I squinted at the light spilling from the setting sun but didn't look away. Dad's idea of a "few hours' drive" had been a lie—probably just something to reassure us. The ride dragged on until sunset, and I had no clue how long it had been, mostly because I'd dozed off barely an hour after we left the mall. Mum and Michael had followed suit, judging by the silence and the slow, steady rhythm of their breathing.
My eyes shifted to Dad, who stood a short distance away, talking to a man I assumed was Larry. Unlike us, Larry didn't have kids to haul around—just his wife, who waited patiently in the car.
Eventually, their conversation ended, and the two made their way back to their cars.
"Where are we going now?" I asked once Dad slid into his seat.
"To a hotel," he said, buckling up. "One close to the airport."
The engine hummed to life, and we were back on the road. A while later, Larry—who had been trailing behind us—turned down a different road. My brows furrowed. "Isn't Larry coming to the hotel with us?" I asked. "He just took another route."
"We're just being cautious," he replied. "Larry suggested we stay at different hotels, just in case any of us were followed. That way, we won't all be trapped in one place and can help each other if something goes wrong."
"Oh..." I nodded slowly. "I hope it doesn't come to that."
"It won't," Dad said with quiet certainty. "Things have gone smoothly so far—it's only fair it stays that way."
We soon pulled up in front of a hotel. The sun had already set, vanishing faster than we expected, leaving us with just the dim light of evening to guide the way. I went to wake Michael while Dad did the same with Mum. After grabbing a few essentials, we headed inside.
After two days of sleeping in the car, the idea of a real bed—a soft, warm surface—was more exciting than I'd expected. And yet, it was only yesterday that all of this had begun. It felt like weeks had passed already. Living like fugitives wasn't what I'd imagined—it was exhausting, unpredictable, and isolating. I couldn't picture spending my life like this, constantly on edge, always looking over my shoulder.
" just hoped whatever we were running from wouldn't catch up to us—that we'd get our lives back soon.
Dad returned from the reception with one of the hotel staff, who escorted us to our rooms. Michael and I were paired together, while Mum and Dad shared the other. Even though we were still technically on the run, something about the hotel's stillness—maybe the soft lighting or the muffled quiet in the halls—made it easier to breathe. Maybe it was knowing that soon, this would all be over.
"Mmm... I almost forgot what a real bed felt like," Michael said dramatically, flopping onto the mattress the second the staff closed the door behind us. "I never want to be separated from you again. What's that? You don't want that either? Oh darling, yes—yes, forever."
I shook my head and left him to his weird little reunion with the bed while I went to freshen up. Honestly, the rest we'd get tonight was overdue. Hours of sitting cramped in the car was tiring enough, but Dad had been the one driving all through the night and day. If anyone deserved rest, it was him. At least after tonight, things would change. We'd be starting over, yeah—but we'd be safe. And we'd be together.
I turned off the shower, reaching for a towel to dry off and wrap around myself. After slipping into a clean set of clothes, I dabbed on some lotion, added a touch of perfume, then stepped back into the room.
"You fool," I muttered, giving my dumb brother a light kick. "Get your dirty ass off the bed and go take a shower."
He gave me a lazy glare. "Will you get lost? Can't you see I'm having a moment here?"
I scoffed as I crossed to the other side of the bed Michael hadn't claimed.
"Emotional time, my foot—now get off." I shoved him, but the fool caught himself before face‑planting on the floor.
He shot me a glare and made a "kill me" gesture with his hand before stomping into the bathroom.
You better not still be in there when the food gets here." I called after him, then laughed. "Or else..."
"You wouldn't dare."
"Let's see about that." I murmured, eyes drifting to my bag.
I unzipped it and pulled out my phone. When Dad said we were being chased, we all shut our phones off without question. He'd left his old one at home and picked up a burner on the way from work, so only Larry could reach him. Even though I knew we were safe here, I couldn't shake the feeling that plugging my phone back in would blow all that security away. Maybe it was just the paranoia that comes from being hunted by people you can't even name.
With a sigh, I flopped back onto the mattress, staring up at the ceiling. Maybe once this was over we'd go back home. Maybe Dad would fix everything and the hiding would end.
A gentle knock came after a while. I made my way to the door and glanced through the peephole, only opening it when I saw it was a hotel staff member. She handed me the tray with a polite nod, then walked away.
"Is the food here already?" Michael's voice echoed from the bathroom.
