Page 116 of Break The Ice

“He will come back. I know he will.”

Raider’s distraught gaze finally drops to mine. “I, uh-” He clears his throat and backs away from me.

I can see what he’s doing and that it’s fear-based, but I can’t stop the hurt that goes through me at his rejection.

“Raider, stop!”

Kit slams into Raider from behind, holding on so tight he’s going to leave bruises.

Callan glances at me, but I can’t stay for this. He takes a step towards me, but I shake my head.

He stops. I head up the stairs, and instead of going into Kit and Callan’s big room that we’ve all moved into, I turn and go into the spare room.

This isn’t going to work.

I’ll stay for the hockey game tomorrow, but then to keep them safe, I’m going to have to leave.

I go to the window and stare down at the dark street. A man walks on the moonlit footpath and stops under the street light.

We stare at each other, and then he lifts his hand and waves.

I get chills.

He must have known. The light in the kitchen wasn’t visible on the street. How the hell did he know?

I stare at him, trying to uncover his identity, trying to burn away the fear while he fans the flames of my terror.

It’s a seesaw that ends up in his favour. I concede defeat and back away from the window, but that trapped, hunted feeling doesn’t go away.

The night passes slowly, Wren doesn’t come back.

Chapter thirty-one

Wren

Raider’s words ring inmy head as I drive.

It hurts that they didn’t trust me, but I fucked up. Even I know I did. I shouldn’t have looked at my phone, but as soon as I saw the photo Tiff had sent me of Raider and Ryann, I had stopped thinking logically and just grabbed the phone when it rang.

She’d been almost hysterical. It was all I could do to listen to her dribble and not scream at her to tell me where the photo came from.

But what I’d got out of her was enough to have me panicking and promising to meet her.

I’ve been driving for almost two hours when I spot the diner she sent me directions to. It’s got a wide, empty parking lot and a big neon sign that keeps flickering. It’s obviously seen better days.

I park the car I’ve rented and walk in. The air is dry out here, cold but different from home. All around, the dark flat plains extend on and on. I go to the light like a moth to a flame, drawn into the diner, even though I wish I could be anywhere else.

Three big truckers look over at me. One narrows his eyes and gives me an up-nod. I return the gesture and look around the faux red leather booths. The white floor is scuffed up and has seen better days, but the place smells like cinnamon and coffee.

It feels warm, and despite everything, I actually like it here. The vibe is nice.

Tiff is waiting for me around the corner, a pale face sitting in a booth anxiously shifting her weight and looking around compulsively.

I’m relieved to realise I feel exactly nothing towards her. Not anger, no desire, not even affection. She’s a stranger to me now.

I sit opposite her and watch as she pushes a coffee in my direction.

“I got you a coffee just how you like it.”

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