by Jordan Ford
“Maybe he just wants to get the job done.”
Riley gives me a sad smile and runs his hand down my ponytail.
“Look, whatever.” Trey slices through our tender moment. “If Rybeck doesn’t know Antonio’s here, then it’s safe enough to stick around for a little longer.”
“It’s not.” I step up to the table. “That creep is still out there. And Ana’s mom knows where you are!” I point at her.
“Don’t worry about it.” Ana’s voice sounds so flat and tiny. “We can trust her. I’m staying up here. She’s going back there to pack up and start somewhere new.” Dipping her head, she closes her eyes, obviously fighting tears.
“Baby,” Trey kind of whines as he shoots around the table and crouches in front of her. Spinning her around to face him, he runs his hand behind her neck and gently rubs her jawline. “Why didn’t you just go with her? You know you want to.”
“I don’t!” She flicks his hand off. “I love you. I love us and this family.” Tears pop onto her lashes as her gaze tracks to Riley. “I’m just so ashamed of where I come from. I wish it didn’t have to be like this.”
Her tears fall in earnest as she bows her head again.
Trey pulls her close and kisses the side of her head.
Riley’s gone really quiet beside me. I do a double take when I notice how pale he is, and the tight set of his jaw. Reaching for his wrist, I give it a light squeeze, silently asking if he’s okay.
He shakes his head, then croaks, “Ana’s dad killed my mom.”
The air gets sucked out of the room and is replaced with a horrified silence and five shocked gazes. Even Jules has torn her eyes off Ellie, who is now cradled in her arms asleep.
Riley swallows. “It doesn’t change anything. My parents are still dead, but it turns out…” He sighs and looks at Ana.
“We’re cousins,” she finishes for him. “Riley’s mom was my dad’s sister.”
“No freaking way.” Kade sucks in the words, his eye bulging. “Are you serious right now?”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Riley clips while crossing his arms. “We need to get rid of this Antonio threat before anything else. Now thanks to Kade he’s pretty bashed up, but he is a psycho, so…”
“We need to tell Uncle Kurt,” I repeat my earlier suggestion.
Kade rolls his eyes. “Riley says he’s a lazy pig. What the hell’s he going to do?”
I glance at Riley, then back at Kade. “He is, but he will act if there’s a threat against people in this town. Antonio’s a threat, and he’ll help us track him down and arrest him.”
“What if he comes back to the cabin?” Jules cradles Ellie against her.
“I’m not leaving your side.” Kade rubs her back.
“We’re not going anywhere either,” Trey clips. “Two guys against that asshole will be enough.”
“I’ll head into town with Caity.” Riley rests his hand on my elbow.
The guys all look at each other, then nod.
Taking my hand, Riley leads me out the door.
My brain is pounding with so many questions right now but Riley’s walking to his car, obviously content not to travel with me. I won’t be able to ask him anything until after we’ve seen my uncle. It’ll feel like an eternity, but I can’t think about that right now.
We’ve got a psycho to deal with first.
#30:
A Stirring In My Gut
Riley
I follow Caity to the sheriff’s office.
It’s on the eastern outskirts of town, between the pond turn-off and Main Street. Southern traffic passes straight by it on the way into Legacy. Mom and I always drove in from the north, so we bypassed the sheriff’s station.
Mom.
My guts pitches as her pretty face floats through my mind.
Dad.
Uncle Rafe.
The truth.
It’s all so shocking. As if their affair and my real parentage isn’t enough to wrap my head around, I now have to come to terms with how it really went down.
Lucca and Marco Sorrentino deserve life-long imprisonment. Those scummy bastards, killing my parents that way.
I smash my teeth together. Air puffs out my flaring nostrils.
But Sheriff Kurt won’t want to know. He didn’t give a shit eleven years ago, brushed off reports of a bloody man carrying a boy through the woods. Put an upturned cabin down to “too much work.”
My family’s deaths are in the past now. Ancient history. The law’s not going to care about justice for people who’ve been in the ground for over a decade.
