She kept reading.
Did you know he’s a convicted felon? That he went to prison for a violent assault? Be careful. Since he won’t tell you, I will. Don’t be his next victim.
Hadley’s fingers curled against the edge of her desk as she stared at the screen. The words didn’t feel real at first. But thelonger she looked at them, the harder it became to push them aside.
Max. This email was about Max. But . . .
Her chest tightened as a thought surfaced, uninvited and unwelcome. She tried to dismiss it, to tell herself this email was nothing more than someone trying to stir up trouble. After everything that had happened, that explanation made sense.
And yet . . .
A memory flickered in her mind. Max hesitating when she’d asked about his past. The way his expression had shifted before he’d looked away.
Hadley swallowed, her gaze still fixed on the screen.
The unease in her stomach deepened, no longer something she could blame on stress alone.
She didn’t reach for the mouse or close the message.
Instead, she sat there, staring at the words and trying to figure out what to do next.
CHAPTER 35
Max leaned forwardin his seat as Sheriff Sutherland turned onto the narrow road.
The GPS had gone quiet a few minutes ago, but Sheriff Sutherland didn’t slow. If anything, he pushed harder.
Max scanned the area ahead of them, every muscle in his body tight. He and Sheriff Sutherland had talked through the possibility that this could be a trap, that Kenny might be using Lyndee to draw them in. They’d need to be on guard, just in case.
Sheriff Sutherland turned off the road and onto a smaller lane leading to the cabin.
He slowed near the end, and a small wooden structure came into view.
It looked like your typical cabin that people might rent for a weekend getaway or hunting trip. There didn’t appear to be anything special about it.
No cars were out front or unusual tracks in the snow.
Nothing about the area suggested this was a setup.
Sheriff Sutherland braked hard, and both of them were out of the vehicle in mere seconds.
As they hurried to the door, it opened.
Lyndee stood there, wrapped in a dirty beige blanket that swallowed her frame. Her face was pale and streaked with tears.
Max exhaled hard, something in his chest loosening. “You’re okay.”
She nodded, though her hands trembled as she clutched the blanket tighter around herself. “I—I think so.”
Sheriff Sutherland stepped forward, his voice steady but firm. “Anyone else here?”
She shook her head. “No.”
Sheriff Sutherland gave a short nod and skirted past her to search the cabin.
“You’re safe now.” Max remained beside her. “We’ve got you.”
Her composure cracked, and a quiet sob slipped out. “I didn’t know if I’d?—”
