“THIS IS ALL TOO COINCIDENTAL. Don’t you think?” Temper asks with a mix of anticipation and worry.
“I really can’t say,” I tell her honestly. “I’ve probably said too much already. I think the best person to ask is Ridge.”
She jumps up from where she’s sitting beside me on the edge of her bed. “Then let’s go. What are we waiting for?”
“Not so fast.” I pull her back down. “In case you’ve forgotten, I’m a wanted woman. I can’t go anywhere.”
“How long is the hideout supposed to last?” she asks, disappointment lacing her tone.
“I’ll be out of your hair by morning.”
“What if you get caught?”
“I won’t, but there is someone I have to find. He’s the only person who can clear my name.”
“Is this person a member?”
“Yeah.” I nod. “It’s actually Ridge’s best friend, Lev.”
I’m not sure why I’m divulging so much information to a stranger. I guess it’s because she doesn’t feel like one. And because she helped me get away from those creepy bastards in the woods.
“Is he cute?” Her eyebrows waggle. “The friend, I mean?”
“He is.”
“Brother’s best friend. I could dig that.”
“Please don’t get your hopes up with Ridge. This really could all just be a coincidence.”
I stop myself from going into more detail about Lev because then I’ll be forced tell her about Maddox, and this girl will question all my life choices if she knows I’m in a relationship with multiple men. We’re not quite there yet.
“I’m not. I’m just daydreaming about a life with a brother as you talk. So, tell me more about Ridge. I need to know everything.”
I bite the corner of my lip, contemplating how to best describe Ridge. “Well,” I begin, a smile tugging at my lips as I stare off. “Ridge is mysterious to outsiders, but an open book when it comes to me. He loves hard and he fights even harder when it comes to the people he loves. He’s dangerous—maybe even deadly. But he’s also gentle and kind.”
Excitement lights up her eyes. “Deadly?”
My eyebrows pinch together at her depravity. “Is that a good thing?”
“Depends. You said yourself, he fights hard for the people he loves. I believe when it comes to matters of the heart, there are no limits.”
“Yeah,” I quip. “Ridge is your brother.”
She laughs. “You don’t agree?”
“Are you really asking me if I think it’s okay to take someone’s life if they are a threat to someone you love?”
Now that I’ve said it out loud, I guess I shouldn’t be so quick to judge. That’s exactly what I did.
“I guess I am.” Her shoulders rise.
“Like you said, it depends. We all have our own reasons for doing the things we do. Doesn’t mean they’re always right. But it also doesn’t mean they didn’t feel right at the time.”
“Are you hungry?” she asks out of nowhere. “I’m fucking starving.”
The familiarity between Ridge and Temper is astounding. They are both batshit crazy. But I love Ridge’s crazy, and something tells me Temper is going to grow on me just as fast. If she is Ridge’s sister, we will both have our work cut out when it comes to protecting this girl. She’s a fucking tornado.
“I suppose since we’re done with that conversation, I could eat.” I slap my hands to my legs. “Maybe a shower, too.”
“Perf,” she says as she springs to her feet. “I’ll show you to the showers and give you some fresh clothes, and while you’re cleaning up, I’ll go fetch us some food.”
“Just one problem. I can’t be seen, remember?”
“As if anyone will have any clue who you are. You’re fine.”
“Even if there wasn’t any word of the manhunt for me here at The Academy, I was a senior here last year. Someone will recognize me and people will talk.”
Her eyes widen as her face lights up with realization. Slowly, she raises a finger. “I think I’ve got an idea.” She scurries to her dresser and pulls open the top drawer, retrieving a pair of sunglasses and a black baseball cap.
My face contorts in amusement. “You want me to take a shower wearing a hat and sunglasses?”
“Not in the shower. Just until you have privacy. It’ll be fine. You won’t look weird at all.”
I chuckle. “Sure, I won’t. Everyone wears sunglasses and baseball caps to the bathroom when it’s snowing outside.”
She throws them at me and I catch both against my chest. “Exactly.”
Is she even listening to a word I say?
