Page 13 of Hold Me Before You Go

Margo’s eyes sliced to me, and I could feel the anger radiating from her. “Carrie. That’s my nickname for her. The day she came into Rossy’s, she was wearing a Cardinal hoodie. I’ll never forget it.”

“We would never do anything to hurt Carrie,” Sarah said softly, looking at Hayes, and then at me. Her bottom lip trembled. “Please, Mr. Grayson. Tell me she’s going to be okay. Tell me you’re going to find her and bring her home.”

My blood was humming again as visions of Carrie’s smiling face came forth, her light blinding me all over again. “We’re going to do everything we can,” I promised.

Rossy, who was still behind Sarah, remained silent, his face grim. He was an older man with graying hair. His hands were tucked into his coat pockets, a maroon scarf around his neck.

“Do you think it was the woman?” Margo asked, turning her body away from Hayes, who was now studying her intently.

My spine straightened. “Have you seen her since the day she came in and was staring at Carrie?”

Margo’s eyes widened.

“Yeah,” I clipped. “I know all about that.”

“No,” Rossy cut in. “We haven’t seen that woman since, and Carrie’s never mentioned her again.”

“Of course not,” Sarah muttered. “She was trying to start over.”

“Yes,” I confirmed. “The woman is our prime suspect, and we’re leaving Astoria to follow that lead.”

The three of them were silent for a moment, eventually nodding. That was all I could give them. I couldn’t risk putting anyone else in danger.

“Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have to get on the road,” Hayes said, breaking the silence.

Sarah wiped her cheeks. “Yes, of course.” She gave me one final look before turning and heading down the porch steps.

Margo shot a glare at Hayes and then at me. “You don’t bring her back, I’m killing you both.”

“Love to see you try, Temper,” Hayes told her calmly, his eyes flashing.

She flipped him off before pointing at me. “You bring my girl home, yeah?”

I nodded once, and then she was following Sarah.

I turned to Rossy, waiting for his demands and threats, but he didn’t give me any. Instead, he stepped up to me, his eyes holding mine as he confessed, “I should’ve gone to the store myself. Carrie insisted.”

I bit down on my jaw.

Rossy looked out to Carrie’s small yard that was covered in crisp, white snow, the purity of it slapping all of us in the face. “My late wife, Jennifer, was a light,” he murmured, his English accent thicker than before. I stiffened as he continued, “I’ve been all over the world since her passing, Mr. Grayson, and I’d never found anything like Jennifer’s light…until Carrie.” He looked back at me. “When you find her, don’t let that light burn out.You hold onto it, you fight for it, for the rest of your days, do you understand?”

He didn’t me time to answer. Instead, he quietly turned and walked away.

Once Sarah’s van was out of sight, Hayes put his hand on my shoulder. “You alright?”

“No,” I bit off, turning to go back inside. I did a final walk-through, shut off all the lights, and whispered goodbye to the blue house. Then, Hayes, Tic-Tac, and I were headed to the airstrip.

“You sure you’ll be able to fly in this?” I asked, looking up to the clouds as I pulled onto the main road.

Hayes rubbed his lips with his finger, shaking his head. A small chuckle left him. “Flew in the middle of a literal war zone, Gray. I can handle some cold rain.”

I looked over at him to find him staring straight ahead, his elbow resting on the windowsill of the passenger door. “Gonna need you to keep me in check,” I said to him, my voice level.

His neck twisted towards me as I looked back out the windshield, my chest burning as violent thoughts swirled in my mind. “I can’t go back there, Hayes,” I confessed, my fist tightening on the steering wheel. I’d seen and done horrible things in my life, but nothing compared to the shit that Mags and I had to endure in the Marines. That was when the darkness was born inside me, filling the scars I’d gained. I’d worked hard to get out of that place, putting all my focus on Red Snake, and doing my own twisted version of good in the world.

Mags found his peace in Hallow Ranch.

I found my peace in Red Snake.

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