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There’s nothing stopping us from leaving now. Hell, there’s been nothing stopping us for the past couple of days, but I haven’t said a word. I’ve told myself it’s because I’m still getting my strength back, but that’s a lie. I feel just fine now, thanks to Avery’s tender care.
The truth is, I don’t want to leave.
Here, I can pretend that the outside world doesn’t exist. That the world doesn’t know the truth about me, and the awful accident that claimed my father’s life. Avery made sure it was splashed across every front page in the world: Sebastian Wolfe’s killer past. And I don’t doubt, the media frenzy will have only grown with our disappearance, and the plane going missing.
But it’s not my empire, or riches that matter to me right now. No, it’s the people I left behind. When I remember the way they all looked at me… My mother’s shock, Richard’s triumph, Bianca’s tearful disbelief…
I can’t bear it. They think I’m a monster.
I know, deep down, they’re right.
There’s a world of scandal and betrayal waiting for me out there, but here at the cabin, I can forget my ruin. Nothing matters but me and Avery, and the hours we spend talking, the nights of wild pleasure, and all her frenzied cries. If I could stay here forever with her, I would do it in a heartbeat—but I know that this can’t last. We’re starting to run low on provisions, and now that there’s a thaw in the weather, it may be our only chance to leave for weeks. And if there’s another blizzard or accident, if Avery is the one who gets sick or hurt?
I can’t risk it.
If we’re going to leave, we need to do it now.
I finish up my coffee and go upstairs. Avery has rolled over onto her stomach in her sleep, her hair a wild mess on the pillows and the blankets pushed down, leaving her bare back completely exposed.
I pause there in the doorway. I’ve never been accused of being a romantic or sentimental man, but I find myself watching her sleep, a sense of fierce protection burning deep inside. I know she has real feelings for me, whether she wants to or not. I can tell by the way she took care of me, nursing me back to health at the detriment of her own.
She was tender. Loving.
She cares about me.
I’d rather die than let anyone hurt her. And if I’m walking around with a target on my back…
How can I put her life at risk?
“Avery,” I say softly.
She opens her eyes, yawning. “Where did you go?” she asks, with a sleepy, warm smile that strikes a bolt clean through my chest. “It’s cold here without you.”
I go sit on the edge of the bed. “I needed some coffee and little time to think.”
“Sounds serious.” She sits up, frowning a little.
I take her hand. “We need to leave,” I say quietly. “Today. The weather’s cleared for now, but if we wait any longer… We could be trapped here for months.”
“Would that be such a bad thing?” she says playfully, and I sigh.
“No.” I give her a reluctant smile. “But you’d probably change your mind once the pantry is bare and we’re down to the canned asparagus.”
“Ew,” Avery gives a little giggle. “Good point.”
“The nearest town is a full day’s walk away,” I continue. “If we leave this morning, we’ll have plenty of time. It won’t be like the first hike,” I add. “The snow has melted, it’ll be a straight shot along the mountain road.”
She nods, slipping her arms around me. “I understand,” she says, sighing into my ear. “I just… wish we could stay.”
“I know, sweetheart.” I wish it, too.
She doesn’t speak for a long moment. I know that she’s doing the same thing I was as I sat on the porch: Coming to terms with what we need to do.
“How are we going to get out of here?” she finally asks. “Have you been hiding a snowmobile somewhere that I don’t know about?”
I chuckle. “Not quite. Have you ever been skiing?”
An hour later,we’re dressed warmly in waterproof clothing, setting out along the mountain road. It’s a clear, bright day, and the valley is muffled and silent with the snow, nothing but the swish of our skis on the untouched snow.
