A lump expands in my throat, making it impossible to speak, so I just nod while I watch the scenery outside the passenger window.
Talon's hand stays on mine for a long moment. Since I need something to focus on other than the men that took Astrid, whatI saw just after they marched her into the woods, and whether she's okay, I focus on Talon's hand.
It's large enough to cover my own completely, so warm that I feel it all the way to my toes, and heavy over mine in a way that's deeply comforting and yet a little unnerving.
I can't help but think of that weight and how the rest of his body might feel pressed over mine.
The image in my head is clear and visceral and causes a shudder to work through me as my body reacts involuntarily.
Pulling my hand away quickly, I clutch it to my body and try to stop the tingles running through me.
Totally inappropriate, Zone, I admonish myself.And totally out of your league.
Talon glances my way when I move away from him and seems to only just realize he'd been touching me at all.
He puts his hand back on the wheel and sets his jaw in a way that does nothing to make him less attractive.
"And then what happened?"
A new wave of shame slams through me. I've been so busynoticingthis man that I lost track of the reason he's even here-- as part of some sort of private search operation or something, from what I heard the officers at the police station saying when they were discussing what to do with me.
Apparently, Astrid isn't the first woman who's been kidnapped in those woods recently; Paradise Point just doesn't want anyone to know about it.
"I never said 'Bigfoot,'" I repeat. "But..."
Taking a deep breath, knowing how crazy it sounds now that I've said it aloud more than once, I prepare for Talon to react the same way the cops back in town did.
"There were two men. One of them had a gun. He wasn't exactly pointing it at Astrid, but he made sure she knew he had it. They were walking kinda behind her, pushing her in thedirection they wanted her to go, and they went into the woods where there wasn't a trail at all-- just trees.
"I don't know if you've been up there? Have you seen the forest?"
"I've seen forests." Talon's hands swing the steering wheel to follow the curves in the road that zig-zag up the mountain.
"But not this one?"
He shakes his head slightly and I know he has no idea how dense the Weeping Wilderness gets.
"Not like this one." My voice drops low, thinking about the eerie vibe of the woods I just spent two days camping in. "You know the history though, right?"
Talon's jaw ticks, his eyes narrow as he keeps them on the road.
"I just got here," he tells me. "Came in just before the call came in that you needed someone to come pick you up. I haven't had time to familiarize myself with the area yet."
His eyes slide my way once more.
"My understanding is that these mountains have a history of missing women going back over a century. After nearly five decades without incident, disappearances began again a little over a year ago. The people I work for believe there's a trafficking ring using the local folklore to their advantage."
He says it calmly, but in a firm tone, like he's delivering a press release.
This time the tingle that slithers up my spine lacks the tingly sensation that feels like excitement; this time all I feel is sick.
CHAPTER THREE
TALON
"You okay?"
My passenger has gone suddenly quiet, and when I look over at her, Zona's face is pale.
