She opened up a new message.
Hey Bro,
Be nice to your new “friends.”
Things here are good. I'm safe and far away. It's really beautiful. I'll take you here someday.
I haven't had anything bad happen, so you don't have to worry about me. Things actually seem to be looking up for a change. I'll let you know if anything changes. Until then, stay safe.
Love you.
There was so much more that she wanted to write. She wanted to tell him about Dylan and her car. She wanted to let him know that the house and the fire were taken care of. She wanted to tell him that she'd gotten a job and that she was actually verging on being happy, despite everything.
But she didn't dare.
If they managed to get their hands on these emails, they could use that information. Neither one of them wanted to risk any extra information getting out, so they made sure to cover their tracks and give as little detail as possible.
So, she didn't tell her brother what was going on in her life. She hated not being able to talk to him. Even though they were night and day opposites, Brett had her back. He looked out for her, and she looked out for him. They were family.
It was why she was on the run. If they captured her, Brett would do anything to save her. He would hold his testimony to keep her safe. She knew that if their situations were reversed, she would do the same. It was what siblings did for one another.
So, since the police couldn't protect her, she was on the run. She was going to keep her brother safe by not being found. She knew she could do it, even though it was hard.
She looked out the small window at the dark green pines and the bright blue sky. She was safe here. They would never find her here. For the first time since the fire, she felt like making it to the trial was possible.
Chapter 9
Bonnie
Bonnie fell effortlessly into the rhythm of the camp. By day four of working in the kitchen, she was joking with Chef and already knew all the names of the horses in the barn. She worked her tail off washing dishes and making request meals for the camp kids. Anything Chef asked her to do she did as quickly and efficiently as possible.
She felt safe here. There wasn’t a whisper of her former life. She secretly started to wish that the part for the dish-washing machine would keep getting delayed. She didn’t want to leave this place.
Bonnie picked up another bowl and quickly scrubbed, rinsed, and placed it on the drying rack. Only fifty more bowls to go for lunch, she thought.
She paused and saw Dylan walk past the window with a gaggle of children at his heels. He never seemed to be far from her during the day. She wanted to imagine that it was on purpose, but it was far more likely that he just liked being in the garage or out with the camp kids.
The kitchen doors opened, and Mia strode in right as the lunch rush finished. Today her daughter was with her husband, and she was running around the camp getting things done.
“I have good news and bad news,” Mia announced. Everyone turned to look at her. The kitchen became quiet except for the sounds of the food sizzling on the grill and the wat
er filling the sink.
“Well, start with the bad news,” Chef replied, crossing her arms across her chest. She held her heavy wooden spoon like a sword.
“Chef, you’re losing your human dishwasher,” Mia told the kitchen staff. Her face was stern and businesslike. “She can’t be in the kitchen anymore.”
The news hit Bonnie harder than she had expected it to. She didn’t want to leave this place. She knew this was only temporary, but she certainly wasn’t ready to go yet. She wasn’t ready to run again.
“What?” Chef hurried over to Bonnie and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. Bonnie leaned in, taking strength from the older woman. “No. I like her. She stays, Mia.”
“Chef, the dishwasher part came,” Mia replied gently. “Dylan’s coming to install it now.”
“What about Bonnie?” Chef’s arm tightened around Bonnie. Bonnie’s throat was thick, and she was glad she didn’t have to say anything. She wasn’t sure if she would be able to say anything without crying.
Mia walked over to stand in front of Chef. Her face twitched with a smile, betraying the stern, business-like look she currently wore.
“That’s the good news,” Mia told the two of them. “Her background check came through today.”