I’m not even going to argue this because I feel absolutely disgusting, and a disguise is necessary if I’m going out in public. Once I’m done, I’ll eat and make a call to Ridge to see if he’s got any updates. I’m hoping Scar has already untied Maddox and they are all together now. Once I’m sure all my friends are safe, I’ll leave on foot to find Lev.
“Here.” She shoves a black bag to my chest, then some clothes. “Shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and a used razor.”
“Wow. Thanks. I’ll hold off on shaving. Really, though. I appreciate this.”
“It’s the least I can do for my potential brother’s girlfriend.”
My lips purse and my eyebrows arch. “Right.”
If Temper does end up being Ridge’s sister, it’s safe to assume they get their weirdness from their father. The thought makes me smile. Ridge is so beautifully weird, and man, do I miss him.
“Out you go,” Temper orders as she shoves me through the open door. “End of the hall on the right.”
I hesitate, feeling like I’m forgetting something, but when she sets the hat on my head and slips the sunglasses over my ears, I think I’m all set.
“Oh,” I begin, spinning around to face her, but before I can finish my sentence, she closes the door. “What kind of food are you going out for?” I mumble to myself sarcastically.
Guess it’ll be a surprise. I’m so hungry, I’d eat damn near anything at this point.
My walk down the hall is a quick one, and fortunately, I didn’t cross paths with any students. I push open the door to the girls’ showers and poke my head in. “Hello?” I call out.
“Hello,” someone shouts back over the sound of running water.
“Just seeing if anyone is in here.”
“Someone is. Just me.”
Not saying anything else, I hurry past the sinks, down to the row of showers, and slip into the first one, yanking the curtain closed before I undress.
The minute the hot water kisses my skin, I feel the tension unravel in my knotted muscles. I’m not sure if it was wrestling around with those guys in the woods, beating the hell out of the trapdoor, or screwing Maddox—twice—on the cement floor, but my body fucking hurts.
My fingers run through my knotted hair and I lean my head back, closing my eyes.
This will all be over soon.
Even if I do get taken in due to my involvement in the governor’s murder, I’ll plead my case and I have a good shot at winning. It’s easy to prove what a psycho the man was. Especially when I know Neo and his sister, Maddie, will vouch for me.
As for the other murders—I didn’t kill anyone else. I shouldn’t be scared because I had absolutely nothing to do with the deaths of those other guys. I’m innocent and I’ll do everything in my power to prove that.
As I try to relax in the shower, I start to realize just how much I miss my guys. Maddox, Ridge, and even though I don’t want to admit it to myself, Lev.
Lev might not be mine, but it still feels like there is a string attached between us, pulling us together like a moth to a flame. I can feel it in my gut. There has to be a reason he did what he did. I’m still angry, but I have a feeling once I hear his side of the story that anger will subside.
Once I finish my shower, I reach outside to where the towel hook is. “Son of a bitch,” I grumble. I forgot a towel.
With no other option, I use my dirty shirt to pat myself dry then hold up the clothes Temper gave me.
Black leggings that look two sizes too small. Fortunately they’re stretchy so I manage to squeeze into them. And a solid black crew-neck sweatshirt that hugs the hell out of my tits.
Once I’m dressed, I slide the old flip phone from Scar in my bra for safe keeping, then I slip on the hat and glasses and sneak out of the bathroom. My bare feet pad against the worn carpet in the hall as I walk briskly back to Temper’s room, carrying my dirty laundry and the ugly old coat I hope I never have to wear again.
Stopping at her door, I look both ways, making sure no one is coming as I knock my knuckles to it. To my surprise, it pops right open.
“I’m back,” I say, eyes skimming the small space. “Temper?”
I close the door all the way and go inside. She must not be back from getting food yet.
I decide to make myself comfortable on her bed, but not too comfortable. As tired as I am, it feels weird lying down in a stranger’s bed. It’s crazy how we just met an hour ago and I already feel so comfortable with her. Like she’s an old friend who has my trust.
Twenty minutes later, she’s still not back, so I lean to the left, allowing my body to drop into the plush mattress.
Before I know it, my eyes are closing.
