We darted between the trees, but then I heard it—the crunch of heavy boots on leaves.
He was behind us.
I picked up the pace, my heart pounding against my ribs. Tony kept up, but the man’s strides were long and closing in.
“Wait!” he called.
I didn't dare look back.Faster, Logan, faster. Then his hand clamped around my arm, jerking me back. "No!" I screamed, reeling around with the bedpost raised high. My fingerstrembled. Tony’s growl vibrated through the crisp air and his fur bristled. He was poised and ready to strike.
“Sic ‘em, Tony!” The command tore from my throat. Tony lunged with a growl and his teeth sank into the meaty part of the caveman's ass.I was beginning to realize Tony had a thing for human flesh.
The man's grip slackened as he howled out. He staggered, his face twisted in pain. This was my only chance. With all the force I could muster into my muscles that felt like Jell-O, I swung the post. The wood knocked his head to the side with a sickening thud. He crumpled to the ground, groaning.
I yanked at Tony's collar, my breath coming out in gasps. "Hurry, Tony, come on!" The words burst from me. Tony released the man’s ass, and we rushed to leave.
"Wait . . . I can help you." The man’s voice was slurred, the words oozing out of him like sap from a tree. I didn't slow down. I wasn't biting. I'd seen enough movies to know better than to trust a kidnapper who lived in a cabin in the woods.
I dug the keys out of my pocket as we finally made it to my truck, and I swung open the driver's door, almost ripping it off its hinges in my haste. Tony leaped in, and I slammed the door shut and shoved the keys into the ignition, peeling out of there like a bat out of hell.
Chapter 3
Lachlan
Earlier that day…
Icould barely keep my eyes open on the drive home from my overnight shift at the Avric County Fire Station. I cracked open another energy drink because there would be endless work to catch up on once I made it back to the farm.
I passed the oversized gates that read Evergreen Haven to get to the small entrance of the long driveway that led to my cabin, and then I hauled myself out of the truck. I sauntered over to the mailbox because it was so full of past due bills that the damn thing wouldn’t close anymore. I grabbed them and wrestled with the locked door before finally managing to get inside. I tossed all the envelopes on my dining table, on top of the last stack of bills that I couldn’t afford to pay yet. I’d been drowning in debt sincelast season, and anytime I thought I was starting to catch up, something else would happen. I released a heavy breath and my shoulders sagged. I enjoyed working at the fire station part-time, but I still needed more. It wasn’t enough to cover everything, but it would have to be enough for now, until something better came along or, hopefully, the trees sold better so the farm would save itself.Ha.I almost laughed because if I didn’t try to look at the glass half full, I’d be stuck at the bottom of a bottle.
A knock sounded on the door, and I didn’t need to answer it to know who it was. No one came up here except for him. I kept myself secluded because I liked my alone time, but this man just hadn’t gotten the damn hint.
“I’m not interested,” I called out, but he only knocked again. I cursed and walked over to the door and opened it.
“Hello again, Mr. MacGregor.” He plastered on a fake, rich smile.
“Ah, Ricardo, right?” I knew what his name was, but maybe if I fucked with him enough, he would leave me the hell alone.
“It’s Richard, Richard Jones.”
“Oh, so Dick. You know, I’d say that fits perfectly.”
He sighed but ignored my joke. “Have you thought about the deal I offered you? It’s a good one. You know you should—”
“I’m going to stop you right there,Dick. I’ve told you multiple times, I’m not selling my property for your stupid little strip mall, so get the fuck over it.”
“I’ll give you more if it’s a matter of money, Mr. MacGregor. Name your price.”
I grabbed my axe from behind the door. I didn’t plan on using it on him, but I had chores to do, and maybe a little aggression would get him to leave for good. This was the third or fourth time he’d been out here this month asking me to sell, and honestly the money he was offering would end a lot of my problems, but I couldn’t stand the thought of a crew comingin here and tearing everything I’d worked for down. On top of that, I couldn’t risk it, knowing they would probably find all the bodies under the soil.
He saw my axe and his throat bobbed before he took a step back and lifted his hands in mock surrender.
“Alright, I’ll go, but here’s my card again just in case you change your mind.” He held it out in front of me, but I didn’t reach out to grab it so his hand just floated between us as I waited for him to leave. He groaned under his breath and dropped it on the porch before turning to walk back to his car, starting it up and heading back to wherever the hell he’d come from.
I didn’t even get the opportunity to take off my boots.Sighing, I decided since I already had my axe, I might as well go ahead and get the firewood chopped and the trees trimmed. I’d let them get messy, but now that fall was closing in, I had to get on top of that, tighten up their shapes for the holiday season. Normally, I’d hire more staff to help me, but I didn’t have the money to pay them and no one wanted to work for free, nor would I expect them to.
Thinking about everything I needed to do made my stomach turn. But I squared my shoulders and got to work anyway.
I should’ve been horrified. Most people would be if they found a strange woman burying what looked suspiciously like a body in their backyard. But all I could think about was how good she looked doing it. The morning light caught on her red hair,strands sticking to her face with sweat, and when she braced herself to climb out of the shallow grave, I forgot how to breathe.
