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“I’m glad you think so.”
“Stop worrying about me. I can take care of myself.”
I was the one to laugh this time. “I know you can. However, do not underestimate what Prescott will do.”
“I won’t. But this needs to stop. And you know that.”
“Yes, I do.” I pulled her even closer, enjoying the warm sensations as well as the closeness I felt. Sadly, my mind was in a bad place. The person responsible for hurting her deserved my wrath. Maybe one day I’d been able to meet the asshole in a dark alley. The thought gave me comfort.
“Thank you,” she said after a few minutes.
“For what?”
“For caring about me.”
Maybe she didn’t have a full understanding of how much I did care about her. She was such a bright shining star in a world that had been tarnished for me. I’d forgotten how to live, or about the simpler joys of life itself. She’d opened up the padlocked door, forcing in the light. I took a deep breath, studying the twinkling stars.
“There’s a saying from the Eskimos. I don’t remember the exact quote but it’s something like stars are the openings in heaven where the love of those we cared about and lost pours down, shining over us like a beacon of hope.”
“That’s beautiful.”
“That reminds me of you,” I half whispered.
“I’ll take that.”
I heard her yawning and within a few minutes, I could tell she’d fallen asleep. While I was exhausted to the bone, my muscles aching, I remained very much awake, keeping my eyes on the very stars I’d refused to acknowledge for so long. Maybe this was the appropriate location in which to finally be able to say goodbye to Carmine. I would always love her and thoughts about the life we shared never leaving me, but I was finally ready to move on. Maybe she’d been a guide to Aspen, bringing her into my life. The thought was beautiful and one I would hold close.
After another few minutes, I closed my eyes. Maybe this time I could dream without a horrible outcome.
Maybe…
Something jolted me awake, my heart racing. Hissing, I immediately lifted my head, scanning the area. Damn it. I had fallen asleep. While darkness still had a hold over the area, I could tell by the change in the moon’s position that we’d been asleep for at least two hours. Aspen remained in the same position as before, her soft and even breathing indicating she was fast asleep.
Very gently I eased her aside, my heart racing as I rose to my feet. There were few sounds other than the night creatures crawling through the underbrush. Yet my instinct told me we were being watched. A series of ugly vibrations shifted down my spine. This location was off the radar, almost no one but some locals having any knowledge of its existence. If I was correct, that meant we’d been followed.
I was one stupid fuck not to bring a weapon with me. At this point, nothing was off the table as far as Prescott was concerned. The man had to be on edge after realizing that his plan at eliminating the Kingstons hadn’t worked exactly as he’d planned.
Crouching down, I pressed my hand against her face. “Wake up, little sleepyhead.” There was no need to alarm her at this point, but I wanted to get the hell away from here.
She roused, yawning then opening her eyes. A smile immediately crossed her face until she looked at mine. “What’s wrong?”
“Maybe nothing.”
Aspen immediately jerked to a sitting position, her breath skipping. “What does that mean?”
“That means I think we should leave.”
Her brow furrowing, she nodded, rising off the blanket and immediately heading toward the water. I followed her, still scanning the area, my blood pressure rising. There was something going on. I could feel it in my bones. We grabbed our clothes but I continued to scan the area, loathing the instinct that remained.
We dressed quickly, neither one of us saying anything. After gathering our things, I pulled the flashlight into my hands, moving toward her. “I don’t know if I’m right, but I think our location has been compromised.”
“You’re kidding me.”
“I wish I were. Just stay quiet until we reach the car.”
She shuddered visibly as she squeezed my hand, taking the two blankets into her arms.
I led her back the same way we came, keeping the beam low to the ground. I couldn’t push aside the prickling sensations sweeping through me. Even in the denseness of the forest, I knew someone was out there. What the fuck were they doing?
