Page 26 of One Forbidden Moment

He turned back to her, his grip tightening around her hands.She inhaled deeply, knowing she had to be ready to protect herself.

"And when it comes, Jillian...you're going home."

Jillian's pulse thudded in her ears as Moe held her hands.He was worried.It wasn't as simple as he made it out to be.

They had to leave during a storm.That alone scared her, but if she could get back to her mom, she'd travel through hell to get home.

"There's more."He cleared his throat.

Her stomach tightened."Tell me."

The sooner she learned all the details, the faster she could convince him that they must leave.She understood her world.Everstill was his world.She could navigate her way to freedom and see her mom.

"When we get to your world, I can't be seen.Not by the cops.Not by anyone who might recognize me."He exhaled hard through his nose, like the words tasted bitter."You'll need to hide me."

She blinked."How am I supposed to do that?"

"You have a place to live, right?"

She frowned, but going home was too important to lie."Yes."

"Then you'll take me and not tell anyone I'm there."

"Why?"She rubbed her forehead."Why do you have to hide?"

He looked away for a moment, jaw flexing, then met her eyes again."Because the last time I was in your world, I was heading toward prison."

Her breath caught."Prison?"

"Yeah."He held her gaze."I was on the bus, going to prison, when it stopped, and I got out and started walking.I ended up in Everstill."

"You escaped."A cold shiver slid down her spine.She swallowed."What did you do to get yourself sent to prison?"

He gave a humorless laugh."Better question would be what haven't I done, sweetheart."

Her heart hammered at the endearment.She would've pulled her hands away, but she remembered the months she'd lived with him.The nights he held her hand while she slept.The mornings he made sure she ate.The way he never touched her in anger.Never hurt her.Never crossed a line.

He might be dangerous, but he wasn't cruel.

She drew a shaky breath."If there's a warrant out for your arrest...why would you go back?Why risk that?"

His gaze intensified with certainty."Because I need to find Finn."

She stiffened."Finn?"

"The man who left Everstill before me," Moe said."The only one who's ever made it out and stayed out.The only one who's succeeded on staying out of Everstill.The only one who might know what's coming next."

A chill crept up her spine."You talk like this...veil thing is alive."

Moe leaned in, his voice dropping to a whisper-like confession."It's the only thing in Everstill that is."

Her breath caught.The room suddenly suffocated her.None of this made sense.Leaving Everstill was supposed to be freedom.But the way he said it made her feel like she was stepping into something worse.

"But, we went through a storm to get here," she whispered.

"It wanted us back."His gaze narrowed."It won't be an easy trip through if we try to leave."

Her pulse quickened, but she was afraid of asking if they'd get hurt.She needed to return to her mom, no matter what.