Page 39 of Escaped
“Where are you planning on going?”Owen’s tone was knowing, as though he realized we were only lurching from one crisis to the next.
“We didn’t have a plan beyond coming here.”
I cringed at Erin’s admission.She seemed incapable of keeping any cards close to her chest where her brother was concerned.
“We’ll need to go back to the cabin,” I replied, thinking out loud.“Both of our possessions are still there.”
“I wouldn’t recommend any hiking in your condition, Eli.”Owen smiled, but I wasn’t sure the gesture reached his eyes.“At least, not for a few days.”
A few days?
He had to be joking.I wasn’t staying anywhere I didn’t know for that long.
“Why don’t the two of you stay here?”Owen’s shrug was nonchalant, but I couldn’t help thinking the suggestion had been his plan all along.He was clearly concerned about the company his sister was keeping and wanted to have her close.“I have plenty of space, and honestly, Erin, it would be a real comfort to have you here while we plan Mum’s funeral.”
“What do you think?”Erin spun toward me, her eyes excited, despite her obvious upset.“We don’t have anywhere better to be.”
“Gee, thanks.”Owen shook his head with a laugh.
“You know what I mean.”
She swatted his chest playfully, the look in her gaze reminiscent of the woman I’d first harbored from the snow, rather than the one who’d been forced to fend off Hawkins.
“Yeah, yeah,” Owen replied, pretending to still be offended by his sister’s choice of vocabulary.
Watching their interaction with interest, I pondered what the best course of action was.The last twelve hours had taken it out of Erin and me, and my body would definitely benefit from the rest in comparative luxury, but I couldn’t shake the sense that Owen didn’t trust me.
I bit down on the smirk that wanted to rise at that realization.Whywouldhe trust me?
I’d arrived with his sister, a victim of a mysterious gunshot wound, and our story, though true, was fanciful.I’d have probably thought less of him if he had trusted me, but still, the nagging apprehension loitered.
If I couldn’t trust him, then I didn’t know what he’d do next.He could take our admission to the authorities, and even without proof, they might be inclined to investigate.Scanning the space, my gaze landed on the jug of water he’d dropped the bullet into.With the right tests, that ammo could reveal something about the weapon it was fired from and potentially lead back to Hawkins.
I prickled at the idea.I might have loathed the bastard and wished him dead, but that didn’t mean I wanted the police crawling over his place like ants.The line of work Hawkins, Baron, and I had met in avoided the scrutiny of the police at all costs.They had no feel for nuance and only saw the world in black and white, legal terms.If they got into Hawkins’ bunker, who knew what else they’d drag up and how many hours their endless questions would go on for?When I’d been employed, I’d had professional impunity from prosecution, but so long in the wilderness meant no such offer still existed, and after finally finding a woman like Erin, I simply wasn’t prepared to do jail time for the things I’d done.
Coward.
The accusation bounced around my head.
Perhaps I was a coward, but I was a smart and practical one.If there was a way out of prosecution, I was going to take it.She deserved to avoid prison more than I did.
“Eli?”
Lifting my head, I realized both of them were watching me expectantly.“Sorry, what?”
“Shall we stay?”
Her tone was imploring, and I noticed the confusion in Owen’s eyes.Apparently, he couldn’t decide why his sister needed my permission to do anything.
If he only knew…
There had been a time not so long before when his sister had knelt and begged on my command.I hoped I’d see that devotion from her again.
“Let’s stay tonight and see how we feel in the morning,” I suggested.
It was the only realistic option.Time was marching on, and neither of us had rested or eaten, plus, Erin had just discovered she’d lost her mother.I was sure time with her brother would help to ease that pain, and it would give me the opportunity to find out more about her and who she was before she stumbled into my big, bad world.
“Perfect.”Owen clapped his hands as he rose to his feet.“I’ll put the kettle on.”
