War of Hearts(51)

Although the thought made her sick, Thea nodded.

The tension thickened between them as time moved on and Amanda led them toward the beach. “I can never repay you for saving my son’s life and I will never forgive myself for not taking the risk to help you sooner. I will live with that regret to my dying day.” She turned to Thea and took her face in her hands. “So much has happened to you. You have the kind of strength that is awe-inspiring, Thea. Never forget that. I know horrible things have been done to you and I have no doubt that out there alone, you’ll come across more bad things this world has to offer. But don’t ever forget that there’s love and kindness in this world too. Your parents loved you. I love you. Remember that. Don’t forget … because if you forget, you’ll forget to love.” She gripped Thea’s arms now. “Power like yours in the hands of someone who no longer cares or loves beyond themselves is a dangerous thing. Promise me you won’t forget. Even if it hurts to remember Will and Laura. Even if it hurts to remember me. Promise you won’t forget.”

Thea nodded, holding back the tears. “I promise.”

Satisfied, Amanda hugged her hard.

They stood there so long, a throat cleared behind them. “Mrs. Ashforth,” Jack interrupted. “It’s time.”

From there they let go of one another and hurried down to the beach. Anticipation caused a mad flutter of butterflies in Thea’s belly when she saw the speedboat, manned by a guy with an automatic rifle and another who was steering the boat.

Amanda followed her down onto the private jetty with the guards at their backs. Thea gave her one last hug. “Thank you,” she whispered. “I won’t forget.”

Shouts rang out just as Thea stepped into the boat. She turned around as the sound of bullets ripping through the air filled her ears.

“Go, go, go!” the guy with the automatic rifle shouted as he fired back.

Thea huddled, peering over the edge of the boat when the water sprayed up out the back as it peeled away from the dock. Sarah was down and Jack was guarding Amanda with his body.

Bullets pinged off the stern and Thea gave a muffled shout as she saw Jack’s body jerk several times before he fell off the dock. Her heart in her throat, Thea watched as Amanda went to stand up, empty hands raised, and her body jolted, blood spraying out the back of her head.

She fell like an anchor into the water.

“No,” Thea whispered, choking on sobs as she turned, cowering in the boat as it tore across the river to safety. “No.”

“Hey.”

She looked up to see the guy with the rifle bending down on his haunches to peer at her.

“You hurt?”

She shook her head.

His features softened with concern. “Sorry about the lady. She paid real well.”

Thea glared at him, waiting for the questions to come.

He shook his head as if reading her thoughts. “She didn’t pay me to ask questions. I just do the job. We’re dropping you off at Henderson Harbor where there’s a guy with a car waiting to take you where you want to go. Here.” He dumped a backpack at her feet. “This is yours.”

She was silent as the boat bounced across the water, trying to bury her grief over Amanda. She’d dig up that grief later, when she was far, far away from Ashforth.

“Where do you think you’ll go?” the guy with the gun asked.

She thought of England. Her dad’s parents were Irish, but they had raised him in London, while her mom had been raised in Cornwall. Growing up, Thea had seen photos of Cornwall and thought it looked beautiful.

But it would be the first place Ashforth would look.

Thea shrugged. “Somewhere that’s not here.”

The guy grunted. “Right.”

The man waiting at Henderson Harbor was human, but he was tall and muscular and looked like private security. Thea told him to take her to New York Harbor. It was a five-hour drive, and it felt like it took forever. There were two werewolves sniffing around the harbor when she got there and she knew Ashforth had sent them.

However, the ship leaving the harbor minutes after her arrival was bound for Southampton in England. Her driver was apparently paid to be more than just a chauffeur. He’d spotted the wolves too and told her he’d distract them while she boarded the ship.

Thea reluctantly used her mind trick to secure her way onto the ocean liner.

She stayed in her small cabin for much of the seven days it took to cross, wishing the goddamn ship would speed up. Thea had visions of Ashforth sending out cops to stop the ship, but she knew he’d rather let her get away for now if it meant leaving the authorities out of it. And he also knew she could make the police see whatever the hell she wanted them to see, including a girl who looked nothing like Thea Quinn.

Having cried herself to sleep most nights over Amanda, Thea landed in England with a renewed attitude. She’d keep her promise to her adoptive mother to never forget, but she was done crying.

She was alone now, and all that mattered was surviving and staying out of Ashforth’s hands.

The claustrophobia that had tightened her chest since she’d become Jasper Ashforth’s little science experiment all those years ago finally released as she stepped onto the cruise ship that would take her to Greece.

And from there … well, from there she could go anywhere.