I shake my head no.
“In case everything goes to shit and you need to get the hell out of here, take this. There’s cash, supplies, a phone, and a phone number in it. Remember I told you I don’t trust many people?”
I nod as he unzips the bag and holds up a folded piece of paper.
“I trust him. Anything happens to me and I don’t come back for you, you take this and you run.”
“I run?” My mind is racing, trying to process everything. “Run where? If what happens to you? Why wouldn’t you come back for me? I’ll never find my way out of these woods. If you don’t come back for me, I’ll die here.”
Liam stands, walking over to me and placing a steadying hand on each shoulder. “Listen, I understand this is scary shit and I’m sorry I can’t hold your hand through it right now, but I can’t. I have to leave. And I have to leave here knowing that if anything happens to me, you know what to do.”
I shake my head in denial, but he ignores me.
“If anything happens and I don’t come back, call this number. Tell him what happened and who you are. He might not believe you. This isn’t really my style. In that case, tell him…” He pauses, thinking. “Ask him how the ladies like the scar I gave him,” he decides with a faint smile.
“That sounds like a good story. See, or you could scrap this whole work thing and stay here and tell me the story.” Nodding enthusiastically, I say, “I vote that.”
Tenderly caressing my jaw with his thumb, he tells me, “When I come back for you I’ll tell you the story.”
But what if you don’t? It’s right on the tip of my tongue, but I’m terrified speaking the words will invite the possibility into the universe.
“Please don’t go,” I say instead.
He drops his hand and I miss the contact instantly.
Turning away from me, he retrieves the bag. “There’s a compass in here. You can keep heading east and you’ll make it out of the woods eventually. If you have to call Ryder, tell him that I want you to have the sunset house and you need him to help you get there. Whatever’s left that’s mine, you can have. There’s a go-bag there, too, under the floor in a closet, but you shouldn’t need one. It’s safe and secure and really nice there. It’s on the beach. You’ll like it.”
“Don’t talk about it like I’m going there. I don’t want to go to any beach house unless you’re going with me.”
He ignores me again. “I have an account, a bank account. Ryder’s on it. Tell him to give half to you.”
I don’t want to listen to anymore of this.
“Why do you have to go back?” I demand. “Who cares if you don’t? Let’s go to the beach house now. We can tell each other all the stories we want and have sex and eat food that isn’t canned, or is canned, I don’t care. Just don’t go. If there’s even a chance I’d have to use a go-bag and run away without you, it isn’t worth it. Stay with me.”
“I can’
t. I have to finish this.”
“Says who?”
He shakes his head, remorseful but resolved. “Now that I’ve done this, saved you like this, crossed your family… I need to do this now more than ever.”
“What are you doing?”
I feel dread just asking, like I don’t really want the answer. But more than that I want to be armed with the same information he has, so I can talk him out of his own thought process.
“I won’t tell you that. You’ll figure it out after, but… You’re not going to change my mind and I don’t want you to look at me differently, so let’s just leave it at that.”
“I won’t.”
“Just… Annabelle, I have to leave. I don’t have time to argue with you.”
“I know you’re going to kill someone,” I continue. “Just tell me who. Is it Pietro? It has to be Pietro, right? You were afraid I was going to report back to him.”
Instead of answering, he kisses me. I expect it to be a short, just to shut me up kind of kiss, but he lingers, and I’m already scared, so that scares me more. I hold onto him as he deepens the kiss, moan as he backs me up against the wall, and take him eagerly, greedily when he drops his jeans and pushes inside me.
I want to fight or fuck or do whatever it takes to keep him from leaving.