Page 32 of The Quiet Witness

“You better, we both know how Will fancies fuck ups.” Lucien turned, feet aimed toward his car. “Anything else?”

Conversation over.

“Nope, oh and Lucien.” He winked. “Get home safe, brother.”

“Will do.” He waved a lazy hand. As if batting away a fly, perhaps Max though, was more of an angry mosquito than anything else.

They could be squashed all the same.

The Ford roared to life behind him, tires screeching as Max headed for the road. Lucien watched him leave, his stomach dipping. Dealing in silence wasn’t Anderson’s modus operandi. Why start now?

Hoisting himself up in his car, his attention fell on his phone. A small light blinked on the black screen. Maybe Kate had reached out to him. Finally using that burner phone he’d given her.

Swiping the welcoming screen up, he furrowed his brows in confusion. There was no message or missed call waiting for him. No, it was an… alarm notification. The card he had used earlier that day had been used to open the front door some twenty minutes ago.

He opened the file the camera had uploaded, knowing full well which sight would greet him. Kate hoisting on her jacket, scratching Ghost behind the ears. Shoulders rising and falling as she made her decision. Not a minute later she left the house behind her.

Heading straight for the forest.

So that was why she’d pulled him in. Sneaky little fox.

Shaking his head he turned on the engine. Reversing out of the road to head home.

The evening wasn’t quite done with him yet.

Chapter 14

Trapped

Snow, snow, and more snow.

Every step was biting agony. It hadn’t even taken a second for her ankle-high boots to greedily swallow the white carpet. She sighed, heaving one foot in front of the other. It would be good when her toes went numb. Not too long anymore now.

She glanced ahead, peering between the branches to catch a hint of light from the road.

Kate knew well enough that Lucien would also have multiple cameras facing the forest. She’d purposefully gone into the forest heading away from the road, only to veer back around as soon as she was out of view.

Near the road, but definitely not on it. Lest she start walking in endless circles.

Lucien could be gone for days, or for mere hours. If he saw her on his way back…

Nope. Don’t go there.

Every snap of a twig had her wheel around. Eyes flitting between the shadows of the trees. Alas, so far she had been alone. Either that. Or whatever animal had stepped on the crackling wood had deemed her to be a threat, or too meager a meal.

She hoped it would be the first one.

Letting out a muffled shriek, she slipped, barely holding on to the branch of a tree to break her fall. Headlights cut through the darkness.

She huddled down, thin branches scratching her face an angry red. But she didn’t dare wipe them away. Breath trapped in her body, she peered around a tree trunk.

Reason told her not many would be on the road tonight. Not here. Which made it easier to believe that instead…

Large car. She squinted, trying to distinguish the color, which proved impossible. But… a silver running board along the sides. It came nearer with its rumbling engine. She saw the grille of the car. A Volvo.

It was Lucien heading home.

She ducked even deeper, ice sticking to her cheeks. He drove by. Same speed, no slowing down. Her stomach clenched together into a ball of nerves.