I release my hold and flip her over. Silky gray eyes meet mine, tears are rolling down her face as her startlingly brittle hands stretch up to cup my jaw, and I let out a shuddery breath.
“I found you.” My eyes squeeze shut as I fight back my own tears. “Tell me you’re real, Maddie, that I’m not dreaming.”
“I was about to ask you the same thing,” she answers with a soft laugh, though it sounds worn. I open my eyes and lean down to press my lips against hers in a slow and tender kiss.
“I love you,” she says against my lips and pulls me closer. “I never got to say it. I want to tell you every day how much I love you.”
“I love you too, Maddie.” I claim her lips again, deeper this time, moving off her and helping her into a sitting position before reaching for my jacket. “I have something to show you.”
I pull out the Huckleberry Finn book, and Maddie’s hand flies to her mouth, her eyes lighting up, giving me a glimpse of the Maddie I remember. “It got to you!”
“Of course it did. How else would I have gotten all the way here?” I flash her a grin, and a flash of her sly smile crosses her features. I’m washed with a sense of relief. She may be battered and bruised from the past seven months, but she’s still in there, and now that we’re together I can help Maddie heal and shield her from everything that’s haunting her.
I reach into a different pocket and hand Maddie an envelope. “Agent Amelia Ray Drucker requested I hand this to you, a thank you letter for saving her life and helping her find love in the process.”
Maddie’s eyes grow wide. “Micah?” I nod, and she bursts into gleeful laughter that fills my heart with overflowing joy. This is the laughter I’ve been holding onto for months as fuel to my fading hope. “Oh my God, that’s amazing.”
“They really are the cutest couple.” I smile and tuck the book back into my bag. “I don’t know how you sneaked in here, by the way, but I hope we can sneak out the same way. It’s time I lose my tail, then we’ll go somewhere we won’t be found until we figure this out.”
“I already have,” Maddie answers with that glint of determination in her eyes, that same gaze she had in the café that first fateful day.
“What do you mean?” I stand to help her up, pulling her fragile frame against my chest and holding her close, looking down at the woman I fought so hard to stay alive for.
“I know who Daniel Harlow is.” Her jaw sets and her eyes dart to the door. “Now we need to figure out how to flush him out.”
“We will,” I promise her. “Right after we get as far away from here as possible. I planned an exit strategy for when I found you. Everything’s in place for us to disappear somewhere Harlow can’t reach us.”
“Jonah?” Maddie asks with an edge of worry in her voice.
“Doesn’t know a thing about it. I hatched the plan after I left Ohio,” I assure her. “Sienna volunteered to get everything set up while I was looking for you. She was already on the run and seemed pretty keen on the idea.”
“Some people live for the thrill.” Maddie’s smile is tainted with bitter fatigue.
“Hey.” I pull Maddie closer. Her face buries in my chest, and I wrap my arms around her. “We’re going to bring that bastard down, and then I’m going to spend the rest of our calm and mundane lives making you happy.”
“I’ll make sure you keep that promise, Huckleberry.” She stands on her tiptoes and kisses me again, then indicates the closet.
“A secret passage?” I raise an eyebrow. “Why would a rundown motel have a secret passage in the closet?”
“That’s a long story, but let’s just say I’m not the only one using this motel to hide from bad men.” It takes me a second, but then it clicks into place—Candy suddenly flirting with me, taking interest, and easily pulling information from me, then giving me the room with the hidden door. “Let’s get going. Candy’s waiting for us with a car, and after that, she’ll make sure the Peaks know you found me.”
“You have it all figured out, don’t you, Techy?” I grin, stopping to pull on my shoes and retrieve my bag before taking Maddie’s hand again and letting her lead me to wherever she wants and needs me to go.
“Always assume I’m ten steps ahead, remember?” She flashes me that devious grin, and I spin her to me, catching her lips in a deep kiss until she’s moaning into my mouth. “I missed you, too.” She smiles and caresses my jaw before tugging me after her. “Just stay close. Let us women take care of the rest.”
* * *