My freedom is in his hands.
I’m on pins and needles when Declan finally comes back about two hours later. I must have worn a groove into his hardwood floors from pacing the entire time.
I run and hide under the bed, but I think it’s okay. I only hear one dirt bike.
“Kennedy?” he calls out. Just the sound of his voice is enough to make my heart expand in my chest.
I marine crawl out from under the bed as he’s walking into the cabin.
My stomach drops and I can feel my face going pale as I look at him, hoping to hear good news.
“He bought it,” he says.
I’m shaking all over. “He did?”
He nods. “Scott fired his rifle into the air to chase the wolves out and then we went in. It was perfect. Those dogs chewed the bones up real good and your bloody jumpsuit was shredded to pieces.”
“It worked?” I whisper, not quite believing it.
“I told him the rest of your remains are probably scattered all over the mountains. I said they either got burned up by the fire or got eaten by other animals. He bought it all. I even listened to him call off the search. The case is closed, Kennedy. You’re a free woman.”
My legs give out and I fall to the floor, crying tears of relief and happiness. All of the tension and stress I’ve been holding in for years releases out like a flood. I don’t have to go back to that place. I don’t have to be a prisoner any longer.
Declan rushes over and swallows me in his big comforting arms. I breathe in his rugged outdoorsy scent as tears stream down my cheeks.
“You did it,” I say as I look up at him in awe. “You rescued me. From the fire, from prison, from my life. You’re my hero.”
He smiles warmly and then kisses my forehead.
“And you’re my girl.”
I wrap my arms around him and hug him back. He lets himself fall backward and I land on top of him, laughing as the tears of relief and happiness still come pouring out.
I am his girl, I tell myself as I straddle his huge body.
And I’m going to treat my man right.
Starting right now…
CHAPTER NINE
Declan
* * *
I grab a bunch of groceries that I think Kennedy would like and stuff them into my basket. She has a sweet tooth and eating elk meat and fish isn’t going to satisfy it by any means.
I turn down the aisle that I never bother going down. It’s full of sweets and other treats. I grab some chocolate bars, candy, chips, and licorice—she asked for licorice three times—and head on up to the cash register.
My heart jumps in my chest when I see the stack of newspapers laying on the counter.
There she is… On the front page.
Convict Dies In The Wildfire.
I’m both thrilled and pissed off. Thrilled that my plan worked and my woman is free, but pissed off that’s all she is to these people—a convict.
They don’t fucking deserve her.
I grab a newspaper and toss it onto my pile of stuff.
“Hello,” the chipper woman at the register says as she starts scanning my stuff. She looks at all of the sugary garbage on the counter and then looks me over slowly. “Cheat day?”
“Something like that,” I answer back.
I pay for everything and then put it in my truck. “Women’s clothes,” I mutter as I look around at the shops. Where the hell do I get a new wardrobe for a woman and what the hell am I supposed to buy?
I head into some shops and ask the women working there for help. They’re all eager to help me and they hem and haw when I tell them that I’m buying it for my sister who’s coming into town for a vacation. I get the works—shoes, clothes, underwear, beauty products, toiletries, and two coats. My back seat is full of stuff by the time I head back. It’s all high-quality gear too. Only the best for my girl.
I plan my next moves as I drive through the winding mountain roads. My girl is relying on me and I have to be smart.
We’ll lay low for a year or two. Kennedy Ripken will be declared dead and all records of her will be closed for good. She’ll need a new identity.
In a year or two when we’re ready, I’ll comb the local newspapers of a small town a few hours’ drive away, looking at the obituaries. Once we find a woman around Kennedy’s age who died in an accident, I’ll get to work.
The obituary will give me the necessary details like the date of birth, place of birth, parent’s names, and mother’s maiden name. I’ll take that information and request a new birth certificate. Once we have that, Kennedy will be able to get a driver’s license, a social security number, and a bank account. She’ll be able to get a job if she wants to and live a normal life again.