Mary Anne’s eyes lit up. I felt exactly the same way, but I knew it wouldn’t be easy. I had no idea how to break the Dires out or how to end the hunt. “Then why tell us to run?”
“Because right now you two need to get the hell away from this city.” He handed me a set of keys. “The SUV has a full tank and there’s a week of supplies in there. Mary Anne, you got any cash?”
“Yes. I have a couple hundred left over from when I went shopping.” She patted her back pocket.
“Here’s two hundred more.” He handed me a few bills.
“So what now?” she asked softly. “What are we supposed to do?”
“You lay low.” Denny shifted his weight. “You don’t get caught. That’s going to be harder than you think. Because they know what we look like now…”
They knew a lot more than that. I was sure of it. I didn’t understand all the workings of The Society, but to maintain power the way they did, they had to have some serious intel. And security. Although we’d somehow managed to get out. I couldn’t believe the sacrifice the other Dires had made to make that happen.
“Pick only the most inconspicuous of places and campsites, and move the second anything makes you suspicious. Instincts are rarely wrong. And this goes without saying. Don’t contact anyone you knew before. By now The Society knows your true identities. They’d find you in a heartbeat, and you’d be putting anyone you contact in jeopardy.”
“Got it, but you just happen to have a week worth of supplies in the SUV?”
“We’re Dires. We’ve been in hiding our whole lives, which means we always prepare for this sort of thing.”
“How will we know when to come back?” Mary Anne gripped my hand tightly.
“I’ll call you.” He pulled out a phone and handed it to her. “This is untraceable, but only use it when absolutely necessary.”
She slipped the phone into the back pocket of her jeans. “What are you going to be doing? Why aren’t you coming with us?”
“I’m going to keep searching for the others. Pack instinct says to stay together, but not now. All the rules have changed.” He let out a deep breath. “Now get out here. Get as far away as you can.”
“We will.” I nodded. “Thanks.”
“You’ll be repaying all the help later. Both of you will. I don’t know what’s going to happen now, but things are changing. We’re not going back into hiding for long. The hunt will be over one way or another.”
“It will.” I hadn’t been a Dire for long, but I understood the frustration the pack felt. Why should we be hiding when we were so strong? I hated Hunter, but I also owed him. I’d have been dead if he hadn’t changed me. We’d find a way to end the hunt, and then Mary Anne and I were leaving. We were going to build a life together that didn’t involve hiding and living in fear.
Mary Anne hugged Denny. “Stay safe.”
“I will. Same to you. Watch out for our friend there.”
“I will.” She smiled. She liked Denny implying that she’d be the one to take care of me. She would be taking care of me. I needed her, but I was also going to take care of her. Even if it cost me my life, I was never letting anything keep us apart again.
I waited until she was buckled before pulling away from the cabins.
“At least we’re together.” She leaned back against the seat.
“That changes everything.” I took her hand in mind.
“Thank you.” I finally spoke the words I’d been mulling over for days.
“For?”
“Giving me another chance at life.” I continued down the dirt road.
“I couldn’t let you go.”
“And I’ll always be grateful to you for that.”
“Is that why you’re with me? Because you feel grateful?”
“Not at all.” I slowed the car down, and pulled to a stop.
“What are you doing?” Mary Anne asked nervously. “Denny said we needed to move.”
“I’m making sure you never question my motivations for being with you again.” I got out and went over to her side. I unbuckled her seatbelt and pulled her out of the car and into my arms.
I let my lips do what my words were failing at. I moved them against hers urgently, trying to convey how much she meant to me, and would always mean to me. I deepened the kiss, as she held on to my shoulders.
“It’s dusk.” She broke the kiss, but remained in my arms. “Maybe tomorrow will be a less crazy day.”
“All in all today wasn’t a bad day.”
“Are you only saying that because we had sex?” Her lips tickled my neck.