Chapter 49
N ick could have held Amiya in his arms for an eternity. She felt so vital, so alive—as if she were the only thing in his life that was truly real. He buried his face in her hair, and she twined her arms around his back. Her body shook with sobs, and he realized that he was crying, too.
There were others standing around them, but at that moment, none of that mattered to Nick.
One of his unspoken fears had been that he would never hold Amiya in his arms again.
It took feeling her body against him to draw the true depths of his emotions to the surface. They had stunned him to silence.
“I love you,” Amiya whispered. “You have no idea how much.”
“I’m so sorry,” he said, his breaths getting snagged in his chest. Tears blinded him. “I’m so sorry, baby.”
“Nothing to be sorry for,” she said.
“I need to tell you why I wanted to sell the land. The truth.”
Amiya drew back, blinking away tears. She put her finger against his lips.
“You wanted the money, for whatever reason you lied about,” she said. “It doesn’t matter anymore. What’s going on here is so much bigger, Nick.”
“I need to tell you.”
“Then tell me when we’re back home, safe.” Worry tainted her eyes. “We’re not out of the woods here yet.”
“I promise I will, babe.”
“Your granddad?” she asked, after a hesitation. “Did you ever find him?”
“He’s back home. It’s a long story. But he knows what’s going on out here and I’m going to put an end to it for good.”
From somewhere behind them, Nick heard a scream. It wasn’t like the cries of hysteria issuing from the long-term captives of the estate. It was a shriek of unholy rage.
“That’s Miss Lula,” Raven said.
“She’s pissed off for real,” the young man who had been with Amiya said. He glanced at Nick. “I’m Ossie. You set off the bomb, didn’t you?”
“Homemade fireworks,” Nick said. “You know Raven?”
“I got stuck here after she got out, but I’ve heard about her.” He gave Raven a brief smile. “You’re kinda like a legend here.”
“Good to know, but we better get out of here, y’all,” Raven said. “When Miss Lula comes through that door down the hall, she’s gonna be like a hurricane.”
“Let her come, then.” Nick pumped the shotgun. “I’ve done enough running.”