Chapter 11
11
F ord and Tessa arrived back at the cabin, having filled the back of his truck with wood. Tessa couldn’t remember the last time she felt at peace in the woods. Tree branches were swaying in the wind, while birds chattered overhead. Even wiping the sweat from her brow felt peaceful, especially while ogling a handsome man with muscles.
They unloaded wood by the driveway edge, then Ford parked in front of his cabin and switched off the engine. He frowned and grabbed her arm. “Stay here.”
“What’s wrong?” Tessa glanced around frantically for the threat but saw none.
“Not sure,” he muttered before opening the door and facing her. “Please stay in the truck.”
Tessa’s pulse quickened when she saw him draw a gun tucked behind his back. Where did he get that from? When did he put it there? She never noticed it when he was cutting down trees.
Ford approached the cabin cautiously and nudged the door open with the gun.
He peered in, then disappeared inside.
Tessa’s heart pounded in desperation. Had Damien found her? What was going on in the house?
She waited a couple of minutes for Ford to come back. Fearing the worst, she got out and reached for the axe that was in the truck’s bed.
As silently as she could, Tessa tossed the axe over her shoulder and crept up to the cabin. She could hear voices inside. With shaky hands, she opened the door and screamed.
Ford was standing in the middle of the cabin talking to a strange man. He spun around at her outcry, aiming his gun at her.
“I thought I told you to stay in the truck,” he barked. He placed his gun behind his back, walked over to her and gently released her fingers from the axe. “Jesus. Give me that before you hurt yourself.”
Tessa glanced around in stunned silence, unable to form any coherent words. The floor was flooded, the furniture was ruined, and there was devastation throughout.
“Oh, my God! What… what happened here?” she stammered, trying to make sense of the destruction. “Did a wild animal get in? Why is there so much water?”
Ford placed the axe on the sofa and gathered her into his arms. “Shhh. It’s all right.”
“All right?” she mumbled into his chest. “All right? Your cabin is destroyed.”
He sighed into her hair and patted her back as she trembled in his arms. When she calmed down, he let her go.
“Why don’t we take this outside?” said the strange man standing next to Ford.
Ford nodded, took Tessa’s hand, and guided her outside.
“Tessa, this is my friend and co-worker Colt Zander. He owns a garage in town, and I asked him to come look at your car and tow it back to town if he couldn’t start it.”
She looked at the sandy-haired man, just as big and muscular as Ford. “Thank you. But … what happened?”
Colt looked over at Ford and raised his brows. “Someone got into the house and destroyed it.”
Tessa’s mind reeled in disbelief. “Who would do such a thing? How do you know it was a person and not some wild animal looking for food?”
Colt cleared his throat. “Because animals don’t slice open car seats or destroy an entire car.”
“My car?” she screeched and ran around back.
The big tow truck was behind her car. Tessa wrenched open the door and gasped in horror.
Everything inside it was wrecked, and someone had sliced open every inch of the interior. Damien! It had to be him.
She anxiously scoured the woods looking for someone, something, anything. But there was nothing, just the sounds of nature.
Then reality hit her like a ton of bricks.
Tessa started crying—no, sobbing. Her car was the only mode of transportation she had, and there was no money for another one.
She felt completely powerless and helpless. Did she really run away for this to happen? And Ford. All he did was offer her a place to stay, and now his sweet cabin was destroyed.
Then she remembered her purse.
Had Ford’s secret room been breached?
A sudden wave of fear washed over her as she darted past Ford and Colt, their voices fading into the background as she ran back into the house, slipping in the water until she reached the bedroom. Her heart hammered in her chest as she took in the destruction. She peered into the closet and saw clothes strewn around. Desperately, she yanked the fake panel out and reached for the door. She pushed and tugged, but the door wouldn’t open.
Strong arms abruptly pulled her back, anchoring her into place. “Tessa! Tessa. Sweetheart, come out of here. No one breached the safe room. I checked when I came in.”
Tessa couldn’t shake the feeling of despair. Damien’s reach from the shadows served as a chilling reminder that safety from him would always be impossible. Her eyes flickered to the safe room, wondering what would have happened if he—most likely Marty, since Damien never got his hands dirty—found the recorder. Found her.
“Come on, sweetheart, I’m taking you back to Haywood Lake. I think my company needs to get involved. This boyfriend of yours isn’t going to stop.” Ford led her back through the living room and outside where Colt was standing.
“I… I’m so sorry. I never meant to bring trouble your way.” She couldn’t look at Ford. Nothing in her life prepared her for this moment, this violence. She was blessed with great parents, really good friends, and a more than satisfying life. How did it ever get to this point? Plus, Ford was definitely going to want to know about Damien and Marty.
“Listen, I need to get going. What do you want to do about Tessa’s car?” Colt asked.
She said, “Junk it,” just as Ford replied, “Tow it and we’ll get back to you.”
“Ford.” Tessa shook her head. “I don’t have the money to fix it up. Maybe I can get something for it.”
He took her hand and opened his mouth, but a loud crack echoed through the woods. They froze. Oh God, please don’t let it be Marty.
Colt and Ford pulled out their guns. Ford gestured for Tessa to stay put. Colt silently moved left. Ford went right. Her pulse spiked as fear swirled in her chest.
Time slowed. The men crept close to the woods. A sudden eruption from the bushes caused Tessa to jump.
It was a pig. A damn pig.
It halted, squealed in surprise, then retreated into the brush.
Ford and Colt put away their guns. They spoke for a minute, then shook hands. Colt waved goodbye to Tessa as he walked back to his tow truck.
“Tessa, come on, get in.” Ford opened the truck door and helped her in. “I need to run in and gather a couple of things, and I’ll be right back.”
She waited for Ford to come back.
The illusion of safety shattered, leaving her with the haunting knowledge that her life would never be secure.