: Chapter 6

Savannah

Oof. Rollerblading was way harder than I remembered.

I hadn’t been on skates since I was sixteen. A lot had changed since then, including my shoe size, and my feet were screaming expletives at the rest of my body.

Alma didn’t have a car anymore, her old bird-shit-blue bike had a flat, and I didn’t want to spring for a taxi—not that they were easy to get around here. As a last resort, I’d pulled my old blades out of the closet. I’d had them with me when Alma had whisked me off to Belmont, and I hadn’t put them on since. Skates were for children, and after Mom and Dad died, I was no longer a child.

Once I pushed past the pain in my feet and legs, I embraced the euphoria of speed and being on the open road with the wind in my hair. I’d worked up a sweat and my blouse was damp, so the breeze felt divine.

Actually, these rollerblades were still pretty fun.

I whipped around a bend, and Randy’s Auto Body appeared down the road. The parking lot out front was empty, but there was a black truck with Illinois plates in the left-hand bay. My stomach twisted, and bile rose in my throat. What the hell was that asshole doing here?

I glided into the lot and started applying the heel brake when a dark shape stepped out of the shadows of the garage. I jerked back, my foot caught some gravel, and I launched into the air.

Instead of hitting the pavement, I jerked as two strong arms grabbed me and hauled me up onto my unsteady feet. A jolt of electricity ran through my body, and a shiver danced across my skin.

Jaxson Laurent. A light breeze carried his forest-scented cologne, and heat rushed to my lower belly. His pupils dilated as his dark eyes penetrated mine.

Oh, God.

With my cheeks burning like I’d spent the day in the sun, I awkwardly disentangled myself from his strong arms and balanced ungracefully on my blades. I was a sweaty mess, and my blouse stuck to my body in awkward places.

Jaxson, on the other hand, was just as gorgeous as he’d been last night, only today he was wearing a business suit that contrasted well with his tousled hair and stubble-lined jaw. His deep brown eyes traced over my body, and his lips quirked into a smile. “You should keep your eyes on the road.”

I drew in a ragged breath as his smoky voice skated over my nerve endings. “I hit a pebble.”

Blood rushed to my already red face. That was all I could say? Desperate to rekindle my dignity, I snapped, “What the hell are you doing here?”

“Oil change. What are you doing here, Ms. Caine? Not planning to leave town, I hope?”

I sure the hell am.

Something about him made the hair on my neck stand on end, though I couldn’t quite put a finger on it. Power. Presence. An undercurrent of danger.

I dragged my gaze from his. “I’m checking on my car. I was in an accident last night, remember?”

He smiled, though it was nowhere near genuine. “I do. And as luck would have it, we’ve been wanting to ask you a few questions about what happened. Let me introduce Regina Martin.”

A chestnut-haired woman stepped up to his side and held out her hand. Her smile didn’t reach her eyes—not even close. While Jaxson’s expression had been a pleasant façade, the one on her face was an abject lie. I could smell it on her. While her extended hand said, Let’s be friends, everything else about her said, I want to leave your body in a ditch.

Nuh-uh. I knew better than to shake hands with people like that. “Sorry, I’m here for my car. Maybe another time.” I leaned to the side so I could peek into the garage, only to find that Randy was busy working on Jaxson’s ride, not mine.

That ass. Ignoring Regina’s hand, I shoved off my right foot and skated around Jaxson and his sour-faced henchwoman and into the garage.

Jaxson’s relentless gaze never left my back, and I couldn’t stop thinking about how that made my skin feel flushed and sensitive.

It’s hotter than a fish boil in here.

I stumbled over to Randy in my skates. “Hey! How’s my car?”

Randy tilted his hat back on his head. “Pretty banged up. It’s going to take me a couple of weeks to fix.”

I couldn’t have been more surprised if he’d thrown motor oil in my face. “What the shit, Randy? You told me it was running just thirty minutes ago!”

His eyes flicked over my shoulder and back. “I had a chance to take another look. If the cops don’t bust you for a broken headlight, the tranny or radiator will leave you stranded somewhere you don’t want to be. You need to get this fixed.”

Anger boiled up inside of me, but it lacked a good outlet. While I had a nose for lies, Randy was telling the truth—my car was screwed.

The heat of Jaxson’s stare was practically unbearable. I peeked over my shoulder, then leaned toward Randy and lowered my voice to a whisper. “You know I can’t afford to fix all this. I’m broke, and my insurance is crap.”

He smiled. “Well, there’s good news. I called your insurance agency. Everything is covered, including the tranny. They won’t even raise your rates.”

There it was. That was the lie I was waiting for. Fury surged through my veins, and I fixed Randy with a soul-rending stare. “Is. That. So?”

His eyes darted over my shoulder again, telling me everything I needed to know. The goddamned spooks had gotten to him.

“You ass,” I hissed, and skated out of the bay. Coasting over to the suspects, I shouted, “What did you tell him?”

“Nothing,” the henchwoman said.

Truth.

I skidded to a stop in front of lying Mr. Laurent. “What did you tell him?”