“Shit!” I jump up from a dead sleep. My heart races, and my chest tightens as a wave of panic washes over me. It’s an awful feeling, as if I missed something really important. But all I’ve missed is time. Time that I should be using to search for Lev.
I take a deep breath and try to shake off the feeling, but its hold is strong.
One glance at the clock on Temper’s nightstand sends me into a full-blown panic attack. She should have been back by now. Every place on BCA grounds is within walking distance of only ten minutes tops.
It’s been over an hour since I returned from the showers. My air supply feels restricted, like a tight hand is around my throat. There’s an immense fear inside me that something happened to her. That somehow I dragged her into my mess.
Where the hell is she?
Maybe she ran into some friends. Then again, she said she’s a loner. I can’t imagine she’s hanging out with anyone, especially when she knows I’m here waiting for her to return.
A thunderous knock at the door has me jumping up from the bed. Light-headedness ensues and I clutch the nearest wall for support until the feeling passes. It’s a telltale sign that my body needs food. The last thing I ate was a pack of pretzels this morning that nearly killed me.
“Coming,” I say loud enough for Temper to hear. At least, I assume it’s Temper. Now, I’m not sure. Once I reach the door, I press my ear to it. “Who is it?”
There’s no response. Not a single sound can be heard.
I try again, hoping for a sign that it’s Temper. “Is someone there?”
Still nothing.
I can only assume it was a delivery and the sender left. I pull open the door just to be sure, but just as it comes open, I’m shoved back and someone else comes in.
Only, it’s not Temper.
Before a scream can even leave my mouth, a hand holding a cloth is smacked over it. I gasp and sputter, trying to get words out as my body tries to fight, but it’s no use.
Help me, I silently beg as everything goes black.
My eyes flutter open, and in a disoriented panic, I take in the scene. Shiny leather seats with tinted windows. Outside is nothing but endless fields. The second I try to move the hair from my face, I gasp at the realization that my wrists are bound together with a scratchy rope.
“Did you have a nice nap, Riley?”
My blurry eyes catch a pair of bluish gray ones in the rearview mirror. I blink a few times until more of his face comes into view.
“Who are you?” I ask through dry vocal cords while the scent of a cigar fills my nostrils.
He dubs out his cigar into an ashtray between the two front seats. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to hurt you. I have to say, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”
My throat tightens as I hear my own voice echo in the enclosed space. “What do you plan to do with me?”
“I’d just like to talk. That’s all.”
“Are you…” I choke out. “Are you a Blue Blood?”
“I am.” His eyes soften as if he senses my disdain. “Don’t worry, dear. You’re in good hands. I’ve come to help you.”
It’s hard to believe I’m in good hands when mine are literally tied. I suppose it’s possible he’s just worried I’ll try to escape like I did with Maddox.
“Do you know where my friends are?”
“The girl you were with? Temper, I believe, is her name?”
How does he know Temper?
“Her. And the others.” I’m not sure if he knows who I’m talking about, but I’m not sure how else to ask him who sent him.
“If you’re referring to Lev, I was hoping you could tell me that.”
“I…I have no idea. I haven’t seen Lev in a couple days.”
The car takes a sharp turn to the right, then the mysterious driver presses his foot firmly to the gas pedal, picking up speed.
Fear grips my chest. “Sir,” I say softly, but he ignores me and accelerates even faster. “Sir!” I shout over the roar of the engine.
“Did you kill Governor Saint?” He howls like a madman as he drives at full speed down the desolate road we’re on. Bumps in the road cause my body to jolt back and forth until my head is spinning.
“Excuse me?” Just as the words leave my mouth, I tip over. My head collides with the side of the door handle and the dull thud of my bone hitting the metal rattles my brain. My wrists throb in agony as the rope digs deeper into my skin.
“Answer the damn question!”
“I…” I sputter, immense fear monopolizing my tongue, as it tries to prevent me from speaking. “No,” I lie on impulse. “I didn’t do it. Governor Saint took his own life.”
This must be The Punisher assigned to me. He wants a confession so he can end me.
“Don’t lie to me, little girl.” He whips the car to the left, before slamming on the brakes and bringing it to a screeching halt.
“Why are you doing this?” I cry out.
