Page 6 of Until Death Parts Us (Dysfunctional)
CHAPTER SIX
QUIN
As soon as we woke up, we left the campsite before anybody else showed up. Kaspian and I traded off on driving, but we still stopped to park and camp in Alberta, forgoing our idea to travel to Banff. Then we continued our journey to a small unincorporated community called Trego in Montana.
Going through the border was a little nerve-racking, but luckily our enhanced driver’s licenses with our new identities worked just fine.
Trego is about eight and half hours from Seattle, Washington—a place I fled several years ago after killing someone I didn’t realize was a cop. Things got hot and that’s when I had to move to Vermont, and where I ultimately met Kaspian, so I guess it worked out the way it should’ve.
It’s still a little too close for comfort, but it’ll do for a quick stop. There’s all of maybe six hundred people here, and Kaspian was able to secure a cabin near a lake for the night. It’ll be nice to use a regular shower and have some better food.
We stopped by a store a while back to pick up some groceries, so we’ll be set for tonight. Then we’ll leave tomorrow to go to Idaho.
“The listing online said there’s a keypad to enter,” Kas says, gathering a few bags from the floor of the RV. “1-5-2-8,” he calls out.
“Okay.”
I take my own bag full of clothes and toiletries, plus the grocery bag, and head out into the snow. It’s about thirty degrees, but the walk from the RV to the front door only takes a minute.
I type in the code and push open the door. It’s a small space, but definitely bigger than the RV, so it’ll do.
I drop my bag on a small, worn out loveseat, then take the groceries to the kitchen. It’s a tiny room, but there’s a fridge and a stove, so I won’t complain.
After I put the food away, I start looking for chopped wood to get a fire started.
“God, so much space,” I hear Kaspian say as he comes inside. “That RV is getting old fast.”
“Well, you wanted to do this trip,” I shout back, gathering some logs from a pile near the back door.
“I’m still having a good time,” he says, dropping his bags to the floor as I enter the room.
“I hope so.”
“We’re surrounded by forest out here,” he says, his tone giving away his excitement. “Lots and lots of land. Some lakes. I hear it’s got some popular hunting grounds.”
I toss in the logs and turn to face him. “We have to be more careful this time.”
He sighs. “Nobody is going to find us. We’re in the middle of nowhere.”
“It’s good to be careful.”
“It’s a little less exciting.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “Is that right?”
Kaspian comes over, pulling my arms down and holding my hands. “I’m not saying you’re not exciting. You excite me very much.” His lips land on my mouth.
“Mmhmm.”
“But don’t you ever just want to act in the moment? No pre-planning and worrying about cleaning up and disposing of bodies.”
“Those things are necessary, Kaspian.”
“Yeah, maybe if we’re at home.”
I roll my eyes. “I thought you liked the hunt. Watching and waiting.”
“I do, but I can watch and wait for twelve hours, then I can just do what I want and walk away.”
I cluck my tongue. “Dangerous waters.”
“You think I’m afraid of danger? I brought you into my life, didn’t I?”
I sigh. “Can we get this fire started and eat some dinner?”
“Fine,” he says, turning around to head to the kitchen. “But don’t think I’m done.”
“Of course not,” I grumble, turning to grab the matches from the mantel.
Once the fire is lit, I help Kaspian in the kitchen so he doesn’t burn any of the food. I fry up some breaded chicken breasts while Kas stirs the pasta. With a little marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese, the meal is complete.
Kas pulls out a bottle of wine and sets it between us before looking through the cabinets. He comes back with two mugs.
“So, are we going out tonight?” he asks, opening the bottle of wine.
“We can. Do you know what’s around here?”
“Campgrounds. Not a whole lot, really. I figured we could play it by ear. Just go out and see where the wind takes us.”
I study him for several seconds. “That’s the excitement you’re looking for?”
“Come on,” he pleads, giving me his version of puppy eyes. Kas never really looks innocent. There’s always a deviousness in his gaze.
“Fine.”
His wicked grin grows. “Do I get to say it?” he teases.
“No.”
His smile doesn’t falter. “Well, I love you anyway.”
I shake my head, digging into my food. Those three words aren’t new to Kaspian. He’s said them to me several times over the last few years. Mostly in the bedroom when he’s overcome with desire. Sometimes when I give him what he wants.
I accept his version of love, and that he believes he loves me, and he understands why I won’t say it. Love isn’t an emotion I feel. I don’t think I was born with the capability to truly love anyone. I need Kaspian, and I believe needing and wanting someone the way I do him is better than love.
Plenty of people say they’re in love, and yet, they are the ones who hurt their partner the most. They betray them before they leave them.
They abuse them and say it’s out of love.
People might assume what Kas and I have is toxic, but you won’t convince me that there aren’t worse relationships out there.
Sure, we may kill people, but we don’t treat each other like shit.
We finish our dinner and clean up before changing into more weather appropriate clothing. I bite my tongue to keep from asking about what he wants to do, since he’s dead set on spontaneity, but just walking out there with no plan and knives in our pockets fills me with dread.
Outside, we find a path that cuts between trees and follows the perimeter of the lake. Kas has a small flashlight to make sure we don’t trip on any fallen branches, but without that tiny beam, it’s completely pitch-black.
“Looks like everyone is in their cabins,” I tell him.
“You don’t smell that?” he asks. “Someone has a fire going. We can be friendly neighbors and introduce ourselves.”
“That’s probably half a mile away.”
“Half a mile is too long for you?” he teases.
“When it’s twenty-six degrees, it is.”
Kas clicks off the flashlight when the moon peeks between the trees, giving us just enough illumination to not fall on our faces.
“Just a little farther,” he says.
We walk for another ten minutes before he puts a hand on my chest and stops me. “Shh.”
I follow his gaze and then I hear a splash followed by a door closing a minute later.
Kaspian moves closer toward the water, his steps careful as he uses the trees to hide behind.
When he stops, I look around his shoulder. There’s a truck backed up to the lake.
“What’s he doing?” Kas whispers.
“Night fishing?” I ask.
Kas gives me a look. “Did you hear that splash?” he questions. “Did he throw a fucking shark back?”
The truck starts up, but the lights don’t come on. Kas and I slink back behind the tree and watch the guy drive away.
“Let’s follow him.”
I open my mouth to question what the plan is, but he’s already jogging down the path.
It doesn’t take too long before we’re slowing down, a small cabin coming into view. The lights are on, and a fire is burning inside a metal bin. In the front is the same truck we just saw.
“He’s up to something,” Kas whispers, vapor blowing into the air with his words.
I bring his scarf up to cover his mouth, and the man appears from the cabin, throwing what looks like clothes into the fire.
“Nothing good, it seems,” I say.
Kas gets a devious glint in his eyes when he looks at me.
“We have to be prepared, Kaspian,” I tell him in a quiet but stern voice. “We don’t know what he has access to in that cabin.”
“If we get inside with him, we also have access to the same things.”
“No.”
“Come on. It’ll be fun. There’s two of us.”
The creaking of the cabin door gets my attention, and we watch as he brings a rifle out and puts it into his truck.
“Kaspian. We need to go back to the cabin. We have guns in our RV. We have tape and rope, too. We have that axe. We have things that can help us.”
“You go. I’ll stay and watch to make sure he doesn’t leave.”
I stare at him, knowing he’s impulsive. “Why don’t you go get the stuff, and I’ll stay?” I offer.
He gives me a look. “I’ll stay here. I just want to watch.”
“Kaspian.”
He faces me. “I’m not gonna do anything until you get back.”
“You better not. I’ll be quick.”
His lopsided grin is the last thing I see before I turn and hurry back down the path.