Page 33 of Outlaw Ridge: Jesse
Normal. God, when was the last time she’d had that? She couldn’t remember. She’d given very little time to anything personal for the last sixteen years.
Lauren knew exactly what he was doing—giving her something to focus on besides the ghosts waiting for her in those woods. And damn it, it worked. She felt the tension in her chest ease just a little.
“Okay,” she said. “A date.”
Jesse grinned. “Yeah?”
She couldn’t help but smile back. That grin was infectious, especially coming from that incredibly hot mouth of his. “Yeah. But if you take me to one of those fancy steak places where they put microgreens on the plate and charge fifty bucks for it, I’m making you buy me a burger after.”
He chuckled. “Deal.”
The road narrowed ahead, and he slowed as they approached the turnoff to the trail. The trees loomed taller here, thicker, shadows stretching long in the morning light. The pastwas waiting. But at least, for a moment, Jesse had reminded her there was still a future, too.
Jesse drove the cruiser onto the narrow dirt trail, the tires crunching over gravel, rotten tree branches and dried leaves. The woods thickened around them, shadows shifting with the breeze. When he parked, Lauren glanced in the side mirror, watching as Hallie pulled up behind them.
No one spoke as they all climbed out, the tension thick as the morning air. Belinda hugged her arms around herself, and Reardon moved stiffly next to her, his jaw tight. Lauren adjusted her holster as they started down the trail, Jesse at her side.
The path was uneven, roots twisting up through the dirt, and Lauren kept her focus ahead, trying not to think about how familiar this place felt. The last time she’d been here, she was running for her life.
“Seventeen years ago, you mentored Reggie Lincoln,” Lauren heard Hallie say, her voice cutting through the silence.
Reardon stiffened, his steps faltering for a fraction of a second before he kept walking. “So?” His tone was sharp, defensive. “I mentored dozens of kids. That program was meant to help them turn their lives around.”
“And were you close to Reggie?” Hallie pressed.
Reardon shot her a glare. “Not particularly.”
Hallie stopped walking, forcing everyone else to do the same. She squared her shoulders, her badge gleaming under the dappled sunlight filtering through the trees. “Before you say anything else, I’m going to read you your rights.”
Lauren heard Belinda’s sharp intake of breath. Reardon’s face darkened. “You’re kidding me.”
“Standard procedure,” Hallie said, but there was nothing casual in her tone. She recited the Miranda Warning with practiced ease, her eyes never leaving Reardon’s face.
Reardon clenched his fists at his sides, fury practically rolling off him. “This is bullshit,” he snapped. “I had nothing to do with Lauren’s abduction. I barely even knew Reggie. He was just another lost cause trying to scam the system for an easy way out. I didn’t have some special bond with him, and I sure as hell didn’t encourage him to take Lauren.”
Lauren studied him, watching the way his gaze darted to Belinda and then to Hallie. His anger was real, but was it because he was innocent or because Hallie had just backed him into a corner?
Jesse took a slow step closer. “Then you won’t mind us digging into that program,” he said. “Seeing if anyone remembers just how much influence you had over Reggie.”
Reardon’s nostrils flared, but he didn’t respond. Instead, he turned and stalked down the trail, leaving them no choice but to follow.
Lauren pushed a low-hanging branch aside as they walked, the scent of damp earth and fresh greenery filling the air. The woods were alive with the hum of insects, birds flitting through the canopy, and the occasional rustle of something small moving through the underbrush. Wildflowers dotted the edges of the path, splashes of color breaking up the deep green of spring growth.
They’d been walking for nearly fifteen minutes when Belinda suddenly stopped. She turned in a slow circle, eyes scanning the trees, then nodded to herself.
“This way,” she said, her voice barely louder than a whisper.
She stepped off the trail, and the rest of them followed. The ground was softer here, the underbrush thicker. Briars and vines snagged at Lauren’s pants as she moved, forcing her to lift her feet higher with each step. Jesse was just behind her, and ahead, Hallie kept a sharp eye on Reardon, who hadn’t said a word since his outburst.
The deeper they went, the denser the foliage became. Branches tangled overhead, filtering the sunlight into slanted beams that cut through the leaves. Lauren’s pulse drummed a little harder. It wasn’t the exact same woods from before, but it was close enough.
The smell of pine and damp moss. The thick, pressing quiet. She exhaled slowly, forcing herself to focus.
“Are you sure we’re going in the right direction?” Jesse asked Belinda.
Belinda didn’t hesitate. “I remember this place. I was in a panic that afternoon, but I remember.” She stepped over a fallen log and motioned for them to follow. “It’s just ahead.” She led them about ten more yards and stopped, pointing to the spot.
Lauren crouched beside the crevice, peering down into the narrow gap in the earth. It was about three feet wide, just as Belinda had described, the edges jagged and uneven, as if time and weather had tried to widen it but never quite succeeded.
