Page 66 of Kylie

I went to the refrigerator and grabbed a can of Dr Pepper. Allison had picked some up when she went to the store a couple of days ago. I wasn’t sure whether she knew it was my beverage of choice or if she simply got lucky, but I was tracking one per day. It took me a long time to finish it, but I never let any go to waste.

“Hey, Kieran,” I said as I popped the top on the can.

He looked up from his iPad screen.

“Today is Kade’s birthday.”

He met my gaze and held it. “I know.”

“I want to go home.”

“I know that too.” He sighed. “We’re gettin’ close.”

That wasn’t the first time he had said that. Since I had no idea what his measure of distance or time was, I didn’t know what it meant. From what I could tell, Martin was back in Dallas doing his FBI spiel. At least that was what I’d overheard them talking about. I’d also heard them say that he was untouchable. That seemed a bit far-fetched, but I wasn’t interested in helping them figure out how to take down the big boss.

Well, I was and I wasn’t. I wanted to nail that asshole to the wall and drill in a few screws for good measure. He’d put me through hell, put my family through hell, although they didn’t even know it. But this had to stop. I couldn’t hide out forever, and certainly not because they hoped it would get them what they needed to take Martin down.

“I won’t miss any more birthdays,” I told him, watching him closely.

Kieran nodded.

“Or holidays.”

He nodded again.

“When’s the next holiday?” I prompted, hating that he was the strong, silent type.

“Halloween, maybe?”

“I’ll be home before then.”

Another nod.

“Promise me, Kieran. Promise I will be home with my husbands and kids by then.”

I noticed the way the muscles in his jaw flexed.

“Promise me,” I repeated.

“I promise.”

Good. Because it was time for me to go home.

Fuck Martin Calloway.

Chapter Thirty-One

Wednesday, October 5, 2022

Kylie

The stronger I got, the more time I spent outside. The temperature was relatively mild compared to the summer, so it wasn’t horrible. I still got a chill, even when I was sitting outside, but it wasn’t quite so bad. Plus, I was willing to ignore almost any of my aches and pains simply so I didn’t have to be confined within the walls and windows.

If I wasn’t sitting on the back deck, I was down by the river, watching the water move. I’d never really been one to commune with nature, but I had a new appreciation for the outdoors.

Granted, I would’ve preferred to be at home. And for me, home was wherever my husbands and kids were. I missed them with an intensity that had the power to level me.

Sixteen days had passed since my conversation with Kieran in the kitchen. He had promised I would be home before Halloween. Now that we were in October, I was dangerously close to calling an audible and forcing him to take me home. I was trying to be strong, trying to do what was necessary for Kieran and Allison to take down Martin once and for all, but it felt like I was wasting precious time. Time I could’ve spent with my kids.