Crimson River (The Edens)

The way Vera walked through the forest was so similar to how Cormac moved it was uncanny. She picked her steps deliberately. There was no hiding our tracks in the snow, but still, she stepped carefully, the only sound the crunch of ice beneath her boots.

Her pace was quick but not rushed. Her gaze swept back and forth through the trees, searching for threats and noting landmarks.

He’d taught her a lot these past four years, hadn’t he?

“You’ve been living out here,” I said.

“Yes.” Vera glanced over her shoulder, keeping her voice low as she spoke. Habit, no doubt. Cormac had taught her to live out here undetected, and he’d done a damn fine job.

“For how long?”

“We’ve been in Montana for two years, I think? I lost track. Dad knows.”

I hummed.

Behind me, Lyla stayed close. Her cheeks were flushed as she followed my steps. She had to be tired from earlier, but she marched on, her strength and resilience as breathtaking as her beauty.

“Good?” I asked, stretching a hand for hers.

She took it and nodded. “Good.”

“We can slow down.” Vera stopped ahead of us, turning to face us. “I’m always the one trying to keep up, so I know how it feels. Sorry.”

“I’m okay,” Lyla said.

I tightened my grip on hers, then waved for Vera to continue.

She’d slow down. I knew before she even took a single step that she’d slow down for Lyla. That sweet heart of hers was still there, despite everything that had happened.

Everything she wouldn’t tell me.

“How often do you come to town?” I asked.

Maybe the two times I’d seen that red hair in Quincy hadn’t been my imagination or a stranger. Maybe it really had been Vera.

“Usually once a month,” she said.

“For tampons,” Lyla whispered so quietly only I could hear. There was a box in those bags she carried.

“Does your dad come along?”

“Never,” Vera said.

Lyla and I shared a look. So that was part of how he’d survived out here. He’d had Vera sneak into Quincy, where she’d just be any normal face.

Only not to me. Had I not come to Montana, no one would ever have suspected she was the link to a killer.

Was he a killer?

“How do you pay for things?” Lyla asked.

“Cash. Dad took as much as he could when we left Idaho. That ran out a while back so he, um . . .”

“Robbed a gas station in Oregon,” I finished.

Vera cringed. “How did you know?”

“I went to Oregon.”

She stopped, turning to face us again. “He said there’d always be people chasing us. I didn’t believe him. I figured after this long, we’d be forgotten. But Dad is always careful, just in case. I guess he was right. That was you, wasn’t it? You left the game camera by the stream where we put a fish trap.”

Fuck. “He saw the camera.”

“This morning.” She nodded. “He said he felt like someone was watching him, so he circled back once the sun came up. Found it.”

He must have come up on the back side, otherwise my alarm would have gone off again.

“Yeah,” I told her. “That was me.”

Vera’s shoulders slumped. “We’re leaving because of it. Today was my last trip to town.”

Damn. How fucking lucky was it that Lyla had wanted to walk along Main?

“Dad’s been strange lately,” Vera said. “He wouldn’t tell me why, but he’s kept us close to the shelter. He’s sent me to town more often than usual for supplies. I’ve had to take different, longer routes to make sure no one would be able to follow me back. I thought it was just normal prep for winter. Stocking up on food and batteries and first-aid supplies. But he went out to check the trap this morning and came back panicked. Said we had to leave. I think he’s been preparing for it for weeks but didn’t want to tell me.”

Cormac had been acting strange because of Lyla, hadn’t he? But he hadn’t told Vera what he’d done. About the river. Maybe he’d expected the local teams to give up their search. To be fair, he’d been right.

Except he hadn’t counted on me.

“We’re almost there.” Vera looked right, then left. “I think it would be best if you gave me a minute.”

“I’m not letting you out of my sight.” I loved Vera, but this entire situation was fucked up.

For all I knew, she’d been leading us nowhere. We’d parked nearly a mile away from where I’d been searching. As much as I loved her, I didn’t trust her. There was a very real chance that the minute she was out of sight, she’d disappear again.

Cormac would have taught her how to hide.

Even from me.

“Figured you’d say that.” She blew out a long breath, then cupped her hands over her mouth, letting out a piercing whistle.

The sound bounced off trees and rocks, until the wilderness swallowed it whole. We stood in silence, the only sound my pounding heart.

Then it came, faint and almost inaudible. Another whistle.

“He’s coming,” Vera said, giving me a pleading look. “Just hide behind a tree or something. Let me warn him first. Please?”

“Vera,” I warned.

