Chapter 16
Aubree
I’d never admit this to anyone ever, but I’m afraid. I’m terrified. However, having Boone go into this all protective alpha hero is kind of a turn on. I’m loving it, and I feel so guilty about it.
The cabin is quiet, the kind of stillness that’s too heavy, too suffocating. I’m sitting on the couch, my knees pulled up to my chest, staring at the empty space in front of me. I’m not sure if it’s the events of the day or just the weight of everything I’ve been through lately, but I’m too scared to go to bed.
I keep replaying what happened earlier. I know Boone was right—he couldn’t catch him, and I know he’s trying to keep me calm, but my mind keeps racing. I can’t shake the feeling that whoever was watching us, whoever was lurking out there, knows more than they should. They know too much .
I stand up to pace, needing to move, to do something to distract myself from the fear building in my chest. But the sound of Boone’s boots on the porch pulls me from my thoughts. He’s back. I feel a strange relief at hearing him, but also a sense of tension that hasn’t eased.
When he steps inside, his face is hard, his posture tense, but his eyes soften when they meet mine.
“Everything okay?” I ask, my voice sounding small in the vast quiet of the cabin.
“Yeah. I checked the perimeter again. Everything’s locked up tight.” He shrugs off his jacket, but I can see it’s not just the cabin he’s worried about. His gaze flicks to me, and I know he’s trying to gauge if I’m okay.
I sit back down on the couch, trying to calm my nerves. “I just... I couldn’t sleep. It feels too... off, you know?”
Boone nods, his eyes still assessing me like he’s searching for any sign of distress. Then, he hesitates before speaking again, his voice a little too formal. “Who paid for your pizza shop?”
I blink, not expecting that question. “My mother. She used the money she got from my father’s death.”
His eyebrows furrow, and he tilts his head slightly. “What about your stepfather? What does he do?”
I hesitate. There’s always been tension between me and my stepfather. He’s not around much, hasn’t been for years. He’s always been a businessman, more concerned with his career than his family. “He’s... he’s in real estate. He doesn’t really talk to me much.”
Boone seems to process that, and I can see the wheels turning in his head. I don’t know what he's thinking, and it’s making me uneasy. “What are you thinking?” I ask, my voice more abrupt than I intend.
Boone’s eyes lock with mine, and for a moment, I swear I can feel the weight of everything in his gaze. He’s quiet for a long time, his jaw clenched like he’s battling with something he’s not sure he wants to say. “I’m not sure yet,” he says finally, his tone low.
I feel my stomach tighten at his response. It’s not the reassurance I was hoping for. He’s still trying to figure me out, trying to connect the dots, and I can’t help but feel like I’m a part of something bigger than I understand.
“Do you think it’s safe to stay here?” I ask, the words escaping before I can stop them.
Boone exhales slowly, running a hand through his hair. “I was wondering how they found you,” he mutters, almost to himself. His eyes flick toward me, sharp. “How they found us.”
“Boone, what’s going on?” I ask, my voice almost desperate.
After a long moment, Boone finally speaks. “I’m calling Dean,” he says, his voice clipped, the tone one I’ve come to associate with urgency.
He uses his phone to call Dean and waits for the line to connect, his eyes never leaving mine. “Dean,” he says as soon as the call picks up, his voice calm but with an edge to it. “We’ve got a situation. I’m going to need you to check something for me.”
He pauses, listening intently to whatever Dean is saying on the other end of the line.
Boone launches into the details of the night, making my skin crawl with panic. As soon as he’s done, he listens to Dean for a while.
“I need to know who all has this location.” Boone nods. “Right. Yes.” Boone moves toward his room in the back. “Got it. We’re leaving now.”
My eyes widen because things have gone from safe to not safe in a matter of seconds. Who is doing this to me? I’m starting to fear I’ll never find out.