d basically given up hope. I was fully aware of the law, and that if he hadn’t been formally arrested by now, they would have to let him go. He hadn’t come home, which meant he hadn’t been released. I continued to refresh the public arrest records page, and as long as his mugshot didn’t show up, I clung to the possibility that he would be all right.

The only good thing about being here for three days was that now, I was finally getting sleep. I refused to leave his bed. And I’d gotten hungry enough to nibble on whatever fast food Jarrod brought up. I wasn’t able to eat much, but it was better than the nothing I’d consumed over the first two days. Although, I wasn’t sure how much longer I could stay cooped up here.

I hadn’t been to work since Wednesday morning. I’d called my boss on my way to Fleetwood after Talon had left to turn himself in, and she’d been keeping up with me once a day. Common sense told me it was only a matter of time before she would have to replace me. As of now, she hadn’t added me to next week’s schedule, and if this continued for much longer, it would wind up being permanent. Then again, if Talon took the fall and my uncle was released, it wouldn’t matter if I had a job, because there was no way I could remain in town.

On the fourth day, still without a word from or about Talon, I finally made Jarrod take me to my apartment. At first, he refused, but after a lengthy call with Reggie, he conceded. With my uncle on constant watch—not to mention, his jaw wired shut—there wasn’t much of an immediate threat. There was still the chance that other officers were involved, though at this point, it didn’t seem likely. And if so, I no longer cared. If they came after me, I would put up a fight, because Talon would want me to, but that was as far as I’d go.

I was tired of being alone.

If I didn’t have hope that he’d return, then I didn’t have anything. My dad was gone, my mom left, Gramps died, and my baby wasn’t in my arms. Talon was literally all I had. Everyone else in my life was superficial at best. Yes, I could find deep, meaningful relationships, but there didn’t seem to be a point when everyone close to me vanished for one reason or another.

Willow was at the apartment when I got there, and as much as I should’ve spent time with her, all I wanted to do was lie down and sleep. I didn’t care to be bothered or questioned. And I couldn’t continue to obsess over mugshots and arrest records. I needed to reset my mind before someone put me on suicide watch. So I locked myself in my room, wrapped up in the hoodie that reminded me of Talon, and fell asleep.

It was dark outside when I finally opened my eyes, the screen on my phone showing it was after ten. It also showed I had many missed calls from Jarrod, and my heart sank. No calls from Talon, no texts. Only Jarrod. That wasn’t a good sign. And when I opened my door to use the restroom, I found him sitting on my couch—Willow was nowhere to be found.

“What are you doing here?” I stilled in the hallway, refusing to step closer.

“Checking on you.” He was a nice guy…but he wasn’t Talon.

“Any news?” When he shook his head, I let the tears fall. “How about you don’t call or show up until you have information. You have a friend inside, yet he hasn’t told you shit. I’m tired of getting my hopes up, only to be left drowning in the letdown.”

He stood and slowly stalked toward me. The compassion in his eyes reminded me of Talon, and I could only assume they’d learned it from Tony. When he stood in front of me, he placed his hand on my shoulder. “Take a shower. Clean up and put on new clothes. And when you’re done, I’ll take you to get something to eat.”

“Where are you going to find anything open this late?”

“I know a place. It’s a little ways out, but it’s worth it.”

Rather than fight, I conceded and closed myself off in the bathroom.

The shower did nothing to rejuvenate me. Clean clothes didn’t help, either. I wasn’t overly hungry, but by this point, something had to give. I couldn’t go on with the rest of my life feeling hollow and lethargic. Something had to change, yet I wasn’t sure that would happen if I couldn’t have what I desperately needed—Talon.

I pulled the black hoodie over my head, sprayed it once more with the scent that reminded me of cold nights and freezing rain, and then met Jarrod in the living room. He took one look at me and smiled. Had I not seen him with his girlfriend, that might have weirded me out. In fact, it plagued me all the way until we reached the parking lot and he moved toward a green truck.

The same green truck Talon had driven for the last month.

I spun around like a frantic ballerina, in search of answers. He’d driven this to the station when he turned himself in. Which meant…he was here. “Talon?” I called out before turning to Jarrod. “Where is he?”

“Maggie…” Even in the dark, I could see the regret in his eyes. “I had someone take me to pick it up. He’s not here.”

If I had more tears, they’d fall.

However, I was so empty I had nothing left.

I followed him to the passenger side and climbed in. When he settled behind the wheel and cranked the engine, I asked, “How much money does Talon have?”

Jarrod seemed confused. “I’m not sure, why?”