He aggressively rips off his seat belt, then twists in his place to turn and face me. It’s the first time I see his whole face and the familiarity in his features is uncanny. It’s like I’ve seen this man before, but I don’t think I have. If he wasn’t acting like an insane psycho right now, I might even be able to say he was attractive, in an older man sort of way.
“You’ve made a big mess, Riley, and unless you want your future to go up in flames, you better tell me the damn truth.” His tone is forthright and domineering, and the level of intimidation I feel is making it really hard for me not to break down and tell him everything about the governor. “The truth!” he stammers. “Now!”
My entire body is shaking. My thoughts elude me. I can’t focus. I can’t think. “I didn’t do it,” I manage to spit out. “He killed himself!”
His jaw tics, teeth grinding as he speaks. “In three days, they are closing Governor Saint’s case. Once that happens, the sealed files from his office will be handed over to The President of The Blue Bloods. Do you know what that means, Riley?” My head shakes no rapidly. “That means anyone the governor was protecting, any secrets he was keeping, will all be exposed.”
I gulp. “I don’t know what that has to do with me? I’m sorry. I—”
“Shut up!” he roars. “You’re lying.” Dropping his tone a few octaves, he continues, giving me no choice but to listen while shock and fear consume me. “We need a confession. Proof that he did not end his life on his terms. Only then will his confidentiality rights continue after death. This isn’t the real world, Riley. Do you understand that? There are rules in place and steps that are taken.” He pulls out some sort of handheld device. “I’m going to need that confession, Riley.”
I crane my neck to get a better look at the object and see it’s a voice recorder. His finger presses a button on the side as he says, “State your name for the record?”
Is this even admissible? I could be anyone pretending to be someone else. At this point, I have every reason to believe this man is desperate. Governor Saint had something on him that he desperately doesn’t want exposed.
Right now, I need to distract him, while getting more information that will help me in the long run.
“Fine,” I say, leaning my shoulder into the door with my bound hands only inches from the handle. “I’ll give you what you want. But first, can you tell me how you found me?”
He scoffs a laugh, as if I’m a child playing silly games in his world and not attempting to run for my life. “You were practically hiding in plain sight.” He waves a hand dismissively, and again, I feel like I’m being judged by a parent. “Any fool could have found you. The Academy was a terrible choice, I might add.”
“But I was in a room and you knew exactly what room to go in.”
There’s only one person who knew I was there, and that person seems to have just disappeared. I thought I could trust Temper, but I was obviously wrong. I must have just been so desperate and her similarity to Scar clouded my judgment.
“If I tell you, will you answer my questions honestly while speaking clearly into the recorder?”
I nod.
“I saw the girl, Temper, at The Academy. She seemed to be in a hurry, as if she was trying to escape something or get somewhere fast. So, I got out of my car and caught up with her. After a few minutes, we realized we could help one another. I got her a ride to where she wanted to go, and here I am.”
That fucking bitch! She ratted me out.
“Did she say where she wanted to go?”
“Boulder Cove University.”
She’s going to find Ridge.
Different thoughts and plans race through my mind as I try to get the upper hand. My heart is pounding fiercely; I fear it’s going to flee from my body. My only hope is that she can get to Ridge and maybe tell him who has me or what’s happened to me.
“I have to pee.”
For fuck’s sake, Riley. This man kidnapped you, tied you up, and drove like a madman to this point and you really think he’s going to let you out to go pee?
“Piss your fucking pants then. We had a deal.”
I swallow hard and before my mind can catch up, my body takes control. My foot lifts and the next thing I know, it’s colliding with the soft flesh of his face. He groans and reels backward, and I react instinctively by clawing at the door in an attempt to find the handle. The second my hand wraps around it, I yank the handle downward. In an instant, I’m tumbling out onto the gravel road in the dim light of the full moon.
The driver’s door comes open and I watch in slow motion as one boot thunderously hits the gravel.
I roll a couple times before reality slaps me in the face. If I don’t get up and run as fast as I can, this man might kill me.