I pull up next to Mr. Powell’s truck and force my mind to the present threat—Antonio Mossa.
He should be the only reason I’m here. Gripping the wheel, I force myself to suck in two full breaths before looking up to find Caity staring through the windshield at me.
“You okay?” She opens my door and I force a nod.
As soon as I’m out, she rubs her hand down my arm and stares at me with a look that makes me want to kiss her again. “It’ll be all right, Riley. I know you’re dealing with a lot right now, but it’s going to be okay.”
Cupping the back of her head, I pull her in and press my lips against her forehead. Once this Antonio shit’s over, she’s going to want to know everything.
Part of me doesn’t want to tell her.
I don’t like opening up about this kind of stuff.
But then another part of me is desperate to get it out. And as much as I don’t want to burden Caity with it, she’s the one I want to tell. She’s the one who’ll listen like I’m the only person in the world. She’ll hold my hand, mourning for me…with me…and then she’ll kiss me and make it all better.
Pulling back, I force a smile and go to take her hand.
But something stops me.
Something black and big that drives straight past us.
My forehead wrinkles with a frown as the SUV stops at the intersection and then turns right into town.
I shouldn’t be concerned. It’s just a black SUV.
But a stirring in my gut tells me it’s more.
#31:
Time To Tell The Truth
Caitlin
Riley’s looking pale and worried again.
I glance over my shoulder, following his line of sight, but don’t see anything worth noting.
Taking Riley’s hand, I tug him towards Uncle Kurt’s office.
“So, Ana’s mom got away okay?” I’m trying to sound upbeat, calm. Anything to loosen the tension radiating off him. His eyes have never been grayer.
Riley blinks and looks at me.
“What happened at the pond?” I ask.
He shakes his head and sighs. “She told us the truth, and then Trey and Kade showed up.”
I wince and give him an apologetic frown. “I didn’t mean to blurt it out, but Trey was kind of angry and…” I let go of Riley’s hand and cross my arms. “I’ve really screwed up a lot today. I’m sorry.”
“You shouldn’t be sorry. We’re the ones who’ve brought this shit to your doorstep,” he grumbles, shoving his hands in his pockets and walking up the steps.
I chase after him.
Before he opens the door, he glances over his shoulder again, frowning into the distance.
“What is it?”
“Did you recognize the SUV that just pulled into town?”
What SUV? I’m too embarrassed to admit that the only thing I saw was him, so I just shake my head and look down at my dirty boots.
“It’s not tourist season, but Legacy’s had a lot of visitors today.” His expression is grim, making my heart kick out of rhythm.
Gripping Riley’s arm, I stop him before he can walk through the door. “I know we’re here because of the Antonio thing, but if you’re feeling off about some SUV, you need to say something. Do you think it’s related to Ana?”
“I don’t know,” he murmurs. “My brain’s been on overdrive all day. Maybe it’s not
hing.”
Stepping out of my hold, Riley walks into the office.
Uncle Kurt is engrossed in a hockey game, as per frickin’ usual.
I walk to his desk and push his feet off, then snatch the remote. The screen goes black and Uncle Kurt gives me a vicious glare.
I lean towards it. “Believe me, this is way more important.”
His dark frown lands on Riley, and I fill the awkward space quickly. “This is my friend from up at the cabin. We’ve got a problem.”
“Problem?” Uncle Kurt snaps.
I sigh and slump into the chair opposite him. “Truth is…” I glance up at Riley. He’s standing behind me, his arms crossed, his hard expression unreadable. “There’s more than one person living up at the cabin.”
Uncle Kurt’s eyebrows start to rise and I rush ahead before he can say anything.
“There’s five altogether, plus a baby. They’ve been living up there because it’s a safe place to hide. Now I can’t go into full details, but I can tell you that one of their threats has found them and tried to kill Jules and her baby. He’s a total psycho and he’s somewhere in the woods. We think he’s south of the cabin and we need you to find him and arrest him. Please.”
