Page 50 of Reclaiming Adelaide

“It has to.”

“And if it doesn’t?”

Then we’re on the run?

“I don’t know.”

They were strong, yes, but we had the numbers in spades. And who knew if they were the leader or just the spokesperson?

Better to know thy enemy.

“Guess we better get started.”

“There is nowe. This is my fight.”

Tonk scoffed and brought his rifle down across his body, making it land in his other hand. “We’re brothers. This isourfight.”

I nodded. “I have things moving, just waiting for him to pop up so we can get him. Ihaveto go to the memorial in two days. Becca won’t allow me to miss it.”

“We’ll have things covered on our end here.”

“Roger dodger. Can we get a sandwich, or do you still have a little Kathy problem to deal with?”

“That little fighter was my most expensive experiment to date.”

Expensive? “Do I want to know?”

“Probably not.”

14

AweekofTheOffice reruns, and my mind had officially combusted. I needed something to do, something to concentrate on, and sitting in front of the TV wasn’t it. He could’ve taken me out on his errands two days ago and let me pick up some more clothes, but no. He’d left me behind to twiddle my thumbs... and worry.

Which brought me to my other stressor, the unused pregnancy test in my backpack that I’d been living out of. Washing clothes every two days was a bitch.

I’d put it off, finding it easy to slip into the bathroom and take it, but did I really want to find out if I was pregnant only for me to wind up dead?

Nah.

Ignorance was bliss, and I’d ride that train for as long as I could.

“Are you ready?” Jake said from a fair distance behind me.

Jake had spent most of his days locked away somewhere, ‘working.’ And all his nights with his arms wrapped around me as we slept, even though there were guest rooms, and the couch, he refused to let me out of his sight. He said it was easier to keep me safe that way.

If I was honest with myself, which doesn’t happen often, I didn’t care where I slept or how, so long as he was with me. I relished every moment with him because when this was all over, I knew deep down into my dying soul I’d never feel him around me again. And he solidified that when the sun rose in the morning. He’d go back to his cold self, kicking me out of his room and banishing me to the living room.

“I asked you a question.”

I jerked. My gaze twisted away from his sculpted frame. “Huh?”

“Are you ready?”

“Ready for what…” I glanced down at my wrinkled shirt and two-day-old sweats. Not to mention my disheveled ponytail. “The drive-through?”

“We’re getting on a plane.”

“A plane?”

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