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Last night, I took it back.
I can do this. Somehow, I can do it.
My jeep smells like smoke, and I feel a flicker of shame, hear Aiden’s panicked scream in my ears.Help me. Help me!
But I didn’t.
Maybe I shouldn’t have run, but I saw my chance, and I took it.
But was it worth it? I gave up my beautiful bakery to be free.
With a sigh, I wipe the fatigue and the soot from my face.
Maybe it’s another bad decision in a river of bad decisions.
If only it was that easy to leave the past in my rearview mirror. I catch my reflection, wincing at my busted lip, the faded bruise around my left eye. My long dark hair’s sweaty and mussed. I’m still wearing my apron from this morning.
Whether the fire bought me any time is hard to know. It’ll take the police a few days to shift through the wreckage of the bakery and for Aiden to come up with a story. And when that’s done…
Is that when Aiden will track me down?
My hand tightens on the wheel as the tires go into a skid. On a shaky breath, I steady the Jeep. The rain’s coming down in sheets, and I can barely see the road in front of me.
It’s too easy, I’m too free. It won’t last. Nothing good ever does.
Aiden warned me about what would happen if I ever left.
I want you to remember this moment the next time you think about leaving me. I will fuck with you, Dakota. I will fuck with your family, and I will fuck with your life. And when I find you, I will carve out your fucking heart and feed it to the wolves.
An icy shiver rolls through me. I shake my head, clearing the memory.
My eyes flick to the rear-view mirror. My pulse quickens, like Aiden’s behind me on his motorcycle, already anticipating my next move.
Bad idea, Koty, this is a bad idea. Your bakery didn’t just catch on fire, so did your life.
And all for what?
To escape?
To go home?
I can’t ignore the irony. After spending so many years aching to break free from my small hometown, taking off in a blaze of glory for culinary school, I’m running straight back to Resurrection as my main life hack.
Just yesterday I had my bakery. Milk & Honey.
My blood, sweat, tears. And now…
Gone. All gone.
My mind replays the fire like a fever dream. Our fight. The hard backhand to my face. Aiden screaming. How terribly fast that pan went up in flames. I stared at it, holding my cheek. Mesmerized, hypnotized. The flames licking up the back of the stove to snap at the ceiling. My fingers digging into my purse for my keys like my legs already knew where I was going. Aiden’shand clawing at me, to drag me back, when in the end he stayed to fight the fire. For his money. For hisinvestment.
Because Aiden King doesn’t lose things.
And he won’t lose me.
That bone-deep knowledge terrifies me.
The rage in Aiden’s eyes as I ran for my Jeep, hopped in and never looked back.
