Page 91 of Revenant

That meant he created the planbeforethe night of the party.

Before the incident with the ghosts.

Unable to tear my gaze away from Hicks, I notice the stiff way he holds himself, the way he avoids my gaze. “But I thought you didn’t even like me?”

I’m completely baffled.

Gunner snorts so hard that I’m afraid he might hurt himself. When I glance at him, an amused smile crosses his face. “He was as hooked as the rest of us. He’s just better at hiding it.”

Disbelief rocks through me, and I’m struck mute. My attention swings back toward Hicks…in time to see a hint of red sweep through his cheeks. My brows shoot up to my hairline, and my insides flutter with such hope that it’s hard to catch my breath. “You asked him to help me?”

Hicks shrugs like it’s no big deal and easily deflects. “James is good at what he does. He worked on your escape plan almost every day since you went missing, ensuring every detail was perfect.”

Jaceson nods in agreement, his expression turning serious. “Plotting is his love language. Plan B was a labor of love for him. He probably has the rest of your life planned out for you.”

I’m speechless, my gaze sliding toward Jameson, and a wave of love for him crashes over me. He’s gesturing wildly atwhatever is on the screen, talking enthusiastically to Ellis, his blue eyes intense as he explains his plan.

When his gaze flicks toward me, he catches me watching. A brilliant smile crosses his face, then he strides toward me, closing the distance between us with big steps. He doesn’t slow down when he reaches me, just sweeps me up in his arms and spins me around in a circle.

I laugh at the joy etched on his face and slip my arms around his neck as I snuggle closer. “Where are we going?” I don’t even care about the answer. Though my father and the asylum might come after us, we will be together—that’s the only thing that matters.

“A place where no one will ever find us.” He stops spinning, then lowers me until I’m sliding down the hard length of his body, and I shiver at the intensity of his gaze. “Promise.”

Chapter Thirty-four

ELLIS

Three hours into the drive, Rue passes out from sheer exhaustion. She rests securely slumped between Gunner and James, cute little puffs of air escaping her parted lips with each breath. After a fierce battle of rock, paper, scissors, the two idiots won the honor of sitting next to her.

I’m not proud to admit I played…and lost.

To my surprise, Jace accepted his loss with grace, seeming content to be able to see and touch her whenever he wanted. I understand that sentiment. Every few minutes, I glance at her in the back seat, checking that she is real and not a figment of my imagination.

Hicks is no better. The instant he slipped behind the wheel of the truck, he adjusted the rearview mirror to keep her in view. I swear he watches her more than he watches the road.

What shocked me most was that Hicks played the game as well. Never in my wildest imagination would I have guessed he would willingly give up control of the vehicle just to sit next to her. It became a nonissue when he lost.

Gunner happily crammed himself into the back seat, his knees practically to his chest, his head tilted forward at an awkward angle to clear the ceiling. His new supersize shrinks the interior until it resembles that of a clown car. His expression softens when he peers down at a sleeping Rue, the man careful not to breathe too deeply, lest he disturb her.

James is on the other side of Rue, arms and legs spread like a starfish, forcing Rue to practically sit in his lap. Every time her breathing changes, one of his eyes pops open. When she remains sleeping, he cuddles her closer, a possessive hand on her body, before closing his eyes again.

Jace sits next to his brother, crammed against the window with barely enough room to breathe, not that he’s complaining. He watches over the others, keeping an eye on our surroundings, probably too worked up to sleep. It’s like we’re all terrified she might disappear again.

It will take some time for us to heal from the trauma of watching her being taken from us.

I can’t even blame the others for being so clingy when I’m battling my own instincts to bundle her up in my arms. While the others rest, I feed directions to Hicks and work on covering our tracks.

It takes three more hours for our little caravan to reach our destination. It’s in the middle of the night when we arrive, not a speck of light visible anywhere on the horizon. I didn’t think places so off-grid like this even existed anymore.

Hicks drives up to the main cabin, which turns out to be more of a chateau. The place is nestled in a little flat area halfway up a mountain. How anyone managed to build here is a minor miracle. The outside of the structure is a bit faded, the building a tad rustic, but it oozes a homey feeling.

Like it has just been waiting for us.

When we park, two other vehicles pull up behind us. We are all in big trucks to combat the trails some idiot generously labeled a road. It’s so overgrown with weeds and brush that the rutted tracks have all but vanished.

After closing my laptop, I take off my glasses and rub my weary eyes. Hicks jumps out of the truck, then arches his back and stretches his arms over his head to work out the kinks in his spine from sitting too long without stopping. With a heavy sigh, he heads toward the two other vehicles.

A total of ten inmates decided to join us. While many didn’t have a place to go, a few refused to rejoin their families for fear they might hurt someone. Almost everyone was terrified they would be recaptured if they were left on their own.

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