Standing, I watch as Hunter and Cooper step out of the truck. Each step kicks up my nerves a little more.
“Hey, I’m really sorry, Aubs. We’re going to stop these assholes.” Hunter gives me a quick hug before heading into the inn and leaving me alone with Cooper.
He stands on the ground while I stand on the top step. There’s no moves to come closer to me and I instantly know he knows. My skin prickles and goosebumps break out over my arms.
“You wanna go for a ride with me?” he asks.
“I’ll have to ask your Mo—”
“She’s fine. Lily is safe.” Holding his hand out to me, inviting me to come down next to him. “Come on.”
“I really—”
“Aubrey. Please. We need to talk about something and I don’t want to do it in front of everyone, or anywhere they can eavesdrop.” He shakes his hand outstretched toward me. “Please?”
“Okay,” I whisper. Stepping down, taking his hand.
He leads me to the barn where the four-wheelers are, and my nerves are on high alert with the anticipation of what he’s going to say.
“Can you say something, please? I’m dying over here.” I choke out, trying to hold back the sobs.
He stills mid-step. Turning on the ball of his foot to face me. “I’m not… Do you think I’m mad at you?”
“Yes!”
Reaching out he tugs me into his arms. “Never. You did nothing wrong.”
“I know you found the file that was in there. I know you saw it. I’m an awful person! I hid it all, I didn’t let justice get served because I was too afraid to lose the life insurance money. He didn’t even know I had life insurance taken out on him. God, I’m such a terrible human being!” Finally the tears come freely, soaking his T-shirt.
“Gorgeous. Look at me.”
Following his orders, I look up under my lashes, not wanting to make eye contact knowing what I’ll see will break me.
He doesn’t accept that though. With his forefinger he lifts my chin up, bringing our faces together before he presses his lips to mine. Letting our tongues tangle for a brief moment.
“What I saw, what I read, I would never put any of that on you. You did what you had to do for your family. Your husband is gone. And from the sounds of it, that group has cops in their back pocket. What could you have done? What you found, that’s something younevershould have been put through.”
“You… don’t think… I’m terrible?” I get out through the sobs.
Picking me up, he carries me over to a workbench and places me down on top, stepping between my legs.
“Of course not. And I didn’t show anyone else. But I need to know if there’s something in there that would make them come back for you. How did they get the files?”
“They didn’t. That was my copy. They must have found it when they were looking through my stuff. When I told the investigator I didn’t want to move forward with anything, he destroyed anything he had and I was left with the only copy. Not even Sophia knows that I had him followed.”
“Are you sure?” He wraps his arms around my shoulders.
“I mean, I didn’t watch him do it, but he was a nice guy. I had no reason to think he wouldn’t. Besides, Ryder would have told Sophia if something that big was going down. If I was that much of a threat to them, Ryder would have known.” Hiccups shake my chest.
“Okay. I believe you. I’m the last person you need to explain anything too. I’m on your side. Now, what I really wanted to talk to you about, I need to know you’re ready to hear it.”
I nod my head. I’m ready.Maybe.
Sucking in a deep breath, he pulls out his phone showing me a picture. “We found two GPS trackers. One on each of our cars.That’s how they knew where we were all the time. Wyatt has them at the station, he’s trying to trace the purchases.”
“GPS trackers.” I don’t know why it hits me so hard that he found trackers. I was expecting something like this. But it still makes my stomach roll to hear it out loud.
“On the cars. He didn’t find any bugs in the house though. So they hadn’t been in before today. I think they were caught off guard when we got home, that’s why they went out the bedroom window and were still here when you were in the bedroom.”