“He’s going to need a good lawyer. I don’t trust this case in the hands of a public defender who has too much on his plate. He’ll need money—or someone will—because I don’t have much. I can sell my car, but that’s about it. And even then, I doubt I’ll get much for it.” I stared out the window as I answered him.

“You don’t need to worry about that right now, Maggie. We’ll figure everything out when the times comes, okay? For now, let’s just keep things together. He needs us to be strong. If he saw you right now, he’d beat the shit out of me for letting you get this bad.”

I ignored him and curled up to the door, staring at the darkness outside. I didn’t want to be in his truck, not without Talon, because every memory of it involved him. Everywhere we went, he drove it. And there were times we weren’t on the road, yet we made memories in it anyway.

Talon had discovered what turned me on, and he made sure to deliver every single time. Whether it was pulling my hair, cuffing me to the bed, or fitting his body behind me while hitting the right spot. He knew how tight to grip me, how hard to fuck me, and how soft to kiss me. And as it turned out, that pit stop at the rest area on our way home from Mississippi made him realize how much he loved to be with me in the open. Whether it was a blowjob while driving down the highway, a quickie on my lunch break in the employee lot, or riding him behind the shop while the guys were in the garage. He couldn’t get enough of me in this truck, which made it hard to sit here with his friend instead of him.

The entire time Jarrod drove, I stared at nothing, lost in endless memories of Talon and how I’d give anything to be with him again—just me, the open road, and his loud car. Even though I’d been on the run after stealing a bag of cash from a drug house, things had been so much simpler then, and I wanted more than anything to get that back.

Jarrod pulled into a bright parking lot, calling my attention away from the depressing thoughts. When I looked around and realized where we were, my throat closed up at the sight of the gas station where it all began. Where I’d met Talon for the first time. Where I’d found the only man I’d ever love.

“Why are we here?” I asked in a strangled voice.

Rather than look at me, he pulled out a twenty-dollar bill. “Can you have them put this on pump nine, please?”

Maybe all he needed was gas. Maybe this wasn’t some heartless scheme to completely break me. But I couldn’t ignore the feeling that something was off, especially after he refused to face me or look me in the eyes. Except I didn’t argue. Instead, I slid out of the seat to pay the cashier.

When I reached for the door, my heart ached, a physical pain that clenched my chest until it was too difficult to breathe. And when I turned toward the restrooms, noticing the nacho cheese rack, my eyes burned from the sorrow that needed to escape. I’d been in here more times than I could count after I returned to Iowa without Talon, just hoping I’d run into him. Yet none of those instances ever had me feeling like this—like I had no motivation to do anything.

“Ma’am?” I heard from behind me, so I turned around and noticed the cashier smiling. “Do you need help finding something?”

Yes, but nothing you can help me with.

I took the few steps to the counter and handed her the folded bill. “Twenty on pump nine, please.”

She paused for a moment, brow furrowed in confusion. “Nine? I’m sorry…there is no pump nine.”

I glanced out the window to see which one Jarrod was at, but his truck wasn’t there. I wandered closer to the door, hoping he’d simply moved to another space. Just then, the cashier called out, “Miss? Don’t leave without your money.” I peered over my shoulder and noticed her holding up the cash.

“Thank you.” Lost in a dense fog of confusion and utter heartbreak, I took it from her and went to the door. I was seconds from pushing the glass open, both hands in front of me, when something on the bill caught my eye. “You smell good,” was scrawled across the front in blue ink.

After a moment to calm my racing heart, I flung open the door. I frantically checked the entire lot, but I didn’t see Jarrod or Talon. My excitement tanked. Just when I thought I couldn’t feel worse, I was left stranded at a gas station full of memories after my hopes crashed and burned for the umpteenth time. My shoulders slumped, my energy completely drained.

I took a few steps away from the entrance to let a woman by.

And that’s when I realized I didn’t even have my phone.

I’d left everything in the truck—my wallet, keys, and phone. This must’ve been what Talon felt like the night I took off and left him with nothing and no way to get anywhere. Once again, regret stabbed me in the chest. Over the years, I’d said, “I’ve made my bed, now I have to lie in it,” too many times to count. Every time something happened to me, that was my reasoning. But now, as I stood alone, I realized it had all been building up to this moment.

Because this was my bed.

And I wasn’t just lying in it, I was dying in it.

Then I reminded myself that I’d been here before in some odd, twisted way. I’d been left with nowhere to go, and still, that hadn’t stopped me. It wouldn’t now, either. I put one foot in front of the other and made my way toward the road, determined to walk until I found a way home.

