“Okay, no cutting things.”
He ran a hand through his hair. It stood on end and looked like he’d just climbed out of bed. I touched it as he settled in next to me.
“I’m sorry about this.”
“Wasn’t your fault.”
“But it was on my behalf. That’s what Missile gave me for her excuse.”
“That woman doesn’t need an excuse to fuck with me. I’m sure she’s wanted to do it for a long time.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Told you, it wasn’t— ”
I put my fingers on his mouth to shut him up. “I’m sorry.”
“Babe.” His eyes got soft. Then whether it was a trick of light, or the trauma of my past tainting my perception, they suddenly weren’t.
We started talking at the same time.
I motioned for him to continue.
“You need to disappear for a while.”
“What?” Of all the things I expected him to say, that wasn’t it.
“Just what I said. Right now, I got about five of my brothers searching the farm for you.”
My heart sped up. “Why?”
He shook his head. “Just get your shit together. I came to warn you.”
“But…” I couldn’t figure out why I was trying to argue with him. Maybe it was because I didn’t want things to end with him. Even though I had planned on it earlier.
“Nonno.” He offered as an explanation.
“Because he saw me with you?”
I brushed my fingers down his vest. The officer patch above his road name had been removed. “Wait, did you get elected or not?”
“Tits, we don’t have time for this. Just get going. I’ll run interference. Sprout has the others searching the house and the other end of the farm. Jackson is in the grow lab with Margaret. We got to get you gone.”
“No.”
“Meghan.”
“No, we’re going up to the house and talking to my sisters. I’m not just going to take off.” I did enough of a disappearing act yesterday. Which reminded me, I needed to loop them in on the operation I saw.
“You have to.” He interrupted my racing thoughts.
“Don’t tell me what I can and can’t do. I’ve fought too hard to be my own person to have someone take that away.”
“Which is exactly why I need you to disappear!”
“You are not making sense.” I poked him in the chest.
“I’ll give you sense.” He grabbed for me, but it turned into a wrestling match that put me under him.