Page 139 of Trigger Happy Ending

“Yes. You do.”

Chapter 58

Raine

The butterflies in my stomach won’t quit multiplying. My gut is nothing but a butterfly catcher at this point. I’m a total ball of nerves. Am I fucking crazy? Getting dropped off like this in the middle of nowhere, late at night?

Maybe. Probably. Definitely. But I’ve always been a crazy bitch, and I’m not going to let a near-death experience change who I am at my core.

We’ve been driving for just shy of two hours before Carson pulls off the road and drives down a dark, rocky trail. If I wasn’t an accomplished murderer, I’d be shitting myself. There’s nothing out here except thick forest shrouded in complete darkness. We didn’t speak much during the drive. Nothing more to say to each other, I guess. Finally, he pulls over.

“This is where I dropped him.”

“Thanks.” I gather my backpack up off the floor.

“Angel?”

I stop, hand on the door handle. I look over my shoulder and pin Carson with a glare. “Yeah?”

He drags his gaze down my body. It’s menacing in the way his eyes narrow and travel all the way down to my boots.

“I’ll be seeing you.”

Whatever.

I nod and exit. He’ll have to fucking find me first.

He does a U-turn, and I watch as the taillights disappear into the darkness. I turn and scope out the area, boots crunching on the loose gravel and dirt. I’m in the middle of a forest, it’s the middle of the night, and I have no idea where I’m going. I check my phone. No service which doesn’t surprise me. I decide the best course of action is to follow the trail deeper into the woods.

Even in the dead of night, under the moonlight, it’s beautiful and peaceful out here. I wasn’t expecting to feel comfortable in such a deserted area. Yet, I do. I’m breathing in the purest air, and a wave of gratefulness washes over me. I’m alive. And free. I can’t help but smile. It quickly falls from my face when I remember the reason why I’m alive and free. I might be free, but the one person who could make this life worth all the pain isn’t free. I need to find him. God, this is going to be like finding a fucking needle in a haystack.

I walk for ten minutes before I notice the road ends. Not ideal.

I close my eyes and listen.

Somewhere nearby, the soft sound of water lapping. I follow the sound, walking off the track and deeper into the woods. I push back the foliage and carefully step over fallen logs and rocks. I’m not as fast as I normally would be, my recovery still impacting my usual abilities. The trees begin to thin out, and finally, I see it. A beautiful, silent lake. It takes my breath away. It’s huge. Mist curls off the surface. It’s giving Friday the 13th, honestly.

My heart pounds as I walk down to the edge, my feet softly padding along the shore. I scope the area, and off in the distance, I see a beautiful sight. There’s a lakehouse on the bank, cloaked in darkness. This has to be Soren’s.

Please be here.

I pull the hood up over my head and hurriedly make my way towards the lakehouse.

***

The lakehouse was a lot further away than I anticipated. I’m desperate for water, my lungs burn, and my feet are sore. This is the most physical activity I’ve done in more than six weeks. I’ve probably overdone it. I hate to think how I’m going to feel tomorrow.

I approach the porch before I hear the unmistakable sound of a gun being cocked behind me.

“Don’t you fuckin’ move or I’ll blow your head clean off.”

My heartbeat races as I slowly raise my hands by my side, showing I’m not a threat.

“Turn around,” Soren commands. “Take off the hood. Slowly.”

Slowly, I turn and very carefully remove the black hood. My dark hair cascades down my shoulders, my chest rising and falling so rapidly I might pass out.

He freezes when he sees me. He doesn’t rush to me like I thought he would, and for one long second, I let myself be paralyzed by a horrible, vomit-inducing thought. Does he want to see me?