Page 167 of Chalk Outline

Knuckles under my chin, he nudges me to look up into his eyes. They hold intensity and love only he can master. “If you cry, I’ll wipe your tears. If someone threatens you, I’ll snuff them out. If you bleed, I’ll stitch you up. If you lose that smile, I’ll put it right back. I’ll do anything for you, Winona. I’ll take your fear and set you free from it.”

His voice slithers into my bones, leaving a lasting mark.

“We don’t need to go to the prison.” I need to say that. Establish that we can spend what’s left of the contract and return home together. “We can spend our time together until the end of the year and then go back home. Or anywhere we want to.”

Now, his eyes look torn, and the pang in my chest feels brutal.

“I want to show you something.” His voice drops, but stays sharp as the energy around us shifts.

More tears blur my vision.

I don’t say the words, but my eyes beg him.Please don’t leave me again.

Chapter thirty-three

Reeve Hardy

My Spirit — Lacuna Coil

I lift Winona’s trembling body to straddle my hips. She clings to me like a little koala, tears shimmering in her eyes, and I want to rip my heart out of my chest and give it to her.

I want to be with her, but I can’t go back before I finish what I started.

I pick Mona up from the ground along with my thigh bag and clothes. The silence between us grows as Winona closes her eyes. I let Mona crawl onto the tree where I built the trap. I’ll take her when we go back to the tower. Next, I gather the rifle, radios, and the holster I left earlier from the ground.

“I love you,” I whisper as I head down the mountain.

Winona only saw a fraction of this place. She hasn’t seen the mountains surrounding us, the beautiful ridges on the horizon covered in snow in winter and green in summer. The streamsthat flow through the valleys. The colorful paths that lead to the shore. And the many wonders of this place.

I circle a few trees and grab a duffel bag I hid for us. It contains clean clothes, towels, water, food, and weapons. I push the rest of our belongings inside and sling the bag over my shoulder as I continue forward.

The large rocks peek around the corner, with water droplets pattering against them as the dense trees thin out. The powerful roar of water drifts toward us, and the corners of my lips curl into a grin as Winona slowly opens her eyes.

She turns away from my chest. “Wow,” echoes from her lips. Her eyes widen at the sight of a bright, frothy cascade of water falling over the rocky outcroppings into a plunge pool. “A waterfall,” she says in a hushed, almost choked tone.

She takes a deep breath, inhaling the fresh smell of freedom. Hope. Dreams.

I bend my knees to lower her to the ground and place the duffel bag beside her.

“Wait here,” I say softly, running to scan the area to ensure no one’s around. When I return, I find the duffel bag open, and Winona is munching on the chocolate I hid at the bottom.

I know my girl.

Snacks are appreciated around here.

I smile at her sullen pout, watching it turn into a small grin whenever a chocolate cube touches her lips.

She’s so adorable.

I want to make love to her until I collapse, until I would never have to leave, but that’s a fucking fantasy for us. There’s always something in our way.

“Are you angry?” I ask, crouching beside her.

She shakes her head, pursing her lips into a thin line. I draw my thumb across her bottom lip, lingering on the bite I gave her earlier, before I press harder against it, almost bruising it again.

I grip her throat with my free hand, keeping her locked in the moment with me.

“Then what?” I press. “Talk to me.”