Tย he way Vera walked through the forest was so similar to how Cormac moved it was uncanny. She picked her steps deliberately. There was no hiding our tracks in the snow, but still, she stepped carefully, the only sound the crunch of ice beneath her boots.
Her pace was quick but not rushed. Her gaze swept back and forth through the trees, searching for threats and noting landmarks.
Heโd taught her a lot these past four years, hadnโt he? โYouโve been living out here,โ I said.
โYes.โ Vera glanced over her shoulder, keeping her voice low as she spoke. Habit, no doubt. Cormac had taught her to live out here undetected, and heโd done a damn fine job.
โFor how long?โ
โWeโve been in Montana for two years, I think? I lost track. Dad knows.โ
I hummed.
Behind me, Lyla stayed close. Her cheeks were flushed as she followed my steps. She had to be tired from earlier, but she marched on, her strength and resilience as breathtaking as her beauty.
โGood?โ I asked, stretching a hand for hers. She took it and nodded. โGood.โ
โWe can slow down.โ Vera stopped ahead of us, turning to face us. โIโm always the one trying to keep up, so I know how it feels. Sorry.โ
โIโm okay,โ Lyla said.
I tightened my grip on hers, then waved for Vera to continue.
Sheโd slow down. I knew before she even took a single step that sheโd slow down for Lyla. That sweet heart of hers was still there, despite everything that had happened.
Everything she wouldnโt tell me.
โHow often do you come to town?โ I asked.
Maybe the two times Iโd seen that red hair in Quincy hadnโt been my imagination or a stranger. Maybe it really had been Vera.
โUsually once a month,โ she said.
โFor tampons,โ Lyla whispered so quietly only I could hear. There was a box in those bags she carried.
โDoes your dad come along?โ โNever,โ Vera said.
Lyla and I shared a look. So that was part of how heโd survived out here. Heโd had Vera sneak into Quincy, where sheโd just be any normal face.
Only not to me. Had I not come to Montana, no one would ever have suspected she was the link to a killer.
Was he a killer?
โHow do you pay for things?โ Lyla asked.
โCash. Dad took as much as he could when we left Idaho. That ran out a while back so he, um . . .โ
โRobbed a gas station in Oregon,โ I finished. Vera cringed. โHow did you know?โ
โI went to Oregon.โ
She stopped, turning to face us again. โHe said thereโd always be people chasing us. I didnโt believe him. I figured after this long, weโd be forgotten. But Dad is always careful, just in case. I guess he was right. That was you, wasnโt it? You left the game camera by the stream where we put a fish trap.โ
Fuck.ย โHe saw the camera.โ
โThis morning.โ She nodded. โHe said he felt like someone was watching him, so he circled back once the sun came up. Found it.โ
He must have come up on the back side, otherwise my alarm would have gone off again.
โYeah,โ I told her. โThat was me.โ
Veraโs shoulders slumped. โWeโre leaving because of it. Today was my last trip to town.โ
Damn. How fucking lucky was it that Lyla had wanted to walk along Main?
โDadโs been strange lately,โ Vera said. โHe wouldnโt tell me why, but heโs kept us close to the shelter. Heโs sent me to town more often than usual for supplies. Iโve had to take different, longer routes to make sure no one
would be able to follow me back. I thought it was just normal prep for winter. Stocking up on food and batteries and first-aid supplies. But he went out to check the trap this morning and came back panicked. Said we had to leave. I think heโs been preparing for it for weeks but didnโt want to tell me.โ
Cormac had been acting strange because of Lyla, hadnโt he? But he hadnโt told Vera what heโd done. About the river. Maybe heโd expected the local teams to give up their search. To be fair, heโd been right.
Except he hadnโt counted on me.
โWeโre almost there.โ Vera looked right, then left. โI think it would be best if you gave me a minute.โ
โIโm not letting you out of my sight.โ I loved Vera, but this entire situation was fucked up.
For all I knew, sheโd been leading us nowhere. Weโd parked nearly a mile away from where Iโd been searching. As much as I loved her, I didnโt trust her. There was a very real chance that the minute she was out of sight, sheโd disappear again.
Cormac would have taught her how to hide. Even from me.
โFigured youโd say that.โ She blew out a long breath, then cupped her hands over her mouth, letting out a piercing whistle.
The sound bounced off trees and rocks, until the wilderness swallowed it whole. We stood in silence, the only sound my pounding heart.
Then it came, faint and almost inaudible. Another whistle.
โHeโs coming,โ Vera said, giving me a pleading look. โJust hide behind a tree or something. Let me warn him first. Please?โ
โVera,โ I warned.
