There was no point in drowning in Fox’s reaction right now. I had work to do.
My foot eased on the brakes as the drive I was looking for popped into view between the autumn foliage. I’d almost missed it, as it wasobscured in a dense wooded area. The only sign it was there were two wooden posts with green reflectors.
The place was about ten minutes outside of town. Gravel crunched beneath the tires of my car as I rolled down the winding gravel path. Some unease crept up my spine at how dense the woods were. I was beginning to wonder whether I’d made a mistake or had gotten the address wrong, when the cabin finally popped into view a few minutes later.
Relieved, I parked and climbed out of my vehicle. The cabin itself seemed solid enough. The weathered cedar planks of the exterior gave it a rugged, rustic feel. Once, it was an old hunting cabin. The man who owned it was too elderly to use it, and his children rented it out on occasion.
I turned in a slow circle, checking out the area. This truly was in the middle of nowhere. It was so…quiet. The yellow, orange, and brown leaves rustled in the breeze. Birds called out to one another and squirrels scampered up the tree trunks and leapt among the branches.
It was beautiful, in many ways. I’d lived for so long in the city that I’d forgotten how peaceful the world could be.
It should be relaxing.
But as another gust of wind tossed the dead leaves around my feet, cold apprehension pricked at the back of my neck. I shivered, trying to ignore the feeling that someone was watching me through the gaps in the trees.
I wrapped my arms around my chest. No one was there, I reminded myself. I just wasn’t used to feeling this alone. This isolated. Despite my assertions, I hurried behind my vehicle and opened the hatch, anxious to get my luggage inside and lock the door.
It took me three trips to get all the tech equipment inside. The network offered to send a team with me to film, but I had declined. It was conspicuous enough that I was here; if I had brought a whole team with me, it would’ve caused a spectacle. I was hoping to fly low under the radar for as long as possible. Possibly I’d hire some local help with filming and sound if I needed it, but I’d always been interested in film. Besides, the town had been through so much already, I wanted there to be as little disruption as possible.
It wasn’t until I dragged the last bags from my trunk, that I finally noticed it.
As the boughs of the nearest oak swayed, a peek of sunlight glinted off broken glass in the grass near the left side of the cabin. My heart sank as I dropped my bags by the door. The window to the one bedroom was shattered.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I grumbled, noticing the large hunk of dead branch that laid on the ground near it.
I gave a disgruntled glare at the giant trees that surrounded the cabin. But I supposed it could’ve been worse. The branch could’ve fallen on the cabin and damaged the roof or something. That had to have been what broke the window.
I sighed, trying not to let yet another thing get to me. I’d have to call to get it fixed, but it would be fine. Everything was going to be fine. I was going to do my work, and then leave Ember Hollow behind me once again.
I tried to shake off the lingering unease, but as I carried the last of my things inside, I couldn’t stop from glancing one last time at the broken glass. A sudden chill dripped down my spine. Before my thoughts ranrampant, I scampered inside and slammed the door, locking it behind me with a firmclick.
4
Fox
Ididn’trealizeI’dsplitmy knuckles until there was blood smeared across the bag.
The punch landed harder than I intended. My form was off. I should’ve wrapped my hands, but I didn’t care.
I hit it again.
The bag swayed, the metal chain squeaking as it swung back. The skin split once more, angry and raw. I hit again, harder, wishing for the first time in a long while this was a real fight. I wanted fists on flesh. I wanted the adrenaline of wondering who was going to get hurt first, me or them.
I clenched my jaw tight, finding an ugly release in the pain as I continued to pound the bag with aching fists. Sweat coated my skin, finding its way down my back. The sharp scent of the rubber gym mats and blood filled my senses.
Skye Adler was back in Ember Hollow.
I couldn’t get the look on her face when she stumbled into me out of my mind. Those familiar hazel-green eyes had gone wide, like she’dseen a damn ghost. Maybe she had. The person I was when she left town had died a long time ago.
I landed another punch, but my knuckles slipped on the accumulating blood. My wrist bent at an off angle, sending a sharper spike of pain up my arm.
Wincing, I turned away from the punching bag. My chest heaved with deep breaths as I flexed my wrist. It wasn’t broken. I pulled my sweat-drenched shirt over my head, tossing it into the bench beside the weight rack. The air cooled my skin, bringing some relief.
I grabbed a towel and pressed it against my knuckles. They were a mess I’d regret tomorrow, but today it was a welcome distraction.
As I applied pressure to my wounds, I glanced up at myself in the wall of mirrors. I looked about as wrecked as I felt. My face was pale; my eyes were rimmed in dark circles like I hadn’t slept in a month.
What had that woman done to me?
