The clipboard in his hand suggests he’s here to make a delivery, but I don’t trust anyone right now. “Got some lumber that was ordered by a Charlotte Delaney. The shipment is already paid for. I just need a signature.”
“I can sign for it,” I say, as I rise to my feet, and the guy hands over the paperwork. “If you tell me where to unload, I’ll be out of your hair before you know it.”
I huff out a harsh laugh. “That’s the million-dollar question, isn’t it? If I knew which cabin she bought the materials for, I could give you a better answer. As it is I’ll probably end up moving this shit a million times before she’s ready to use it.”
“It’s a shame that storage barn is so far out in the sticks,” Dave interjects, shaking his head. “Whoever came up with that plan mustn’t have been the sharpest tool in the shed. Either that or the previous owner had something to hide.”
My hand freezes mid-signature as something niggles at the recesses of my mind. Charlie’s words from an earlier conversation come back to me as I regard Dave with a thoughtful expression.
I’ve only been in the building once, back when the realtor showed me around the property, and it gave me a serious case of the creeps. Looked like something straight from the set of a horror movie. An abandoned shed in the woods. Are you kidding me? The place practically screams serial killer vibes.
Could it be? Could she really have been right under our noses this whole time?
“That sly motherfucker,” I mutter, and the delivery dude looks at me like I’ve lost my damn mind. I finish my signature with a flourish and shove the clipboard into his chest harder than necessary, prompting him to hurry back to his truck, like he can’t get away fast enough. A low buzz starts to spread to my extremities, blood pumping faster at the promise of possibility.
The more I think about it, the more I believe I’m on to something. Jason likes to toy with people. He’s been lying in wait for weeks, observing us like a couple of sitting ducks, leaving uswondering when he might strike. It would be just like him to stay close to the action, giving him a front-row seat to my suffering.
He’d get off on watching me unravel, placing calls and sending the officers Chief Moseley has placed under my supervision on one wild goose chase after the next, all while he’s been holding her a mere stone’s throw away.
“Dave, you’re a motherfucking genius,” I say, ignoring the questioning look he shoots my way before I skip off the porch and make a beeline for my vehicle.
thirty-two
Charlie
Three days prior
When I come to, the first thing I notice is the throbbing in my head. My mouth is bone dry, cracked lips stuck together, and when I’m finally with it enough to peel an eye open, my vision is so fuzzy I can barely make out my surroundings.
My entire body aches from lying on the unforgiving dirt floor for God knows how long, but as soon as my eyes adjust to the dim lighting, I immediately know where I am. The question is, how long will I remain here? How long before he moves me somewhere no one will ever think to look, or worse, kill me? I should’ve packed a bag and disappeared as soon as I found that poor animal on my porch. I should’ve headed North and crossed the border into Canada to throw him off my scent. Why didn’t I?Because you didn’t think he’d be bold enough to come after you in broad daylight, and you thought having Cole with you at night was enough to keep him away.
I should’ve known better. Jason is a cocky bastard, and he’s always thought himself above the law. Probably because his bribes and shady dealings have all but made him immune in our home state. But this isn’t Texas. Chief Moseley took my claims seriously following the bar incident, and he’s assured me they’d do anything in their power to keep me safe. I know Cole and the local PD are out there searching for me. All I can do now is sit tight and hope my protective FBI agent is smart enough to look in a place so obvious, it’s almost impossible to consider.
I hate to admit it but hiding me in plain sight is beyond smart. Jason has set this little game of chess in motion with a brilliant opening move. I can only hope Cole turns out to be a worthy opponent, because if his counter move falls flat, I’m well and truly fucked.
“Good. You’re awake.” I snap my head up and keep a close eye on the approaching figure, willing myself not to shrink back. “It’s about time. You’ve been out for hours, and I didn’t even hit you that hard. Seems your time being coddled by your new roomie has made you soft. Don’t worry, though. We’ll toughen you up soon enough.”
Jason gets to his haunches in front of me and touches a couple of fingers to the underside of my chin, forcing me to meet his glittering gaze. I glare at him with all the contempt and fury I can muster, but it only makes him smile more.
“You’ve gotten some fire back since you left,” he observes, like my defiance pleases him. “I like it. In all honesty, you’d gotten a little too complacent for my tastes toward the end. Too timid. Flinching at shadows and tiptoeing through the house like a ghost. Made me feel like some kind of monster. Even fucking you felt like I was doing something I shouldn’t. I mean, you’re my old lady. I shouldn’t feel like I’m raping you when I want to spend some time with my girl.”
“But that’s exactly what you were doing, Jason. You raped me. That’s what it’s called when a woman begs you not to force yourself on her, and you do it anyway. If you feel like a monster, there’s a good chance it’s your conscience talking. You might want to try listening next time,” I hiss in a voice laced with venom.
I don’t miss the tick in his jaw, nor the flash of anger in his cold, dead eyes, but, for the first time, I don’t care. I’ll never cower in front of this man again. I’m done letting fear rule my life.
He can try to intimidate me. He can beat me. But he’ll never own my mind and body ever again. I experienced freedom over these past few months, and now that I know what it’s like to be with a real man, there’s no turning back. A decent, honorable man who’d never lay a hand on a woman in anger. I got a glimpse of an alternate future. A taste of what it could be like, and I’d rather die than go back to living half a life, controlled by someone who’s incapable of love.
Without warning, Jason’s hand squeezes my jaw with a punishing grip, holding me still. I do my best to keep the flinch off my face as I lift my chin and sneer at him.
“You think you’re special because you’ve managed to hold the attention of a big shot FBI agent for a few weeks? You think you’re better than me now, huh?”
Despite my best efforts, I can’t hold back the small whimper that escapes me when his fingers painfully dig into my cheeks, but I refuse to look away.
“Didn’t take you long to spread your legs for some guy you barely know. You think your precious Cole is so much differentfrom me? He’s a killer, Charlotte. He’s taken the lives of countless people. Shot them in cold blood without a glimmer of remorse.”
“He did so in the line of duty. To bring sick assholes like you to justice. To rid the world of criminals who think themselves above the law. He’s nothing like you, Jason. You don’t love me,” I say, surprised at the steady cadence of my voice, given I’m shaking on the inside. “Maybe you did once, before the club corrupted you and claimed your black soul. Before the power went to your head and violent acts tainted your ability to tell right from wrong. I’ve been nothing but a warm body for you to stick your cock into these past few years. A possession you refuse to let go of, because deep down, you’re just a spoiled little boy who can’t stand the thought of giving up your comfort toy, even if it has long since lost its shine.” His eyes are liquid fire as he stares me down, nostrils flaring with barely restrained anger when I tell him, “I don’t want to be with you anymore, Jason. I lost every ounce of respect and affection I still held for you when you took my baby girl. I’ll never willingly submit to you again, so if there’s even a shred of decency left in that cold heart of yours, set me free and let me live the life I deserve.”
“You belong to me, damn it!” he roars an inch from my face, and this time, I can’t hide my reaction. Screwing my eyes shut, I prepare myself for the brutality of his fists, but it doesn’t come. Instead, heroughly shoves me away, releasing his iron grip, and jumps to his feet, where he begins pacing. I stretch my jaw, testing the damage he’s caused while I follow his agitated movements.
