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Tears were running down my face. They had probably tried to get information from her. It wasall my fault. I knelt down and squeezed her hand. “Thank you,” I whispered, then I left without looking next door, at the house that I’d grown up in.

That part of my life was over now.

I had to get out of town as quickly as possible.

At least I got to keep the car and I was grateful for that.

Taking the back roads, I kept my eyes glued to the road, checking the mirror every few minutes to ensure I wasn’t being followed. I’d taken Mrs. Anderson’s shotgun and whenever I needed reassuring, I glanced at it on the back seat.

It wouldn’t be enough to save me if I was attacked by a pack of wolves but it could help fight off one or two men or create an opportunity for escape.

I drove to the correctional facility where my father was held, on the other side of the county in Wellington. Then, I made sure to park the car in the town center and took a bus to the prison, wearing the wig and some clothes I’d picked off a clothes line.

I signed into the prisoner visiting logbook and asked to see my father.

I was taken to a secure room with chairs and tables and waited for my father to arrive. It was a long wait.

He didn’t recognize me, looking around the room, trying to spot his visitor. I lifted my hand and waved. He walked closer towards me but I could see he didn’t know who I was. This pleased me, the disguise was obviously working.

“It’s me, Ruby,” I said, when he got close.

“Rubes?” I was not prepared for his response. Tears flooded his eyes as he grabbed me and held me close, almost crushing me in his embrace. The guards told him to let me go and pulled me away roughly when he would not stop hugging me.

We sat down.

He looked different, older and thinner.

“How are you?” I asked.

He was grinning, “Well, well! Look at you!”

I touched the wig self-consciously. “I was trying my hand at a bit of disguise.”

“It worked, Rubes! Never woulda taken you for a blonde!”

I smiled. It was good to see him, although the years had taken their toll.

I told my dad of what was going on, with the shifters and the vampires being at war and how I’d refused to go to the ranch with Danny, that there had been a fight and that he was dead.

My father’s smile disappeared.

He hung his head, disappointed.

“Shit, Rubes, that’s bad.”

I hadn’t even told him about Luc.

“You shouldn’t have come here,” he then said in a low voice. “There are shifters everywhere, they’ll find you.”

“I wanted to tell you that I’ve moved mom somewhere safe,” I said, ignoring him “and I’m going to go find a job near her. When it’s safe, I’ll let you know where it is.”

“They won’t let you go,” my father said, in a flat voice. “You know they won’t. Not if Danny’s dead. They’ll blame you and you know what they say.”

I nodded. “Blood wants blood.”

If I was held responsible for his death, then I would have to give my life to atone for the loss of his.

“There is something else,” I said, taking a breath. I told him of my involvement with Luc, not that we slept together but that I’d helped him.