Page 41 of Marigold Run

“I like going on walks,” I say, deciding to give Everly something she can plan for us to do. “I like hiking and looking at the mountains in the distance. But I hate being forced to sit in one place for hours on end.”

“We can go on walks.” Everly nods eagerly, obviously wanting to make me happy. It makes me feel bad for my attitude. “We can walk wherever you want.” She pushes her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

“I’d like to see the edge of the garden,” I say, leaning into her clean lavender aroma. “Maybe touch those trees.”

“We can definitely do that.” Everly clasps her hands together, practically bouncing on her toes. “We can even go down to the little stream on the west side of the property.”

I smile at Everly’s excitement, going over my mental checklist as she babbles about the sights around the property. I need to see if there are any cameras along the edge of the property or any trails that indicate that people walk frequently within the trees. I have a lot of planning to do and only three weeks before my heat-suppressor wears off. That’s not much time at all.

“Oh!” Everly’s eyes go wide as if remembering something. “There’s a little field of wildflowers that I’m sure you’ll love! The colors are amazing this time of year.”

“I love wildflowers,” I say, thinking about the colorful fields of blossoms that Stefan and I used to play in. There were little pink buds with feathery petals that looked more like a bush than a flower, but they were his favorite. I haven’t seen them since.

“Mari.” Everly’s voice drops to a hushed, loving tone as she takes my hand in hers. Her skin is so soft and surprisingly warm. “I just want you to find your place here. We all do.” The lightoverhead reflects in her lenses. “I want you to feel safe, and heard, and loved. And I never want you to do something you don’t want to do.”

The wild urge to fall into her arms and squeeze her tight is intense.

Stay strong, Mari,I think to myself.Don’t get too attached, because it will only make things harder when you have to leave.

“Omega?” Everly’s fingers wrap gently around my wrist. “Can I hug you?”

All reason falls from my head, and I nod.

And it's maybe the best hug I’ve ever had.

Warm.

Safe.

Loving.

Fuck.

Later That Day

Hutch

I’m thankful that Della came with me on this run. She’s not one for small talk and easy to work with. She likes to get straight to business, will happily bloody her knuckles if need be, but she doesn’t look for a fight. She’s the perfect backup and the ideal driving companion. Her quiet presence gives me a chance to think.

No mindless chatter. No pressing responsibilities. Just the silence and the road.

I don’t have anything against doing jobs with my brother. Hell, I usually prefer to work with Dassy, but we haven’t done a job together since that day with Andros. Izan has kept Dassy at home with the girls ever since. It’s probably for the best. They need someone to look after them. Especially Mari.

My eyes drift over the uneven pavement as I replay the other night for the hundredth time: Mari was so scared. Her screamsseemedreal. But why was she pretending to sleepwalk?What was she doing in the sitting room? Was she trying to go somewhere else but got lost?

I clench my jaw, scared of what the truth might be.

Mari has been so restless. Distant.

I know it’s not likely, but I’m worried the omega wants to run. It makes sense. She lived out in the wild for over two years, scavenging and hiding. She probably was tracked and hunted the whole time.

Running becomes second nature at that point.

But what really bothers me is who she was with. Did Mari have a lover all those years she lived out there? Does she miss them? Is she trying to find them again?

“I gotta make a phone call,” Della says as we drive past the front of the house, making our way to the separate employee entrance. “Do you need me to help you drop off the funds?” Her dark eyes flicker to the duffle bag in the back seat.

“I’ve got it.” I pull into the gated parking lot.

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