How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

Jarrod simply dropped into a chair, eyes fixed coldly on the satellite tracker. "I'm not going," he said, his tone icy and distant.

Esmeralda looked at him in surprise. "But-"

He offered no explanation.

By the time Watts got back, dawn was just breaking, the world outside painted in

muted gray.

Almost without thinking, he found himself heading toward Elodie's room. He paused in front of her door, lost in thought for several long moments.

The fact that Jarrod was still alive had caught him off guard. But telling Elodie? That wasn't part of his plan.

He glanced at his watch. Jarrod would need some time to wrap up his affairs. Nearly four hours had passed since their last call.

Casting another glance at Elodie's closed door, Watts walked down the hall and pulled out his phone. "Has Jarrod left yet?" he asked quietly.

The reply was immediate: "His men say they saw him board the plane."

Only then did Watts hang up.

As long as Jarrod was gone, everything would move the way he needed it to. He'd give Jarrod two days, at most.

As for Elodie...

back and knocked on her

No answer.

few seconds, then unlocked the door and stepped

sitting on the edge of her bed, lost in thought. She looked like she hadn't slept a

it was because

flicker of something unreadable flashed through Watts'

your position at the home base," he said, voice even. "It's best if you call them, let them know you're safe. No need

a cool look. "Oh? Worried that they'll come asking

didn't bother denying it. That was certainly part of it. This whole mess

But there was more.

he continued, slower now, "and come with me to

and now he wanted to take

arched a brow. "Mr. Aldridge, you think a bit too highly of yourself, don't

sharper

the delicate, pliant type.

front of her, he looked up. "Elodie, I'm giving you a

stared back,

smiled as if he had all the time

me, and

can be together. How

left