Chapter 72
LILY
Iwake alone in Mason's bed, the sheets cool where he slept next to me. The cottage is quiet. I can hear the distant sounds of the ranch outside, but in here it's just me, Shadow lying in the doorway, and the faint scent of coffee drifting up from downstairs.
I pick up my phone from the bedside table and blink when I see the time—nearly ten o’clock.
I haven’t slept in that long since I was a teenager.
I set my phone down and go to shower. After I clean up, I put one of Mason’s T-shirts on with a pair of sleep shorts, take my phone, and go downstairs to look for the coffee.
Shadow gets up and escorts me, like he’s my bodyguard. In the kitchen I find his food and fill up his plate before I pour myself a cup of coffee.
I’m curled up on the couch in the living room with my mug, checking email, when a text comes in.
Unknown Number
Still breathing?
It’s Wes. Like the ghost email accounts, Wes never uses a traceable phone to contact me. He cycles through burner phones every few days, so he set up a code so I’d know it was him. I open my messages and send him the reply that tells him I’m good.
Unfortunately.
Unknown Number
Got your email.
What’s up?
I press my thumbnail to the tip of my finger. He’s not going to be happy when he finds out what happened.
Kelly knows who I am.
The three dots appear immediately, then disappear. Then appear again. It takes almost a full minute before his response comes through.
Unknown Number
Explain.
Oh boy.
I had a call at Turner’s. Kelly recognized me.
Unknown Number
Fuck, Lil.
What did he say?
He remembered Mandy.
Unknown Number
Did he make a move to detain you?
A ranch hand interrupted with an emergency and I got out right away.
Unknown Number
Kelly reports directly to Turner. If he recognized you, Turner knows by now.
Probably knew last night. Definitely knows this morning.
That means Kelly and Turner aren’t the targets anymore. You are. Turner will move to contain or eliminate you.
You’re in deep, kid. We need to extract you.
The thought of leaving Iron Ridge and Mason makes me inhale sharply.
I don’t need to leave yet. I'm safe here.
Mason brought me to Blackthorn Ranch last night.
Unknown Number
Fucking hell.
Ever hear the phrase “out of the frying pan and into the fryer”?
They’re not that bad.
Unknown Number
That depends on your perspective.
One thing is sure. Turner's reach is extensive but he won't move openly on Callahan's ranch without significant provocation.
Do NOT leave that property without armed escort.
But, Lily, you aren’t safe there if Kelly and Turner believe you have intimate knowledge of their trafficking network.
I'm about to respond when I hear the front door of the cottage open. I turn as Mason steps into the living room, his jaw set, every muscle coiled. His eyes find mine immediately.
I hop up and hurry to him. “What’s wrong?”
"Turner's back on his ranch."
The words hit like a physical blow.
My phone buzzes in my hand.
Unknown Number
Lily? You still there?
“Hold on,” I tell Mason, texting Wes that I need to go and I’ll contact him later. “I don’t want to worry Wes.”
“Who’s Wes?”
"My friend with the FBI." I hold up the phone so Mason can see. "He’s the one who helped me start fresh after I escaped."
Mason’s expression goes flat the second I say FBI.
Not angry. Worse: Assessing.
He crosses his arms. “Why didn’t you tell me you still had contact with him?”
The cottage suddenly feels too small, too hot. I tighten my grip on the phone. “It’s habit. I didn’t mean anything by it. The less people know about Wes, the safer he stays.”
He closes his eyes for a second. Then he steps closer, close enough that I can feel the tension pouring off him in waves, and gently takes my arms. “And what happens if Turner tracked you from him?”
I blink in shock. “He wouldn’t give me up.”
“No, but you don’t know who he works with or how much they know.” He kisses my forehead. “A federal badge doesn’t make him safe, Lily. It just makes him another man with access.”
“Wes isn’t like that,” I protest.
“Maybe not.” His eyes say he doesn’t believe it though. “He’s still required to report crime. How do you think that’s going to work if you go ahead with your plan for Kelly and Turner?”
“I hate logic.” I scowl up at him.
The corner of his mouth ticks up. “I’m just asking you to reframe things. Our success going in tomorrow depends on stealth. The fewer people who know about it, the safer everyone is, and the fewer repercussions there are.”
Taking a deep breath, I nod as I exhale. “Okay.”
“You agree?” he asks, studying me.
“Only because I trust you.”
“Thank you.” He lowers his mouth to mine, like he’s sealing it with a kiss.