If everything I’ve just said weren’t so true, I’d probably laugh at the comical expression on Uncle Kurt’s face. It’s a mixture of skepticism and surprise, and it’s making his dark eyebrows dip into an exaggerated V.
“I know it sounds a little crazy, but come on, it’s the haunted cabin. That place attracts crazy stuff, and although you brushed off the whole mystery from years ago, you know something went down up there.” I point at him. “We need you to take this seriously right now. Please, Kurt, I wouldn’t be asking otherwise.”
“Does your dad know about your association with these people?” He points at Riley and I shoot to my feet, using anger to deflect his question.
“That’s not really the point right now! This is serious! There’s a guy in the woods posing a threat to the people of this town. You need to get off your fat ass and do something about it!”
Okay, possibly the wrong thing to say.
Uncle Kurt’s lips flatline as he crosses his arms and leans back in his chair. It squeaks beneath him. “Those strangers up in the cabin aren’t my people.”
Gritting my teeth, I resist the urge to scream.
“Maybe not.” Riley’s voice is low but assertive. “But you shouldn’t take this lightly. This afternoon Mariella Sorrentino turned up in town. Now I don’t know if you recognize that name, but her sister-in-law, Sophia, used to visit the cabin every summer with her son. She…” Riley licks his bottom lip and croaks, “She wanted him to know his father, Raphael Candella.”
No way.
I spin in my chair to gape at Riley.
He won’t look at me but trains his eyes on my uncle and keeps going in this matter-of-fact way. “Eleven years ago, Mariella’s husband found out about it. He didn’t like his sister hanging out with a Candella, so he drove up here and killed her in a rage. Raphael managed to escape with the boy, but he was wounded. Apparently, some hikers saw him running through the woods.”
Uncle Kurt shifts in his chair. It squeaks again. “That’s got nothing to do with me.”
“Because you chose not to make it your problem. Now I’ll repeat, this afternoon, Mariella Sorrentino turned up in town. She doesn’t think she was followed but I just saw a black SUV turning for Main Street, and I’ve got a bad feeling about it.”
“Who the hell do you think you are?” Uncle Kurt pops out of his chair and presses his knuckles into the desk. “What, I’m supposed to jump at the gut feeling of a kid I don’t even know?”
Riley lets out a hard scoff. I bet his fingers are curling into fists inside his jacket pockets. “You strike me as the kind of guy who doesn’t give a shit about much, but Caitlin assures me that you care about the people of Legacy. Now if I’m wrong, it’s costing you ten minutes of your time to go and check out a black SUV before you start your hunt for Antonio Mossa.”
With a heavy huff, Uncle Kurt stands tall and hitches his pants. “And what do you think I’m going to find before I start my hunt for Antonio Mossa?” He puts on a mocking voice that makes me cringe. Man, he’s such a dick.
Riley, on the other hand, is all class as he bores Kurt with a steely look and calmly replies, “I think you’re gonna find a pissed-off Lucca Sorrentino looking for his wife and missing daughter. I hope I’m wrong, but can you at least check it out, please? Ask for some ID and if it’s them, politely tell them to get the hell out of Legacy.”
My gut plummets into my shoes as I grip the back of my chair.
“And if I don’t?” Uncle Kurt clips.
“Sir, I realize that I’m just some strange kid to you. But there are people up in that cabin who I would give my life for. Good people who don’t want to hurt anybody. Now these guys who just got here, they don’t give a shit about human life. Do you get that? If they find my family, they are going to kill them.”
“Please.” I face Uncle Kurt. “Please, you have to listen to him.”
“You know about all this?”
“No, I’m hearing some of this stuff for the first time, but I believe him. You can’t let this slide. Go into town.” Swiveling back to Riley, I grab his wrist. “We need to head up to the cabin and warn them.”
“I don’t think your father would be very happy about that,” Uncle Kurt snaps.