Grit and dust fill my mouth as I desperately search for enough leverage to lift me from the ground. With my hands still bound, I push against the sharp gravel road, giving me enough strength to get to my feet. My eyes flick to the left and I see his face, distorted with rage. Adrenaline courses through my veins, and without a second thought, I sprint down the road barefoot.
I don’t dare look back because If I see him chasing me, I’ll panic. In which case, I’ll likely fall and it will be the equivalent of falling into my own grave.
After about a minute has passed and I’m still on my feet, I do it. I look over my shoulder.
Only, he’s not there. The brake lights of the car come on in the distance and I slow my steps. Staring straight at the car, I gasp when I see it whip around, heading straight for me.
I cry out as I take off running again. Rocks and gravel dig into my feet, but the pain is no match for the ache in my wrists. I force my focus on where it needs to be, which is surviving.
I have to get off this long stretch of road.
With one giant leap, I clear a small ditch and sprint straight for the woods.
The bouncing of the phone inside my bra reminds me that it’s there, and suddenly, I feel a fleeting moment of hope. The realization that I might not have service is heavy on my mind, but I won’t let it bring me down.
That is, until I glance back and see the headlights of the car stopped on the side of the road. My heart is pounding and my breath is ragged, but I don’t slow down.
I stumble blindly into the dense woods, pushing past branches and moving around trees, so I can find a safe spot to stop and call for help.
The crunching of twigs in the distance is deafening. It’s a sign my captor hasn’t given up the chase. I move faster, going in all directions to try and lose him. Left, then right, then straight and turning left again.
I have to get this rope off my hands or I’ll never survive this.
Spotting a branch with a jagged edge, wedged between two logs, I creep over to it and turn around so my back is to it. I wince at the sudden tugs on my wrists as I move them back and forth, forcing the rope against the stick’s spine. Finally, it snaps off, and my hands are free.
I exhale a sigh of relief as I tuck myself behind a tree and curl over with my palms pressed to my knees.
I hear footsteps crunching in the distance. Only, they are no longer coming closer. They’re moving farther away.
Next, I hear the sound of a car door closing. At least, I think that’s what it was. It’s so far away I can’t tell.
My heavy breaths are the only sound as I listen carefully for any clues that this crazed man is still out here.
A few long minutes pass, and I’m almost positive he left, I reach into my bra and pull out the phone.
I’m shocked to see that I actually have a signal out here. With a shaky hand, I tap the button to call Scar. My eyes dance back and forth, all around me as I tremble, waiting for this monstrous man to emerge out of nowhere.
The first ring has my heart fighting to flee from my chest.
The second has it sinking into my stomach.
“Oh my god! Riley!” Her voice is like music to my ears. “Where the hell are you?”
“I need help,” I say with a breathless whisper as my eyes peer around the tree. “Someone kidnapped me. He’s coming, Scar. Please send help!”
“Who?!” she says in a panic that mirrors my own. “Where are you?”
“In the woods. I don’t know where. I was unconscious and woke up in the back of his car. I don’t know who he is or where he was taking me. Can you track this phone?”
“It’s a burner phone, babe. It can’t be traced. Can you get out of the woods and go to a road so you can find a street name?”
“I…I don’t think I can. I’m scared, Scar.” Tears stream down my face at the realization that my life is on the line here. “I don’t even have shoes on.”
There’s some muffled words and I’m sure she’s covered the speaker to tell one of her guys what’s going on. A new voice comes on the line and relief floods me, knowing these guys would do anything to come to my rescue just like Scar would. “Are you there?”
“I’m here,” I say to Crew. “Please come find me. I don’t know what else to do.”
“Just stay calm, Riley. We’re going to get you out of there.”
“Easy for you to say.” I scoff as my back slides down the tree. The fabric of the sweatshirt I’m wearing gets caught on some bark, but I keep going down until my ass is planted firmly on the ground. The air around me is freezing, and with no shoes and only a thin shirt, I feel like my life is hanging in the balance, even without this madman chasing me.
I listen intently for any sound around me. There’s some leaves crunching in the distance, but nothing that alerts me to a person being nearby.
“Hello?” I say, getting inpatient and even more worried with each passing second. “Crew?”
“I’m here. We’re just trying to come up with a plan.”