He leaned back and shoved his hands in his pockets, a satisfied look on his face. “Why? Are you trying to go somewhere? Not with that vehicle, I hope. Especially after I asked you to stay in town last night.”

“Why are you trying to keep me here?” I snapped.

He tilted his head. “Why do I have the feeling you’re not going to stay put, Ms. Caine?”

I wanted to impale him with eye-daggers, but it was really difficult to be intimidating when I was barely balanced on my rollerblades. I leaned in carefully, trying not to flop on my face, and gave him the best glare I could muster. “Because people are trying to abduct me? That seems like a damn good reason.”

The vixen chimed in. “Mr. Laurent and I are trying to stop these abductions. You’re an important witness. We need you to stay in town until we can apprehend the people responsible.”

I took a step back. “‘Apprehend the people responsible’? Who exactly do you work for? I know it’s not Wisconsin DNR. You have Illinois plates, so nice cover there, idiots. You’re not cops, and I’m not telling you anything until you produce credentials.”

“We represent an interested party,” the woman said. It looked like she was interested in gutting me.

“FBI? CIA? ATF? Campbell’s Soup?”

Jaxson inclined his head, and I thought I saw a flicker of gold in his eyes. Whoever he worked for had power. Control. I could practically feel it radiating off him. That, and a deep, intoxicating scent of forest and cedar.

He spoke with a voice so low and rough that it excited the nerves under my skin. “You don’t need to worry about the details, Ms. Caine. While the authorities are doing nothing, we’re hunting your attackers down. We just need your cooperation.”

Honestly, when he said it like that, it made sense. Sheriff Kepler was a goddamned idiot, far past his prime and way out of his league. And so far, the state investigation had produced jack-shit. If I wanted answers, I was going to have to cooperate with the spooks.

At least they seemed marginally competent, if exceedingly suspicious.

“I’m not blind,” I said. “You showed up at the Taphouse right before I was attacked.”

Jaxson looked around. “We’re hunting the people who were hunting you.”

Truth.

“Fine. You want my cooperation? I need answers first. Do you believe I was attacked yesterday by the same people who are responsible for the other abductions?”

He nodded. “Yes.”

My heartbeat began to drown out the noise around me. Shit was getting real. “My assailants said, ‘She’s the one.’ Am I being targeted?”

“That is a possibility, which is why it’s safest if you just head home. We have people watching your back.”

Holy hell. I was under surveillance? My heart raced, and my skin turned cold, even in the hot midday sun. These assholes had to be FBI or the actual damned men in black.

“Who’s after me?” I whispered. “I need to know. Why am I being targeted?”

“I’m afraid we’re not at liberty to disclose the details of the case,” the woman said.

I glared at Jaxson. He’d said the same thing the night before—lyingly.

This was bullcrap.

I stepped forward on my blades, moving so close to Jaxson that I was sure he could hear my heartbeat. “If these psychopaths are hunting me, give me one good reason why I should stay put.”

My mouth soured, and I could almost taste the frustration radiating off him. Behind those shadowy eyes, there was a man struggling to maintain control. A beast, lurking below the surface. My muscles tensed, and the hair on my neck stood on end.

Jaxson leaned down so that his mouth was next to my ear, and his breath danced over my skin. “You have no idea who or what you’re dealing with, Ms. Caine, and you’re not in possession of all the facts. Three people that we know of fought back, just like you did. The difference is, their entrails ended up splattered across the floor of their homes, and their bodies were ripped apart, piece by piece.”

I jerked back, eyes wide.

He straightened and fixed me with a stern expression. “From your experience in the parking lot yesterday, you might imagine how.”

I shook my head in denial as images of that tattooed psycho ramming his claws into the other man’s chest flooded my brain. The monster had thrown the man’s body onto the hood of my car like he was a rag doll. He’d grabbed my wrist—he could have just as easily gutted me and left my blood splattered across the parking lot like a Jackson Pollock painting.

Murderous psychos with claws for hands. I’d fallen into an episode of The X-Files.

“What the hell is going on?” I demanded. With a million questions whirling in my head, that was the only one with the strength to break free.

My vision swam, and I staggered back, but the man in black steadied me with his electric touch and raised my chin. His eyes went honey gold, and his voice turned gravelly. “Monsters are real, Ms. Caine. You can’t outrun them, and wherever you go, they’ll find you.”

My adrenaline surged as inexplicable sensations washed over me. Cold. The scent of pine. And the taste of bitter chocolate.

Jaxson Laurent loomed over me, and I couldn’t help but gaze into his glowing eyes. “You’re in danger. I am the only one who can protect you, but only if you do as you’re told. Stay in your house unless you’re at work. Don’t leave town. I will take care of everything else.”

My mind whirled, and my stomach lurched. Monsters are real, and they’re hunting me.

Somehow, part of me had known that all along. At least I finally had the answer I needed. I was in danger, and Jaxson Laurent was the only one who could protect me.

Truth.

Verging on tears, I backed away. “I’ve gotta get home.”

He nodded.

