Page 35 of Stormy Knight

“Reeves, I’m following the ambulance to the hospital,” Jackson said as he ended the call. “Monroe can take Whiskey back to the house and wait for us there.” Jackson spoke with Monroe, “We need to have all the manpower we can get on this. And we want it to be on the right side of things.”

Monroe agreed they needed to be on the right side of things. Just how did Jackson think that was going to happen? “We are talking about a woman Reeves is in love with.”

“We’re also talking about my wife’s best friend and my daughter’s godmother,” Jackson added. Turning his attention to his wife he saw a strong beautiful woman. Capable of handlingherself. “I need you to go with Monroe and wait for us there. Hearing Monroe clear his throat, Jackson closed his eyes. It was hard for a man like him to give up control, but the unsaid words of his brother had Jackson back peddling.

“Monroe, you go to the hospital. I’m taking my wife home. We’ll see you two when you get home.” Wrapping an arm around Whiskey he headed for his truck leaving Monroe in charge of their baby brother. Leaving those two alone was like lighting a stick of dynamite at both ends.

22

Stormy’s heart pounded in her chest as she watched the stoplight blink, its red glow growing closer. She knew she had seconds, maybe less, to make her move. Paul was in one of his rages again, his voice rising with each furious word he hurled at her. His hands gripped the wheel tight, knuckles white, oblivious to the light changing or the tension that thickened the air.

Her breath came in shallow gasps. She could feel the pulse in her throat, every beat echoing in her ears.This is it.Her fingers hovered over the doorhandle, her mind a whirlwind of fear and determination. Could she, do it? Could she make it out before he noticed?

Her eyes flicked to the rearview mirror. No cars behind them, just empty road stretching out in both directions. She glanced back at Paul again—he was too busy muttering curses, his eyes fixed on the road.

She exhaled slowly, steeling herself.

The car was about to cross the intersection, and with it, her last chance to escape.

Stormy reached for the handle, her fingers curling around the cold metal, the click of the lock barely audible over Paul’s rant.

Now.

With a deep breath, she shoved the door open, her legs already halfway out before Paul even had a chance to react. The rush of cool air hit her like a slap, and a jolt of adrenaline shot through her. She tumbled out of the car, the adrenaline kept the impact from registering.Run.

The car swerved slightly as Paul shouted her name, but it didn’t matter. She was already up and running, her feet pounding against the pavement, the sound of the engine fading behind her.

She wasn’t sure where she was going yet—only that it had to be away. Away from him.

Stormy’s eyes locked onto the lot up ahead—the white box trailers stacked in neat rows, almost like a maze of temporary refuge. The familiar sight brought a spark of hope, however fleeting. If she could just make it there before Paul caught up, she might find a way to hide, a way to disappear for a while.

She pushed her legs harder, forcing herself to run faster, her breath a sharp staccato in her chest. The sound of Paul’s tires screeching against the pavement and his angry yells rang behind her, but she couldn’t look back. She couldn’t afford to.

The trailers were close now, just a few hundred yards away, their pale white sides gleaming eerily in the glow of the streetlamp. There was no one around, no other cars in the parking lot or on the road. It was the perfect place to disappear, to blend in with the rows of storage units and maybe, just maybe, slip through unnoticed.

Stormy’s pulse quickened as she neared the edge of the lot, her mind racing through possibilities. The trailers had small spaces between them—enough to hide if she was quick enough.She could slip between the gaps, maybe duck into one of the trailers, and hope Paul would give up, that he would think she was long gone.

Think, think, think,she urged herself, scanning the area as she ran.

She reached the first row of trailers, and without slowing down, darted between them, her body slamming against the cold metal sides. She gritted her teeth against the shock but kept moving. The warm Texas breeze whipped through her hair, and her eyes stayed fixed on the next row of trailers ahead.

She could hear Paul’s car now, the screeching tires turning sharply as he approached the lot. His voice was getting closer too, his shouting growing more frantic. But she had one advantage, he didn’t know where she’d gone. Not yet.

Stormy slid into the next row of trailers, finding a small gap between two of them. She ducked low, her chest heaving as she tried to control her breathing. She could hear Paul’s car come to a screeching halt at the edge of the lot, and for a split second, she thought he might have seen her, but then... nothing.

The silence stretched on.

Don’t move.

Her heart was pounding in her ears, but she forced herself to stay still, her body pressed flat against the dirt and gravel, hoping the shadows would be enough to shield her from view. She strained her ears, listening intently. The sound of footsteps echoed through the lot as Paul started to search, shouting her name.

Stormy’s throat tightened, her hand clenching into the dirt beneath her. She couldn’t let him find her.

She saw it, her way out of the lot, a way to put another layer between her and Paul. Stormy’s gaze locked onto the chain-link fence just fifty feet away. Her breath came in quick, shallow bursts, but the sight of the gap, cut and rolled back, just wideenough for her to squeeze through gave her a renewed sense of urgency.

It was her way out.

Beyond that fence there were warehouses looming like silent sentinels. She could make it. She had to.

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