Seconds turn to a minute and my stomach begins growling as I wait. I haven’t eaten all day. The sun is now completely set. I’m cold. I’m scared.
I can’t control my emotions as I burst into tears.
“I just want to come home,” I cry to Crew. “Please hurry.”
“Riley, you need to get to a road and search for a sign. Anything that tells us where you might be.”
“No,” I blurt out. “I can’t walk out of here, not knowing if he’s waiting for me or not. It’s dark, Crew. I’m so fucking scared.”
There’s some static before Scar returns to the call. “Babe, it’s me. Listen, you have to be brave, okay? You can do this. You’re Riley fucking Cross.”
“I’m not brave. I’m weak.” A sob cracks through me with the omission, finally saying out loud how I’ve been feeling since the moment I pulled that trigger on the governor. The moment that was supposed to solidify who I was, a guardian and a protector, is the same moment I feel like I lost who I was.
“Are you kidding me? You are a force to be reckoned with. You hear me? Look at everything you’ve overcome. Now stand up and straighten your crown because no friend of mine is anything less than a vengeful queen. You are going to walk out of those fucking woods and we are going to come get you as soon as we can.” She pauses for a moment and I wipe the tears away from my face, trying to believe her. “Oh, and grab a stick of some sort. You may need a weapon.”
“I was feeling pretty optimistic until you mentioned using a stick as a weapon.” I chuckle softly, letting some of my best friend’s strength bleed into me.
I get to my feet and turn the phone toward the ground, using the little light I have to look for the same stick that set me free, then I jerk it away from the logs. “Okay,” I tell her, “I’ve got one.”
“I’m on the line with you. You’re going to be fine. Walk out the same way you came in.”
My feet move in the direction I came, softly—quietly. But, I feel…lost. “Scar,” I cry, “I don’t know which way to go.”
“Talk to me, babe. What kind of road were you on?”
“Um. Gravel. Definitely gravel.”
“Okay. Keep walking and I’ll keep talking.”
Scar’s words replay in my mind as I plant one foot in front of the other, willing myself to conquer my fears. You are a force to be reckoned with.
I hardly believe it to be true, but it’s what she said after that, that really resonated with me. Look at everything you’ve overcome.
I shot a man to defend my friends. I slept with a villain and found his light. I tied my boyfriend up to get free and forged my own path. I fought three men with everything I had, and with a little help, I was able to get away. I’m not weak, I’m a fighter.
I am Riley fucking Cross.
Scar keeps talking, but I don’t hear her. All I can focus on is each step in what I hope to be the right direction.
I walk. And walk. And walk until my feet are numb. I could feel the blood on them from the terrain when I sat down, but if I focused on it, there was no way I would have gotten back up again. So the numbness from the cold helps.
“I see a clearing,” I whisper-yell. “I think I made it.”
“Keep going, girl,” Scar cheers me on and hope flutters in my chest.
Walking out of those woods is what I would assume reaching the peak of a mountain feels like. I’m really damn proud of myself. Even more so, I’m relieved to see there’s no car in sight.
At least, not from what I can see.
“I’m on the road. It’s so dark. I can’t see much.”
“Are you alone?”
My eyes skim the dark area. Fortunately, there’s a full moon tonight, so it’s not pitch black. “I…I think so.”
“Are there any buildings? Anything that can help us find you.”
“Yes!” I beam as my eyes latch on to a shape off in the distance. “Yes! There’s a farmhouse. I have to walk through a field, but I think I can make it.”
“Go to it!” Scars voice is almost a scream and I hear her shuffling around. “Go knock on the door and if someone answers, give them the phone. I’m putting Crew back on.”
Before I know it, I’m full-on running to the house. My feet smack against the cold ground, twigs and rocks grinding into my heels, but I don’t stop.
There’s a chain-link fence with two, maybe three, dogs that are barking and I hope it alerts the owners that I’m here. I also hope they don’t greet me with shotguns.
My feet pound against the crumbling wooden steps of the old house, splinters catching my cracked heels. As much as I want to buckle over in pain, I keep myself upright and push forward with everything I’ve got left.
