His gaze hardens, and the pupils of his eyes grow large, swallowing every bit of color. “If you run with Lily, I will hunt you and your bastard child down. I will cut the three of you ear to ear. Do you understand?”
Tears stream down my face because I know there’s only one way to protect my child, and that is with my death. Even then there might be a chance Benjamin will look for him, but only if he needs to use him to blackmail the senator.
It feels a bit strange to be on the senator’s side, but he’s letting me have this baby … I only told my handler a few innocent lies, and that was just so I could buy enough time to give birth. After that, I really don’t care what happens to me.
Lily knocks on the door. “Benjamin?”
He gives me a look of warning and then steps away from me.
“There you are,” he says as soon as she opens the door.
Lily looks from him to me, a look of concern passing over her face. I give her the best smile I can muster. “Benjamin was just helping me look for that book you recommended.”
“Oh, it’s right over here.” She disappears behind a shelf, and I let out a shaky breath. Our world just became a whole lot more dangerous. I’ve got no choice but to have faith that Lily will run without me. I can’t tell her who he really is. It could cost her her life. He’s a bigger monster than either of us ever imagined.
I startle awake, instantly grabbing my stomach protectively.
Fuck, it was just a nightmare. I sit up, struggling to catch my breath. That was one of the shittiest nights of sleep I’ve ever had.
Oh god, do I need to go out and sit with my tree. I feel like the walls are slowly closing in around me.
I grab a sweater from the closet and wander out to the kitchen to put a pot of coffee on. Garfield is waiting for me outside as he sunbathes in the morning light. The little frog in my window catches my eye as I put my apron on, and for a reason I don’t understand, I place him in my pocket.
My gaze roams over the cabin. If I could walk out right now and never look back, what else would I take besides the picture in my bedroom? Nothing. There is nothing.
The little crocheted baby doll a neighbor made for me a few months before Brody arrived draws my attention to the living room. I sat her in the corner and forgot about it. At the time I thought it was an odd thing to give me, a single woman with no children or grandchildren.
But maybe it was a premonition. A sign of things to come, because Aspen loves her.
I tuck her into the pocket of my apron, and then grab my coffee and head outside to do chores.
“Good morning, Garfield,” I say as I fill his bowl full of food. He does a few figure eights around my ankles in thanks. Or at least that’s what I tell myself.
After watering all of my flowers, I head down the path to my tree. By this time Garfield has stuffed himself, but despite eating his fill, he lazily follows behind me. A part of me has always wondered if Bill dropped him off out here to keep me company, but I could never prove it. Just like me, he kept some things to himself.
“Why don’t you get a dog?” Bill asks, sipping his coffee on my front porch.
I roll my eyes. “Dogs are a lot of work, aren’t they?”
“My girls had a dog. Meanest looking son of a bitch I’d ever seen, but man did that old boy love my babies.”
“I don’t think I’m a dog person.”
“No?”
I shake my head.
He smiles when my wind chimes blow in the wind. “I’ll tell you what. Sometimes I see why you don’t want to leave this place. It’s a nice break from the real world. It’s a little bit like visiting Heaven when I come up here. You know, my mom always told me wind chimes were whispers from Heaven.”
I lower myself to the ground, leaning against my tree. “I miss you,” I say out loud to Bill. “Your daughter visited me yesterday. She’s exactly as you described.” I laugh. “You were such a good storyteller. I miss that too.”
I scratch Garfield for a few minutes.
“Your daughter is going to make me leave,” I tell him, or the tree, whoever is still listening. “I’m scared.”
The wind blows, and I can hear my chimes from here. It brings a smile to my face and makes me feel like maybe it’s his way of telling me everything will be okay. I close my eyes, letting my fingers trail through Garfield’s soft fur.
I’m not sure how much time passes before I open them again, but the first thing I notice is the smell of something burning. I jump to my feet and begin to rush down the path. Garfield runs in front of me and plops down, making me stop. “Garfield, move. Something is on fire.”
