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FORTY-FOUR

FARRON

FUGITIVE

Day 535

The pressure behind my eyes builds as we step into the cottage. I barely make it a few steps before Theo catches me, steadying me as my body trembles with the weight of relief and confusion crashing over me.

I’ve never cared for Trevor. He was always too clingy, always trying to step in when I didn’t need him to. But he used to be just a boy I played with—my best friend’s little brother. I grew up around him every single day.

And now…now he’s someone I can’t even begin to recognize.

A shiver runs through me at the thought. Someone I’ve known my whole life, someone who let those things in. Our number one enemy. The reason so many are dead.

I shake my head, forcing the thought away before it can spiral into memories of Ma, of Eric, of Mr. Abel. I refuse to let tears fall for the man who caused all of this. The unease, the instability, the fear that will now grip our community.

I look up into Theo’s golden eyes behind those wire-rimmed glasses. He’s been my steady rock through it all. Sometimes, I still can’t believe he loves me. That I’ve been this lucky to find him, to find all of them. They’re here, helping and grounding me, making me feel less alone. This isn’t all on me, especially Kenji right now, who’s dealing with Trevor.

“What?” Theo pulls his hands away from me to sign.

“Just thinking about how lucky I am to have you,” I reply.

His expression softens as he leans in, placing his hands gently on either side of my face. Then, he presses the softest kiss to my forehead. Warmth spreads through me, grounding me in the moment until the front door slams open.

My head whips past Theo.

Kenji stands in the doorway, leaning against the frame, breathless. One look at his face and my stomach drops. Something’s wrong.

I step forward, my voice sharp. “What’s wrong?”

“He’s gone.” Kenji’s jaw tightens, his expression grim.

“What do you mean he’s gone?” Theo steps up beside me.

“I mean, he’s gone. Fuck! I went into the barn to get him, and he wasn’t there. His rope was cut.” Kenji’s voice is laced with frustration. “Didn’t we check him before tying him up?” He’s asking us, but really, he’s questioning himself.

But we did check him. He didn’t have anything on him. The last person to speak with him was?—

“Todd.” The name leaves me in a heavy breath.

The four of us exchange tense glances, the realization sinking in like a stone in my gut. Trevor got his knife. Before anyone can say another word, we bolt out the door.

“Magnum, stay,” I command, my pulse hammering in my ears as we rush out the door and push through the freezing night air. This is bad. If Trevor is loose, he could cause more damage. More suffering.

As we round the corner to Todd’s house, we spot him and Jay sitting on the front steps. The second they see us rushing toward them, they jump to their feet, panic flashing in their wide, searching eyes.

“What happened? What’s wrong?” Jay asks, his voice edged with concern.

We exchange brief glances before I step forward. This is mine to say.

“Trevor’s gone.”

“What?” They speak in unison, eyes darting between us.

Todd immediately starts patting himself down, his movements growing frantic. When his hand reaches the spot where he usually keeps his knife and finds nothing, I see the realization hit. The color drains from his face, dread settling in his wide eyes.

“Shit, you guys—I had nothing to do with this, I swear ,” he rushes out, panic creeping into his voice. My brows knit together. I never even thought that. But I can see how it must look. Jay, however, looks uneasy. Does he actually think Todd could have done this?

“No one thinks that,” Kenji says, stepping forward to break the tension. “But we have to find him. Now.”

I turn to Jay. “Everyone needs to be on high alert. Get the word out and start a search party.”

Jay nods but avoids eye contact with all of us before spinning on his heels and heading toward the Alden barn. Todd’s anguished expression tugs at my chest, but I can’t focus on that right now. Right now, we have to find a murderer.

“Let’s go,” I say, and without another word, we take off toward the barn.

Inside, we yank jackets and gloves from the coat rack before heading to the stalls. I don’t hesitate, I go straight to EJ, guiding him out with practiced ease.

The heavy thud of EJ’s hooves pounds beneath me, each impact echoing through my chest and down to my hands. The relief I felt last night is long gone, replaced by a gnawing sense of unease. It was like reaching the final chapter of a long book, so close to an ending, only to have the pages ripped away.

Now, the uncertainty of what comes next looms over me.

I know they are still out there. I’ve been lucky, more than luck,y that they haven’t found this place. But with Trevor on the loose, I don’t know what happens next. He’s never been able to fend for himself, and there’s a good chance he won’t make it far. The elements or the infected might take him before we do.

But something tells me Trevor is scrappy. He’ll fight until his dying day.

After hours of scouring the ranches and the surrounding areas, we come up with nothing. We split into pairs, covering as much ground as possible, but it’s been hours, and there’s no sign of him.

It’s time to regroup and figure out what this means.

Theo and I ride back to the barn in silence. As we dismount and return the horses to their stalls, exhaustion seeps into my bones. I lean my forehead against EJ, drawing strength from one of my oldest friends. He nudges me gently, like he knows. Like he understands that I need to step away and face what comes next.

Because at the end of the day, everyone looks to me.

I had Holden by my side once, someone to shoulder half the responsibility. But that’s gone. This is the burden I’ve taken on, but I now have the guys to help. And I can’t avoid everyone else.

They all deserve my full attention.

Theo laces his fingers with mine as we make our way to the Alden barn to see who’s gathered. Just before we step inside, he gives my hand a reassuring squeeze before letting go, allowing me to enter first.

