Chapter Three
Ivy’s hand trembled as she reached for her cell phone, but not from fear.
Her earlier adrenaline had plummeted. Her arm and head ached.
She’d also wildly misjudged the man standing in front of her several times now.
She wasn’t sure how she’d gotten so deep into the forest, but when strong arms lifted and cradled her, she’d thought she was dreaming.
Then when she’d regained conciseness and found herself restrained in those same arms in the shower, she’d been terrified.
And again, when she recalled exactly what had happened at the estate she was inspecting and when she’d accused Jude of being part of the scheme she’d overheard.
Even when he’d shown his identification, she’d still thought he was a prickly recluse hiding out in the woods.
While that might still be true, she wasn’t sure how she’d missed the pain radiating from him.
It was tangible and hung in the air like a dark shroud around him.
He wasn’t angry or mean, she’d bet her life on it.
He was a human being who had been deeply, maybe irrevocably scarred in some way.
“Sure,” she said gripping the phone, pleased when she was able to turn up the volume without dropping the device. Ivy pressed on the app and brought up the recording, shocked that it was still going. It was nearly an hour and a half long. She took a breath, then pressed play.
“Place looks like shit.” Her stomach hardened to the point of pain when she heard the man with the muffled cotton ball voice speak.
“Doesn’t matter. Boss just needs a place to hold the kids.” And there was the voice that had scared her the most. No inflection. Not an iota of warmth.
“Still should be livable, if they’ll be here until buyers are lined up,” the bulldog said.
“When did you develop a fucking conscience? A little mold never hurt anyone. Until payments are made, the kids stay here.”
Jude’s muscles corded and she glanced up at his face. His jaw was clenched, nostrils flared, and the merciless expression in his eyes made a shiver skate down her spine.
“Our only job is to make sure that once they’re in here, there’s no way out. Let’s get a thorough count of all the entry points so we can install additional locks and seal the windows from the outside.”
The men continued talking. In the background of the audio, she could hear herself trying to slow her breathing.
When Leo told Eddy about the truck parked out front, panic gripped her all over again.
She heard footsteps pounding, her own and the men’s.
She’d come so close to being caught. Jude grabbed the phone from the counter, silencing the audio.
He punched something into the phone, but she was too busy trying to control the rapid drum of her heart to think much about what he was doing.
A heavy weight landed on her knees. She looked down to see his massive hands spanning over the gray sweats he’d loaned her.
“Breathe in,” he commanded in a tone she couldn’t help but immediately obey.
“And out. Slowly.” Her gaze locked on to his.
The color of his eyes reminded her of the full moon suspended in a dark sky.
Not quite silver. Barely a whisper of blue.
Hauntingly beautiful with the raw impression of stark loneliness that was almost painful to behold.
She was typically good at reading people, but she couldn’t read him.
He stared into her eyes, but she could gain nothing from his expression.
They might’ve sat there in the bathroom for ten minutes or half an hour. She wasn’t sure.
“Steady?” he finally asked. This time his tone was less authoritative, as if the call had somehow shifted his perspective.
“Yeah. I think so.”
“Did you see either man?” Jude’s fingers flexed on her knees, and the light squeeze made her all too aware of how close they were positioned.
She told him what she could from the brief glimpse she’d taken through the trees at the estate.
When she was finished with her descriptions, she could’ve sworn approval flashed in his eyes.
He nodded, then removed his hands from where they still rested on her lap.
She hadn’t been aware of how grounding his touch was until it was gone, and the earlier fears he’d soothed flared through her, making her stomach clench.
“Okay.” The sound of his voice was enough to settle her before she could do something embarrassing like snatch his hands back.
“Come into the living room. We’ll talk about what you need to do next.
” Something vibrated and he reached into his pocket.
“Hayes,” he barked and strode into the other room.
With her hands on her knees, she pushed herself up and followed.
“I want a team out there. Ivy, what was the address?” He leveled his gaze at her over his shoulder.
She told him, and he relayed the information over the phone.
“There’s a truck.” Again, he looked at her expectantly.
“Ford F-150. Black.”
