Page 87 of The Lies We Tell

“We need to go.”

“Are we likely to camp?”

He shrugs. “I packed for all eventualities.” He moves his bags off the bed, and I grab the two pillows and the quilt. We start to drag things out to the truck.

“If we’re camping, we’ll need more than one sleeping bag.”

Saint huffs a laugh, despite our situation. “I don’t know, could be fun.”

“I’ve seen your hips move. You need room.”

“You young ’uns headed on a trip?” I jump at the sound of Hap’s voice.

I look up to Saint, uncertain how to answer. Thinking we’ll lie. Instead, he shakes Hap’s hand. “Some shit went sideways.”

Hap places his hand on top of Saint’s. “I’ll keep an eye on your place.”

Saint nods and I wave. “Thanks, Hap,” I say.

We load the rest of our things into the truck, and Saint pulls a beanie over his hair. I climb into the truck, and he hands me the quilt and a pillow. “At least one of us should be comfortable.”

Once we’re underway, I turn to face him. “What happened, Saint? The details.”

I tell Briar everything. Every detail Spark. Iris. Their relationship. Cillian. Joseph Hosea and the Righteous Brotherhood. “Everything was supposed to be solved, until it wasn’t. Iris went home to pack to move in with Spark. And those fuckers who took you took her.”

I sigh and glance out of the window. I remember those moments after I was taken. “Would it help if I talked to her?”

Saint reaches for my hand and pulls it to his lips, kissing my knuckles. “I love you,” he says.

It catches me off guard. His actions have shown me. But to hear the words ... “You do?”

He smiles softly. “Yeah. Despite the shit show we’re in, you’re insistent on sticking with me. You care about Iris enough to offer to speak with her. You’re smart and clever and resilient. What’s not to love, Briar?”

I grin. “I love you too, for the record.”

He glances at me before returning his gaze to the road. “Given we’re on a six-hour drive to evade people who want to kill me, that’s perhaps the best news I’ve had all day. Why do you love me?”

“Because you’re loyal. And selfless. You didn’t need to save me that day, even though you were shot at. You’ve served in the army. The ATF. You have courage and depth. You make me feel safe, cherished, and extremely hot at times.”

Saint chuckles. “Youarehot.”

“Maybehornyis a better word.”

“Hornyis a terrible word when we’ve got a long drive ahead of us. Adrenaline has my cock retracted up into itself right now. Let’s leave him there.”

I can’t help but laugh at the turn of the conversation. “Only you could make me laugh on a night like tonight.”

He squeezes my hand. “We’ll get through this, Briar. Because we don’t have any other options. I promise you that at the end of this, it’ll be the two of us. No matter what gets thrown at us, we’re in it together.”

I settle down and curl up beneath the blanket I grabbed. “What’s the immediate plan?”

“Drive to my home in Portland, Maine. Swap out the truck. Get some sleep. Pack up properly. Fuel up, then leave for Michigan. My sister, Rae, lives in Ann Arbor. We’ll sit tight there for a little while.”

My eyes start to feel heavy. “If you need me to drive at some point, wake me up and I’ll take over.”

“Get some rest,” he says. “You’re going to need it the next few days.”

And in spite of the chaos, I do as he says.