The moment we push open the door, a wall of noise hits me—overlapping voices, tension thick in the air. My eyes immediately land on a small group surrounding Todd, their expressions heated. I don’t hesitate. I rush forward, positioning myself between Todd and the three who have him cornered: Janie, Peter, and Bill.

“Hey, hey! What’s going on?” I shout over them, raising my hands to create space between them.

Bill steps forward, jabbing a finger in Todd’s direction. His face is red, his voice as sharp as a blade. “ His brother is missing, and he was the last to see him. And you’re telling me he had nothing to do with this?” He practically spits the words out, his fury rolling off him in waves.

I clench my jaw, my patience snapping. “Bill, sit down. Now.” My voice is low and controlled, but there’s no room for argument. He hesitates, eyeing me warily before stepping back. The others follow suit, tension still thick but simmering down.

Theo moves beside me and quickly signs to Todd, “Are you okay?”

Todd glances at him, gratitude flickering in his tired eyes. “Yeah,” he signs while speaking, voice quieter now. “Thanks for that.” He nods at both of us.

“Can you two stick together and find the others? I need to speak with everyone.”

They both nod before heading off to track down Adrian, Kenji, and Jay—who are already caught in another heated argument from the sound of it. I get it. Everyone is upset. I’m upset. But they’re too quick to point fingers, ready to descend like the Volturi before we even have all the facts.

I push forward through the tense crowd, my eyes locking on Pa standing near the front. The moment I reach him, he pulls me into a hug. Strong, tight, and warm. Nothing beats a hug from Pa. He’s always had this way of making me feel safe, like no matter what’s happening, we’ll figure it out. As we pull apart, he rests a heavy hand on my shoulder.

“You’ve got this, Ronnie.”

The nickname, one only Holden ever used, sends a sharp pang of grief through my ribs. But at the same time, it grounds me. Strengthens me.

I take a breath, step forward, and turn to face the crowd. The noise dulls almost instantly. Across the room, Adrian positions himself next to Theo, ready to sign for him. I catch his eye and mouth a silent thank you before shifting my focus back to the others.

“As I’m sure everyone has heard, Trevor is missing, and—” Chaos erupts before I can even finish.

“He did it!” Janie shouts, stabbing a finger toward Todd.

“What does this mean for us?” Jasper calls out.

“What about the others?!” Dave’s voice booms over the crowd.

“Enough!” Kenji’s voice cuts through the noise like a whip. The room stills, heads turning toward him. I catch his eye and offer a small, grateful smile, reminded of that town hall meeting where he did the exact same thing. The tension lingers, thick and unspoken, but at least now, they’re listening.

All eyes turn back to me. Time to handle this.

“Todd didn’t do this. You can believe whatever you want, but that’s the truth. If you’ll recall, he was the one who admitted it might be dangerous to let Trevor loose in the first place.” I don’t need to interrogate Todd to know he’d never be involved in this. Yes, Trevor is his brother, but his brother killed people. Todd knew what the right decision was.

“But what we do need to talk about,” I continue, my voice steady despite the storm inside me, “is what this means for us, for our community.” I take a slow breath, making sure every pair of eyes is on me. “The rule about going out in pairs still stands. No exceptions. I don’t care if you’re just stepping around the corner, you take someone with you. No one goes out after dark. I know this complicates daily chores, but we’ll adjust. We have to.”

I let the weight of my words settle before pressing on. “We’re increasing patrols, and we need to talk about strengthening security. If anyone has ideas, now’s the time. Everything is on the table. We are not just protecting ourselves; we’re protecting each other.” I pause, steadying the pounding in my chest. “What we don’t know is Trevor’s next move. I don’t even know if he’ll make it out there. Maybe he finds the others. Maybe he doesn’t. Maybe the elements, or the infected, take care of the problem before we have to. But that’s not a risk we can afford to take.”

I scan the room, letting my gaze land on each familiar face, lingering on those who look afraid and uncertain. “We’ve come too far, fought too hard, lost too much to let one person unravel everything we’ve built. This, all of this, only works if we stand together.” I exhale, voice lowering but still carrying strength. “What matters now, more than anything, is keeping Rolling Hills safe. And we will.”

With that, I step down, making my way toward the guys. As I weave through the crowd, I hear murmurs, people tossing around ideas, discussing the next steps. Good. I want everyone involved. This will take all of us.

Adrian is the closest as I approach, and before I can say anything, he scoops me into a hug, lifting my feet clean off the ground.

“You did great, Sunshine,” he murmurs, placing a soft kiss on my lips.

I smile, breathless. “Thanks, Riri.”

“Farron, I’m so sorry,” Todd says, anguish etched across his face. “I…I hugged Trevor before I left him. That must have been when he grabbed my knife. I didn’t even realize. I’m so fucking sorry.”

“It was a high-tension situation, Todd. No one blames you,” I say firmly, hoping to ease the weight pressing down on him. “Well, I don’t blame you. Everyone else will come around once emotions settle.”

“It was a dumb mistake, but an accident,” Kenji adds bluntly.

I shoot him a glare. “Not helping,” I mutter under my breath. Kenji just shrugs. Typical.

I don’t know what the next few days will bring. I don’t know if we’ll see Trevor again or not, but what matters now is keeping everyone here safe, no matter what. I’ve come too far, fought my way through the darkest depths of my own mind to let it all fall apart now. I have three men who’ve come to mean more to me than I ever imagined possible. They’re not just by my side; they’re everything to me. And I refuse to let anyone take them away from me.