I set the tray on the bed and called back, "Take your time. I'll leave yours untouched."
"Is the food here already?" I heard Michael yell from the bathroom.
Walking back into the room, I placed the tray on the bed before answering, "Take your time, I'll leave yours untouched."
Like the speed of light, Michael appeared before me, the towel around his waist still soaking up water droplets he hadn't let dry. I chuckled at his sudden movement, digging into my food while Michael glared.
"You better not finish that," he said, quickly moving over to his luggage.
"You're in no position to give orders. I might listen if you beg," I teased, earning another glare from Michael, who was now about to take the towel off his waist.
"You fool," I muttered, quickly grabbing a pillow and throwing it at him. "Don't make me throw up—no one wants to see whatever's in there."
Failing to dodge any of the pillows, Michael gave me that annoying smirk—the one I hated most, the one that told me he was going to do whatever he wanted, no matter what. My eyes widened, and in the next second, his towel hit the floor.
"Michael!!!"
He laughed loudly, clearly pleased with his plan to annoy me. "Relax, nothing you haven't seen before. Feel free to drool," he said, making his way closer.
I peered through my lashes, glaring at him before slowly lowering my gaze to make sure he wasn't actually naked. A sigh of relief escaped my lips when I saw his navy blue briefs, which stopped just above his thighs. "You fool," I muttered, fully opening my eyes
"What?" He jumped onto the bed. "Expecting something else, huh? Naughty girl."
I stared at him for a moment in silence, then admitted something to myself that I'd always known. "You are an idiot, you know."
"And you," he wagged his finger at me, "are very naughty." Reaching out to pull my cheek, he quickly retreated before I could slap his hand away.
"Please go back to wherever Mum and Dad found you."
"Is that you saying you love me?" he grinned.
Despite my irritation, I couldn't help but smile. As annoying as he was, it was comforting to know he was back to his usual self.
****
The doorbell rang for what seemed like the second time, followed by a knock loud enough to wake Michael and me. My eyes widened as I stared at the door, a dull ache settling in my head from how abruptly I'd been woken. Michael, just as groggy, climbed out of bed and shuffled over to the door, with me trailing behind.
He cautiously peered through the peephole, his brow furrowing before he swung the door open.
"Dad?" he murmured.
"Quick, pack your things—we're leaving. No... actually, you don't need to."
We both froze, trying to make sense of his rushed words. Noticing the urgency in his voice, I pushed aside the dozens of questions running through my mind. Instead, I dashed over to the nightstand, grabbing my bag. Michael followed suit, quickly grabbing his things, and we hurried down the hallway, not even bothering to shut the door.
Epilogue…
"Joann," Williams called gently, eyes meeting hers in the mirror as he hugged her from behind. "I'll protect you and the kids, no matter what. You'll all get out of this mess I made—safely."
"And you too," Joann replied firmly. "We'll all be safe, Williams. Not just the kids and I."
His lips pulled into a faint smile at her words. Leaning closer, he pressed a kiss on her head.
"Now let's go to bed," Joann said, slipping out of his hold and pulling him toward the bed. "We have a long day ahead."
Though the couple were well past their prime, time had only deepened their love. "The years had only drawn them closer, not apart.
A few hours passed, carrying them deeper into the night and closer to dawn. The quiet room broke suddenly as Williams' phone rang—loud, sharp, and jarring in the silence. It startled both him and Joann awake.
Squinting at the screen, Williams checked the time. 2:03 a.m. He frowned, wondering what Larry would need at that hour. Gently shushing Joann back to sleep, he answered the call. "Larry? Is something wrong?"
Silence.
Williams waited, brows drawn together. Seconds ticked by with no reply. His heartbeat picked up.
"Larry?" he tried again, sitting up straighter.
A low chuckle crept through the line—wrong, unfamiliar. A cold, heavy fear settled in his chest and Joann, sensing something was off, watched him anxiously.
"Larry isn't available at the moment," the voice said, calm and mocking. "But if you miss him that much… I'd be happy to take you to him."
His face went pale. "W-What have you done to him?" he asked, his voice trembling as badly as his hands.
The voice ignored him. "Better start running," it said darkly, "because I'll find—"
The line cut.
Williams sat frozen, eyes wide, pulse hammering in his chest. Then suddenly, as if shaken from a trance, he jumped out of bed.
"We have to leave. Now."