โIโm not going to run off, Uncle Vance. I promise.โ
For fuckโs sake.ย โFine,โ I clipped, leading Lyla to a large pine tree. I positioned her back to its trunk, standing in front of her, both as a shield and so I could keep an eye on Vera.
โYou can stay right here,โ I told Lyla. โYou donโt have to see him.โ โYes, I do.โ Her response didnโt surprise me in the least.
โOkay.โ I pressed a kiss to her forehead, then adjusted my grip on her hand. No matter what, I wouldnโt let it go.
โYouโre late.โ Cormacโs voice filled the air.
My frame locked. That voice was the same as I remembered, yet different. Panicked. Haggard.
โAre you okay?โ he asked Vera. โWhat happened? I was getting worried.โ
โIโm okay,โ Vera said.
โWe gotta go. Itโll be dark soon. Give me those bags. Iโll carry them.โ โDad, wait.โ
โWhat?โ
I didnโt wait for Vera to make a big announcement. I took one sideways step, coming out from behind the tree, and facing the manโmy friend, my brother, the one Iโd prayed to find for four years.
โVance.โ Cormac stiffened, but otherwise, he didnโt look shocked. That changed when Lyla stepped out from behind the tree. That was when Cormacโs face paled.
I clutched Lylaโs hand, watching as she raised her chin. Watching as she leveled him with a cool glare.
Thatโs my girl.ย I was so goddamn proud of her. Heโd beaten me. Iโd let him win.
Not Lyla. Right here, right now, she was taking back her power. She was taking back what heโd stolen.
Fuck, but I loved her.
I was in love with Lyla Eden. I had been for weeks.
Cormac snapped out of his trance, reaching for Vera. He took her by the arm, pulling her behind him and the pack strapped to his back. โGet out of here, Vera. Run. Now.โ
โNo.โ She shook her head.
โGo.โ He shoved her so hard she nearly stumbled. โDad, stop!โ
โWait.โ I took a step, holding up my free hand. โI just want to talk.โ โVera, run!โ Cormacโs bellow was pained and frantic.
Tears sprang to Veraโs eyes as her hands balled into fists, her head shaking. โNo. No more running.โ
โYou have to leave.โ
She didnโt move. โWe canโt keep doing this.โ
โWe have to, love.โ Cormac was just as broad and tall as he had been years ago. But he looked smaller now. Broken by guilt and sorrow.
โI wonโt say anything.โ Lylaโs voice was steady. โIf thatโs what youโre worried about, I wonโt tell anyone that I saw you or Vera. But you owe Vance the truth.โ
Here she was, fighting for me, not herself.
How was I supposed to walk away from her now? I squeezed her hand tighter.
Cormac stared at Lyla, apology written on his scarred face. He turned that same apology to his daughter. โI just want to keep you safe.โ
โI know, Daddy.โ She reached out and clutched his hand. โBut Iโm so tired. Please. Talk to Uncle Vance.โ
The faith she had in me to fix this was staggering. I clung to Lylaโs hand, borrowing a bit of her strength, as I faced Cormac.
How long had I hoped for this? To come face to face with him?
It was nothing like Iโd expected. Nothing like Iโd planned for. I stared at him and didnโt see a cold-blooded killer. I didnโt see a man whoโd betrayed my friendship. I didnโt see a liar or manipulator.
I saw a desperate father.
โPlease,โ Vera whispered.
I knew before he nodded that heโd say yes. It was impossible to say no to that girl sometimes.
He cupped her cheek. โOkay.โ
She leaned into him, her eyes closing.
He took the plastic bags from her, putting them in his pack. Then with it slung on his shoulders again, he turned and led his daughter through the trees, ordering, โFollow me.โ
I took a step, expecting Lyla to stay beside me, but her feet seemed glued to the snow. Maybe Iโd stolen too much of her strength. โHey.โ
Her eyes shifted to mine. โI should hate him. Why donโt I hate him?โ โWhy donโt I?โ
Lyla looked behind us. โCan you find our way back to the truck at night?โ
โYeah, Blue.โ I bent to kiss the top of her head. โWe wonโt get lost.โ
We walked hand in hand, following Cormac and Vera until the forest got thicker and thicker, forcing us into a single-file line.
Not wanting Lyla to be last, I put her in front of me, one eye trained constantly on Cormac. There were a lot of unknowns here, but without a doubt, heโd hurt her once. I wouldnโt let him do it again.
The sun was sinking toward the horizon, the light dimming. Yet we walked and walked, pushing hard to wherever Cormac and Vera were taking us.
