Aaron is leaning on the porch railing when I open the front door. He looks sad more than angry. “Can I come in?”
“No. You can get back in your car and leave. Molly told you everything she remembers.”
Not true. I didn’t know you were planning to—
And the wall goes UP.
“If you want this place to remain a safe house,” Aaron says, “it would probably be a good idea not to draw too much attention.”
“Maybe,” I hiss through clenched teeth, “you should have thought of that before you started banging on the door at six a.m. And in case you haven’t figured it out, I brought the trackers with me. I want them to find me.”
“Yeah, I kind of pieced that together. But do you want the neighbors phoning the police?”
There’s no movement except for a lone fisherman heading down the pier across the street. I’m not sure how many people are even around this time of year, but he’s right. There’s no sense in drawing further attention. I step aside and let him enter.
“Thank you.” He rubs his hands together, blowing on them to warm up. “Sorry I interrupted your bath.”
I try to fight back the blush, but it doesn’t work. “Apology noted. How did you find me?”
Now it’s his turn to blush. “Porter installed a tracking app on your phone when he had it.”
He can clearly see what I think about that, because he says, “I’m sorry, okay? Wasn’t me. But I called Ella and finally convinced her to ask Porter to give me the coordinates when the nurses woke him up to check his vitals this morning.”
I start looking through my phone, trying to find this app that Molly’s asshole grandfather installed.
“Give it here,” he says. “I’ll remove it.”
I hand him my phone and watch as he uninstalls something called WhereUB.
“Probably why this thing has been a battery hog lately.” I stash the phone back in my pocket. “Thank you. But you need to leave now. I’ve done my part. I delivered Molly’s message. You know pretty much everything she knew. I hope you find that bastard Lucas, and I hope you find Graham Cregg, but I’m out. I’m not helping you.”
“Even without the app, we’d have found you. Taylor had already narrowed it down to this street. I’ve been parked by the dock watching for any signs of movement for the past hour. The clerk at the gas station called the police after you left. They were debating issuing an AMBER Alert, but there’s no evidence of force. They think it’s more plausible that Deo left Bartholomew House with you and then decided to ditch you to head off with some other friends. Either way, though, they want to talk to you.”
“No! No police. They said I can’t tell anyone . . . that I have to wait. And that’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to wait until they contact me again and do whatever the hell those people want me to do in order to get Deo back safe and sound. I need to get my stuff and—”
“Hold on. We thought that might be the case. Taylor and I are the only ones who know your actual location. Sam and Porter know that we know, but they don’t want details. The security system at the gas station is crap . . . don’t think they’ve updated it in a decade. The police couldn’t read the tag on either car, but they do know that you’re in a red Volvo, so . . .”
“Then I’ll catch a bus—”
He grabs me by the shoulders. “You need to play this smart. This Badea woman works for Cregg. Do you really think that the man who killed all of those girls is going to just ask you for a little favor and then set you and Deo free?”
“They’ll set him free before I do anything to help them.”
“So that’s your game? You’re going to play martyr? You don’t even know what they want from you!” His voice softens. “You heard what Molly said about Cregg. Could you really refuse to do what he wanted if he makes you watch while Deo carves himself up with a knife?”
My knees buckle and I collapse on the floor, wrapping my arms around my head. “Shut up, damn you! Shut up and go away.”
“I’m sorry.” Aaron drops to the floor next to me. His arms encircle me. “I’m so sorry, Anna. I know you didn’t want to hear that, but it’s the truth. And running from the truth isn’t going to get Deo back alive.”
I try to push him away, but he doesn’t let go. He just pulls me in tighter.
“It’s okay, Anna. You don’t have to do this alone. We’re on the same side. Let me help you.”
The tears I’ve been fighting back for the past few minutes brim over. Aaron doesn’t smell like vanilla—more like a forest, really, with a hint of the ocean spray he picked up waiting outside. But he makes the same soothing noises that Kelsey made when I was small, his lips pressed against my hair. I’m angry that Aaron has broken down my defenses, but there’s also this very contrary part of me that doesn’t want him to let go. That wants to be able to rely on his strength, just for a little while.