“Stay here, Cora. Stay here and don’t fucking come inside unless I tell you to. If you see anyone else that isn’t Merelyn or me, you fucking run into those woods until you see the river that goes into town.”
My jaw drops. No, I can’t be alone, and he can’t ask me to leave him!
“I’m not going anywhere without you.”
“Do as I say. I have to get to Georgia.” He swallows hesitantly. “She’s not alone.”
My vision is blurring as I plead. I’ve finally found someone rare, and we’re stuck in this madness. I feel a pang of guilt pummel through my chest and into my gut. If I hadn’t crashed onto Gavin’s land, I wouldn’t have brought my stalker to them. Merelyn, Georgia, and Gavin are in the crossfire…because of me.
I suck in a long breath, knowing the one who has been after me is finally here to finish me off. It makes sense. Now that the roads have been cleared, he would take this opportunity to come back. I bet he’s using Georgia and Merelyn as bait to draw us in so he has the upper hand to catch us off guard.
Gavin takes a key from a rock and uses it to unlock the door.
“Whatever you do, don’t look into this window and don’t come in. Do you understand me?” His blue irises darken. Thedarker spec of blue glows with evident stress, yet somehow he manages to keep his voice and body strained with control.
“G-Gavin.” I shake my head, already stuttering.
“Promise me, Coraline.Now. I can’t risk losing you.”
I nod.
“I promise.”
With that, he’s satisfied, his shoulders relaxing a bit as my heart pounds so hard it hurts.
I want to pull him back; my arms reach for him, capturing icy air as he disappears inside, his hand on his Glock, aiming down, finger hovering over the trigger. I forgot he’s a veteran with years of combat experience and a trained operator. I want to follow right behind, but I know I have to listen to him. I don’t know how to use a gun. I don’t have a knife on me. I’m defenseless.
With my back to the wall of logs, a shed in the back that looks like a mini warehouse captures my attention. I’ve never seen it before. Maybe because it’s been hidden by Merelyn’s place. With the angle from Gavin’s house, it makes sense why I haven’t seen it before. I wait, and I wait for what feels like hours, not knowing what’s going on.
Then I hear it.
Another scream, but this time, it’s not a high-pitched scream belonging to Georgia; it’s coming from Merelyn. My chin wobbles at the sound she makes. I dart for the shed, spotting a shovel that’s attached to the door.
I’m sorry, Gavin.
I make a beeline for it. My feet crunch in the snow as my curls rake my face. I grab the hair tie on my wrist and pull my hair back. I can’t let them all fight alone when it’s me he’s after. As soon as I drag it out, the door creaks open. A canvas from the art show where I discovered Liam’s affair drops to the ground.
My chest rises and falls faster, taking me by surprise.
I push open the door. The sight in front of me has my blood thinning, and confusion makes me second-guess who I truly need to run away from.
CHAPTER 31
CORALINE
The entire space is full of my art on every wall.
The entire place is full of my paintings and drawings.
Dating back to the first year I started, when I opened my little online shop, to the most recent one here in Alaska. There’s a rose bleeding red, and the painting of a field full of tulips I did during the summer time. There’s a wall full of shelves with Gavin’s military awards and coins sitting on them.
A tear rolls down my face as I run my finger across the canvases.
Gavin.
I trusted him.
Is he the one anonymously buying up my art?