“I’m not going to run off, Uncle Vance. I promise.”

For fuck’s sake. “Fine,” I clipped, leading Lyla to a large pine tree. I positioned her back to its trunk, standing in front of her, both as a shield and so I could keep an eye on Vera.

“You can stay right here,” I told Lyla. “You don’t have to see him.”

“Yes, I do.” Her response didn’t surprise me in the least.

“Okay.” I pressed a kiss to her forehead, then adjusted my grip on her hand. No matter what, I wouldn’t let it go.

“You’re late.” Cormac’s voice filled the air.

My frame locked. That voice was the same as I remembered, yet different. Panicked. Haggard.

“Are you okay?” he asked Vera. “What happened? I was getting worried.”

“I’m okay,” Vera said.

“We gotta go. It’ll be dark soon. Give me those bags. I’ll carry them.”

“Dad, wait.”

“What?”

I didn’t wait for Vera to make a big announcement. I took one sideways step, coming out from behind the tree, and facing the man—my friend, my brother, the one I’d prayed to find for four years.

“Vance.” Cormac stiffened, but otherwise, he didn’t look shocked. That changed when Lyla stepped out from behind the tree. That was when Cormac’s face paled.

I clutched Lyla’s hand, watching as she raised her chin. Watching as she leveled him with a cool glare.

That’s my girl. I was so goddamn proud of her.

He’d beaten me. I’d let him win.

Not Lyla. Right here, right now, she was taking back her power. She was taking back what he’d stolen.

Fuck, but I loved her.

I was in love with Lyla Eden.

I had been for weeks.

Cormac snapped out of his trance, reaching for Vera. He took her by the arm, pulling her behind him and the pack strapped to his back. “Get out of here, Vera. Run. Now.”

“No.” She shook her head.

“Go.” He shoved her so hard she nearly stumbled.

“Dad, stop!”

“Wait.” I took a step, holding up my free hand. “I just want to talk.”

“Vera, run!” Cormac’s bellow was pained and frantic.

Tears sprang to Vera’s eyes as her hands balled into fists, her head shaking. “No. No more running.”

“You have to leave.”

She didn’t move. “We can’t keep doing this.”

“We have to, love.” Cormac was just as broad and tall as he had been years ago. But he looked smaller now. Broken by guilt and sorrow.

“I won’t say anything.” Lyla’s voice was steady. “If that’s what you’re worried about, I won’t tell anyone that I saw you or Vera. But you owe Vance the truth.”

Here she was, fighting for me, not herself.

How was I supposed to walk away from her now?

I squeezed her hand tighter.

Cormac stared at Lyla, apology written on his scarred face. He turned that same apology to his daughter. “I just want to keep you safe.”

“I know, Daddy.” She reached out and clutched his hand. “But I’m so tired. Please. Talk to Uncle Vance.”

The faith she had in me to fix this was staggering. I clung to Lyla’s hand, borrowing a bit of her strength, as I faced Cormac.

How long had I hoped for this? To come face to face with him?

It was nothing like I’d expected. Nothing like I’d planned for. I stared at him and didn’t see a cold-blooded killer. I didn’t see a man who’d betrayed my friendship. I didn’t see a liar or manipulator.

I saw a desperate father.

“Please,” Vera whispered.

I knew before he nodded that he’d say yes. It was impossible to say no to that girl sometimes.

He cupped her cheek. “Okay.”

She leaned into him, her eyes closing.

He took the plastic bags from her, putting them in his pack. Then with it slung on his shoulders again, he turned and led his daughter through the trees, ordering, “Follow me.”

I took a step, expecting Lyla to stay beside me, but her feet seemed glued to the snow. Maybe I’d stolen too much of her strength. “Hey.”

Her eyes shifted to mine. “I should hate him. Why don’t I hate him?”

“Why don’t I?”

Lyla looked behind us. “Can you find our way back to the truck at night?”

“Yeah, Blue.” I bent to kiss the top of her head. “We won’t get lost.”

We walked hand in hand, following Cormac and Vera until the forest got thicker and thicker, forcing us into a single-file line.

Not wanting Lyla to be last, I put her in front of me, one eye trained constantly on Cormac. There were a lot of unknowns here, but without a doubt, he’d hurt her once. I wouldn’t let him do it again.

The sun was sinking toward the horizon, the light dimming. Yet we walked and walked, pushing hard to wherever Cormac and Vera were taking us.

Lyla slipped on a patch of ice, her foot sliding out from beneath her.

I rushed to catch her and help her to her feet. “You okay?”

