Chapter 16
Rain continued to fall as Dax held open the door for Vanessa then jogged around the front of the truck to climb inside.
Water dripped from the rim of his hat. He took it off, giving it a gentle shake before setting it back on his head.
“Hope the rain didn’t ruin your tea. Good thing I tucked the pastry bag inside my jacket. ”
She flashed him a half-hearted smile then snapped her seat belt into place. “I’m definitely going to need that chocolate when we get back to the house.”
He squeezed her knee then backed from the parking spot. “Honey, you can have anything you want.”
His windshield wipers flew across the window, working in overdrive to clear the heavy drops of rain from his view.
Dax squinted, his muscles tight as he maneuvered out of town.
Silence settled between them. He wanted to help her process whatever she’d learned from her aunt, but he also needed to focus.
Thunder boomed, and he crawled forward, his hands tight on the steering wheel.
Vanessa’s brow puckered as she stared outside. “I hope Frankie’s okay. Storms make him nervous.”
“I’m sure he’ll be fine, but we’ll be back shortly. How are you?”
She let out a long, shaky breath. “My aunt told me my mom had a thing for the boy who drowned. That she changed after he died, then left town a few months later. Do you think he could be my father?”
“Holy shit,” he said, trying to wrap his mind around the question. “I mean, I don’t know. I’m not even sure how you’d find out.” He cast a quick glance her way before returning his focus to the road. “Do you want to know?”
“Yes.” Her voice was so quiet it was nearly drowned out by the constant pinging on the roof. “But you’re right. How do I even begin to tackle that question? Besides, I think there are more pressing issues at hand.”
He hated the quiver in her voice and wished he could gather her close. “It’s all important. Yes, finding out who’s messing with you is crucial, but you said you wanted to find out who your dad is. This is a lead you didn’t have before. We just need to figure out how to follow it.”
“I wonder if my uncle’s friend, Ethan, would talk to me. He was with him at the hardware store, and he didn’t seem so bad. Diane said the three of them were together all the time. He might know something.”
“I don’t know much about the guy, but Madden might. We can call him and ask his thoughts. He and Lily are both seven years older than me, so they have connections with people in town I don’t. They might even remember the events surrounding this kid’s death.”
Beams of light flashed through the mist and cut into the back window. A vehicle came up fast behind them.
Dax flicked his gaze to the rearview mirror. “This clown needs to slow down. There’s too much water on the road. I’m not speeding up to make him happy or I’ll hydroplane.”
Vanessa twisted around and scrunched her nose. “He’s getting closer. What’s his problem?”
“Who the hell knows?” Dax said. “I swear, people don’t make the best decisions when they’re behind the wheel. It’s probably some teenager.” He flashed his hazard lights twice as a warning.
The vehicle sped up until the front bumper tapped the back of Dax’s truck.
His body lurched forward, and he shot an arm out to brace against Vanessa’s middle. “What the hell?”
She gripped his forearm. “Is he doing that on purpose?”
Gritting his teeth, Dax pressed down harder on the gas pedal. A little space separated him from the truck. “I’m not sure. Maybe whoever it is got distracted for a minute.”
“I hope you’re right.”
Tense seconds ticked by when the vehicle surged forward until it appeared beside the driver’s-side window. It lingered in the other lane, keeping pace with Dax, until it veered to the side. Confusion and fear battled in Dax’s gut, but he blocked it out, intent on keeping him and Vanessa safe.
“Oh my God!” Vanessa screeched. “What is he doing?”
Dax sped up, but the other truck stayed right beside him before ramming against the driver’s side door. The truck jerked to the side, the tires skidding over a large puddle. Terror clutched his heart and sweat slicked his palms. He fought for a calm he didn’t feel.
He pulled his arm out of Vanessa’s death grip and steered the truck back on the road. “Sorry, honey, but I need both hands on the wheel. Call the police. Tell them we’re on County Road 281, about two miles south of your place.”
His heart thundered in his ears, and he swallowed the panic rising in his throat. He struggled to keep his voice from belaying the mixture of terror and anger flooding through his veins. Vanessa didn’t need him to heighten her own fear.
The black truck smashed against his, sending the back end of his vehicle fishtailing off the road.
The sound of metal against metal vibrated his bones.
