Page 18 of Outlaw Daddy
My blood boils at the sight of them. “Untie her.”
The two men look at Agent Michaels for permission, and I feel my anger thicken. “I said fucking untie her.”
Agent Michaels nods to the two men, and the men rush to untie Junie’s wrists. She rubs them as soon as she’s free. Yet she doesn’t move.
My heart hurts for her. It hurts so bad I can barely breathe. She’s scared. She’s exhausted. She’s trying so hard to be strong even while she’s falling apart. I want to pull her into my arms and tell her it’s over. I want to carry her out of this place and never let her go again. But she sold me out. She gave my name to these people. She handed me over to the men who wanted me. I can’t forget that. I understand why she did it. I understand the fearthat drove her. I understand she was trying to save her brother. But the betrayal still cuts deep. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to trust her again. Not the way I did before. Not completely. But I need to hear her story.
I made a deal with Agent Michaels from the FBI before we left Haven 7. The FBI has been looking for me for years. They need my help. I’m the only hacker who has ever been of any use to them. They have tried to recruit me before, but I always stayed in the shadows. This time they came to me with an offer I couldn’t refuse. They’re willing to give me anything. Protection. Resources. A clean slate. All I asked for in return was for them to release Caleb and Junie Bellis into the care and protection of Haven 7. No questions. No extradition. No interference. They agreed. The deal’s done. Now I just have to get her out of here.
Agent Michaels pushes a few buttons on his phone. Then he looks at me. “Caleb will be delivered to Haven 7 within the hour.”
I glance at Junie and more tears stream down her face.
“What is going on?” she asks slowly.
I don’t answer her. Her eyes bore into mine. They’re full of pain and regret and something that looks a lot like love. It breaks me a little more. I step forward, ignoring everyone else completely. She stands up slowly, limping toward me. I catch her before she can fall. I pull her into my arms and hold her tight, lifting her off the ground. She buries her face in my neck and sobs. I press my face into her hair, breathing her in. She smells like fear and tears and the faint trace of the shampoo from my shower.
“You’re safe,” I whisper. “It’s over. I’ve got you.”
She clings to me, crying harder. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to leave. I had to. For my brother. Can you ever forgive me?”
I hold her tighter, not answering her yet.
I nod at Agent Michaels and carry Junie out of the motel and into the truck. The drive back up the mountain is quiet. She stays in my arms the whole way, head on my shoulder. When we reach the cabin, I carry her inside and lock the door behind us.
She’s home.
She’s safe.
She’s mine.
But I’m not sure I can trust her the way I did before. The betrayal still sits there, sharp and heavy. I understand why she did it. I understand the love she has for her brother. I understand the fear that drove her. But it still hurts. It still makes me wonder if she’d ever do it again. If the next time something bad happens, she’ll choose someone else over me.
I set her down gently on the bed and kneel in front of her. I check her over for any new injuries. She’s okay. Shaken, but okay. I clean the tears from her face with my thumb. She looks at me with those big brown eyes, full of love and guilt and hope.
“I’m sorry,” she whispers again. “I never wanted to hurt you. I was so scared for Caleb. I didn’t know what else to do. I should have come to you. I know you can never trust me again… and, uh… I don’t blame you.” More tears. “I owe you everything, and I don’t deserve it.”
I nod. I don’t know what to say. The words feel stuck in my throat. I love her. I love her so much it hurts.
I pull her into my arms again and hold her close. She clings to me like I’m the only thing keeping her together. I stroke her back and kiss her hair. I don’t know what the future holds. I don’tknow if I can trust her completely again. But I know one thing for certain.
I will protect her. I will keep her safe. I will fight for her. Even if I’m not sure I can love her the way I did before.
SIXTEEN
JUNIE
I stand on the porch of the new cabin frame, watching the men work. Caleb hammers a beam into place beside Boyd and Rhett. His laugh carries across the clearing, strong and real for the first time in months. It’s been three months since the FBI released Caleb into Haven 7’s care. Three months since he stepped out of that black SUV and pulled me into the tightest hug of my life. He looks healthier now. The hollows in his cheeks have filled out. The shadows under his eyes have faded. He sleeps through the night most of the time. We all do our best to make sure of it.
I’m happy he’s here. Truly happy. Having my brother close again feels like part of me that was missing has finally come home. We eat meals together every evening at the main lodge. We talk late into the night about old memories and new dreams. He already loves the mountain. He talks about helping build more cabins and learning to track with Thorne. He even jokes about joining the Sunday dinners as a permanent member of this strange, wonderful family.
Yet every time I see him smile, a sharp pain twists in my chest. Because this new life came at a cost. I betrayed the man I love to get it.
Wyatt has not said he forgives me. He hasn’t said much at all about that night. He’s kind. He’s patient. He still checks on me every day. But the easy trust we once shared is gone. I see it in the careful distance he keeps. I feel it in the way his touches linger a second less than they used to. I deserve that distance. I deserve every bit of hesitation. How could anyone forgive what I did? I gave his name to dangerous people. I handed him over without warning. I chose my brother over the man who saved me.
I do not deserve him. I never did.
I moved out of Wyatt’s cabin. The women helped me settle into a bedroom at the main lodge with Lily, Sadie’s fourteen-year-old sister. Lily is quiet and kind. She lets me cry at night without asking too many questions. She simply hands me tissues and sometimes braids my hair while I talk about nothing important. Having her near helps. The lodge feels less empty. But every night after the lights go out, the guilt returns. I lie in the narrow bed and cry into my pillow until my eyes burn. I cry for what I broke. I cry for the trust I destroyed. I cry because I still love Wyatt with every piece of my heart, and I know I may have lost him forever.
