Page 32 of One Merciful Moment

His mouth thinned. "Stay close."

Boone opened the door before she could stop him.

The raised voices sharpened. Brent, Wade, and Vaughn stood on the porch. Evening light caught the tension in their shoulders and the restless energy in their eyes.

She stayed behind Boone, her hand brushing his back, ready to grab him if he tried to join the argument.

Wade stepped forward and lifted his chin. "We want to go back."

"I'm first." Brent shouldered forward.

First? Ashley fisted Boone's shirt. All of these men lived in Everstill. They had homes and jobs. She deserved to go home first. Her whole life was on the other side of the veil.

"I faked my own death out there. Everyone thinks I'm gone. That means I get to start over. Clean slate. No debts." Brent's voice dropped lower. "No one will be after me now. I've worked in Everstill and paid my way. I deserve to go back."

A chill went through Ashley. Brent wasn't asking for redemption. He wanted freedom as if Everstill had trapped him.

Wade scoffed. "Enough time's passed since we all committed our crimes. Nobody's gonna remember what happened to us. Nobody's gonna care." He tapped his chest. "Man, I was just like some of the others. Except I wore a badge."

Ashley's stomach twisted. She knew nothing about the men's pasts or how they ended up in Everstill. But the bitterness in Wade's voice told her everything. He wasn't looking for forgiveness. He wanted his old authority back.

"I've got people out there." Vaughn stepped forward, puffing himself up. "Followers who'll listen to me. They trust me. I'm needed on the other side."

"Bullshit," Wade muttered. "You had a fucking cult. I remember what you are."

Boone's back muscles flexed under Ashley's hand. Tempers were rising. These were not calm men content to do manual chores to keep the town running.

Moe jogged up the path. "What's going on?"

"I'm leaving. As soon as the veil opens." Wade elbowed Vaughn aside.

"We can all go." Vaughn raised both hands. "The sky is changing. I remember what it was like when..." His gaze swung to Ashley. "When she came through. It's happening again."

Brent shook his head. "I'm first."

"No one is going back," Copper shouted, walking up to the house.

Everyone turned. Copper strode toward them, jaw set. Ashley grabbed Boone's wrist, uncurled his fingers, and linked hands with him. Copper was the leader here. Everyone respected his decisions.

"That's not how it works." Copper pointed at Vaughn. "You think the veil opens because you want it to? You think it listens to you? You think it cares about your followers or your badge or you faking your own death?"

Wade bristled. Brent's eyes narrowed. Vaughn's mouth twisted.

Copper faced them all. "The veil decides who goes through. Not you. Not me."

Boone squeezed Ashley's hand. He stayed silent, but he listened.

"You want out?" Copper looked each man in the eyes. "Too bad. Everstill doesn't work on your schedule." He stepped back and shouted, "No one will go back unless the veil picks you to leave."

Copper pivoted and walked away. Ashley stared after him, reeling. He couldn't mean that. She had to go home.

Boone pulled her inside. Ashley let go of him and thrust her fingers into her hair, cradling her scalp. This couldn't be happening.

"Tell me Copper can't make me stay here," she whispered.

Boone paced from the window to the couch and back again. "I don't know."

"You don't know?" She dropped her arms. "People don't control what other people can do, Boone."