AllFreeNovel
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Lee stalks down the steps the second I pull into Silver’s driveway. “She put me out on the porch like a damn cat!”
The indignance in his voice is hilarious. “It’s probably a little early in the relationship to give you a key. Don’t worry, you’ll get there.”
He pulls open the driver’s side door as I slide over into the passenger seat. “Frustrating ass woman!”
My phone buzzes as we back out of the driveway, and I’m surprised to see Calli’s number. She always texts. As soon as I accept the call and before I can say a word, her panicked voice is in my ear.
“Arlow! There’s a man in the woods. He’s following me.”
Her shout was loud enough for Lee to overhear, and he jerks his head to look at me, then makes a quick turn toward my place.
“Where are you?”
“I don’t know.” Her words are filled with despair and interrupted by her heavy breathing. “I got lost. I’m heading north and I think I’m behind my cabin but I’m not sure!”
“Keep running. Keep going. We’re right around the corner, do you hear me? I’ll be right there. Can you see him?”
“No, I might have lost him. I don’t know.” Her voice cuts in and out as the signal falters. “Please hurry.” The terror in her pleading tone tears a strip from my heart.
“Stay on the phone with me.” Lee already has the pedal to the floor, but it doesn’t stop me from shouting at him. “Hurry the fuck up!”
Her next words are chopped into unintelligible pieces before the call disconnects completely. “Goddamn it!” I dial her back and get sent straight to voicemail three times.
Lee makes the turn onto my road and floors it again while I curse myself for not having my gun in the glovebox. After our vehicles were broken into before, it didn’t seem like a good idea to keep it there. “Do you have your pistol?”
“Yes, do you have any idea who might be out there?”
“I told you Chris Handleman is free. I don’t think—I didn’t think he would, but…” My fingers scrape through my hair. “I don’t know. If he touches her, if anyone touches her, I’ll fucking bury them.” I’m nothing but turmoil, ready to burst out of my skin. She’s out there alone and terrified, being pursued through the woods like prey. If she’s hurt, I’ll plant whoever is responsible in my graveyard before the night is through. “Just get to her.”
Lee slows a little when we near my place and I bark at him, “What the fuck are you doing?”
“If she’s lost and running north, I don’t want to hit her if she pops out of the woods onto the road.”
It’s a good point, but the last quarter mile seems to take forever before he turns into our shared driveway while I keep trying to get a call to go through. It finally rings through as we park in front of the cabin. “There she is!” Lee exclaims, pointing to our left.
Calli emerges from the trees on the east side of her cabin, and I run toward her. She barrels into my chest, throwing her arms around me. Her heart hammers between us as she gasps out her words between heavy breaths. “I don’t know…where he is.”
I hug her tight then hold her out at arms length, so I can look her over. A thin rivulet of blood runs down the side of her neck and there’s a tear in the sleeve of her sweatshirt. “Are you hurt? Did he touch you?”
The shake of her head is a relief. “He never caught up with me. I saw him start toward me and I took off.”
Her slight injuries are from running full speed through the unforgiving forest.
Lee has his gun in his hand, glancing around us, and paying special attention to the area where Calli exited the woods. “Did you see what he looked like?”
“He’s wearing a ski mask.”
He looks over at me, his assessment clear in his expression. No one up to any good is going to be out in the woods in a mask.
“I need to grab my gun and we’ll search the woods,” I tell him, still holding onto Calli’s arms. Before he can respond, a motor bursts to life near my barn. We all spin around to look while I shove Calli behind me.
My ATV charges across my backyard, briefly disappears into the thin line of trees then emerges on the road. “Keep her safe,” I order Lee, darting for my truck. Calli calls my name, but I’m focused on catching up to this guy. I need to know who it is. Especially if it’s Handleman.
By the time I get into my truck and out on the road, the motor is no longer audible. There’s no sign of him and it’s impossible to know where he may have turned off into the woods or onto someone else’s property. Damn it. After driving the length of road twice, I stop and slap the steering wheel in frustration.
Adrenaline courses through me at the fear I felt for Calli mixed with the outright rage that someone would dare come after her. If it’s because of me, I’ll never forgive myself.
Calli and Lee wait beside her car when I return. “I couldn’t find him.”
