Page 53 of Axe-ing for Trouble
I blinked a few times, willing my heart rate to slow. Suddenly, the car felt too small, and I had the overwhelming urge to run straight into the woods and never look back.
But good sense prevailed. I’d already done that, and it hadn’t exactly helped matters.
When he turned the music up, probably to drown out the awkwardness, I let myself relax. Emotions were running high. I had to keep my focus on the search. On my brother. Not the sexy lumberjack beside me.
“Do you want to head home?” He crumpled up the Filet-O-Fish wrapper and tossed it into the bag. He’d polished that off, along with the double cheeseburger and a large order of fries. It was impressive.
I hummed. “I need some time to think through my movements again so I can pinpoint other locations where I could have lost it.”
He rolled the top of the bag down and nodded. “Makes sense. If I take the scenic route back to Lovewell, maybe the view will stir memories. As painful as it is, try to go through every move you made that day. Where you went, how you felt, sensory details. It can help.”
I’d relived the events a dozen times already, but since we turned up empty-handed today, it wouldn’t hurt to go through them again. Though I was at risk of falling into a food coma on the drive after spending the day in the mountains and consuming so many carbs.
I reclined the seat a bit and closed my eyes, letting the memories wash over me. I started from the moment I woke up. The sense of triumph that came with the realization that I’d gotten the evidence. Then came the mounting panic when Razor pounded on my door.
I was going through the movements I made as I escaped my trailer when a comforting warm pressure rested on my shoulder.
With an eye cracked open, I peered at Ripley, who’d placed her snout on my shoulder and closed her eyes. She understood I needed her in that moment.
I smiled. What a good dog. When this was over, I’d adopt all the dogs.
Eyes closed again, I envisioned slipping my phone into my bra and climbing out the bathroom window. The panic that hit me as the SUV pulled up returned, causing Ripley to snuggle closer to my neck. Then came the hair trigger decision to take off on Razor’s bike.
Struggling to balance and steer, getting to the stop sign and then flooring it. Wobbling, desperate to get away from the scary dudes who would have done God only knew what if they caught me.
The air was chilly that morning, the dew soaking into my sneakers as I ran.
Bathroom window, looking out at the road, noticing the motorcycle keys were still in the ignition.
“Wait.” I kept my eyes closed, pushing away thoughts of the physical space to make room for sensations.
The wind stinging my eyes. The fear that I’d lay his bike on its side and kill myself since I wasn’t wearing a helmet or any kind of protective gear.
“I stopped the bike a few times, to get control and to get my bearings. I’d ridden before, but not a lot, and without a visor, it was difficult to see.”
He hummed, the sound vibrating through me. “Keep talking, Trouble.”
“They were chasing me. Just the SUV at that point. The bike was almost out of gas, but I didn’t have time to stop. I headed up Route 2, and after the old service station, I picked up Route 16, thinking I could lose them.”
Jude turned the music down. “What happened next?”
The engine sputtered. I knew then I had to ditch the bike and hide. I pulled onto the shoulder and jumped off.
“That’s where I bruised my knee. I jumped off the bike and then caught my foot. It was a steep drop-off. I fell, and that’s when I made a beeline for the woods, looking for cover.”
“That’s where you cut through to get to the state forest.”
I nodded, still reliving the moments, taking in the details I may have missed the first time.
“I almost fell a few times. I was leaned over the bike, struggling, wobbling. I thought the phone had fallen out in the woods, but what if it happened just off the road?”
I sat up, itching to search again.
“Can we go back? To the trailer park? It may spark more memories.”
He winced. “If it fell out on the road, it’s probably destroyed.”
I shook my head. “No. It can’t be.” That was an outcome I couldn’t accept. I’d find that damn phone if it killed me.
