Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 87155 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87155 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
And then Ramsey kissed me, deep and frantic like a boy.
Gentle and skilled like a man.
All-consuming and claiming like my forever.
And he did it all tasting like watermelon gum.
After Thea and I left our tree that afternoon, we got a hotel and spent the rest of the night lying in the bed, talking, laughing, and making love like we were carefree kids on vacation from the real world. When our bodies were sated and our cheeks ached, the rising sun brought a whole new set of problems: the future.
That saying about the truth setting you free was bullshit. The truth was nothing more than a needle you could use to slowly chip away at the concrete walls of betrayal. It was going to take time for our hearts to stop hurting, the what-ifs to fade into what was, and the gaping wounds of regret to scab over.
But with Thea at my side, we made plans to do it together.
The first step in our future was getting the hell out of that town.
“I can’t stay there, Lee. I’ll end up going back. I know I will.”
He rocked back in his chair and steepled his fingers under his chin. “Caskey’s a good officer. He allowed his emotions to get the best of him when he showed up at your house. His captain has assured me—”
“And I’m assuring you his captain can’t do shit to stop him. I’m not saying he’s a bad cop. But he is a pissed off officer of the law who has the man who killed his brother working in his jurisdiction and living only minutes outside of it. That is not a safe environment—for either of us. Trust me, I’ve done a lot of shit to protect my family. I do not doubt that he will do the same to reap revenge.” I leaned forward, resting my palms on the front of his desk. “I’m begging you. Let me take Thea and move to Savannah or Duluth. Or…anywhere that I’ll get a fair shake at things. The sixty-mile radius the parole board has me on is not far enough away for me to have a fresh start.”
His forehead crinkled with contemplation. He knew I was right. But I could only imagine the paperwork involved in getting me transferred, especially given that the request was made because of an upstanding cop.
“You can’t leave Georgia.”
“I understand that. But the state is two hundred and ninety-eight miles long and two hundred and thirty miles wide. That’s a lot of space I could put between us.”
“Okay. Let’s say for a minute that I agree with you. You going to be able to find a steady residence, work, transportation?”
“Yeah.” I cut my gaze over his shoulder and ground my teeth. I hated this part the most.
Well, that wasn’t totally true. I hated the spending-almost-half-my-life-in-a-cell part the most. But the idea of Thea having to take care of me for the next few years came in a close second. However, if that was what it would take to get us out of Clovert and Thomaston, and away from the Caskeys, ending this entire fucking nightmare once and for all, then I was going to suck it up. For a while.
“I got a girl.”
He rolled his eyes. “Everybody’s got a girl, Stewart. Until your eye starts wandering, she kicks you out, you get fired, and have no place to go. Few nights and you get picked up by the local PD. Then this little transfer request I’m making on your behalf comes back and bites me in the ass. Hard.”
“My eye hasn’t wandered in eighteen years. Thea’s it for me. As soon as I can save up enough for a ring, I’m going to ask her to marry me. Start a life together. Maybe later, give her some babies. Give them all the things we didn’t have growing up. That’s the dream, right? Giving your wife and kids better than you had?”
His eyebrows shot up. “Marriage and babies isn’t going to fix your problems. You been locked up for a long time. You sure you want to tie yourself down so soon?”
My lips hitched as I imagined my Sparrow’s brown hair flowing in the breeze. “Yeah. That’s exactly what I want. Since I was eleven years old and saw her running across a hayfield. Being tied down to her was my only dream. I spent every day while I was in prison trying to make her run the opposite direction, but not my girl. She’s never stopped sprinting toward me. It’s time for her to take a breather. I got a lot of time to make up for, but I can’t do that staying here in town, where I’m constantly looking over my shoulder.”
I inched to the edge of my seat, just short of dropping to my knees. “Look, I was a model inmate, never written up for behavior once. I don’t drink or do drugs. My idea of a wild and crazy night is letting Thea pick the movie. I have plans. A woman. A sister. A life waiting for me. I don’t want to go back. But I’m terrified if I stay here I’m going to lose everything all over again. I just need a transfer. Hell, you can even pick the place.”