Vanessa’s screams and pleas for help as she spoke into the phone combined with the dizzying sensation in his head as his neck jostled with the sudden motion.
The truck swiped against him again, and Dax slammed his foot on the brake. The tires glided on the pool of water swallowing the road, taking control of the vehicle as it spun toward the edge of the road. He wrangled with the steering wheel, straining to keep it straight so they didn’t flip over.
Skidding to a stop, he glanced up just as the asshole in the black truck flew by.
He caught a glimpse of a black ballcap, broad shoulders and nothing else.
Adrenaline coiled his muscles, and the urge to run after the bastard who’d tried to kill them almost had him jumping outside and sprinting after him in the damn rain.
“He’s gone,” Vanessa said. “We’re on the side of the road. Okay. Thank you.” She disconnected the call and squeezed her eyes shut.
Dax unhooked his seat belt and slid across the seat to gather her in her arms. He smoothed his hand over her hair, needing to know she wasn’t injured. “Are you hurt?”
She burrowed against him, her whole body shaking. “I can’t…why…it’s just…”
“Shh,” he said. “You’re safe now. He’s gone. Coming back wouldn’t make sense. He’s got to know we’ve called the sheriff’s department.”
She fisted the neck of his T-shirt in her hands and shook her head. “He might not come back this time, but there will be a next time. I don’t understand any of this. I’m a good person. I’m here because my grandfather left me his home. Why is this happening?”
He held her tight, wishing he could absorb her pain. “I don’t know, honey. But this person is extremely dangerous, which tells me he has a lot at stake. I think this goes beyond wanting your family’s land. Anyone willing to act this way has a lot to lose and is scared as hell to lose it.”
“But what do I have to do with any of that?” she asked, throwing her hands in the air. “I’m running around town, chasing my tail like a dog, and keep coming up empty. Each hour leads to more questions, more confusion. I’m not a threat to anyone.”
He might not have all the answers, but one thing was clear. Someone didn’t just want to run Vanessa out of town, they wanted to hurt her. To quiet her. To make her stop whatever crusade she’d started.
And they were willing to kill.
* * *
The deafening noise of raindrops pelting the top of the truck heightened Vanessa’s anxiety. Her teeth chattered despite the heat pumping from the vents. She stayed tucked against Dax’s side until blue and red lights flashed through the haze behind them and came to a stop.
Dax kissed the top of her head. “As soon as we speak with the deputy, we’ll go back to your place. You all right?”
She nodded even though she was far from okay. She’d thought watching cancer take away her mother would be the hardest thing she ever experienced. Being hunted down by some unknown assailant for a reason she didn’t even know was a close second.
Dax rolled the window down a crack and water sprayed inside.
“Afternoon, Dax,” Deputy Sanders said. “Sorry to be seeing you like this again. How you two doing?”
“You the only one who works at that station?” Dax asked.
“Nah. I was on patrol when the call came through. Figured it’d be best to come myself since I was the one who spoke with you both after the break-in. Want to give me a rundown of what happened?”
As Dax spoke, Vanessa squeezed her eyes shut and tried to block out the memories.
Since coming to town, a lot of scary things had happened.
But other than surprising an intruder when she’d first arrived, none had been direct attacks on her—even the break-in seemed more about grabbing something and not hurting her.
This was different. Someone had tried to run them off the road. Smashed their truck against Dax’s in an attempt to hurt them both. Thank God, Dax had managed the situation so well.
“Are either of you hurt? Do I need to call an ambulance?”
The deputy’s question snapped her back to the moment.
“I’m fine,” Dax said. “Vanessa?”
She took mental stock of her body. An ache throbbed in the middle of her forehead and the muscles in the back of her neck were a little tight. Other than that, nothing else seemed affected. “I don’t need an ambulance. Just a few aches and still shaken. Nothing a hot bath can’t fix.”
Rivulets of water continued to snake down the side of the door and splatter across Dax.
“Either of you get a good look at who was behind the wheel?”
“It was a man,” Dax said. “He wore a baseball hat, but I couldn’t tell you much else. With the rain coming down so hard, and trying not to roll the truck, I couldn’t get more details.”
“I didn’t see any more than Dax did,” Vanessa said.
“And the vehicle?” Sanders asked.
