Amelia and Elizabeth shared a look. Clearly, the jig was up. Elizabeth wasn’t sure what had given her away, but maybe after years of friendship, Sheri just knew her too well. At this point, it was either trust her or try to bluff their way out—and the likelihood of that working seemed slim to none.
“Uh, yeah, sure.” Amelia flashed an alarmed look her way, but there was no going back now. Elizabeth didn’t know what her friend had in mind, but she had to trust Sheri was doing whatever she could to help her out, even if it meant she would get into hot water with Kintail, the pack, and maybe even her own family.
They stood up casually and left the restaurant, careful not to look the men’s way.
Sheri glanced around at the parking lot. “Which car is yours?”
“It’s out back,” Amelia said, and she sounded as jittery as Elizabeth was feeling.
“Uh, okay, then. I’ll give Elizabeth a ride around back. Since I brought her here, it’ll look less suspicious if you leave with me.”
“All right.” Elizabeth climbed into the front passenger seat and Amelia walked off, heading toward the back of the restaurant. They met up in the alley, at a spot where the restaurant had no windows, just a door that led into the kitchen.
“I wish you would have told me,” Sheri said.
“Sheri—” Elizabeth couldn’t deal with this right now.
Sheri’s eyes filled with tears. “We’re sisters. We’re best friends.” Elizabeth got out, and Sheri did too. “I know you’re leaving Yellowknife.” She popped her trunk and, to Elizabeth’s surprise, grabbed two bags, bags Elizabeth didn’t recognize, and motioned to four more she did recognize. They were her bags!
“Hurry,” Sheri said breathlessly. “Open the hatchback and move these over.”
Shocked at the thought Sheri was planning to leave with them, Elizabeth shook her head. “You can’t leave with us.” But even as she said it, Sheri was already moving her bags into Amelia’s car. Elizabeth grabbed two of hers and did the same. When in the world had Sheri packed her bags for her? While she went to the park? She couldn’t believe Sheri had planned this all along and had not let on at all. Then again, Elizabeth had smelled that Sheri had been just as anxious as she had been. Now she knew why!
Amelia sat in the driver’s seat, hands tapping the wheel urgently. “Hurry,” she said, eyes panning from one side of the alley to the other.
“If you don’t take me, they’re going to know I helped you. I’m already getting grief for being your best friend after you freed David and Owen. I’m going with you.”
This wasn’t in the plans. Though Elizabeth knew from her tone of voice Sheri wasn’t about to be talked out of it.
“Hurry, then. We have no time to lose. We’re wasting valuable time already,” Amelia said.
“What’s the plan?” Sheri helped dump the remaining bags of Elizabeth’s into the trunk, then closed her own trunk and locked her car.
“For you not to be with us,” Elizabeth said, choking on the words even as she closed Amelia’s trunk. She would never have thought her friend would do this. “You have a life here.”
They both climbed into the rental car. Amelia headed down a street that would be out of view of the café and after a few more turns, she drove in the direction of the airport.
“And a boyfriend I have dumped numerous times who won’t get the message. Bentley’s like Kintail. Once he owns you, it’s for life, even if you try to convince him otherwise.”
“You have family.” That made a world of difference. Elizabeth had no one who would miss her—but Sheri. Well, Kintail would, but for a very different reason.
“Yes! My parents and my brother. My brother is still just as angry with you for freeing Owen and David.”
“But David is mated now.” Elizabeth didn’t know why she even said it. Sheri obviously never bought that story, and it made no sense anyway.
Sheri shook her head at her. “Right.”
If Sheri didn’t believe it, then Kintail and the others probably didn’t either.
They could be in grave danger.
“This is what I know,” Sheri continued. “David suddenly has a mate, your grandmother dies, you unload all her clothes and food the same day, and you have plans with a friend I’ve never heard of before? It all leads to the same place: you getting the hell out. So no, I don’t think David has a mate. The woman in the photos is probably one of his packmates mated to one of his PI partners. And on top of that, I had to run some major interference with Bentley, giving him all sorts of excuses for all your running around today to charities and food banks and wherever. You would make a terrible criminal.”
“And you would make a great investigator,” Elizabeth said. “But if you don’t believe it—”
“You should have made up the story about David mating someone a long time ago, like last year or something,” Sheri said. “Still, I think there’s enough speculation that hopefully it sows doubt. I bought the story at first, so maybe everyone else did too.”
“I only just thought of it,” Elizabeth said defensively. “And who knew my grandmother was going to pass so all of a sudden like that?” Yellowknife went by in a blur outside her window, and she wanted desperately to take it all in, this last look at her home, but also desperately wished Amelia could drive faster. Amelia was smart though. Getting pulled over could ruin everything. They were so close to leaving for good.
Elizabeth sent a text off to David: My best friend, Sheri Whitmore, is with me. I hope that’s okay, and we have enough room for another passenger. She knows everything. She wouldn’t stay behind…unless I can convince her of it by the time we reach the airport. We have six suitcases with us. She brought them—four of them mine. I didn’t know she’d done that.
David had told her the plane had six seats, but now they would have six suitcases too.
David texted her back: If Amelia is okay with it, we’ll manage just fine. Don’t worry about a thing. Just get here safely.
Elizabeth: We’re working on it.
“I’m your best friend. I would do anything for you,” Sheri finally said, her voice soft.
Elizabeth figured she would, but she hadn’t wanted her to get this involved in her bid for freedom. She wanted to take Sheri with her and continue their close friendship, but she didn’t want to be the reason for breaking up Sheri’s family unit. No matter how she looked at it, someone was going to be hurt. Trying to get her mind off the distance they had to drive, Elizabeth asked, “What did you pack for me?”
“Honestly, I’m not even sure. I just grabbed what I could, jammed everything into your bags, and threw them in my car.”