Page 51 of Axe-ing for Trouble
She nodded. “My parents worked a lot. I swore that when I was grown, I’d get a cat. I love cats.”
Ripley wrinkled her snout as if disgusted by the suggestion.
“But then I traveled all the time, chasing stories and packing up with a day’s notice. So it never felt practical.”
“You’re a dog person,” I assured her. “And you can hang out with Ripley any time you want. She’s pretty ambivalent about people, but she likes you.”
A smile spread across Mila’s face. “It’s mutual.” She stood, brushing crumbs off her lap. “We should get back to work.”
I packed up the Thermos while she continued to scan with her flashlight, kicking leaves and dirt to clear a path.
“And I wasn’t kidding about stealing her,” she teased.
A couple of hours later, we’d covered a significant portion of our route, but we’d had no success, and the cold was setting in.
We’d been at it since sunrise, and after our snack break, I’d felt recharged, but now I was quickly losing steam.
Mila’s calm from earlier had morphed into agitation. All morning, I’d reassured her that if we stuck to the grid, it would turn up. But the longer we searched, the harder it was to remain positive.
With her back to me, she hunched over, sniffling.
Gut lurching, I hopped over a fallen tree and darted for her.
“Are you hurt?” I took her good hand between mine to warm it and ducked, catching her sorrowful eyes.
She shook her head, her eyes filling with tears.
“We will find it,” I said with a conviction I didn’t feel.
“What if we don’t?” she whispered as the tears crested her lashes and tracked down her cheeks. “What if it got smashed or broken and it’s all gone?” Before I could respond, she pulled her hand away and fisted it at her side. “This is hopeless. I’m a complete failure.”
The words had me snapping up straight. I was used to confident Mila, sassy Mila, and injured Mila. But sobbing Mila was distressing. She hadn’t made an appearance since that first full day after she was attacked.
The pain and defeat in her tone tore at me, ripping me apart.
Without thinking, I pulled her into my chest and wrapped my arms around her, careful of her shoulder. I rested my chin on her head and held her as she cried into my chest.
This was all I could offer her. Warmth and comfort.
I’d fucked up. I’d promised her we’d find the phone, and I hadn’t delivered.
I held her close, aching to make this all go away.
“Let’s take a break. We can come back tomorrow.”
“No.” She sniffled. “Every minute that we don’t have the evidence is another minute these fuckers are hurting people.”
I eased back and surveyed her face, cataloging the fierce determination in her eyes.
In that moment, my world shifted.
As I held her shaking body while she spoke with such steel in her voice, I knew I was gone.
Life would never be the same.
And while that should have terrified me, the realization brought nothing with it but peace.
Chapter16
