Broken Wings (A Romantic Suspense)(53)



“It’s beautiful,” she says.

“Yeah. Beautiful.”

Ellie looks at me and fiddles with her hair—not the hair over her scars, she plays with a loose strand that hung over her other eye. I reach over and tuck it back behind her ear.

For a long time we just watch the canyon be a canyon.

“Hoover Dam is next.”

Ellie nods. “Let’s stay here for a while.”

She leads me over to a bench a few paces back from the railing and we sit. She’s practically on my lap, tucked up under my arm, leaning on me.

Something changes. It’s the way she breathes. I can just sense it.

“This isn’t going to last,” she says. “Something is going to take you away from me again.”

“Never.”

“Jack, your dad has a lot of power.”

“Does he?”

Ellie sits there for a while. “Of course he does.”

I don’t know, maybe the canyon makes me philosophical. I feel a little small.

“The stuff he does. Trying to push me around, controlling people, the bullying, the loud, obnoxious personality. That’s weakness, not power.”

“That’s great, but…”

“But nothing. I’m quitting, I’m leaving the life he wants me to lead. I’m going to live happily ever after with my wife and if anybody tries to stop me I’ll punch them in their f*cking face. He’s first in line.”

Ellie gives me a sharp look then smiles softly and rests her head on my shoulder.

“We can’t stay long. They’re probably looking for us.”

“A while longer.”

I realize it’s time to leave when I spot a couple eyeing us, hard. I don’t know if it’s Ellie’s scars that draw their attention or they recognize us, but that’s enough for me. I stand and she pulls herself to her feet, holding my hand.

We walk casually back to the car but I keep looking over my shoulder.

As Ellie sits down, there is a soft ding. She looks at me and the color drains from her face. Her phone bings again, and she turns it so I can see it.

It’s from Jessica.

WHERE ARE YOU?

“What do I do?” she says. “Jack, I’m scared.”

“Give me your phone.”

She hands it over.

I start the car and pull the hand brake, run over to the overlook, and wind up. I hurl the phone over the edge and jog back to the car. A couple of people saw me, but f*ck them.

Ellie stares at me. “What did you do that for?”

“They can track it. They’ll know where we are. We have to go, now. Las Vegas it is.”

“Jack, the phone had the map on it.”

“I can find it from here. There’s signs. I’ll ask for directions if I have to.”

“Sure you will,” Ellie says, folding her arms over her chest. “Fine, it’s just a phone. Let’s go.”

“I’ve still got mine. Here.”

I fish it out of my pocket. It’s safe. I bought it with cash so Dad wouldn’t be able to locate me with it. Ellie plugs in an address on Las Vegas Boulevard, and off we go.

It’s not a long drive, only a few hours. After all the driving I’ve done to get this far, it doesn’t really seem that long at all. Ellie is fully awake now, in awe of the scenery. I can see her face reflected on the window as she stares out with a relaxed, crooked smile the whole way.

The phone bleats in annoyance when I deviate from the planned route.

Ellie looks over.

“Hoover Dam, remember?”

“Jack, are you sure we should?”

“I’m sure. You want to see it, right?”

By the time we get there, I can see the lake beyond, glittering in the late-afternoon sunlight. I can’t see the dam, though, it’s farther up the highway. Ellie gasps.

“Jack, look at the sign.”

I look at it and shrug my shoulders. Damn it.

All visitors and vehicles will be searched and must present identification.

There’s a parking lot that overlooks the lake, before the dam itself. I pull off there and step out. We can at least get a look at this. Ellie walks to my side, leans on the railing and looks out.

“I wish we had a camera. We need pictures.”

“Yeah.”

Again, the natural beauty fades, and it’s her I have eyes for. There’s a sadness on her now, hanging around her shoulders like a blanket.

“Okay, from here, Vegas. We get married and then head to the Pacific for our honeymoon. I have no idea where.”

“We’ll figure that out,” she says, trying to sound cheerful. She doesn’t really pull it off.

I lean over and give her a kiss on the forehead. The sun is going down. It’s time to go.

“Another hour or so to Vegas.”

Ellie nods. “Let’s get going, huh?”

In the car, we both yawn. Ellie puts her head on my shoulder but doesn’t sleep. The light fades out as we drive, and the terrain flattens from the rocky hills to wide open plains. Desert.

Ellie sits up and gasps.

It’s clear as a bell tonight, but Vegas lights up the sky from below in a multicolored show, pinks and blues and purples, and there’s a haze around the lights on the ground, like a crazy psychedelic sunrise.

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