Page 42 of Auctioned to the Lumberjacks (Auctioned)

I tear off my jacket and toss it aside in one rapid move.

I haul the biggest log out from under the tarp. It's huge and weighty and carries a strong scent of cedar. I throw the ax high and then bring it smashing down. The sound reverberates, sending birds flapping from the trees around me and something scuttling through the undergrowth. I do it again, hitting the same spot, pleased at my precision.

Too hot, I unbutton my shirt and toss it with my coat. I inhale one huge breath to fill my lungs and hold it for as long as possible, lifting my gaze into the navy-blue sky.

I swing the ax and bring it down repeatedly until sweat drips down my spine and heat rises from my skin. A fierce burning in my muscles and the release of pent-up fury does nothing to slow me. Only when the huge log splinters into two huge chunks do I rest the ax head against the ground and pant in relief.

Sweat trickles between my pecs and abdominals, cooling in the chilled air. This is what I need to tip the balance back to a point where I can function. I listen out, hearing nothing but silence around me. Whatever Skye is doing in the studio is quiet.

I continue my frenzied chopping, losing track of time until I almost run out of logs to smash. My thoughts start to calm, and my racing pulse evens out. My swings become less powerful, and I see the destruction that I’ve wrought.

My mind is clear, and I know what I need to do.

I thrust my hand into my pocket and take out my phone, tapping in a number that I haven't used for years but is etched into my mind with a permanent marker. I exhale and keep my voice low. It rings twice, then goes straight to voicemail. Perfect. Leaving a voicemail will be better than speaking to him directly.

Hello Bill. It's me. It's been a while. How are you? I see you've done well. Moved through the ranks. Good for you.

I've been doing some thinking about our days on the force when we were partners. Got me thinking about how sometimes we've just got to redress the balance. You know? Put wrong things right. Repay favors.

I've had a few flashbacks recently. Remembering those times is hitting me hard, Bill. I ended up leaving with my tail between my legs back then and now I see this. Deputy Chief of Police, Bill Tappin!

I wonder how it would look if things from the past came back to haunt us. I don't suppose that would look too good for you, Bill.

Anyway, give my love to Darcy and the boys. I hope they’re well. I haven’t settled down myself just yet.

Things I need to deal with first.

Be good to hear from you. I have the same number, Bill. Get in touch.

I hang up. There is no need to leave my name. He'll know it's me.

And he owes me. There is no doubting it. I covered his ass and ended up out on mine.

He never owned up, and I wasn’t going to beat him, so we left it buried where I’m sure he hoped, and maybe prayed, it would stay.

I'd love to be a fly on the wall when he hits playback on my message.

I used to want to exact some kind of revenge, but that feeling left me when I used the payout I received to move into thisbeautiful forest. I found my place in the world because of Bill's betrayal.

Every experience puts us on a path; even the ones we prefer never happened.

Now, I don't wish the man any harm, but I'm prepared to come out of the shadows so he can pay his debt and help Skye. At the very least, he can dig around to see what Carter Reynolds has been up to behind the scenes and what kind of a threat he is to Skye now.

But I really want protection from any repercussions in our dealings with Carter. And perhaps what he ultimately owes me, a total cover-up. They say it's who you know, not what you know. I reckon it's both of those things.

Now all I can do is wait. Wait and see if he will do what he should. The very act of reaching out to him after all this time will be enough for him to know that I’m not playing games. I may have kept his secrets in the past, but they can be resurrected if he doesn't play ball.

I push the phone back into my pocket and dress before I head back. As I round the corner, I notice that Finn and West are back. The truck is parked at a funny angle tonight.

I shouldn’t have left Skye in the barn for so long while my mind was distracted.

Quickening my pace, my pulse intensifies, and I stride towards the porch, almost tearing the door from its hinges in my hurry to be updated.

West, Finn, and Skye all look up at the sudden disturbance, their mouths agape.

"Everything okay?" West asks.

I give him a determined nod, and he immediately carries on showing Skye something on his phone. Skye is slumped forward, flicking through the screen. She gasps, taking her hands to her face, and stifled sobs escape in response to whatever she's seeing.

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