by Debra Kayn
"The police have been looking for you." Her sister's voice broke. "I thought you were dead."
"I know, sissy. I know." She cried, seeing how upset her sister was. "I'm sorry, but I can explain. Help me get out through the window. We can go to a hotel and talk. We'll talk all night, and I'll tell you everything. I promise."
J.J. paced a few feet away. "I think we all need to calm down and wait for Keenan."
"No." Amelia hissed, pulling on Grace's arms. "I'm taking my sister out of here."
Her hips slid over the windowsill, and she hugged her sister as her legs dropped to the ground. The cold grass permeated her bare feet, and she shivered. Squeezing her sister, she rocked Amelia side to side.
"I've missed you." She closed her eyes. "Oh, my God, I love you so much."
"I love you, too. But right now, we're getting the hell out of here." Amelia turned her. "Let's go."
She grabbed her sister's hand and ran to the car. J.J. followed, trying to get them to stop. Now that she had Amelia, the only thing she wanted to do was tell her sister everything.
At the door of the car, a familiar rumble filled the night air. Grace stopped, her heart sinking. She wanted to stay with Keenan, but she needed to talk to Amelia first.
Before she could talk herself out of going, she opened the door and slid into the passenger seat. "Go, sis."
Amelia drove past Keenan arriving home on his Harley. Grace kept her gaze on him, turning in the seat to stare at his back. It was bad enough when she believed Amelia would never forgive her for what she'd done by staying with Keenan—but she needed Keenan to forgive her for leaving him.
Family was family. Amelia had to understand what was going on and forgive her.
Keenan...well, Keenan would probably hate her. He depended on her.
"Where am I going?" Amelia leaned over the steering wheel, trying to see the road in the dark.
"Go to the main street by the river and keep going. You'll eventually hit a small town called St. Maries. We can get a hotel room and talk." She pressed against the headrest and looked at Amelia. "You'll have to pay. I don't have my card with me. Or, shoes."
Amelia reached over and held Grace's hand. She squeezed back. Relief at knowing her sister understood she was alive and well and would no longer worry washed over her.
"I have so much to tell you," she whispered. "You're never going to believe what I've been through."
"I'm afraid to ask, but I need to. Who is responsible for locking you in that house?" Amelia glanced at her before looking back at the road. "Were you hurt?"
Many times, during her stay with Keenan, she suffered. The pain at times was almost more than she could bear, especially when a man was killed right in front of her. She'd feared for her life for days, living in a constant state of exhaustion.
"I wasn't hurt," she whispered. "Just confused."
She stared out into the darkness. It seemed like she hadn't seen Keenan for days when in fact, it'd only been hours.
It felt strange to be outside, in a car and leaving Avery Falls. But she couldn't risk staying in the mountain town with her sister if men wanted to hurt her. She'd never endanger Amelia.
She closed her eyes to stop the tears. It seemed like every time she turned around, she unknowingly hurt someone she loved.
This time, it was Keenan.
He was going to tear the town apart looking for her. For how hard he'd tried to keep her safe, she'd done exactly what he tried to keep her from doing.
She'd found a way to escape and had left him.
Chapter Thirty Three
Keenan jumped off his Harley and grabbed J.J., shaking her. "Where is she going?"
"I don't know." J.J. pushed against him, propelling her body away. "Jesus, Keenan. What have you done? You locked that woman in your house."
"It's none of your business." He stalked toward her. "Tell me who has her and where she's going."
"She's with her sister." J.J. palmed her forehead and shook her head. "I was closing the store, and this woman stopped me at the door, upset because she was looking for her sister who was missing in our area and couldn't find the police station. I told her Avery Falls doesn't have one, and she'd need to contact Idaho State Patrol. I asked if she needed help because she was upset, a-and she told me her sister was camping and hadn't come home or checked in. Since you're the only member around lately, I thought maybe you could tell her if her sister was staying in the area. I was only trying to help, and then we find the women at your house. Locked in your house. God, Keenan. Is she the missing woman from the poster at the store?"
J.J. shook her head, disappointment written all over her face. Keenan headed toward the house. If there were anyone else out there trying to hurt him, they'd have an easy way to reel him in by snatching Grace. He needed to bring her home.
Inside the house, he grabbed the gas card off the kitchen counter. Then, he walked back outside.
J.J. rushed up to him as he sat the Harley. "Don't go after her. You're going to get in trouble. I think they were going to contact the police."
"Which way did they go?" He toed the kickstand.
J.J. pointed. "What are you going to do?"
He started the bike and shot out of his driveway without answering her. The only thing on his mind was finding Grace. He had a feeling they'd drive until they came to the first town with a police department. He'd follow and eventually find her.
At the gas station, he found himself shaking with impatience. If he hadn't had to deal with the club, he would've been home. Grace would still be with him.
Even stopping for gas and being unprepared to ride any distance slowed him down. Precious minutes wasted. Anything could happen to Grace without him by her side, and it would be his fault.
Once on the two-lane highway, he opened the throttle. His thoughts centered on Grace. He rode on instinct that he was trained for. He took the corners, feeling the tilt of the road. Aware of the dangers, he gazed ahead of his headlight beam. The adrenaline coursing through his body heightened his senses.
