Out of the Shadows (Hudson Security #1)

Chapter 35

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

F ollowing the concrete path, Bean zipped up her jacket as she rounded the Hudson Tactical building and came to a halt. In the distance, a group of roughly twenty people stood at the trailhead in a semicircle around Wilson and Joe Buchanan, the head of Hudson Tactical. There were a few women mixed in the group, and they all looked to be law enforcement types. Disappointment had her frowning.

As she made her way over to the group, Wilson caught her eye and gave her a chin lift. While Buchanan continued to address the group, Wilson made his way toward her.

“What’s up, B?”

“I should be asking you that question.” She nodded to the group. “The trails off-limits today?”

“Yeah, sorry. They’re in from Southern Oregon for an outdoor firearm safety and training session.” Glancing back at the group, his lips pursed. “You’re not gonna want to be roaming the woods while they’re doing their thing.”

“Noted.” She wrinkled her nose. The last thing she wanted was to head back to her office and deal with her glitching programs. Unless... She glanced at her watch .

“Uh-oh.” Wilson chuckled. “What’s that look for?”

“Just figuring out if I have time to swing out to Jackson Cove for a quick hike.”

A grin spread over his face. “Look at you, Miss Quick Hike During Her Lunchbreak.” A grin spread over his face. “Who the hell are you and what have you done to our desk jockey?”

“You’re funny,” she said, deadpan.

“That I am, my friend. But I have to ask, do you know which are the easy trails out there?”

She nodded. “Gavin took me out there on Monday.”

“You have your phone on you?”

“Yes, Dad,” she said with an exaggerated sigh.

He held his hands up. “Hey, I had to ask. The last thing I want is Frazier pissed at me because he can’t get a hold of you.”

She rolled her eyes. “Dramatic much?”

A sharp whistle cut through the air and they both glanced at Buchanan, who waved at her.

“That’s my cue,” Wilson said. “Be careful out there.”

Her gaze flickered to the group and then back at him. “You too.”

Ten minutes later, Bean entered the parking lot of Jackson Cove State Park. She pulled into an open spot next to a Subaru Outback and cut her engine. As she got out of her Audi, she snagged the water bottle she’d filled with her favorite sugar-free peach energy drink—baby steps, right?—and took note of the four other cars in the lot. She zipped her car keys into her jacket pocket and set her phone’s timer for thirty minutes so she’d know when to turn around, then she tucked the phone into the pocket of her leggings and grinned. Look at me, all outdoorsy !

She made her way to the main trail. A part of her wanted to take the gorgeous route that overlooked the water. However, she recalled how steep the beginning of the trail was. The last thing she wanted was to slip and twist her ankle, so she veered to the other easy trail that Gavin had pointed out.

Taking a deep breath in, she let the forest scents soothe her. She focused on the uneven trail and the sounds of critters scampering away. The tension in her shoulders eased. Never in a million years would she have guessed that she would go out for a lunchtime hike. But being out here settled her. The sounds, the scents, the solitude. They were like a reset button for her brain.

After a few minutes, the sound of voices carried over the quiet forest. Glancing up the trail, she saw flashes of orange and yellow along the switchback. She coughed loudly, attempting to alert whoever was out there of her presence. That was a thing, right? The voices paused before resuming. Ahead of her, two women in brightly colored jackets appeared from around the bend. They looked to be in their sixties. Both were wearing small backpacks and using walking poles.

Wait. Did she need walking poles? This was supposed to be an easy trail.

Bean shifted her water bottle from her right hand to her left. The backpacks were probably a good idea though. They were pretty cute too. Who knew the great outdoors had such cute accessories...

“Good afternoon,” one of the women called out.

“Hello,” she replied.

“Lovely afternoon for a hike,” the other woman said as they approached. “Just so you know, it gets pretty muddy about a quarter mile up by the waterfall. Have a good hike. ”

“Thanks for the heads-up,” Bean said as the women passed. “Enjoy your day.”

Look at me being all peopley and making small talk with strangers. She wanted to pat herself on the back.

After a moment, her smug smile faded, and a familiar worry simmered in her belly. A worry she’d worked her whole adult life to overcome. Well, maybe not overcome . Because did anyone ever fully overcome the worry of not being enough, of not measuring up?

She’d accepted long ago that she’d never be good enough for her parents, so she’d worked to become good enough for herself. Yes, her social skills were lacking, but what she lacked in social skills, she made up for with her hacking skills. You’re one of the best in the freaking world. Don’t forget that.

Work had become her life. She was proud of that, because she was damn good at what she did. But Gavin’s words from the other day echoed in her mind. “You’re more than your job, B. You’re more than your brains and your beauty. You’re the whole damn package.”

Was she though? She didn’t question her knowledge, her brains, or her computer skills. She was self-aware enough to know she couldn’t get too cocky, and she worked to continue to improve, to constantly learn, and to stay sharp. Having Tiny on board would be good for her. It would push her to not get lazy and complacent.

But while she was confident in her intelligence, there was no doubt that her social skills were subpar. And no one would ever call her well-rounded. So was she good enough for Gavin? Truly?

Their physical relationship was new and beyond amazing. On one hand, it boggled her mind that she got to kiss him and touch him. But on the other hand, it felt like they’d already been together forever. It was so natural, so right .

Gavin knew her—flaws and all. She didn’t have to hide who she was with him, but she wasn’t quite sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

He was their leader and was great with people. Could she be the partner he needed? Could she stand beside him at functions like the charity gala? If she were being honest, the mere thought gave her hives. But that was part of the deal, part of what he did as the face and head of Hudson Security.

