Chapter 13

Keelan

S adie’s green eyes widened, shimmering with tears as the reality of the situation crashed into her. I snatched her wrist and squeezed it hard enough that the bones creaked.

“We can figure something out. I can make up another lie about the car. Please,” she begged, yanking against my grip.

She’s going to fight me on this the entire time.

“Sorry, princess. You fucked up, and now I have to take care of this loose end.”

“I didn’t ‘fuck up.’ I did what you asked, you dick,” she seethed through her teeth. “Don’t hurt Mason, or I’ll spend the rest of my life making yours a living hell!”

My eyebrows flew up in surprise. When did Sadie Ryan get so feisty? It didn’t matter because we would do things my way, starting with the old man. I yanked her toward the stairs, where I had left my bag last night. As I clenched around her waist, I sifted through the bag with my other hand, eventually locating the syringe and pulling it out. “It’d be easier if you didn’t flinch for this.” She saw what I was holding, fear painting her face beautifully, and she started thrashing.

I twisted her arm behind her back, pressing my weight into her until her knees buckled and smacked the wood floor with a crack. Sadie let out a pained wail, but I released her wrist and slapped my hand over her mouth while removing the cap on the syringe with my thumb. I stuck the needle into the soft skin of her neck and pressed the plunger.

“You … monster,” she gasped, her eyes fluttering, and her writhing body slowed against me. “I … will … never forgive—”

Sadie’s eyes closed, and she slipped into unconsciousness. From what Gavin told me, the sedative had a four-hour window, so I had plenty of time to kill Mason, hide the body, and get Sadie in the car. After checking her pulse, I scooped Sadie into my arms and carried her over to the couch. I laid her down and covered her with a bone-colored throw.

In the morning sun, I noticed that Sadie hadn’t changed much in the last year. Her skin was slightly paler than I remembered. Her soft skin used to have a warm beige tone with cinnamon freckles sprinkled across her nose and cheeks, courtesy of the California sunshine. Now, it was more like porcelain and void of any touch of the sun.

Her red hair looked like copper, with strands of caramel gold hair peeking through. The only thing she didn’t change was the tattoos I gave her on her abdomen. It felt like I was looking at a stranger. Sadie really did try to erase her old self to stay hidden.

She tried to erase me .

I reached out to stroke her cheek. The last time I looked into those peridot-green eyes, there was so much fear and disgust behind them. So much pain and hatred after seeing me take a life.

A life worth taking. I did what I had to do.

Yes, I had slit a man’s throat, but it surprised me when she looked at me in horror, tears streaming down her face, and spoke her truth on the stand at my trial. I held that hateful gaze, making a promise that one day, I would break out of prison and find her.

No, I would never be the knight in shining armor Sadie dreamed of. This was no fairytale. I was a demon lurking in the shadows of her worst fucking nightmares.

“Alright, sit tight, princess. I’ll be back.”

I pivoted on my heel and went to my bag again, leaving through the back door leading into the garage. The garage was empty, with the metal side door swinging back and forth in the wind. I peered around the corner and saw the old man was outside by the power box, whistling a tune while fiddling with some circuits.

I stepped onto the gravel, letting the stones crunch loudly under my feet. Mason stilled at the noise and turned toward me. “Oh, did you—” he started before seeing me, his brows knitting together. “Who are you?” The old man took a tentative step back as he took in my appearance.

I stood much taller than Mason, and being tattooed from neck to knuckles was more than surprising. I would be a dime a dozen in Los Angeles, but here in this small, wholesome town, a man like Mason had likely formed an unfavorable opinion of me.

And he was right to do so.

Mason carefully kneeled and reached for his toolbox. I took another step toward him, hands raised. “Ah, ah. Take it easy, old man.”

The fool didn’t listen and fished out a hammer. He didn’t lunge to attack me; he only gripped the tool as a warning.

“Are you a friend of the tenant?” Mason asked, his voice shaking a little. He was careful to avoid using names—he couldn’t disclose that a woman was living here alone if I were a stranger off the street.

I moved closer. “I’ve been more than a friend to her,” I replied. “So, you’ve been a stand-in father for Sadie, or ‘Tess,’ for the last year?” I watched as his body shifted slightly. “You can relax.”

