I strode over to Cole, so grateful to see his eyes open, I could have cried. Instead, I did everything I could to hold the tears inside while I hugged him. “You scared me, Cole. I did not like seeing you that way.”
“Hey, it takes more than a stupid bullet to take me down.” I appreciated the way he was trying to joke it off, but it was challenging for me to laugh at his attempt. “Especially when it only hit me in the arm. The injury isn’t that bad at all. I’ll heal soon.”
I gave him a knowing look. It was likely going to take longer than he was thinking, but at least he was definitely going to recover.
I knew now that I was going to have to take Timothy and run. We couldn’t stay here like this, endangering others. If I kept running, I wouldn’t have a chance to get close enough to anyone for him to hurt. If I only had Timothy and myself to worry about, it would be better for everyone. It would crush me to leave Twin Lakes, but I guess I didn’t deserve anything nice. I’d made a bad choice in Brady, and that would haunt me forever.
If only the police would do something about him, lock him up and throw away the key because of everything that he had done…but I was starting to get the feeling that he would get away with it forever. Some people could just do whatever they wanted.
Cole turned to focus on Timothy for a moment, giving me a chance to step back and observe. They had been growing close, which I thought was awesome since Timothy needed all the positive male role models he could get. But now I felt guilty about it. It was going to make us leaving that much more agonizing. I never should have settled down in one place. Not for any length of time.
“Hey, Miranda.”Ivan grabbed me and pulled me to one side. “What did you mean before?”
“Huh?” I stared at him blankly.
“When you said, ‘I guess that’s it, then.’”
I didn’t think he’d heard that. I hung my head low, knowing I would have to say this sometime anyway, so there was no time like the present…even if I wasn’t ready.
“Timothy and I have to leave. Before anyone else can get hurt.” I could feel Ivan’s eyes boring into me, willing me to look up at him. “I feel so guilty about what’s happened to Cole, and I can’t wait around for it to happen again. It isn’t right.”
“No way.” Ivan’s response was so emphatic, I couldn’t stop my head from snapping up and looking at him. “You aren’t going anywhere. We can’t let this bully win. You can’t keep running from him and having him follow you. You will spend your whole life looking over your shoulder. I can’t have that. We’re going to get him, Miranda. I mean it. I won’t let him get away with this.”
Couldn’t he see that wasn’t happening? Couldn’t he see that I had no choice but to run? I wanted to make him understand that this was the only way we could all get out of this alive. But I could tell that wasn’t going to go down well. Not when he was in a frame of mind where all he wanted was revenge.
I couldn’t be here for revenge. None of us could. It wouldn’t work. Not with Brady.