My heart hammers in my chest as I clench my hand into a fist and furiously begin banging on the metal frame of the screen door. I step back, take a deep breath, and shout desperately, “Help me!” Then I pound on the door again.
Suddenly, the door opens and I’m face to face with a tall, slender man, wearing a straw hat with a big brim. He’s got on a pair of jean overalls, adorned with a plaid flannel shirt. His eyes scan my dirty, bare feet before settling on me. “How can I help you, young lady?” His voice is soft as he opens the screen door with an outstretched palm.
“Give him the phone,” Crew chirps in my ear.
“I…” I stutter. “I need help.” I shove the phone toward him, feeling a bit stunned and speechless.
The man, taken aback, accepts the phone with a confused look on his face. He brings it to his ear and says, “Hello.”
His eyes widen as Crew talks his ear off, filling him in on what’s going on. Without a word, the man steps to the side and waves me into the house.
I hesitate at first, but when I see a sweet lady wearing a floral apron, her salt-and-pepper hair piled in a bun on the top of her head, I accept his invitation.
The scent of banana bread floods my senses and my stomach growls in response.
Ignoring the man on the phone with my friends, I take the lady’s hand that’s extended to me and I follow her into the kitchen. “You poor thing. Let’s get you some milk and cookies.”
The next thing I know, this sweet old lady has me sitting in a chair while she brings me an overflowing plate of chocolate chip cookies.
“Thank you,” I say kindly. “You didn’t have to go to the trouble.”
“Oh, it’s no trouble, dear. It’s not often we have visitors out here.”
I nervously lick my lips and swallow. My mouth feels like cotton, but I feel the hard lump leaving my throat as my nerves settle down a bit. I pick up the glass of milk and drink it all down in one big gulp.
“Where exactly is here?” I ask, curious where I am.
The sweet lady refills my milk from a glass canter. “Davenport,” she says.
“Davenport? Is that near Boulder Cove?”
She stares off, drawing her finger in the air as she speaks. “Davenport is over here. And Boulder Cove is over here. About an hour away.”
I breathe a sigh of relief, knowing I’m not as far as I could have been. Hell, I could have been in another state, for all I know.
“Your friends are on their way,” the nice gentleman says as he hands me my phone back. “Sounds like you’ve been through quite the ordeal. Now, I’ve agreed not to call the town sheriff for the time being, but you kids could get yourselves seriously hurt by keeping this to yourself.”
“Thank you, sir. I appreciate your help.” I look at his wife. “Both of you. Really. You’ve been so gracious and kind.”
“You’re welcome, young lady.”
As my adrenaline begins to fade, my eyes start to grow heavy and the aches in my body begin to set in.
At the time, I forced myself not to think about the pain or discomfort of walking miles through the woods, on a gravel road with no shoes, but the pain starts to set in as I notice blood marking this kind couple’s hardwood floors.
‘I’m so sorry, do you have anything I can wipe this up with?’ I ask in a panic, feeling so rude for barging in here and not taking the time to consider the dirt and blood being tracked in through their cozy home.
‘Oh, don’t worry about it, dear,’ the sweet old man says as he grabs a towel and some cleaning spray. ‘My love, why don’t you grab our guest a towel and show her to the bathroom so she can wash her feet?’ He studies the cuts and scrapes on my flesh before he adds, ‘I’ll drop the first aid kit off by the door for you. You don’t need an infection after everything you’ve been through.’
I nearly choke on a sob. ‘Thank you,’ I say as tears stream down my face. ‘You’re so kind.’
I wipe the tears from my face as the lady walks me to the bathroom and hands me a towel. Before she leaves, her hand rests over mine for a moment. ‘Sometimes the hardest cards are dealt to those with the strongest minds.” She pats my hand before walking out and closing the door.
I take the time to clean everything and apply ointment and bandages where necessary, and I take a few of the painkillers inside the first aid kit. I’m sure Scar and her boys will be here soon.
As I walk back into the room and take a seat, I’m greeted with more cookies and milk as well as a blanket, and I curl up in my spot to dig in.
All I can do now is sit back and fill my belly while I wait for my ride out of here. Definitely not the worst predicament I’ve found myself in since the alert went out.
