Page 6 of One Forbidden Moment

Arriving after dark, Moe found everyone in their houses.The only place that remained open after nine o'clock was the restaurant.

Copper lived in a room behind the kitchen.As the eldest and the leader of the town, he remained accessible to everyone, no matter the time.

But something felt different.Maybe it was him.Maybe it was the girl trembling in front of him.Maybe it was the fact that he'd left and made it back without dying.

He'd proven it was possible to leave.They could all leave.

The restaurant windows glowed warm against the night.The sign above the door flickered.

He killed the engine.The sudden quiet pressed in on him.The girl stiffened, her breath catching as she looked around like she expected monsters to crawl out of the shadows.

"Get off."He dropped his arms to his sides.

She hesitated, then slid off the bike.He grabbed her wrist before she could try to get away as he threw his leg over the seat and shook the stiffness out of his knees.

He led her toward the restaurant.

The bell over the door chimed when he pushed it open.The sound echoed in the main room of the building.

Copper looked up from behind the counter.The older man's eyes widened a fraction before his expression settled into something unreadable.He wiped his hands on a towel and stepped forward.

"Well," Copper said, voice slow and deep."I'll be damned."

Moe didn't bother with a greeting.He shoved Jillian gently in front of him, keeping a hold of her."I made it out," he said."And I made it back."

"I can see that."Copper's gaze flicked to the girl and then back to Moe."Who is she?"

Adrenaline shook off the weariness that had settled in him from running from the cops for weeks and living on the lam, stealing what he needed to eat, sleeping in short bursts whenever he could find somewhere to hide and lose the police hunting him."Finn had a woman.He got out.I was able to make it out with them, but I couldn't find the veil to get back on my own.I kidnapped her and got back in.She's the key."

Copper exhaled slowly, like he'd been expecting this and dreading it at the same time.He shook his head."It's not that easy, Moe."

"The hell it isn't."He raised his voice."I'm here, aren't I?"

"You're not thinking."

"For the first time, Iamthinking.I can remember what it felt like on the other side.The rush.The high."A painful laugh burst from him."Fucking hell, man, I was finally alive."

"No," Copper said, stepping closer."Something worked.But not what you think."

The girl flinched when Copper's gaze landed on her again.She edged closer to Moe without realizing what she was doing.Moe felt the movement, the brush of her shoulder against his arm, and something hot and protective flared in his chest.

Copper's brows lifted before settling low."You shouldn't have brought her here."

Moe bristled."I needed her."

"For what?"Copper asked."To open a rift you don't understand?To force your way through something that doesn't answer to force?"

Moe's grip tightened on the girl's shoulder."She's the key," he repeated."She got me out.She'll get me back there, so I can find Finn.We can all leave if we want."

Copper's gaze hardened."Everstill doesn't work like that."

Moe's pulse kicked."Then how does it work?"

Copper inhaled deeply, lingering his gaze on the girl."This place keeps us because we let it.Because we're broken.Because we're empty.Because we don't have anything out there worth holding on to."

Moe's chest tightened."But I found a way out."

Copper shook his head."You had a storm.And you had timing.That's all."