She was out of breath but nodded. “I’m good.”

Vera, who walked behind Cormac, turned back, offering Lyla a kind smile. She’d slowed earlier but wouldn’t ask her dad to take it easy now. So we hiked at a punishing pace up the steep terrain.

The trees were so thick that there were patches where the snow hadn’t reached yet. They’d get covered as winter progressed, but for now, the dirt and pinecones and needles were only covered in a thick frost.

“Stay off the snow,” Cormac said. “Follow only where I step.”

Lyla glanced back, and when I nodded, she did as he’d ordered. A few stretches were so wide that both she and Vera had to jump.

We continued for another quarter of a mile like that until we reached an outcropping of rocks that broke through the trees.

Cormac stopped, shifting the pack off a shoulder to dig out a spray bottle. Inside was a clear liquid.

“What’s he doing?” Lyla asked, panting as we stopped.

“It’s bleach and water,” he said. “Up you go, love.”

Vera nodded, then slipped past him to scale a section of the rock that was about eight feet tall, using a few notches and footholds to climb its flat face. When she reached the top, she lay on her stomach, stretching for the pack he hoisted up.

“You’re next.” Cormac jerked his chin for Lyla to follow, but that would mean passing him. Being within arm’s reach.

“Lyla.” I shifted in front of her. “Her name is Lyla Eden.”

Cormac met my gaze, cowering slightly. Then he dipped his chin. “Lyla Eden. I’m sorry for what I did at the river.”

“What are you talking about?” Vera asked. “What happened at the river?”

He looked up at her. “I’ll explain later. We’re running out of light and need to hurry.”

“We won’t be going home tonight, will we?” Lyla asked me.

“Not likely.”

She shuffled closer to my backpack.

“You guys climb up. Vera, keep going. I’ll catch up.” Cormac walked past us, giving Lyla a wide berth. He descended the slope about twenty yards, then began spraying the bleach water over the ground before he jogged even further away.

“What’s he doing?” Lyla asked Vera.

“He’ll go run in a loop to leave his scent in a circle. If a dog comes up here, it won’t know exactly what direction to choose.”

“And the bleach?”

“He says it can mess with a dog’s nose. Overpower their senses.”

“Damn.” So that was how he’d masked his scent with the dogs. And on top of that, he’d chosen a path no dog could follow up that rock face.

“Come on.” I nudged Lyla forward. “I’ll help you up.”

Beyond the rock face was nothing but steep, wet rocks. There were no trees here, just jagged terrain that would be hell to descend.

Yeah, not a chance we’d be leaving tonight. Not in the dark.

Vera climbed, somehow finding a path between the rocks, probably because she’d done this a hundred times. And about fifteen minutes later, Cormac cleared his throat behind me.

I wasn’t sure what else he’d done to mask our scents but I suspected that if anyone came looking for us tonight or tomorrow morning, they’d find a trail of prints in the snow that just . . . stopped.

Lyla’s breathing became labored as we climbed. She pushed a lock of sweaty hair off her temple.

“Want a break?” I asked.

She shook her head.

“We’re almost there,” Vera told us.

The scent of snow and rock and wind filled the air. I breathed in the cold air, hovering close to Lyla with my hands at the ready in case she slipped.

When I glanced back at Cormac, his gaze was glued on Lyla. On my hands. “You’re together.”

“Yeah.” And if he came near her, if he so much as looked at her the wrong way or made her uncomfortable, I’d slit his fucking throat.

Cormac nodded and backed off, giving us more space.

We hiked for another ten minutes until the ground leveled off into a canyon between cliffs. Clusters of trees and bushes grew on the canyon’s floor. I scanned the area, assuming we’d keep going, but did a double take when I spotted a shelter tucked against a massive rock.

The hut was larger than I’d expected. It had four walls all made from small tree trunks. The roof was covered in moss and foliage to keep the heat inside.

Cormac had built his daughter a home.

It was far from any known trail. No one would see it from an aerial view. And given the winding, miserable path to get here, it was unlikely any random hiker or hunter would make it this far.

No wonder they’d lived here undetected for two years.

Vera’s frame relaxed as we strode toward the shelter. She opened the door, holding it open for Lyla. “Come on in.”

Lyla ducked past her, stepping inside. Vera followed.

I hung back, and when Cormac was close enough, I struck so fast he never saw it coming. My fist slammed into his nose.

Blood gushed from his nostrils, dripping down his chin.

“Fuck,” he hissed, pinching it with both hands.

“That was for Lyla, you motherfucker.”