“Well, fuck him. I’m sure he’ll get what’s coming for him soon.”
My cell started blaring in my back pocket with the sounds of Bear’s ringtone, Jimmy Buffett’sGod’s Own Drunk.
I rushed out onto the front porch to answer. “Hey, hubby.”
“Y’all make it to the cabin yet?” His husky voice melted my heart instantly.
“Just got in.”
“I just got to Wheeler’s and have to talk with Jax, just wanted to make sure you were all right.”
“Thanks for calling.”
“Anything for you,wife.”
“I love you.”
“And I love you, darlin’. Get some rest. I’ll check in with you tomorrow mornin’.”
The call was short and sweet, but it was better than nothing.
We each ate more than our fill of five cheese-drenched macaroni, and before I knew it, I was lying in bed staring up at a ceiling fan as it spun on the ceiling. Exhaustion was getting the better of me, and I slowly drifted off into a tormented, nightmare-filled sleep.
I was barrelingdown the highway, running to Atlanta on my Royal Enfield Thunderbird. The sun had just set and the glow of streetlights illuminated my ride, reflecting off the pavement as I made my brazen escape.
The traffic was light, only a few cars ahead of me. It was calming, the night air wrapping around me. It was just me and the road, and I loved being almost completely alone with just the low hum of my engine and the sound of the asphalt under the two wheels of my chrome-covered steed.
Suddenly, the blaring of a horn and the bright headlights of a car took me by surprise. I whipped my head around just in time to see Jasper’s blue sedan connecting with my back tire. There was nothing I could do in that split second other than try to swerve out of his way, but it was futile. With loudly scraping metal and squealing tires, my bike lay down on its side, throwing my body like a ragdoll, off the shoulder and into the grass with a hard thump.
I couldn’t move. My ears rang. My body was in excruciating pain. Within seconds, my entire world went blank as I fell into the darkness.
I gaspedas I woke up. The memory of the night I left Jasper had tortured me since it had happened. I couldn’t believe everything that had changed since that night when he almost killed me. I rapidly glanced around the room, and it took me a few seconds to remember where the heck I was.
You’re safe.I had to keep reminding myself of that.Everything is going to be fine soon enough.
Grabbing my phone off the nightstand, I dialed Bear, and his sleepy voice answered on the first ring.
“Babe?”
“I just needed to hear your voice,” I confessed.
“Are you all right?” I could hear the panic waking him up.
“Yeah, just a bad dream.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure. Sorry for waking you.”
“Never be sorry. If you need me, I’m always here.”
Chapter 5
Bear
Sitting in the kitchen, I stared down at the black coffee as the steam danced out of the mug. I had just finished cleaning up the broken front window and the food massacre Scarlett and I had ignored when we hightailed out of town.
We had no idea where Jasper was hiding. I hated just sitting on my hands with my thumb up my ass, waiting for a tip to come in. Knowing Scarlett was safe was my only solace, and this was all just new territory for me.
