Page 25 of Twisted Empire

“Yes. But a beautiful chipmunk.” Elias chuckled.

I snorted. “Thanks.”

He ruffled my hair again. “I think this’ll work. They’ll be out looking for a petite blue-eyed brunette, and you’ll be a tall chunky redhead with brown eyes and shitty teeth.”

“But what about you?” I asked, removing the veneers for now.

“I have stuff for myself too. I’ll be blond with glasses. You can try and draw some fake freckles on me too, with all that makeup I got you.”

I grinned. “I can’t wait to see what that looks like.”

I knew I should be deathly afraid, given the circumstances, but with Elias here to protect me, it almost felt like we were on a wildly fun adventure, rather than on the run from a dangerous group of uber-rich criminals.

“Before I get all that stuff out, there’s something else I should give you.” Elias moved to the back of the van and went through one of the top food boxes. “I know we haven’t really talked about this all that much, because there hasn’t been any time, but…”

He trailed off for a few seconds as he handed me a large bottle of pre-natal vitamins.

“Whatever you want to do about it, I’ll support you, but I figured just in case, you might need these,” he said.

“Thank you,” I replied, my heart skipping a beat as I took the bottle. Elias was right: we’d barely had a chance to discuss my pregnancy over these last couple of days. Almost every moment had been taken up with planning or worry over our escape from the Lodge.

He took one of my hands. “I just want you to be safe.”

“I feel safe with you,” I said, my voice suddenly soft and breathless.

“Good.” He tilted his head toward the mattress. “You should get some rest.”

The thought of sleep made my limbs heavy with exhaustion. I swallowed a yawn. “You’re the one who hasn’t slept,” I said. “You go first.”

“I’ll be fine for a few more hours. I want to drive us to another spot,” he replied. “This clearing was a good hiding place for the van until we got here, but it’s still within twenty miles of the Lodge. They could find it while we’re passed out, and I don’t want to risk that.”

“Well, I’ll stay up with you to make sure you don’t fall asleep behind the wheel,” I said firmly. “Where exactly are we going?”

“A spot near Litchfield where people go to camp sometimes. Anyone who happens to see us there will think we’re a couple on vacation.”

“Is that where we’re going to stay?” I asked, my brows knitting.

Elias shook his head. “Not permanently. Just a night or two until I figure out what to do next. I spent so long on all the escape planning that I didn’t really have time to think about the rest.”

“I get it. We barely had any time at all. But I know you’ll think of something.” I shook my head. “No, we’ll think of something.”

He smiled faintly. “I hope so. Right now I have no fucking clue what to do,” he muttered. He squeezed my hand tighter. “Whatever happens, though, I’m gonna keep you safe. I promise.”

I smiled. For the first time in all the tumultuous months since I met Elias, I truly believed what he said.

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