“Black truck. Full-sized cab,” Dax said. “Again, not sure of make and model. The bastard caught me off guard.”
“Don’t be too hard on yourself, son. You did good, as far as I can tell. Neither of you has a scratch on you, and that’s the most important part.”
She closed her eyes again and tried to remember anything else. “Wait,” she said, opening her eyes. “There was an animal on the back of the tailgate.”
The deputy frowned. “You mean like a decal or sticker of some kind?”
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “Like a logo.”
“A ram?”
“Yes! It was black, like the rest of the truck. And I noticed the first three letters of the license plate were JMK. It stuck out because they were my grandmother’s initials. I don’t remember the rest, though.”
“That’s okay.” Deputy Sanders wrote down the information. “This is great. You gave us the make and partial plate number. And with how bad your truck looks, this guy’s probably driving around with quite a bit of damage.”
Dax nodded in her direction, a whisper of a smile on his lips. “You did good.”
“One more thing and then I’ll let you go before I wash away with the rain. Did you notice anyone following you before the incident? Anyone know where you were?”
“I didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary,” Dax said. “We went to the library and were there for a while. Then we stopped by Cloud 9 for coffee. If this guy was following us, it didn’t stand out to me.”
Her stomach twisted into a knot. “I talked to my aunt.”
Deputy Sanders frowned. “Excuse me?”
“At the café. My aunt was there. We had a conversation then she got up and left. She seemed a little upset by where the conversation ended.”
“And where did it end?”
“She was telling me about how my uncle changed after my mom left town. Before that she told me about Garrison Steele. The boy who died in the river.”
Deputy Sanders let out a low whistle. “Heavy conversation. Do you think your aunt had anything to do with the man who ran you off the road?”
She shrugged, hating that she couldn’t say absolutely not.
“I have no idea. A man was behind the wheel, but that doesn’t mean a woman didn’t tell him where we were.
She could have called my uncle and told him about the conversation.
Even if she didn’t mean to put a target on our backs, she could have.
” She didn’t want to think that her aunt would play a part in tormenting her, but she didn’t know the woman well enough to say for certain.
“I’ll talk to her and Chip. As of now, there’s no one else on our radar. But if you were at Cloud 9, we can pull up security footage from them and other businesses downtown. See if anyone followed you out of town.”
“Talk to Madden. Sunrise Security is a couple doors down. We’ve got cameras out front. And maybe check to see if Chip Kemp owns a black RAM truck.”
“That’d be pretty dumb of him to use his truck if it’s him,” Vanessa said.
“Criminals aren’t usually very smart. That’s why they get caught,” Deputy Sanders said.
“Then let’s hope this guy’s the dumbest criminal out there,” she said.
The deputy offered her a tight smile. “I’m going to go dry out then make those calls about watching the video.
I’ll place some calls to the local autobody shops, too.
On the off chance this guy takes his truck in to get fixed.
I can get some quotes for you, if you want.
” He tossed out the last sentence in jest.
Dax snorted a quick laugh. “So nice of you, but I’ll see to it later. This thing’s so old, it might not be worth pouring any more money into. I’ve been wanting a new one anyway.”
Vanessa waved and thanked the deputy before he walked back to his cruiser and Dax rolled up the window.
A shiver shook her shoulders. “Sorry about your truck.”
Dax faced her, mouth slightly agape. “You’re kidding, right?”
She shrugged even though guilt at the destruction of his vehicle rolled around inside her. He wouldn’t be in this position if it wasn’t for her.
He grabbed her hand and squeezed. “You have absolutely nothing to apologize for.”
Tears blurred her vision, and she sniffed back her emotions. She hated falling apart in front of this man who’d been so strong since the day they’d met. “None of this would be happening if it wasn’t for me. I’ve turned your life upside down since I came into town, and now your truck’s ruined.”
“Hey,” he said, cupping her jaw with his palm. “You’re right. You’ve turned everything upside down, but in the best way possible. Don’t you dare think otherwise.”
“You’re the best part of moving here,” she said, meaning it in her core.
He grinned. “And meeting Frankie’s the best part of having you here.”
She threw her head back and laughed. “All right, smart-ass. Then we better get back home to see him and you can be the one to take him out in the rain.”