Chapter 32
Chapter Thirty-Two
Bobby
The forest was a blur of movement, the sound of our frantic footsteps barely louder than the pounding of my own heartbeat.
The boys stumbled as they ran, their small bodies struggling to keep up, but there was no stopping.
Not now. Not when the shouts of the guards still echoed behind us, not when the air was thick with gunpowder and desperation.
My grip on Liam’s wrist was tight—too tight—but I couldn’t risk letting him go, couldn’t take the chance that I’d lose him again after finally getting him back.
He wasn’t fighting me, wasn’t resisting, just running because he knew he had no other choice.
Gabbi was right behind us, her breath sharp and uneven.
I didn’t need to look at her to know she was pushing herself to the limit, keeping pace with us despite exhaustion digging its claws into all of us.
The night was breaking, the sky shifting into that eerie pre-dawn gray that blurred the world between night and morning.
The trees loomed around us, thick and endless, the terrain turning rougher, the ground sloping upward as we climbed higher.
My body screamed for rest, but there was no time.
The kids were slowing down, barely able to keep going, and I knew we wouldn’t last much longer.
Then, through the tangle of trees and vines, I saw it—a break in the rock, half-hidden by thick brush, a dark hollow in the hillside. A cave. A hiding spot. A chance.
"There!" I barked, yanking Liam forward. The kids didn’t hesitate, following blindly, their small bodies pushing past me as I shoved aside branches, making way for them to get inside.
The cave was deeper than I expected, a gaping mouth of darkness swallowing them whole.
"Get in," I ordered, my voice sharp with urgency. "Stay low. Stay quiet."
Liam hesitated at the entrance, his wide eyes darting between me and the dark interior.
He looked scared, unsure. I crouched in front of him, gripping his shoulders tightly, making him look at me.
"You’re safe in there," I said, forcing my voice to be steady, controlled.
"No matter what happens, don’t come out until I tell you to. "
For a second, he didn’t move. Then, finally, he gave a small nod.
I exhaled sharply, pushing him gently inside. The other boys huddled together, barely making a sound. I turned to Gabbi, ready to pull her in after me, but the second I saw her, my gut twisted.
She wasn’t moving.
She stood at the entrance, her body still, her breathing too measured, her eyes locked on the path we had just come from. The tension in her shoulders was wrong, the way her fingers curled into fists against her sides like she was bracing for something.
"Gabbi," I said lowly, warning already laced in my tone.
She didn’t look at me.
"Go inside," she said.
Something sharp ran through me, something cold. My grip on my gun tightened, my body instinctively shifting forward, blocking her path. "The hell I will."
"They’re coming," she said, finally turning to me. Her chest rose and fell too fast, her breath uneven, but her eyes—her eyes were steady. Determined.
"Gabbi—"
"If we all go in, they’ll find us," she cut me off. "But they don’t know I’m with you."
I shook my head. "You think that matters?"
"It does." Her voice was firm, leaving no room for doubt. "I can lead them away. If they think I’m still part of the camp, they’ll believe me."
"No."
"Bobby—"
"No."
The word tore from my throat like a growl, low and dangerous. But Gabbi didn’t back down. She stepped closer, grabbing my arm, her fingers digging in, desperate.
"If I don’t do this, they’ll find us," she whispered, voice tight with urgency. "They’ll find the kids. They’ll take them back, and this will all be for nothing."
I clenched my jaw so hard it hurt, my pulse roaring in my ears. "You’re not doing this."
She exhaled sharply, frustration flashing across her face. "I have to. They’ll listen to me. If I act like I was chasing you, they won’t question it."
I didn’t fucking care if she was right. I didn’t care if it was the best plan we had. I didn’t care if it gave the kids a better chance. The thought of her walking back into the fire alone, standing in front of those men, lying to their faces, risking everything?—
"Like hell I’m letting you do this," I snapped.
Gabbi’s expression softened, but not with weakness. With understanding. With something heavy, something final.
She reached up, fingers brushing my jaw, grounding me for a second, just a second. "Bobby, please," she whispered.
Something broke inside me.
I wanted to fight her. I wanted to grab her, drag her into the cave, keep her there no matter what it cost us. But she wasn’t asking for permission. She had already made her choice.
Her other hand slid down my arm, and then—she shoved me.
Hard.
I stumbled backward, my boots skidding against the rocky ground as I fell into the entrance of the cave. She turned away before I could react, before I could stop her, before I could pull her back where she belonged.
Her body straightened. Her expression hardened.
And then—she walked away.
I clenched my fists so hard my knuckles ached, my teeth grinding together as I watched her disappear into the trees.
For a long, breathless second, everything was still. Then, her voice rang out.
"They went that way!" she shouted, loud, forceful, full of rage. "I saw them! Go!"
My stomach twisted violently.
The guards hesitated. I could hear their footsteps skidding to a stop somewhere beyond the trees. Someone barked a question. Then another.
"They ran north!" Gabbi’s voice was sharp, commanding. Convincing.
Silence.
Then—boots thudding against the ground.
They believed her.
They were running in the opposite direction.
I sucked in a sharp breath, pressing my back against the cave wall, my fingers gripping my gun so tightly it hurt.
It worked. It fucking worked.
The cave was quiet now, the kids barely breathing, huddled in the dark. Liam was watching me, his dark eyes too knowing, too familiar. He had seen everything. Understood everything.
Gabbi had bought us time. But how long before they realized she was lying?
My hands were still shaking.
I had never felt so goddamn helpless in my life.
And I hated her for it.
I hated her for leaving me.
I hated her for being right.
And more than anything, I hated myself for letting her go.