“It’s got nothing to do with him.” I glare over my shoulder, my anger tempered by the fact Kurt’s strapping on his belt and gun.
“Let’s go.” I pull Riley out of the station before Kurt can stop me. Running down the stairs, I pull out Dad’s keys, set on following Riley back to the cabin.
I’m still reeling from everything he said.
Poor, poor Riley. I can’t believe it.
He has the answers he was looking for, but they’re devastating. I want to cry for him, but there’s no time for that.
If he’s right about that SUV, then my new friends are in deep shit.
Riley stops by Dad’s truck, leaning against the driver’s door so I can’t open it.
“What are you doing?”
His jaw works to the side and he won’t look at me. “I’m gonna tell everyone we should pack up and go.”
“Good idea.” I nod. “I mean, I guess. But where?”
He shrugs. “It doesn’t really matter right now. We just have to find a new hideout.”
“Okay.” My voice is being stolen by a throbbing in my chest.
Riley won’t look at me. That in itself tells me everything I don’t want to hear.
“Well, it’s lucky we have Dad’s truck, then. We can easily fit everyone.” I run a hand down my ponytail, putting on a bright smile. “I mean, he’ll be pissed for sure, but he’ll understand. I’ll call him as soon as we get to wherever we’re going.”
Riley’s gaze flicks to mine, then drops back down to the ground as he shakes his head. “Caitlin, you can’t—”
“Let me come with you.” I reach for his hand but stop when he shakes his head again.
“No.” His answer’s immediate. “You need to stay.”
“Please,” I whisper. “I want to come.”
“It’s too dangerous. You don’t want this life.”
“I want you.” I place my hand on his arm, begging him to look at me. “I know we haven’t exactly talked about this, but…I…” Nerves choke me for a second but I push through them, blurting out everything I should have said weeks ago. “I want to be your girlfriend. I want you to fall in love with me and for us to be together. There’s nothing here for me in Legacy.”
“Except a family who loves you.”
Emotion claws up my throat, trying to get the better of me. I grit my teeth and keep trying to sell it. “They’ll understand. I was going to be leaving for college next year anyway. I’d rather be with your family. With people my own age. With a guy I l—”
“
You deserve better than this,” he cuts me off. “You don’t know how lucky you are. You have a good life here, and I’m not taking that away from you.” His voice is so firm and final. “Now, you have to promise you won’t follow me.”
The words are like a punch to the heart. Clenching my jaw, I try to rein in the agony that wants to expose itself.
Riley pushes off Dad’s truck and goes to walk away, but I squeeze his arm to stop him.
“Look at me.” My voice is tight with desperation.
A muscle works in his jaw as he ignores my request.
“Riley.” I shake his arm. “Look at me!”
With a sniff, he turns to face me. His eyes are swirling gray but his expression is hard and unrelenting.
“Please,” I whisper. “I want to be with you.”
The edges of his expression start to crumple but he pulls them back into line. “That can’t happen, Caity. It was never going to happen.”
His short, sharp words wound like none before.
Stumbling away from Dad’s truck, I walk onto the road. There’s a forest to my right and all I want to do is escape into it. “Caity, I’m so—”
“Forget it!” I shout over my shoulder. “Go be with your family!”
And then I start running. I duck into the woods off the edge of the road. There’s no track but I know the way. I’ve run these woods a million times before.
Tears try to blur my vision but I rub them away. I’m not going to cry. I’m just going to run and try to shake off this stinging rejection.
I can do it.
Riley’s just a guy. Every girl needs to get her heart broken once, right? This is my turn.
My lips wobble as I try to see logic in this emotional mess.
But I can’t.
Because Riley isn’t just a guy.
He’s the guy.
And he doesn’t want me.
#32:
This Has To End
Riley
I feel bad for what I said to Caitlin.
Of course something could happen between us…if life was normal. If I’d met her in college she’d be my girlfriend in a heartbeat.
But we’re not in college. My life’s not normal, and so I had to throw her off.
