“You’re okay? You and Hope? What the fuck, Griffen?”
“We’re fine. Hope had to get stitches, but that’s it.”
“I’m on my way. I’m at the Inn, so I won’t be long.”
“Thanks. Meet us at the Emergency entrance. We should be out soon.”
I called Hawk as soon as we hung up. He swore a blue streak, then said he’d meet me at the house as soon as I got Hope settled. I listened to Hope and the nurse with half an ear, frantically thinking through our options.
It was one thing for someone to try to kill me. I wasn’t a fan, but I could handle it. Putting Hope in danger was a different story. She hadn’t signed on for this. I could keep her safe if we never left the house, but what kind of life was that?
“Are you ready?” Hope’s question interrupted my racing thoughts, her face tight with pain but her eyes calm.
I looked into those warm cognac eyes and everything inside me settled.
I knew what I had to do.
Hope wasn’t going to like it, but that didn’t matter. Not anymore.
“I’m ready,” I answered, resolved to follow through, no matter what.
Royal was pulling up to the Emergency entrance of the hospital as we were wheeled out. Hope let me help her out of the wheelchair and into the backseat. I slid in beside her.
None of us talked much on the ride back. Hope was exhausted, the pain and shock finally catching up to her. Once we were on our way Royal asked, “Did you talk to Hawk? Does he have a plan?”
“We’re working on it,” I evaded. It wasn’t just Hope who wouldn’t like my plan. I couldn’t have cared less.
No, that wasn’t true. I cared. I didn’t like it either. But, sometimes, life throws you into trouble and shows you what really matters. I’d faced that moment once before when my father had kicked me out. I thought I’d needed to be a Sawyer. Instead, I’d learned I had everything I needed as Griffen.
I knew, with crystalline clarity, that this was another of those moments. I wouldn’t make the wrong choice, no matter how hard the right choice might be.
Royal dropped us at the front door. Hawk was waiting. “Give us a few minutes,” I said, my arm around Hope. “Can you check with West to see if they found anything on the shooter?”
He nodded and pulled out his phone. I ushered Hope up the stairs before she could ask any questions. Once we had the door shut firmly behind us, I laid it out.
“I know your arm must hurt like hell, but tell me what you need to bring and I’ll do all the work.” I strode for the closet, muttering to myself, “I can have Savannah send anything we leave behind.”
“What are you talking about? Bring where?”
“Bring with us,” I said, impatiently dragging my suitcase from the back of the closet.
“Bring with us where? Where are we going?”
Had she hit her head in the accident? “To Atlanta. The Sinclair safe house to start. If West can’t catch this guy, then maybe we’ll stay there.”
“What?” Hope stood in the closet door, staring at me blankly, swaying a little. Fuck. She needed to sit down.
“Never mind, I can figure out what to pack.” I took her hand and pulled her to the couch, nudging her to sit. She did but stared up at me in bewildered confusion.
“We can’t go to Atlanta, Griffen. We have to stay at Heartstone. The will—”
“I don’t give a fuck about the will,” I said. “I can’t keep you safe here. We’re leaving.”
“We can’t leave. We only get fourteen days away a quarter and we might need them for something else.”
“We’re not leaving for fourteen days, we’re leaving and we’re not coming back until I know it’s safe,” I said, feeling time ticking away. I had to get us packed. We needed to get moving.
“Griffen, we can’t. If we’re gone too long, you’ll lose everything. The whole point of this is to keep your inheritance. To protect the town. If we leave it was all a waste.”
I froze in place, not sure I’d understood her words. “A waste? What the hell are you talking about? What do you think we’ve been doing here?”
Hope took a slow breath before she said flatly, “I think that less than a month ago we walked into Harvey’s office as strangers and we walked out married. I think that we have four years and eleven months until we’re not married anymore. I think I’m not going to be the reason you lose your legacy. I think if we leave, there won’t be anything to come back to. That’s what I think.”
I sank down on one of the chairs opposite the couch, propping my elbows on my knees and resting my forehead in my palms.