Chapter 40. Home

Wren POV

My father called at eight the next morning. Not Sunday. Not four o'clock. Not from his little office with the bookshelf.

From the car.

I could see the steering wheel at the bottom of the screen and the gray highway sliding past behind his head, and my stomach dropped through the floor.

"Wren." His voice was tight. "I'm coming to get you."

I stared at him.

"Gareth called me last night. About the parcel." His jaw worked. "A man from before. That's what he said. A man from before has your number and he's leaving things on your doorstep." He glanced at the road, then back at me. "You didn't tell me."

I didn't want you to worry.

"Worry?" He laughed, and it came out cracked. "Little bird, I've been worried for two years. I'm going to be worried until I die. That's not something you can save me from." He to