I didn’t make it to the end of the parking lot before glancing up and finding a dark vehicle parked across the street. It sat idle, and the more I focused on it, I noticed a man, dressed in black, leaning against it. It took two seconds to break free from the debilitating memory and understand what was right in front of me.

I ran to him and fell into his chest with my arms around his waist. He growled in pain, but he refused to let me go when I tried to release him after remembering his injuries. I had no idea what was going on—where Jarrod was, how Talon knew I’d be here, or how he’d gotten out of jail. Yet none of that mattered, because I was in his arms, the heaven I never imagined I’d experience again.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, out of breath while craning my head to see him.

“I was hoping you’d get in my getaway car and leave with me.”

I had to fight my tears, though this time, they were caused by sheer happiness. “Where are we going?”

“South.” His smile stretched, calling attention to the swelling and deep bruising on his face.

“Oh, yeah? There are a lot of places south of here.”

“And I’ll go to any of them as long as you’re beside me.”

“Does this mean…?”

“This means I’m free. You’re free. We don’t have to worry about anything other than where we’ll pull over and stay the night. And gas…and food.”

“I don’t have any clothes, Talon.”

“Good thing for you there’s a Walmart in almost every town.”

Laughter bubbled in my chest. “What about my stuff?”

“Sell it. Throw it out. Donate it. I don’t care. Willow said she’d pack it up and Jarrod can store it in the apartment over the garage until we figure something out. It doesn’t matter to me, sweetheart. All I care about is having you…being with you.”

There was nothing more I wanted than to get in his car and just go. But I had too many unanswered questions lingering inside—not that any of them would keep me from going with him. I just needed to hear him say it before I could relax and leave it all behind. Leave it buried in Fleetwood, never to think of it or Billings again. “What happened, Talon?”

“Sweetheart, we have a long trip ahead of us. Let’s leave that for the drive.”

As much as I longed to take his hand and do just that, I couldn’t. “When I didn’t hear anything, and they kept you for so long, I thought…”

“I’m so sorry.” He leaned down and claimed my lips.

I wished it would never end, yet it had to. I gently pulled away, not to reject him…to make him aware of how serious this was for me. “You can tell me all the details in the car, but right now, I need you to tell me something—anything.”

He nodded, understanding my plea. “They’re still waiting on the phone company to turn over the records for his cell during the time you were attacked. Depending on what they can find, and what can be proved, they might need us to come back for a statement or something. As it stands, divers found a body in the lake, and likely, will find more when they broaden their scope. For now, they’re focused on the bridge.”

“Why there? What would make them think to look there?”

His entire body deflated, and once again, he didn’t have to speak for me to read his mind. When he touched my face and the moisture in his eyes caught the lights over the pumps across the street, I knew.

“They found my mom, didn’t they?”

“I’m so sorry, sweetheart.” It was a whisper, yet it reverberated in the still air around us like roaring thunder. “I didn’t want to be the one to tell you.”

I couldn’t speak, so I let my forehead fall to his chest and focused on the rhythm of his heartbeat. Regardless of my assumptions, nothing could’ve prepared me for hearing the truth. The only thing that kept me upright were his arms as they wrapped around me, holding me close.

Pushing past his obvious pain, he lowered his head to mine, bringing his mouth closer to my ear. “In a way, she saved you. She’s the only reason they had anything concrete against him. Please, sweetheart, trust that even in death, she was looking out for you.”

I didn’t point out that if he hadn’t killed her, there wouldn’t be a need for any of this. Because in the end, even I didn’t truly believe that. It was selfish. There were others, and without my mom, there would be no way to hold him accountable for any of the things he’d done.

“Why, though? Why’d he do it? He let me live…”

He ran his finger beneath my eye. “He said it was an accident. I don’t know how true that is, but from what he claims, she was upset and took off; he went after her to calm her down. She swerved and ran off the bridge.”

“And then what? He just watched her car sink to the bottom? He didn’t try to help her?”

Rather than answer with words, he offered the truth through compassionate eyes.

“And the missing person’s report?”

Talon shook his head. “He never filed one.”

I took a deep breath, needing a moment to absorb the truth. I was glad it had finally come out, and that I had some answers after all this time, except it didn’t change anything. It would never bring my baby back, it wouldn’t take away the years I’d lived in fear, but in some twisted way, it brought me to Talon.

If I hadn’t needed to run, I never would’ve gotten into his getaway car.

I shifted in his hold and craned my head. With my hand on his cheek, I uttered the words I’d longed to say to him, but this time, I made sure he heard me. “I love you, Talon.”

Without words, he told me everything. However, that didn’t stop him from saying, “I love you so damn much. Now let’s go. We have a date on Bourbon Street.”