Page 115 of Haunted Prey

His face darkened but it wasn’t angry like I expected.

“I want what you promised back at the house,” I continued. “With us on the boat far away. You can go tonight to get the key but that’s all. After that, I want to go. You, me, and our kid.”

Emery stiffened, his eyes widening. “You mean that?” he breathed.

My mouth tightened. “We end this tonight and we start over. Our family. Just us. We finally start something better. And we don’t look back.”

“You’re sure, Evee? You don’t have to decide—”

“I’ve decided. I feared that future at first, but I would take it a million times over than the one where you’re not here with me.”

He closed the distance between us, enclosing me in his arms. I let him hold me for a long while. Then I looked up and saw the grin on his face. “I will do whatever it takes to make it work, Eve,” he said. “I promise.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

I watched from inside the garage as Micheal threw in a duffel bag into his black jeep. Dom was sitting in the driver of his Mustang, typing on a small laptop, I could hear the muffled voices from the police radio on top of his dash. So far there was a shooting on the west side and a car fire on the M-10 freeway.

Emery placed another bag in Michael’s car in the back passenger. They were all dressed for breaking and entering. Black attire with gloves, and black facemasks for extra cover. Emery was to be the one to break in while Micheal waited outside to drive them out. Dom would be there to watch at the front just in case, in constant contact if anyone was around that might be a problem.

Having three of them go to grab a nurse's keycard seemed a little overkill, seeing as Emery could do it on his own without problem. But Micheal was particularly cautious. Or “incredibly paranoid” as Lez put it. He wanted to make absolutely sure they weren’t caught or had any witnesses.

I’d feel bad for anyone unlucky enough to come across them. But if they did, they’d probably be scared shitless.

I hoped they were. Because I didn’t want Emery at risk. Not tonight. The last night.

He didn’t tell anyone we were leaving. He’d do this one run and when we got back, and everyone was asleep, we’d be gone before they noticed. We’d grab Lena, take her back home first, then we’d disappear.

Just for a little while, anyway. Emery wanted to keep in touch just like I wanted with my friends. They were like brothers and sister with all their trauma. I couldn’t blame him. We’d contact them when the time was right. But for now, we were back to the plan we’d made before. Only this time we wouldn’t be taking a boat, but one of the cars Lez and Dom had been working on. We’d still go South like we planned and make straight for the border.

While he’d been preparing to leave, I had been secretly packing, grabbing items when no one was watching. Unfortunately, it was too late to ask Andrea to get another prescription of the medicine Emery was taking but he had a month's worth at least and we’d find a way to get more.

It was hard coming to terms that I too would need to find something to stifle my ghost, but unlike Emery, I would have no problem shoving a pill down my throat to quiet him.

In time we’d both heal. I had to believe that.

Micheal got into the driver seat and started the Jeep. He pressed a button on a remote and the garage door opened.

I stood by, trying not to let anxiety take over, knowing they’d be back in only a couple hours.

Emery came around to me before getting in the car, moving in close enough I could feel his heat.

“You and me,” he whispered, putting his hands on either side of my face. “Soon.”

I grabbed his wrists. “Just come back.”

“I will, I promise.” He pressed his mouth to my forehead.

I let him go. He got in beside Micheal who nodded my way. Dom rushed out of the garage first with Micheal behind him.

As they disappeared down the road, the garage slowly sunk back down until it shut completely with a soft thud.

I took a deep breath, then forced myself back inside.

Lena and I sat on the couch watchingBatmanfrom Dom's projector screen, picked from what looked like an infinite collection of torrented movies on his computer. Andrea sat close by reading, playing guardian for the night. With the three gone and Lez having left before them to grab supplies, it was just us girls, except for Cassidy who was nowhere to be found, her car missing.

“Probably out on patrol tonight,” Andrea answered when I mentioned it.

It was quiet without the boys and with Emery gone my anxiety was at an all-time high. I sat there trying hard as I could not to let my mind go to a dark place, to not allow those images of Emery that had haunted me before to take over.

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