Chapter 873



In a stroke of luck, Jake managed to grasp one of the branches, his fingers digging into the rough bark.

Jake was weak and injured, so he couldn’t get a good grip on the branches. He slipped through them, his fall only slightly broken. The tree slowed him down a bit, but not by much.

Luckily, it wasn’t the rainy season, so while the river looked rough, the current wasn’t too strong. Before Jake passed out, he managed to drag himself out of the water and onto the riverbank. With the last of his energy, Jake crawled into a hidden cave.

He knew Clayton wanted him dead. And Clayton did send people to look for Jake. But they barely even bothered to search the area below the cliff. They figured that if Jake had fallen from that height, he wouldn’t have survived. There were no bloodstains, so they assumed he’d landed in the river.

Clayton’s men concentrated their search on the river. They scoured the riverbank for miles, both upstream and downstream, but they couldn’t find any sign of Jake. Some of them figured his body must have been swept away by the current. And even if Jake had somehow survived the fall, he wouldn’t have just stayed put.

But Jake did the opposite. He holed up in that cave for five days. He didn’t know when Clayton would give up the search, but he knew one thing: he couldn’t let Clayton find him. He’d rather die than be captured.

If Lacey hadn’t stumbled upon him, he probably wouldn’t have made it. Jake wasn’t sure what Lacey was doing here, but he was grateful she’d found him. As soon as he was strong enough, he thanked her.

“Miss Payne, I didn’t expect to be in your debt again.”

“How can I ever repay you?” he said, his voice rough but sincere.

Lacey met his gaze, her expression unreadable.

“Did you meet the person you came here to see?” she asked, ignoring his question.

Jake’s eyes clouded over, and he remained silent.

Lacey knew instantly that something had gone wrong. A wave of gratitude for Kallie washed over her. She was grateful for Kallie’s coldness. If Kallie had returned Jake’s affections, she wouldn’t have been here with him now.

A long-buried hope flickered within Lacey. But remembering Jake’s distant behavior, she quickly tamped down those feelings. Her face became serious.

“I have one request. I want to stay with you. I can be your doctor.”

Jake looked confused, so Lacey quickly explained, “I don’t mean anything romantic or anything like that. I’ve just seen a lot of scary things lately, and I’m worried about my sister and me. You’re powerful and can protect us. If you’re with us, Jeanette and I will be safe.”

Jake thought Lacey’s request made sense. In the past, when he was at the height of his power, many people had come to him offering their services. Lacey wasn’t asking for much.

But Jake still warned Lacey, “A lot of people want me dead. It would be dangerous for you and your sister to be around me.”

Lacey shook her head.

“I’m not scared. I just want to advance my position with your support.”

Jake was relieved when he saw the ambition in Lacey’s eyes.

He’d rather she wanted something from him. Jake decided to change the subject.

“So, why are you really here? How did you know I was hiding in this cave?” he asked.

Lacey looked down, hesitating.

“Well… I…” she stammered.

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