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“It could be,” Luke says after a few moments.
“I think it’s a conversation we need to have later,” I reply.
I’m backing away; maybe I shouldn’t, but things are going too well between us. Too much of a good thing might cause an addiction, and the last thing I need is another emotional attachment, especially toward three men. I’m still healing from a horribly toxic relationship with one, and I can’t bring myself to fully trust my heart with another man—let alone three. I just can’t afford to make future plans with Kellan, Fallon, and Luke. There’s too much to lose.
They’re helping me. They’re sharing me. And they’re keeping my girls safe. That’s all there is to it. That’s all it can be, given the circumstances.
Luke can feel me withdrawing, and he pulls me closer, unwilling to let go just yet. “You’re right,” he says. “We can talk about this another time. But I’m just saying, Avery, what’s the rush? Live a little. Take your time. Let’s see how long we can enjoy this. It can’t do anybody any harm, can it?”
“No. I guess not.”
The irony of those words. I know I’ll get my heart broken if I’m not careful. So, it would definitely do harm to me. My girls are already comfortable here, which will make our departure that much more painful, therefore harming them. But Luke does have a point about timing. We’ve only been here for a little while and I need more time to rebuild myself, anyway. As long as Daniel is still out there, most likely searching for me, I can’t exactly waltz out into the world. I’m not safe beyond this bubble.
Kellan and Fallon come through the back gate, both of them wearing bright smiles as they trudge across the snow.
“Hey, ladies!” Kellan greets the girls.
As soon as they see him and his brother, Annie and Miley jump with joy and proceed to run toward them. Of course, they each trip and fall into the snow a couple of times before they reach them, but once they do, it’s like heaven on earth for my girls. Annie begs for Kellan to pick her up, and he scoops her into his arms, laughing as he brings her back to us. Miley gets a piggyback ride from Fallon, whose otherwise dark features become illuminated whenever she’s around.
“Kel-lan! Kel-lan!” Annie coos, her tiny hands reaching up, her little fingers grasping his short, black beard. “Love you, Kel-lan!”
“I love you, too, honey,” he says. And it’s so obvious that he means it.
“What have you been up to?” Fallon asks Miley as the four of them come over.
Miley holds on, hands splayed across his cheeks as she smiles with great pride. “Just trouble. Lots and lots of trouble, like you taught me!” she says.
“Don’t let your mother hear you, or I’ll get intorealtrouble,” Fallon quips.
All I can do is laugh as they join us. It’ll be a beautiful afternoon with the six of us. My heart fills with sweet warmth, and the taste of mulled wine lingers on my lips as I relax in Luke’s arms. We’ll spend the rest of the day out here, talking and playing with the girls in the snow.
A couple of months ago, I would’ve never imagined that I would end up in a place like this, much less a situation like this. I honestly didn’t think I would ever feel this, that the universe could be so good, so kind to me. Sometimes, I worry that I’m going to wake up and it will all have been nothing but a dream. A beautiful, wintery dream in the heart of a blazing hell. Until Daniel is caught, I will not know true peace. But I will at least enjoy these small moments.
17
Fallon
It feels too good to be true at times but I know it is. Kellan knows it. Luke knows it. And I know for a fact that Avery is worried about it. We’re wonderful together and we complete one another in ways I didn’t think were possible. We have become each other’s peace, and the girls are happy and thriving under our care. I didn’t expect for things to evolve to this point, but dammit, I am loving every second. Until that prick is caught, though, we’re all living with a shadow over our shoulders.
I’m busy enough with work at the garage and the security firm to not have enough time to spare in order to become more involved in the search efforts that Kellan and Luke are currently working on. They’re trying to track him down faster, and my federal contacts have been helpful with their authorizations, but it’s still not enough. It’s only a matter of time before the fucker slips, though. The only positive aspect here is that he doesn’t know where Avery is. And she is safe at the mansion, under our care and protection.
“Randy, pass me that Triwing screwdriver, will you?” I call out from underneath the hood of a ‘67 Buick in dire need of some love and care. “Randy. The Triwing, buddy! I call out again.
“Uh, yeah, sure thing, boss,” he mutters, but he doesn’t sound too happy.
I straighten my back and take a look to my right, only to find Randy staring at one of the toolboxes like it’s some kind of alien piece of technology that he has yet to wrap his head around. The Triwing screwdriver sits at the top of a pile, right under his nose. “You okay, buddy?” I ask.
“Yeah, I can’t find the darned thing,” he says, unable to look me in the eyes. “We really need to tidy up around here. Mind if I do it after closing hours, boss?”
“It’s right there.”
Finally, Randy looks up at me, somewhat confused. His face is partially covered with grease, some of it smudging his scruffy, unkempt beard. His work overalls are black and dirty. He’s only been with me for a couple of days now, but I can tell he’s never done any manual labor before in his life. His hands are clean and almost delicate, and the man has absolutely no idea about cars and mechanical tools. “Where?” he asks.
“Right there,” I point at it.
To my dismay, he still doesn’t recognize it, so I walk over and take it out of the toolbox, not willing to hide my irritation. “This is a Triwing screwdriver. If you didn’t know anything about fixing cars, you shouldn’t have come here to waste my time.”
“I’m sorry,” Randy blurts out, as he follows me back to the car.
