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59

THE BOLTER

RORY

A t first light, I’m out of my room.

My heart is beating hard enough to wake Aidan through his own door as I tiptoe past it, holding my breath the whole way down the stairs and through the living room.

While running under the cover of darkness would’ve offered more protection and more of a head start, the night brings with it a whole new host of threats, and being so unfamiliar with the area and the house itself, waiting until dawn seemed like the better option. If all goes well, I’ll be out and across the lake before Aidan even wakes up.

Every little sound—every creak in the floorboards—seems amplified by a thousand. I breathe a little easier once I reach the mudroom. I chose a white hoodie and a soft pink, almost purple, set of leggings, hoping it might help me blend in more out on the snowy lake than my usual dark colors would.

I’ll have to make do without a jacket, but the thick hoodie should be warm enough to get me across the ice.

I estimate it’s about a mile from here to the town across the lake. I should be able to make it in only a few minutes on skates if I push it… And I need to push it. I will be exposed the entire time I’m crossing the lake. But going around could take days…

The sight of several pairs of hockey skates lying on a mat by the door is a relief. I was too afraid to venture out here yesterday and so I wasn’t sure where they kept them.

I check a few sizes until I find a pair close enough to mine. It snowed a little last night and the light dusting coating the yard outside glitters in the rising sun. I slip on a pair of what must be Reagan’s snow boots to get me from here to the lake’s edge. There’s already about a foot of packed powder on the ground outside.

Double checking my ears for the diamond studs my father gifted me last year and my wrist for my gold circlet I’d worn to the reception, I take a deep breath before I pull open the garage door. I might not have cash, but those two items would at least get me a little ways just as soon as I find a pawnshop to trade them in.

I toy with the ring on my finger. The Claddagh ring is old and likely pure gold, seeing as how Aidan already had it prior to us getting hitched. Perhaps a family heirloom… But the thought of trading the ring doesn’t quite sit right with me. It’s probably best I hang onto it, and if things get bad… it will make a good backup.

The space between the garage and the lake offers no cover as I sprint across it, my hair streaming out behind me. I slip coming down the hill and slide almost the rest of the way to the icy edge of the lake.

Heart racing, my breath comes in shallow bursts as I swap out the boots for skates. My trembling fingers make tying the laces difficult, and I try not to think of my own skates, destroyed by Matteo, while anxiously stealing glances back toward the house. It feels like I have eyes on me, but not even the birds are awake yet…

It’s now or never.

I lock eyes on my target across the frozen expanse before me as I step out.

The rough texture of the lake nearly puts me on my ass at first, but I steady myself. Using a couple of slow strides to catch my bearings. Skating on a lake is nothing like skating on a rink, but the ice smoothes out the further away from the shore I get. The sound of the blades cutting across the rough surface seems to echo across the frozen expanse and has a smile growing across my face.

The lake ice is rough around the edges, but I like it more than I care to admit. Taking in the surrounding sights: the rising sun paints everything with an orangey glow, the majestic feel of the mountains in the distance. It’s just me out here on this impossibly wide expanse of ice. I throw my arms out, savoring this feeling. The bitter wind sharpens my senses as I dig into my blades; like a bird in flight with freedom in its sights.

The chill that goes through me at the sound of his voice behind me has nothing to do with the icy wind whipping across the lake. I freeze, spinning back around in time to spot Aidan racing down the hill, skates in hand, shouting out words I’m too far away to hear.

I lose precious time to my shock. He’s got one skate on before I’m able to react.

I bolt, taking off in a mad dash for freedom across the ice.

It’s nonsense to run and I don’t know why I do it, but something inside me snaps. I’ve got the taste of freedom on my tongue and I’m desperate to not give it up. My fear of being used again propels me forward. The memory that he is faster than me prevents me from even looking back.

A deafening crack rings out. It’s loud enough to be a gunshot and for a second—I think it is. Flinching hard, I nearly fall, spotting a web of cracks spidering out all around me. A second loud crack, and the ice below me shifts and groans. I stumble, but remain upright, spinning slowly back around to find Aidan stopped about fifty feet away, unmistakable fear in his eyes. The words hidden in his shouts finally register with me.

“Stop.”

“Rory, no!”

“Thin ice!”

“Not safe!”

“Don’t move!”