Page 3 of Axe-ing for Trouble
I sat up, risking possible discovery, and scanned the ground around me, my pulse thundering in my ears. It had been there. I’d shoved it straight into my bra. Fuck. Where did it go?
Shouts rang out, voices bouncing off the trees. The sound startled me, sending my heart jumping into my throat. With a sharp breath, I pushed myself down, trying not to hyperventilate.
Where was my phone? How could it have fallen out?
It was probably on the ground nearby. Surely, it’d gotten dislodged when I was dragging leaves and debris over myself. I’d wait it out and then find it once I was in the clear.
There was no other option. That phone had all the evidence I’d collected.
Without it, I couldn’t go to the FBI. I couldn’t take them down. And if that happened, then this nightmare would never end.
I closed my eyes and exhaled, and that’s when it hit me: I was utterly and totally alone.
So I lay there, protected by the cold, damp earth, while I formulated a plan.
“I will not die today.” Jaw clenched so I wouldn’t cry out in pain, I repeated the mantra over and over. “I will not die today.” All the while, my limbs shook and my teeth chattered and my muscles screamed in pain.
Hours later—I thought; I had no concept of time with no watch or phone—the forest was silent but for the rustling of leaves and the occasional bird call. No more engines, no more guns.
The sky was darkening when I poked my head out, and the air was colder. I climbed out, wincing as I pushed up on my good arm. Over the last few hours, the cold earth had numbed a lot of the pain. Being immobile helped too. Now, though, I was stiff from lying in one place for so long, making my injuries more acute. I’d need to get it looked at eventually, but for now, I had to push forward.
Using the fading daylight, I scoured the forest floor around my hiding place, looking for my phone. I skimmed my hands over and under every log and root and picked up handfuls of wet leaves and earth.
It was futile.
So I expanded the perimeter of my search, tracing the path I’d taken back here. I’d opted for a plain black case to avoid detection. That was great for evidence-gathering, but a pink and glittery cover would be much easier to find in the fucking forest.
As the sky darkened almost completely, I began shivering uncontrollably. As my adrenaline subsided, the full extent of my injuries made itself known, making it hard to even stand.
Focusing on breathing, I walked slowly, avoiding the trails, heading to the north entrance of the park. All the while, I cringed at the thought of where I had to go now.
I’d promised myself I wouldn’t involve him. That I’d let the quiet, sexy musician live his life in peace. He seemed like the kind of guy who wanted to be left alone, and the poor man had already been through hell with his family.
We’d only had one night together, but that was enough to show me that I’d do all I could to protect him. To keep him and his family far away from this.
And I’d done all I could. Involving him was no longer inescapable. The whole group of them had been dropped into the middle of this war. It was virtually impossible not to hear the gossip at the bar, and when news of a fire had broken out, it was clear they were in danger now too.
I crossed Route 16 and walked along the northbound side, just inside the tree line. It was quiet tonight, but when the occasional car approached, I ducked behind a tree.
Every day, tensions here rose, making this idyllic rural area less safe.
And I was the only one who could stop it. Who could keep the people of Lovewell safe.
It had been far more difficult to stay away from him than I’d anticipated, but I’d made a promise to myself. That someday, after I’d dealt with this, after Hugo had recovered, I’d find him again.
But with every passing day, reality had made staying away from him more difficult and had made the future I hoped for more unlikely. Real life wasn’t neat and tidy. It was messy and unpredictable.
So, out of options, I turned onto the secluded mountain road that led to his house.
I had information that could help him.
So it was time to pay a visit to my one-night stand.
Chapter1
Jude
She was standing in my living room.