Lyla slipped on a patch of ice, her foot sliding out from beneath her. I rushed to catch her and help her to her feet. โYou okay?โ
She was out of breath but nodded. โIโm good.โ
Vera, who walked behind Cormac, turned back, offering Lyla a kind smile. Sheโd slowed earlier but wouldnโt ask her dad to take it easy now. So we hiked at a punishing pace up the steep terrain.
The trees were so thick that there were patches where the snow hadnโt reached yet. Theyโd get covered as winter progressed, but for now, the dirt and pinecones and needles were only covered in a thick frost.
โStay off the snow,โ Cormac said. โFollow only where I step.โ
Lyla glanced back, and when I nodded, she did as heโd ordered. A few stretches were so wide that both she and Vera had to jump.
We continued for another quarter of a mile like that until we reached an outcropping of rocks that broke through the trees.
Cormac stopped, shifting the pack off a shoulder to dig out a spray bottle. Inside was a clear liquid.
โWhatโs he doing?โ Lyla asked, panting as we stopped. โItโs bleach and water,โ he said. โUp you go, love.โ
Vera nodded, then slipped past him to scale a section of the rock that was about eight feet tall, using a few notches and footholds to climb its flat face. When she reached the top, she lay on her stomach, stretching for the pack he hoisted up.
โYouโre next.โ Cormac jerked his chin for Lyla to follow, but that would mean passing him. Being within armโs reach.
โLyla.โ I shifted in front of her. โHer name is Lyla Eden.โ
Cormac met my gaze, cowering slightly. Then he dipped his chin. โLyla Eden. Iโm sorry for what I did at the river.โ
โWhat are you talking about?โ Vera asked. โWhat happened at the river?โ
He looked up at her. โIโll explain later. Weโre running out of light and need to hurry.โ
โWe wonโt be going home tonight, will we?โ Lyla asked me. โNot likely.โ
She shuffled closer to my backpack.
โYou guys climb up. Vera, keep going. Iโll catch up.โ Cormac walked past us, giving Lyla a wide berth. He descended the slope about twenty yards, then began spraying the bleach water over the ground before he jogged even further away.
โWhatโs he doing?โ Lyla asked Vera.
โHeโll go run in a loop to leave his scent in a circle. If a dog comes up here, it wonโt know exactly what direction to choose.โ
โAnd the bleach?โ
โHe says it can mess with a dogโs nose. Overpower their senses.โ
โDamn.โ So that was how heโd masked his scent with the dogs. And on top of that, heโd chosen a path no dog could follow up that rock face.
โCome on.โ I nudged Lyla forward. โIโll help you up.โ
Beyond the rock face was nothing but steep, wet rocks. There were no trees here, just jagged terrain that would be hell to descend.
Yeah, not a chance weโd be leaving tonight. Not in the dark.
Vera climbed, somehow finding a path between the rocks, probably because sheโd done this a hundred times. And about fifteen minutes later, Cormac cleared his throat behind me.
I wasnโt sure what else heโd done to mask our scents but I suspected that if anyone came looking for us tonight or tomorrow morning, theyโd find a trail of prints in the snow that just . . . stopped.
Lylaโs breathing became labored as we climbed. She pushed a lock of sweaty hair off her temple.
โWant a break?โ I asked. She shook her head.
โWeโre almost there,โ Vera told us.
The scent of snow and rock and wind filled the air. I breathed in the cold air, hovering close to Lyla with my hands at the ready in case she slipped.
When I glanced back at Cormac, his gaze was glued on Lyla. On my hands. โYouโre together.โ
โYeah.โ And if he came near her, if he so much as looked at her the wrong way or made her uncomfortable, Iโd slit his fucking throat.
Cormac nodded and backed off, giving us more space.
We hiked for another ten minutes until the ground leveled off into a canyon between cliffs. Clusters of trees and bushes grew on the canyonโs
floor. I scanned the area, assuming weโd keep going, but did a double take when I spotted a shelter tucked against a massive rock.
The hut was larger than Iโd expected. It had four walls all made from small tree trunks. The roof was covered in moss and foliage to keep the heat inside.
Cormac had built his daughter a home.
It was far from any known trail. No one would see it from an aerial view. And given the winding, miserable path to get here, it was unlikely any random hiker or hunter would make it this far.
No wonder theyโd lived here undetected for two years.
Veraโs frame relaxed as we strode toward the shelter. She opened the door, holding it open for Lyla. โCome on in.โ
Lyla ducked past her, stepping inside. Vera followed.
I hung back, and when Cormac was close enough, I struck so fast he never saw it coming. My fist slammed into his nose.
Blood gushed from his nostrils, dripping down his chin. โFuck,โ he hissed, pinching it with both hands.
โThat was for Lyla, you motherfucker.โ