The high mountains hugging the road backed away. Every so often, a vehicle passed him, going the opposite way.
In the distance, lighted signs guided him. His vision adjusted. But his body remained tense. He hated coming into St. Maries. There was comfort in the mountains, surrounded by those who were just like him.
He had no idea where to look, but he found himself riding by the police station first. The building was closed, but there was a phone outside the door for emergencies.
Grace wasn't an emergency. He was taking care of her. She was safe with him.
Not seeing a navy two-door car that he'd passed on his way home tonight, he widened his search, going down main street. She had to be here somewhere. He rode by every gas station. They'd need fuel to continue their trip.
Grace lived with her sister in Canyon Beach, Oregon. He'd ride all the way there if he had to.
Next, he sought out every hotel, driving through the parking lots. How hard could it be to find an out-of-state license plate to match with a small, dark car?
After the third hotel, he moved his search to the edges of St. Maries. On Eleventh and Maple Street, he slowed. It wasn't Grace's sister's car that had him roughly shifting gears. The flashing lights in the parking lot told him he'd found Grace.
He circled the block three times before he spotted the emergency. There were several people, including Grace, standing in the dimly lit walkway between two of the hotel's buildings.
Even though he knew his freedom was almost over, he parked at the back of the lot where he had a view of Grace. Though he tried to hear the conversation, he was too far away to hear them with the traffic noise behind him.
It wouldn't be long until the cops would leave and go looking for him. Grace would go back with her sister to a life that made her comfortable. She'd regret her time in Avery Falls, where the bad things overpowered the memories of the good times.
She'd dwell on the murder of Four
and not on the first time they had sex. Away from him, she'd doubt her choice to stay with him. She'd forget how electrifying it was when they touched.
He was no good at relationships.
He should've done more, said more, shown more.
Incompetence filled him, and he balled his fists. God damnit. She deserved someone better—someone, who came to her free of the weaknesses he possessed.
One of the cops walked away from the group. He closed his eyes, not wanting to see him coming in his direction. He'd already faced a lifetime of someone else telling him what to do, molding him to be someone else, and punishing him until he walked, breathed, thought the way he was trained.
It would be no different in prison.
He'd go from participating in one organization to being in a facility that was ready to kill him.
He opened his eyes, facing his future, and found the cop talking on the radio at his shoulder near his patrol car. Keenan tilted his head, catching parts of the one-sided conversation, not understanding the code words or numbers but realizing he spoke about another emergency call—an accident. Not Grace. Not him.
Over the next several minutes, the three cops moved away from Grace, conversed amongst themselves, and then headed to separate cars. He looked away as they passed him, sitting in the parking lot, and turned their sirens on.
The flashing lights, the noise, all disappeared. Grace and her sister walked into their hotel room. He continued sitting on his Harley, trying to get used to the thought that the cops weren't coming for him.
He thought about riding away, getting out of St. Maries, and heading back to Avery Falls, where he had some protection. The club was coming around from the switch. He could rely on the originals.
But his heart was locked in the hotel room.
He got off his Harley and strode between the cars parked in front of the hotel. Outside the room, he strained to listen to what was going on inside with Grace and her sister.
"Do you think it's over? They won't need anything more from me, right?" said Grace.
"I don't think so. The one officer told you that we're free to go, so nothing is keeping us here. We can be back to Canyon Beach as soon as we get some rest."
"I'm exhausted. Every muscle in my body hurts," said Grace.
Keenan looked at the ground. She shouldn't be in any pain. He'd taken care of her.
"Do you have an extra toothbrush?" Grace yawned loudly.
"No. we'll have to buy one in the morning before we take off."
Silence fell between the two women. He wondered if Grace had fallen asleep when her sister said, "So, did you get a picture of the Pekania pennanti?"
Grace sighed. "No."
"At least you get to keep the advance. That's something. We'll be okay. Now that my ankle is healed and you're back, I can return to work. We'll keep saving. Our goal hasn't changed...only delayed."
Grace never replied, or at least he couldn't hear her through the door.
"I love you, sis. You have no idea how much I've missed you," whispered Grace.
Keenan placed his hand on the door and leaned forward, wishing he could touch her and assure her that she was wanted. She was loved. He'd give anything to have her in his arms right now.
Instead, he turned and sat down on the ground, leaning against the wall. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes. Only a few feet apart from her, it felt like a million miles.
She was safe with her sister. She was where she wanted to be.
He pulled the cell phone out of his vest pocket and dialed Prez. There was only one thing he could do.
He had to let Grace go.
Chapter Thirty Four
"Amelia?" Grace poked her sister in the shoulder. "Wake up. We overslept."
"Hm?" Amelia rolled over and blinked awake. "There's no hurry to leave. Check-out isn't until eleven o'clock."
"I want to go now." She moved over to her sister's bag and found a hairbrush. "Come on, get up."
Amelia groaned but sat up in bed. "I haven't slept since you left home to go on the job."