Mason’s eyes narrowed. “Somehow, I don’t believe you.”

I offered a warm grin. But Mason knew. He knew a killer was waiting behind that smile.

“What do you want with her?” Mason asked brusquely, glancing behind me toward the garage door. “You didn’t hurt Tess, did you?”

“Sadie,” I corrected, “is just fine. You need to worry about yourself.”

“I knew she was hiding something from her past. Now I see that it was you.”

I shrugged. “Everybody has a dark past. You’d be surprised by how much Sadie kept hidden from you in this cookie-cutter life she built for herself. Trust me, Pops. I’m not here to hurt her. I’m taking her home . But … I can’t have you calling the cops.”

“Please,” Mason begged. “As much as I should beg for my own life, I care more about … Sadie’s. I’m begging you to leave her alone. Whoever you are, she doesn’t deserve anyone to hurt her. ”

I was less than two feet away from him now, and by how he straightened, I knew Mason would go down fighting to protect Sadie, no matter the cost. A feeling of admiration bloomed. Sadie had no one she considered family to fight for her before. This man, who only knew Tess, a lie, was still willing to go to his death to make sure she was safe. Mason figured out she was on the run and did everything he could to ensure her safety—the home, the job, and a family.

Like a protective father.

A protective father she never had.

When the screwdriver he’d been hiding behind his back came straight at my skull, I caught it, twisting it to the right until Mason’s wrist bent, and he let out a piercing cry. He was a frail old man, and though I rarely gave a shit who I killed, the men I executed deserved it. They were at least on equal ground when it came to strength.

Sadie was right; I would be a monster to kill Mason, who had done absolutely nothing wrong. He was only trying to protect someone he saw as a daughter, and here I was, hurting him like some heartless bastard.

Guilt flooded me, and I was fucking pissed off about it.

I grabbed Mason’s collar with my left hand, jerking his head toward me right before I gripped his shoulders and spun him around. As he tried to wrench free, I pulled out the other syringe that I slipped into my pocket and stuck it in the neck. His body crumpled in my arms as the sedative took effect, and I caught him before he hit the ground. After scooping him up, I brought him inside the house and placed him in the rocking chair. I pulled up the footrest to prevent him from falling, making his position in the chair nice and cozy.

“Alright,” I said, turning to Sadie while she slept, “time to pack your shit and go.”

It didn’t take me long to find a large suitcase and a few empty duffel bags in the closet. When I opened the suitcase, I saw it was halfway packed with essentials, like Sadie was ready to make a run for it at a moment’s notice. I tossed in a few more clothing items and toiletries before bringing the bags to the car. Poe watched me from the staircase with rapt interest when I returned inside. I smiled at the little tuxedo and scratched the back of his ear.

“I’m sorry, bud. You can’t come with us on the road trip. But don’t worry, I’ll make sure you’re taken care of for the time being, and maybe someday we’ll come back for ya.”

He blinked his gold eyes at me before heading back upstairs for a nap.

While exploring the rest of the house, I carefully scanned each room again, searching for any other items we might need to bring: water, snacks, or medicine. I topped off Poe’s water bowl and poured a generous amount of dry food into a larger bowl, ensuring he would have enough to last for the next few days. I found some dried catnip and sprinkled it on the cat tree near the living room window.

An apology for taking his mom away.

The next part of my plan was going to be a little trickier. Mason was still sleeping in the chair, and though it could still take hours, I needed to get us on the road and as close to the state line as possible before he awoke. The moment he did, he was calling the cops .

I entered the kitchen, found a yellow pad of Post-it notes, and jotted down my message: Take care of Poe. Then, I stuck it to his forehead.

After I cradled Sadie in my arms, we made our way to the car, placing her in the passenger seat. She stirred a little, but the sedative was working. I zip-tied her right wrist to the seatbelt and adjusted it so it wouldn’t cut off circulation.

Rushing back inside, I shut the garage doors, turned off the lights, and ensured the heater ran on a timer.

I think we’re good.

After settling back in the car, I started the engine and gave Sadie’s sleeping form one last glance before pulling out of the gravel driveway. I focused on the road ahead, leading us out of Vermont and back to California.

To the hell we were born in.