“Hear that? Okay. If it’s there, bring it in. I want surveillance throughout. Tap into the street cameras. We’re looking for two men. Mid-forties, Caucasian. Don’t rule anyone out though. Forward the audio to the agents you want on this. Keep me updated.”
Ivy was stunned. He’d wasted no time contacting whoever was on the other line.
Maybe that’s what he’d been doing with her phone—sending the audio recording to his team.
Something shifted in him the moment he received the phone call.
He was immediately on alert. His bloodshot eyes sharpened, and he delegated tasks like a man who knew to the marrow of his bones he was in charge.
He shoved his phone back into his pocket and turned to fully face her.
Dark circles marred the skin under his eyes.
There was stubble over his face and jaw, as though he hadn’t bothered to shave in a few days.
His hair, albeit short, was jet black and standing on end, like he’d raked his fingers through it more than once.
He was handsome in a brutal sort of way.
“Sit,” he said gesturing to the small couch.
She sat up against one arm of the sofa, tucking one leg beneath her and hugging the knee of her other to her chest. “What did you mean when you said if my truck is still there?” She held her breath as she waited for the answer.
Jude sat on the other side of the couch, giving her plenty of space.
His bare feet were planted wide on the wood-planked floors.
He leaned closer and dropped his elbows to his knees, angling his body toward her.
His pale eyes assessed her for a moment.
He must have found what he was looking for because he nodded then spoke.
“The men at the house might’ve taken it.
” He didn’t try to sugarcoat anything, which she appreciated.
“Do you store anything with identifying information inside the truck?”
She shook her head, and the damp strands of her hair tickled her neck.
“No. I keep my keys and wallet on me, along with a flashlight and some supplies while inspecting.” Her hands flew to her waist where a fanny pack usually sat just above her hips.
“Did I have a small black pack on when you found me?”
His gaze darkened. “No.”
“Shoot.” She licked her lips, trying to recall if it had caught on something while she was running. “It must’ve come off when I fell down the hill.”
“Then I need to find it before they do.”
Outside the rain still pounded. If only she knew how long the men would continue to search for her. “Why? What would they want from me?”
Jude shifted, angling his broad shoulders to face her more fully.
“To find out how much you know. What you heard. Who you are and what type of threat you pose. I wouldn’t be surprised if the house sale falls through.
They might be shaken enough to find a new location, but I’m hoping that doesn’t happen.
You might’ve stumbled on something big. There’s been a spike in missing children—infants—in several counties throughout the state.
Any business information on your truck?”
She blew out a breath and sat on the edge of the couch. “Yes. Name, number, email, and a QR code to my website.”
His face remained perfectly blank. “Is the business registered under your name?”
“Yeah.” She sucked in a quick breath and shot to her feet.
“Oh my God. Ash.” She must have hit her head harder than she thought.
He was always on her mind, even if she wasn’t actively thinking about him.
“I should be home by now. He’s going to be upset.
Probably called my parents. I have to get home to him. ”
“You’re not going anywhere right now.” His voice took on a sharp edge.
“You mentioned your vehicle is parked somewhere, right?” She paced toward the window and glanced out. Still a torrential downpour. “I can walk. The distance doesn’t matter.”
His eyes narrowed and he pushed off the couch, stalking toward her.
He stopped an arm’s length from her. “If your boyfriend or husband would rather you hike down a mountain with a possible concussion in a storm rather than stay safe inside, you need to find a new man.” He suddenly seemed…
agitated? Angry? His outward appearance hadn’t changed, but his mere presence intensified.
The energy seemed to pulsate from him or maybe that was his larger-than-life stature.
“No.” She shook her head and crossed her hands over her chest. “It’s not like that. I live with my twin brother, Ash. He has autism and is very routine based.”
He stared at her for a beat, those pale eyes so penetrating it made her want to squirm beneath his gaze. “Your phone died after I sent the audio clip to my team. We’ll get it on a charger, but for now, you can place a call on my phone. Is there somewhere he can stay, besides your place?”
She nodded. “His girlfriend’s condo. He can take a cab.”