“We were actually done with this meeting.” I stand up, put my arm around his shoulder, and hold my hand toward the door. “Right, ladies? So lead the way, Governor.”
Milly eyes me stonily, but she waves a hand toward the door, as if giving me full permission. I grin.
As we walk away, I lift my hand and wave, not bothering to look back.
When I’m in the car with Sean, I give him a long, searching look. He stares back at me.
“Can I keep my clothes on for this statue?” I ask. “Can’t be alarming the Blue with the sheer magnitude of my unveiled dick,” I add. “It’s already going to be falling forward all the time because of that. You might want to invest in quality rope to keep things secure. I know someone who specializes in rope…”
His laugh bounces around the confined space. He turns the car on and backs out of the compound driveway. “If anyone’s getting a statue, it will be me, thank you very much.”
“Are you going to take me and murder me somewhere, leaving my body in the Hudson?”
“I’ve thought about it, but I have a feeling there’s this girl we both care about who would never forgive me,” he says.
My eyes widen and I can’t speak for a few moments.
“It’s time I do the right thing, that’s all. For as long as you’re in the Blue, I’ll do my best to protect you. And hey, maybe in the long run, it’ll even help me get the girl.”
“It’s not too late for me to knock you the fuck out.”
“She’s gone, isn’t she?” he says quietly.
“Let’s hope so,” I say.
I lean my head against the back of the seat and imagine her surrounded by green trees, mountain peaks, and clear blue water.
THIRTY-FOUR
FOLSOM
Shingleback lizards will stay with the body of their dead lover for days.
The smoke appears above the trees, an angry cloud of black hanging in the air. I pick up my pace. From what I can tell, it’s coming from about a mile southeast.
I maneuver through the brush, pushing the branches out of my way until I get to a clearing. What is supposed to be a beautiful farmhouse with a barn positioned to see an outstanding view of the river, is now the charred remains of what used to be a house. One wall still stands, the enclave of the fireplace blackened like a gaping mouth. There are cars in the driveway and pulled helter-skelter on the grass. The fire trucks look like they arrived too late to do anything except say they were there.
I scan the crowd looking for her face. Stupid. She wouldn’t be out here in the open, not with that enormous bounty on her head. I feel the pangs of emptiness knowing she was here and I missed her. How long had she been here? I want to walk among the burned remains to see if I can still feel her there.
My airways contract and I double over. God, she can’t be dead. No. She wasn’t in that house. They told me she was hiding in a farmhouse; they gave me the coordinates and told me she was safe. That was before the video of her was sent to every Silverbook in the nation. Breathe. Breathe.
The footage of Gwen with Rebel had reached us days after it was released, the doctor arriving at the cabin door close to midnight, rain dripping from his poncho into his face.
“Something's happened,” he’d said.
He’d driven us from the cabin back to the main house where we’d watched it on the doctor’s couch, rain still clinging to our hair. Sophia had cradled the baby to her chest, slow tears crawling down her face. I didn't have access to watch it more than once so I’d memorized Gwen’s face, the new planes and lines that had appeared since we’d been together. Was she angry with me? Did she still love me even after I left without her? I wished she’d hold the baby up, so I could see what we’d created, but his tiny fist shooting up in the air made my heart twist with pride. Like his mother, already making his presence known, even before he can speak.
I made plans to leave before the broadcast was over. When I told Sophia what my plans were the following day, she picked up the baby and walked out of the room without saying a word. She didn’t say goodbye when I left a few days later. I kissed the baby as she slept and stepped out into the early morning fog, determined to right my wrong.
I should never have left Gwen. The image of her standing in the abandoned schoolyard as the helicopter rose into the sky is ingrained in my memory. The helplessness I felt. The weeks after, finding out that they’d taken our son from her and sent her to prison.
I wait it out until the crowd disperses, vehicles pulling out, the smell still thick in the air. The sunset coils with the smoke, turning the sky a deep red color.
I follow the sunset, heading west. She’s gone, but I’m going to find her.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thank you to our husbands and children for putting up with us while we wrote these books! We love you more than anything.
Thank you, Serena Knautz and Christine Estevez, for keeping us on track. Your time, care, eagle eyes, and input have been invaluable! We’d be lost without you.
Thank you, Erica Russikoff, for saving us with your proofreading!
Thank you, Jovana Shirley, for your beautiful formatting.
Hang Le, your covers are stellar. Thank you!
Thank you so much, Luisa Hansen, Tosha Khoury, Jaime Iwatsuru, Kristy Garner, Christine Bowden, and Courtney Nuness, for your input into the series! And Simone Schneider, thank you for your touches to the blurb!
Beth Ehemann, your encouragement has been everything! Thank you!
Thank you to every reader and author who has graciously read and shared and reviewed! And to the amazing blogs who have been part of sharing the love for this series. We could not do this without you!
And an extra special thank you to these blogs for reading the arcs—we’re so grateful!
5171 Miles Book Blog
A is for Alpha B is for Books
A Literary Perusal
Andies Wanderings
Andrea @bookstorefinds
Blushing Babes Are Up All Night
Book Babes Unite
Bookalicious Babes Blog
Fictional Heart Book Blog
Jennifer Kyle's News, Reviews, and Recommendations
Just Me & My Kindle
Jx PinkLady Reviews
Liezel and Angie’s Book Blog
Lisa @lifeinlit
Lost in Lit Becca
Maryse's Book Blog
Mean Girls Luv Books
Novel Grounds
Oh The Book Feels
Read More Sleep Less Book Blog
Samantha @everlasting.charm
Shayna's Spicy Reads
She Said, He Said Book Reviews
Shh Mom's Reading Book Blog
Stephanie's Book Reports
Three Chicks and Their Books
Totally Booked Blog
Tracey from @LifeandLiterature
Under the Cover Book Blog
White Hot Reads
Love, Tarryn Fisher & Willow Aster
REFERENCES TO SOLIDIFY THE CRAZY ANIMAL FACTS
“54 Outrageous Facts About The Sex Lives Of Animals” by Kelly Oakes https://bzfd.it/2JCQYbT
“Ten Strange, Endearing and Alarming Courtship Rituals” by Erin Carni https://bit.ly/2LMCFxW
“Strange Love: 11 Animals with Truly Weird Courtship Rituals” by Mindy Weisberger https://bit.ly/2y9uV7r
The End of Men series continues with Kasper, coming soon! We can’t wait for you to find out what happens with all the characters we’ve grown to love and hate, and yes, some new characters, too.
Add Kasper to your Goodreads list
Jackal’s Playlist
Fisher & Aster
End of Men Series:
Book 1 Folsom
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Tarryn Fisher is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of nine novels. Born a sun hater, she currently makes her home in Seattle, Washington with her children, husband, and psychotic husky. Tarryn writes about villains.
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nbsp; AUTHOR LINKS:
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BOOKS BY TARRYN FISHER
The Opportunist
Dirty Red
Thief
Mud Vein
Marrow
F*ck Love
Bad Mommy
Atheists Who Kneel and Pray
Never Never Series
Willow Aster is the author of True Love Story, In the Fields, Maybe Maby, Fade to Red, and Lilith. She’s also the co-author of Folsom, The End of Men series with Tarryn Fisher. Willow loves nothing more than writing the day away—anywhere will do. Her husband and two children graciously put up with her endless daydreaming and make fun of her for reading while cooking.
AUTHOR LINKS:
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BOOKS BY WILLOW ASTER
True Love Story
Fade to Red
In the Fields
Maybe Maby
Lilith
Jackal Page 19
