Page 67 of Kylie

Unfortunately, Allison and Kieran weren’t making much progress. I knew because I had insisted on daily updates. I was tired of being left in the dark, and since I was the one being kept from my family, it was only fair. I’d learned that Allison was spending a decent amount of time lingering in and around Coyote Ridge. She claimed she was trying to determine whether Martin had eyes on things there. She seemed to think he had someone embedded in the community. That thought did not sit well with me, so I was holding on for their benefit.

It helped that for the past few weeks, I’d been having dreams of Kate. While I’d dreamed about all of my kids many times, these dreams felt different. I wasn’t sure how to explain them, but it was almost as though we had a connection. In the dreams, she was asking me to come home. Because I couldn’t explain what was going on in terms that she would understand, I just kept telling her to hold on a little while longer. She promised me she would and that she would tell her dads to do the same.

Those dreams left me with a heavy heart each morning when I woke up. Not to mention more determination to get back to my babies.

My stomach rumbled, a subtle reminder that I hadn’t yet had breakfast. At one point in my life, I would’ve ignored the hunger, but after months of starvation, I no longer had that luxury. My brain became focused, as though to remind me that I had lost a dangerous amount of weight and putting the pounds back on was crucial to my survival, both physically and mentally. At least according to the doctor who’d come out to check on me a few times. She hadn’t shared her name, and I figured that was for her own protection. Nor had I asked. I wasn’t interested in pinning a target on anyone else’s back. Martin was a dangerous man, and until he was stopped, no one was safe.

By the time I made it inside, I was exhausted. The short trek from the porch to the water was easy for most, but for me, it was the equivalent of a one-mile walk. Uphill. Both ways.

I stepped into the cool interior of the house, instantly alerted to the presence of others.

Allison and Kieran were sitting at the kitchen island, sipping coffee and talking.

“I have to,” Allison insisted, her voice low.

“Have to what?” I asked, walking toward the refrigerator.

Allison sat up straight and reached for her coffee, but she didn’t answer.

“She wants to go back to Coyote Ridge,” Kieran explained, sipping coffee.

I took one of the chocolate Ensure’s out of the refrigerator and turned to stand on the opposite side of the island. “For what?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Kieran noted, turning his attention to Allison. “They saw you last time. If Martin figures out what you’re doin’—”

Allison cut him off by jumping to her feet. “I don’t give a damn about Martin. I can’t do this anymore.”

Frowning, I watched as she came unhinged. It was strange, really. I’d come to know Allison as level-headed and calm. She relayed information without adding opinions or emotion, and she took charge when necessary. From her reaction, it didn’t appear she was holding those reins anymore. And if she were, her grip was quickly loosening.

“So what do you want to do?” Kieran barked, his frustration prominent.

“Talk to Brantley and Reese.”

I stood taller. “About what?”

Allison’s eyes slowly slid toward me. “I want them to help us get you home.”

I swallowed past the lump clogging my throat. The thought of going home—regardless of how it happened—was nearly enough to weaken my knees. “Really?”

“Not until we figure out who Martin has lookin’ for you,” Kieran said harshly. He was referring to Allison, not me.

“Why’s he lookin’ for you?” I asked Allison directly.

“It doesn’t matter,” Allison snapped, her focus on Kieran once again. “Even if I wanted to, there’s nowhere I can hide. He will find me. He’s everywhere. I’m done, Kieran. I can’t do this. I can’t let him…” She sobbed and turned away, her arms crossing over her stomach as though she was trying to hold herself together.

I didn’t say a word, nor did Kieran. We watched her and waited.

When Allison turned back around, she wiped tears from her eyes and lifted her chin, holding her head high. “He’s had his hooks in me since I was a kid. I can’t let him do this anymore.”

Confused and curious, I stepped up to the island. “What do you mean? How did he get his hooks into you?”

I’d wondered how Allison had been drawn into Martin’s orbit in the first place, but I’d never had the nerve to ask. I knew she worked for the FBI and had a legitimate position as a surveillance specialist reporting directly to Martin, but I’d gotten the sense their relationship went deeper than the workplace.

Allison glanced at Kieran briefly, then turned her attention to me and sighed. “It’s a long story.”

I held up a hand to signify our surroundings. “I’ve got time.”

She cast another glance at Kieran before taking a seat on the barstool once more.