I turned, pushed off with my skates, and raced toward the house. Everything will be okay if I do as I’m told. Go home. Don’t leave town.

Jaxson would take care of the rest.

Each thrust of my legs took me one step closer to safety, one step further from the nightmare that had become my life. The wheels of my blades whirred, and I was one with the road.

That was, until I hit a pothole and spiraled head over heels.

The asphalt ripped into my knees and elbows, and fire coursed through my nerves. Tears formed in the corner of my eyes, and I rolled over to stare at the sun, now tilting far past noon.

What the hell are you doing, Savy?

Head throbbing, I staggered to my feet and glanced back at Randy’s Auto Body in the distance. I’d gone to reclaim my car so I could skip town, and suddenly, I was running home like a frightened girl.

Who the hell was Jaxson Laurent, and what spell did he have over me? When he was near, I couldn’t think or shake the overwhelming urge to please him.

He must have some pretty damn freaky pheromones.

I started skating again, slower now as lucidity returned to my thoughts.

Monsters were hunting me, and the spooks were hunting them. All I had to do was go home, close my eyes, and wait in ignorant bliss for the nightmare to be over. I just needed to obey the man with the honey eyes. But if I chose that path, I’d never get any straight answers. Jaxson wouldn’t even tell me who he worked for.

What choice do I have?

My original plan? I could grab my piece of shit car, blow out of town, and hope that I could make it all the way to Chicago in order to…what? Get answers by hunting down a family that was so dangerous, my parents never told me about them?

Option two was utterly preposterous. No guarantees. High risk of failure.

But it was a chance for answers. Real answers.

I bit my lip and slammed on my heel brakes.

Screw it. I’d never been any good at doing what I was told.

I rounded the corner and raced down the alley until I reached the rear of Randy’s shop. The back door was open to let the breeze through, so I sneaked in—well, as best I could on skates. Jaxson and his evil vixen were gone, so I stepped over the clutter of hoses and car parts, and smacked Randy on the shoulder.

He spun. “Hell, Savannah! You nearly gave me a heart attack! What are you doing?”

I grabbed his shirt. “Will my car run?”

His eyes went wide. “Y–y–yes.”

“I’m taking it.”

“Savannah,” he said, finally getting a full word out, “these people are going to pay for all the fixes to your car. I can do anything, it’s a blank check! It’ll be better than before. I could make a lot of money. You could have a new ride.”

My car was the most important thing I owned. The last thing my parents had given me. It was filled with promises and broken dreams. But I wasn’t a rube, and I stuck my hip out. “Doesn’t that sound sketchy to you? Nothing in life is free.”

“But it’s a lot of mon—”

I tightened my grip and gave him the look.

I didn’t use it much, just on special occasions. In high school, people had called me “Crazy Eyes.” That was fine by me because I loved Orange is the New Black and Uzo Aduba, and I didn’t really care what people said—as long as I got what I wanted.

It wasn’t like I’d had any friends to lose.

Randy, the hapless ass, was now on the receiving end of the look.

“Let me explain things to you, Rand-dee. I’m taking my car. You’re not going to tell Jaxson or that mean-looking woman, and you’re not going to fess up when they come asking. You don’t know them. You know me. I designed your stupid auto body logo, for what it’s worth. Help me now. I need to get out of town.”

It was like I was a different person when I was angry. Like I had a snarling, raging force inside me that demanded to be free.

I guess that’s what happened when your parents blew themselves to bits, and you had to spend the rest of your life walking with your head down.

Randy looked around nervously. “I’m sorry, but there’s no way I’m going to help you. Those people seem like they leave bodies in places where they’re never found. But I’ve really got to piss, and I’m going to go use the restroom. If you happened to go by the office and take your keys and leave while I’m gone, there’d be nothing I could do about that.”

I let him go. He looked about ready to wet himself, so it was a pretty good call either way.

Randy hurried off to the restroom, and I staggered awkwardly to the office on my rollerblades. I was really glad there weren’t cameras because I probably looked like an utter idiot.

My keys were hanging on a hook inside the door…right next to Jaxson Laurent’s.

Sometimes, life gave you lemonade, and you didn’t even need to squeeze the lemons.

A minute later, I was safe in the heavenly confines of my Gran Fury, desperately struggling to yank my rollerblades off. They’d been hell to get on, but this was worse. I didn’t even bother putting on my tennies—I just chucked them on the passenger side along with the blades.

I fired up the engine, took one second to savor the low rumble of freedom, and rolled out of the garage as quietly as possible. Once I was a couple blocks away, I hit the gas and raced home.

Soon, doubt crept into my mind. The spooks might be watching me. But I was already committed, and I’d have to risk it.

I called Alma and explained the situation. As soon as I as screeched to a halt in front of our house, she dragged my bags down the front steps, and we threw them in the car. I kissed her and my familiar life goodbye in under a minute. Then I hit the open road.

I didn’t bother throwing Jaxson’s truck keys out the window until an hour later when I was in Illinois, roaring down US-20 on my way to Chicago.