Again, his words sounded in her head, pushing down some of the worry. Even more than his words, though, she recalled their talk in the woods and all the moments they’d had up until she’d left for her hike today. She thought of the way he looked at her... His gaze always held that potent mixture of affection, protectiveness, and flat-out desire.

Her heart warmed. Perhaps they could find a compromise. Some kind of middle ground. Hell, maybe she could bribe Esme to go to all those events with him instead.

A smile lifted her lips, and a new feeling filled her belly. One of butterflies and hope and... love. Yes, she was scared. She’d never had a relationship that mattered. However, she’d never backed down from a challenge, and she wasn’t starting now.

She took a cleansing breath in and let the crisp forest scents do their thing. She exhaled and slowed her pace as the trail narrowed. The women she’d passed earlier hadn’t been wrong. The next five or so feet were a muddy slog. Glancing around, she spied a large stick off the side of the trail. Grabbing it, she poked at the mud to see how deep it was. Thankfully, it wasn’t too bad. Using the stick for balance, she carefully made her way through the mud. Her footing gave way and she yelped, but thankfully, her handy-dandy stick kept her from face-planting.

When she reached firm land, she pumped her fist in the air. “Hell yeah! ”

With her walking stick in hand, she continued up the trail. Gavin and Wilson were definitely going to hear about her amazing newfound stick-finding abilities. Maybe she’d sign up for one of those outdoor survival classes after all.

A loud crash sounded to her right.

She froze.

Holding her stick like a baseball bat, she scanned the forest. Another rustle kicked her pulse up a notch. Everything was silent except for her racing heart. Then a deer burst through the trees and stopped on the trail in front of her. She locked eyes with the animal and tightened her grip on the stick.

Holy shit, do deer attack?

The deer huffed out a breath and looked in the direction it’d come from. Two smaller deer popped out of the trees and stood next to the larger one. Lowering her stick, she shook her head as the big deer gave her one last look before they all pranced away.

“Yeah,” she muttered, slapping a hand over her still racing heart. “You’re definitely signing up for Tactical’s class.”

She continued her hike, and after a few more minutes following the twisting trail, the faint sounds of a waterfall echoed through the trees. The whoosh of gently rushing water grew louder with each step until she rounded a curve. To her right, about a few dozen yards away, was a beautiful waterfall tucked against the rocks. The trail narrowed and continued away from the waterfall. She stopped and admired the view, absently wondering if there was a little river or lake somewhere higher up in the hills.

Twigs snapping behind her pulled her from her thoughts. She glanced behind her and shook her head. Nothing. Her imagination was getting the best of her. Or rather, her newfound fear of wildlife was getting the best of her. More sounds of rustling filled the air, and her gaze swung up the trail.

Tightening her hold on the stick, she turned. And we’re done. She may be proud of her mini-outdoorsy achievements, but nope. It was time to head back.

Heading down the trail, every noise and every rustle of leaves had her head on a swivel. She carefully trekked through the muddy area and was relieved she didn’t lose her balance. She jerked to a stop when some small critters darted out of the trees on her left and flew across the trail. With a hand over her heart, she took a deep breath. It’s just another deer family. You’re okay. When she got back to the office, she was definitely going to leave this part out of her solo-hiking story.

More twigs snapped to her left. She jerked and scanned the dense forest, holding her breath. It was definitely time to get out of th?—

Her eyes narrowed at a shadow in the distance, and her stomach clenched. Was that a person?

Ice shot down her spine and the fine hairs on her arms rose.

Run!

She took off down the trail, her heart threatening to beat out of her chest. She risked a glance behind her. No one was there, but she didn’t slow. Everything inside her screamed to keep moving. As she turned her attention forward, a blur to her left startled her.

Something hard slammed into her, knocking her off her feet. She tumbled off the side of the trail and down the mossy embankment. Momentarily dazed, she glanced up at the figure looming at the edge of the trail. There was a man dressed in olive-green pants, a black coat, and a ski mask. It looked like he was trying to find a way down to her.

Holy shit, not good. Not good at all .

Grabbing her walking stick, she jumped up and took off and cut to the right, zigging and zagging through the trees until she could no longer see where she’d tumbled off the trail. Spotting a group of fallen stumps, she crouched behind them and prayed he wouldn’t be able to find her.

Bean’s hands trembled, and her mouth had turned to dust. She held perfectly still, not knowing how long she sat crouched behind the logs. It could have been seconds. It could have been minutes. Bile rolled in her belly when branches broke and twigs snapped.

The man’s movements were getting louder, closer.

She remained frozen, terrified to move.

After the longest five heartbeats of her life, his steps receded as if he were moving away from her. Still, she didn’t move.

Then her alarm went off, the chime vulgarly loud in the quiet forest.

Her heart shot up her throat as loud footfalls raced toward her.

“You can’t hide from me,” the man said in a singsong voice.

Popping up from behind the stumps, she gasped at how close he was. She darted to the right. Using every ounce of strength she had, she swung the walking stick like a baseball bat. She aimed for his knees and made contact, the reverberation like a live current running up her arms.

He cried out and crumpled, clutching his left knee. She tried to run past him, but he lunged at her. She spun around and ran in the opposite direction. She peeked behind her, and her stomach rolled. The bastard was still staggering after her.

“I wasn’t going to hurt you,” he called out. “Now all bets are off, bitch!”

Her lungs were burning, but she kept running. She yanked her phone from her leggings pocket, but her hands were shaking too much to turn off the alarm.

Her foot caught on something, and she stumbled. Her arms pinwheeled and both her phone and walking stick went flying.

She hit the ground with a thud, her hands scraping against rocks and dirt, somewhat breaking her fall. The man was gaining on her. She quickly scanned the area around her, but didn’t see her phone.

Move!

Fear had her scrambling back up, and with her heart in her throat, she ran deeper into the forest.