Page 292 of Redeemed

“You’re no good to her dead,” I snap. “You’re exhausted, and everyone’s emotions are running high. If you keep chasing after her, you’re going to lose focus and get yourself killed.”

“Kellan and Wes are gonna keep going for another half hour before turning around,” Cal says.

“Then so will I.”

“No,Xan. You need to come home.” It’s Lucas speaking, his voice firmer than I’ve ever heard it when he’s talking to Xander. “We’ll find another way.”

“But I could be so close. She could be right around the next bend, or—”

“Or she’s miles away,” I butt in. “Face it, Xander. They got too much of a head start, and without the tracker, we’re lost. There’s no way they’re still on the interstate. You would’ve caught up to them by now.”

“But—”

“We’re not giving up,” I tell him. “We’ll find her, I promise, but we need to be strategic about this. Come home, and we’ll have a plan by the time you’re back.”

“I can’t let her go.”

“You don’t have her anymore.” It’s Phil who says it, and while I can see how exhausted he is, his voice is gentle. “Not right now, anyway, and the fastest way to get her back is for you to listen to your friends.”

“Fine, but we need to act fast. If we’re right, then she could already be—”

“Don’t,” Lucas cuts in. “Rachel is here.”

“What?” Rachel asks. “Hey! I’m old enough! You don’t have to hide things from me.”

With a heavy sigh, Lucas wraps his arm around her. “You’ve been through enough.”

Rachel protests, but I tune her out and turn to Athelia. We need as much information about where Haven grew up as we can get.

“Did Haven ever tell you the name of the cult?” I ask her. I don’t even know if ithasa name, but if it does, Haven never told me.

Athelia shakes her head. “It never seemed relevant.”

“We have to figure out where it is,” I say. “It’s the only way we’re going to find her.”

Athelia gives me a hopeless look. “How are we going to do that? Haven never even told me what state she’s from! She hated talking about that place.”

I almost join in her downspiral before I remember how I met Haven—no,orchestratedour meeting.

“I can think of one person who knows exactly where it is,” I say.

“Who?”

“Julie.”

Haven

Ididn’tsayitback.

It’s all I can think about as we drive to Cornerstone in silence. Colton told me he loves me, and we got interrupted before I could tell him the same.

God, I’m an idiot. I should’ve just said it back immediately instead of getting lost in kissing him.

My heart aches as I realize I haven’t told Xander, either. And now… now I may never get to tell either of them how I feel.

The sun is setting by the time Dad pulls over the hill that leads into Cornerstone. It’s different now. Closed off.

Just as Julie described, a tall stone wall wraps around the community, and I stifle a gasp at the barbed wire on top. None of this was here when I left.

---