George sat in sulky silence for most of the ride back. He had pushed any thoughts of his parents and life in Chicago to the farthest reaches of his mind. Despite the rudimentary living conditions in the cabin, living with Daddy, Cullen and Johnny made life worthwhile. The gritty urban sprawl of Chicago was but an unpleasant memory in the stark contrast to the untamed beauty of the Ozarks in northeast Oklahoma, an area of the country that he had never heard of two months ago. Now that he had been reminded of that existence, which seemed so long ago, he realized that he didn’t want to go back. He couldn’t leave his new lovers.
But maybe it wasn’t about him anymore.
“You know that if you turn me in, the reward money is more than enough for you, Daddy and Johnny to make a fresh start somewhe