"I know, and I'm sorry. But you can sleep for the rest of your life if you want. I just want to get today over with." She yanked the brush through her hair, ripping out the snarls in her rush.
She'd escaped Keenan. She'd left. There was no use sugarcoating what she'd done to him after promising to stay until it was safe for them to contact her sister.
He would view her leaving as betrayal.
She knew him well enough to understand how much he relied on people in his life being loyal. It would take her being a force of nature to make him listen to her reasons about why she'd left.
God, he was stubborn.
"I'm going to grab a shower before we head out." Amelia walked by her and spontaneously hugged her. "I forgive you, sis."
She held Amelia tighter, putting all her worries on the closest person she had in her life. While her sister might not understand her choices and believe she was a complete idiot for staying with Keenan, she wouldn't stop loving her. They were family.
"Thank you," she whispered chokingly. "I love you so much."
"Love you, too." Amelia kissed her cheek, grabbed clean clothes, and went to the bathroom.
Alone, she inhaled deeply and let out a shuddering breath. Her stomach was in knots. Last night, she'd counted how many days she'd spent with Keenan and was surprised to learn that she arrived in Avery Falls nine weeks ago. Was that even long enough to fall in love and rearrange your whole life, pushing her needs ahead of everyone else?
She straightened the bed she and Amelia had shared last night. The more she could do to lessen their time at the hotel, the faster they could get out of here.
A knock came at the door. Her spine stiffened. The shower was still going in the other room. She moved over to the door, making sure it was still locked. Even though her sister was with her, she couldn't stop the fear that someone was still after her. She'd seen the kind of men who participated in the project alongside Keenan. The two of them wouldn't stand a chance fighting one of the men.
"Grace. It's me." He paused. "Keenan."
Adrenaline shot through her, and she fumbled with the lock in the doorknob. Then, working on the chained latch, she failed to match the opening with the peg so she could unlock the door. Her hands trembled. She shook her arms, forcing herself to slow down, and finally, she opened the door.
Keenan stood in front of her, wearing his leather vest. His hair blown back from his ride. There were extra wrinkles at the corners of his eyes as he studied her from head to foot and back up again.
Her chest pounded, seeing him out of his element in St. Maries. "Wh-What are you doing here?" she whispered, unable to catch her breath.
"I had your bags and Jeep brought here. I thought you might want everything you brought to Avery Falls with you." He motioned with his chin and cleared his throat. "The Jeep is parked in the lot. I put gas in the tank, and there's some money in the glove box to help you get settled."
Her heart sank the more he talked. He'd brought everything to her as if he wanted her to keep going and not come back to Avery Falls.
Keenan kept her gaze. "Your sister found you."
"Yeah." She swallowed hard.
"That doesn't surprise me. If she's anything like you, she probably scoured every inch of the Bitterroot Mountains looking for you." The corner of Keenan's mouth lifted, though the happiness never reached his eyes.
There was a compliment in there somewhere, but she couldn't focus on that right now. "Keenan, I—"
"I know," he said softly. "Me, too."
She shook her head. He had no clue of what she wanted to tell him.
The door behind her opened. Aware of her sister joining them, she half-turned toward Amelia.
Her sister gaped. Grace motioned toward the door. "This is Keenan. Keenan, my sister, Amelia."
Keenan dipped his chin without taking his gaze off Grace. Her whole body vibrated. She wanted to touch him, to reassure h
im that her feelings hadn't changed.
Amelia joined her at the door and whispered, "I'll go outside and let you two—"
"No." She grabbed Amelia's hand. "Stay inside. I'll go outside."
She slipped past Keenan, feeling him turn with her and follow. Once the door shut, she stopped in the walkway between the two buildings.
"Grace, I..." Keenan exhaled harshly. "This is fucking hard."
She stepped closer, wanting to stop him from sending her away. "I wanted to talk to you."
"There's not much either one of us can say." He lowered his gaze to her chest. "You'll be safer out of Avery Falls."
"Safer?" She rubbed her arms, suddenly chilled.
Keenan's gaze narrowed as his cheek twitched. "From me."
She stared in disbelief. Was he crazy? He'd done everything to keep her safe. A man had tried to kill her. If it weren't for him, she'd be dead.
Furious that he would think otherwise, she laughed harshly. No, she was mad. He'd spent nine weeks with her under lock and key after kidnapping her, and now he was going to let her walk away from him?
Keenan frowned. His confusion only riled her temper.
She panted, her body reeling from the confrontation. "Don't you get it?"
"I get that you're pissing me off." He walked a few paces away and then came back and got in her face. "It's killing me, Gracie. Giving you what you want when all I want is you."
"You, stupid man." She threw her arms around his neck. "I don't want to leave you."
He grunted and grabbed her with shaking hands. "What are you talking about?"
"Amelia was getting ready so that she could drive me back to Avery Falls. To you, Keenan." Her heart pounded. "I've been telling you for weeks that I wanted to talk to my sister. Now, I've talked to her. We spent most of the night going over everything that needed doing for me to move in with you. She understands I love you."
"You love me?" His knees dipped before he straightened again.
That time, she laughed with happiness. He sounded shocked. An emotion she'd never witnessed on him before.
