Mason tried desperately to orient himself, his head whipping back and forth. Georgia had taken the gun from his waistband as they collided, and then she’d shot the man who’d shot her. Her tormenter. One of many. A pool of blood spread out around the old man’s dying body, soaking into the floorboards of Lilith House as his pitiful cries grew weaker, so faint they could hardly be heard.
Georgia fell backward, the gun in her hand clattering to the floor. He bent over her body, pressing on her wound. “Georgie,” he breathed. “Georgie. You’re going to be okay.”
She smiled up at him. “I’m okay now.” Her smile twisted and her face grew paler.
“We’ve gotta get you help. I’m going to carry you—”
“Mason,” she grabbed his shirt, pulling him closer. “It’s okay. This is right. It’s how it was meant to be.”
“What?” He moved to stand so that he could pick her up, carry her to his car, drive her to a doctor in town. “No, Georgia. No.”
But she shook her head. “There’s no one to treat me. They’ll let me die. I’d rather die here with you. Stay with me, Mason. Please.”
“You’re not going to die. No way—”
“Mason, I told on her.”
He pressed harder on her wound. “Told on who? It doesn’t matter. We have to get you out of here.”
“Kandace. I heard them talking and I told the guild her plan. They didn’t drink the poison. It’s my fault. I was jealous.” Her voice cracked and a tear rolled down her cheek. “I thought . . . she’d come back and take you . . . away from me. You. Cam. You were . . . all I had. All I’ve ever had.”
Oh God. Oh, Georgia. He swallowed. “It doesn’t matter, Georgie.”
She shook her head and it appeared that the small movement pained her, her expression turning into a grimace. “It does matter, Mason. It does. All this time . . . I hated them for what they did to me but I . . . hated myself more. The fire . . . all those girls . . . it wouldn’t have happened if not for me. I did all . . . of that. Me, Mason. It was my fault. And in the end, you were taken away anyway. And I was left with him.” She tilted her head minutely toward where Dreschel lay unmoving. “But maybe I deserved it.”
“Oh, Georgia, no. You were just a young girl. You were confused, hurting. You had no way to know what they’d do, or how it would all end up. None of us did. I’ve always loved you, Georgie. I always will. There’s nothing you could ever do to lose me.”
Her lips tipped into a smile and she brought her hand to his face. He leaned into it as she gazed at him, seeming to really see him for the very first time, though they’d known each other all their lives. “Oh, Mason. Always living in someone else’s shadow. I did that to you, didn’t I? I’m so sorry. You deserve more. You always did.”
“We all did, Georgie. Don’t leave me. Let’s find out—” He choked on his words as her hand fell from his face and her body went limp in his arms.
CHAPTER FIFTY
Scarlett stopped, letting go of Haddie’s hand and reaching out to grab Millie’s arm. The girl was a few steps ahead of her and she came to a halt, turning. Scarlett put a finger up, indicating they should take a minute, bending over and placing her hands on her knees for a moment as she caught her breath. Even in the dim light of the moonlit forest, and despite that her shoes were soaking wet from having waded in the stream for miles, she could see that blood had saturated the cushioned fabric, turning it pink. Her wounds had opened. She didn’t dare take the time to stop and attempt to re-bandage them though. She needed stitches, but she didn’t think she was at risk of bleeding to death, and so they’d keep moving.
“What’s wrong?” Millie whispered.
“Nothing. Just a quick rest.” She swallowed, looking behind them, her eyes moving through the shadowy trees. It’d been hours since she heard the gunshots echo off the canyon beyond them, mixed with the brief bout of lightning and thunder, two hours that she’d been whispering prayers that Camden hadn’t been hit. She had a sinking feeling in her gut though. There had been so many shots, and soon after, they’d seen the lights moving in the other direction. That couldn’t be good.
No, don’t think that. You have to stay hopeful. For the girls. For them.
She’d heard the dogs barking a short time after they’d split up with Camden, and fear had nearly made her double over. They were being tracked.
Walk in the water. The dogs can’t track you there. Royce’s seemingly nonsensical words came back to her then. She didn’t know what it meant, didn’t know how his inebriated rantings could possibly be connected to what was actually happening to them, but nonetheless, she’d led the girls to the stream, and they’d walked in the water.
“Let’s go, Mommy,” Haddie said, taking her hand again. She drew strength from the solid feel of her daughter’s hand in hers, the warmth, and Scarlett stood straight, nodding at them both as they continued on through the trees.
She was so incredibly proud of Haddie and Millie. So proud. They’d traveled miles and miles—through water when they’d heard the dogs—over rough terrain, under deeply stressful conditions, and they hadn’t complained once, neither of them. And here she was, the one asking for a rest. They needed it though. They needed a few deep breaths to complete the last leg of their journey.
God, she hoped they were close. She hoped she’d followed Camden’s instructions properly. If she had, they should come out of this thick blanket of forest at the edge of a trail. And somewhere on that trail was an emergency phone that would bring help.
“Let’s go,” she said.
They began jogging again, Scarlett’s feet screaming with so much pain she wanted to cry out from the agony of each step, but she didn’t. She wouldn’t let them know. She wouldn’t put her burden on them as they were burdened enough as it was. They moved as fast as possible through the dense woods, but not so fast that they couldn’t see objects in front of them. It would do no one any good to trip and break an ankle.
“Mommy,” Haddie said, pointing ahead where the trees opened. Deep relief fell over Scarlett when they stepped out of the tree cover onto a hiking trail. She pulled both girls to her and let out a soft laugh of triumph. They squeezed her and rejoiced under the light of the moon.
After a few moments, they began walking, traveling on the edge of the trail so that if they needed to seek cover again, they could do so immediately.
“There,” Millie said, and when Scarlett looked where she was pointing, a small sob came up her throat. It was a tall pole next to an enormous pine, an emergency satellite phone box attached to it.
They ran for the phone, Scarlett’s hands shaking as she opened the box, lifting the receiver. A dial tone sounded in her ear and she let out another quiet sob. Scarlett dialed 9-1-1, tears streaking down her face as she told the operator where she was and what she needed. She forced herself to speak clearly, not to give in to the hysteria bubbling inside of her, and to explain that the operator must not alert anyone from the Farrow Sheriff’s Department. State police. Only state police, and on a private channel.