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His tone was curt, then he glanced at me in the rearview mirror again. His gaze seemed to hang on the bruises on my face. “But you’ll be safe. I promise, you two will both be safe.”
Liar. I didn’t believe him.
But I still hugged Dylan to my side, ignoring the way his bony shoulder pressed into my bruises, and gave him an encouraging smile.
Cole was a liar, but I was one too. No one lies like a mother trying to keep her child’s innocence alive a little longer, trying to convince him the world is a beautiful place.
CHAPTER18
Amelia
Cole parkedin front of a sprawling, white farmhouse. A porch swing, with a few pillows and a quilt, rocked back and forth in the breeze, and potted red and yellow flowers hung over the railing. It seemed too pretty for a prison.
He held open the door for me. I got out, then turned back for Dylan. He was already scooting across the car’s seat, a worried look on his face, like he thought I might abandon him. Jumping out, he attached himself to my leg.
“It’s all right.” I looked up to find Cole staring at me with that same tight expression on his face, as if he didn’t know what to make of the two of us. I brushed Dylan’s hair back with one hand and tried to summon a smile. “We’re going to be staying here for a bit. A new adventure, I guess.”
Dylan still wasn’t talking. Hopefully, once I got rid of Cole, Dylan would talk to me. And then I hoped I could get a minute alone with Cole, to talk to him plainly and figure out what was coming next. I had to plan how best to protect Dylan.
At least, from the way Stone had looked at Dylan, my son was safe. Stone had looked at him as if he were a miracle, his eyes lit with wonder. It was unexpected, given how cold and terrifying Stone was.
Cole went up the stairs to the front porch. I watched him go, surprised not to be guarded, then looked around at the surroundings. A large green lawn stretched in front of me. Pines in the distance stood like green spires punching toward the sky, and a few paths led into the woods, but I didn’t know where to run.
There was nowhere for me to go. Not yet, not when I had no car, no friends, no map off their pack territory. They’d find me before Dylan and I could run far. No wonder I could have some degree of ‘freedom’.
“Come on,” I told Dylan, and the two of us headed across the grass to the house.
A young woman with long, dark hair and green eyes stepped out of the front door. Karissa? Brennan had told me funny stories about his headstrong little sister.
When she saw me, her eyes widened, then she rounded on Cole. “What the hell did you do to her?” she hissed, fire in her eyes.
Cole raised his hands as if in surrender. “I didn’t do that! I would never.”
“Did Stone?”
Cole looked at me before mumbling, “I don’t know. I don’t think so . . .”
She shot him a look that seemed like it should lead to his immediate death, then hurried down the steps. “I’m sorry, Amelia. It’s Amelia, right? Or Amy?”
“Amelia is fine.” If this was all about Brennan, if they always planned to take me—or kill me—then what would come next?
“Come on. I think I have some clothes that will fit you.” Past me, to Cole, she said, “Go buy her son some clothes. The two of them smell like smoke grenades and masculine stupidity.”
“I can’t leave you here.” Cole glanced at the two of us as if we were dangerous.
She gave him a withering look. “I can take care of myself.”
He crossed his arms over his chest and gave her a long look right back, appearing to plant himself.
“Fine,” she conceded. “Go to the garage and get one of the boxes of hand-me-downs that my mom kept. I might have to apologize for calling her a weirdo hoarder.”
She shrugged at Dylan. “Sorry, little dude. You’re going to have to wear the finest nineties children’s fashions until we can get you something better.”
Then she stuck her hand out to me. “I’m Karissa, by the way.”
I shook her hand, which felt surreal. This morning, I thought I was going to die. Now I was being greeted by a very chipper member of the pack that just murdered my husband—or at least, I hoped they’d murdered my husband. That was the one good thing that could come from this nightmare.
She crouched in front of Dylan, aiming that bright smile his way. “Hi. What’s your name?”
