24. Easton
TWENTY-FOUR
Easton
It’s been a week. An entire fucking week and the cops haven’t found Neil yet. I don’t like it. Every day that he’s out there, he could be getting closer to Red Lodge. To Hazel.
I know I told her not to worry, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t. I just wanted to do it for her.
This entire time, I’ve been watching the news like a hawk for any word about the situation. Aside from not catching Neil, there have been minimal updates.
I know the news doesn’t realize how big of a problem this is to me personally, but dammit, nothing? Ugh .
“Alright, sir, we should have those updates ready to go by this afternoon.”
Paying attention to the phone again, I clear my throat. “Thank you. And I know it’s a rush job, so I appreciate you being flexible.”
“Of course. Happy to help.”
We hang up, and I feel a little better knowing that the home security system I have installed is about to be upgraded to the most recent state-of-the-art devices.
He can’t get to her. He can’t hurt Hazel again.
My heart rate is up, and I try to focus on what I’ve done to ensure her safety. But all I can think about is the last attack.
Neil sent someone to Red Lodge to hurt Hazel, and there’s nothing stopping him from showing up and doing it himself. At least it doesn’t feel like anything, or anyone, is trying to stop him.
And, of course, it's not just Hazel I have to worry about.
I have Jade to think about in all this, too. And I know without a doubt that Hazel didn't mean to bring me or my niece into this, but it doesn't change reality.
Jade is still in jeopardy because of Neil James.
I stand a chance of losing both of them if he gets into this house. I won't let that happen.
As I walk into the kitchen, setting down my cell phone to let it charge, I look up the stairs towards where I know Hazel and Jade are hanging out.
Hazel has been trying her best to play it cool this entire week, putting on her best smile whenever Jade is around. Still, I know that she is under monumental amounts of stress.
She's cracking at her edges, and I don't know what more I can do to help keep her together.
I'm terrified that she's going to fall apart again, and the nightmares have gotten worse. I've slept in her bed with her nearly every night this week.
Goddamn it. This isn’t what I want for her.
My chest pinches as I continue to stare up the stairs.
Hazel has thrown herself into her novel these past few days, and Jade doesn't seem to mind. Right now, they're upstairs, probably reading and working together like they have been every day this week.
Sighing, I pull a couple of drinks out of the fridge and head up the stairs. As I walk down the hall, I look into Jade's bedroom. She is in there, but she's just reading by herself. So I keep going, and I head towards Hazel's bedroom at the far end.
Inside, she's working on her laptop, writing away, her brow furrowed as she concentrates on what she's writing.
I've also seen her dictate to her computer a few times now, and it's pretty hilarious to walk in while she's having a fake conversation with herself.
As the floor creaks, Hazel looks up at me, the light of the screen illuminating her face. I hold up the drinks, and she offers a gentle smile as I slip inside the room and sit down on the bed beside her, our shoulders brushing.
“You brought me a beer. Are you a proponent of ‘write drunk, edit sober?’”
All I can do is laugh as I hand the drink to her, cracking it open. “Can't say I'm familiar with that phrase, but I thought it might help.”
Hazel laughs, taking the beer and enjoying a sip before setting it down on the nightstand next to the bed.
We’re quiet for a moment, and then I glance over at her and ask, “How are you doing?”
That's a loaded question if I've ever heard one, but what else am I supposed to say? I want to know how she's doing. I know that it's not good, but I want to know what level of “not good” it is.
She releases a heavy breath again, taking one more sip of her drink before returning it once more to the nightstand, and looks me in the eye.
“I'm not great. I've certainly been better.
Immensely. I'm worried about the entire Neil situation.
I know you've been keeping an eye on the news.
And I know that they haven't found him yet.
I would be lying if I said I hadn't been thinking about that pretty much all the time.” Hazel scoffs, chuckling sarcastically.
“On the plus side, it makes for an excellent headspace when you're writing your next thriller.”
“Well, I continue to be excited to read it, though I still can't believe you're writing with everything that's going on right now.”
Hazel laughs at me, playfully shoving me away as I take my first sip of the cold beer.
“Yes, I know I should be resting and taking a break, but that doesn't exactly make my brain quiet. So, it feels like a better idea to just throw myself into my work and use the inspiration I have, you know what I mean?”
I nod. “Yeah, I know what you mean. I can guess at it, anyway.
Sure, I'm not the one who has a rough past barreling down at every moment.
But I do know what it's like to be in the thick of it, to have a threat looming in the distance that you can't do anything about, except maybe trying to find a way around it.”
Hazel studies me, staring like I've said something wrong, but then she laughs a little and takes her beer, clinking it against mine.
“Well look at that. We're trauma bonding.” Her mood sobers, though, her eyes dropping to the bed. “Sometimes, I forget that you were in the military, even though it was a ‘very big deal’ a long time ago.”
“It was a big deal. I’m not a soldier anymore.” I shrug, not knowing what exactly I’m supposed to say right now. “But some of the stuff comes in handy.”
Shrugging back, Hazel offers a tiny grin. “I’d say it has. I just…I guess I hope it won’t be necessary necessary.”
Hazel is worried about Neil. She doesn’t want me to have to fight him. As much as I don’t want that either, I can’t deny that the image of punching that asshole right in the face has been a constant video in my brain.
“You know I’d take care of that fucker in a heartbeat, right? If he came near you?—”
Putting her finger on my mouth, Hazel silences me with a smile. “I know, Easton. Trust me. I know.”
Her voice is soft, and her finger stays pressed to my lips for too long. I reach up and take her hand, flipping it around and kissing the back.
The moment charges like an EMP ready to blow. I was just trying to bring her a beer. Okay, yeah, maybe I also wanted to see if she was ready to finish the conversation.
What are we doing, Hazel? I…I need to know. I want ? —
“Hazel, phone!”
Jade calls from the hallway, and I lean back, giving Hazel a smile as my niece bounds into the room. I reach for my beer, and Jade appears with Hazel’s cell phone still ringing.
Hazel takes it, swiping across the screen as I take a swig of my beer. Jade wanders over to me, and I grin at her, pulling her under my arm and mussing her hair.
“Hey, kiddo. How’s it going?”
“Fine. Do you think that maybe we could play a game or something? I don’t want to be in my room anymore.”
“Yeah, of course. You’ve been reading for a while. I’m down with that. Hazel, do you think that?—”
My words falter when I look over at Hazel. The blood has drained from her face, and my stomach drops.
Hazel looks scared, terrified .
I turn to my niece, forcing a smile so that she doesn’t worry. “Jade, why don’t you pick out a board game from downstairs. We’ll be down in a second.”
“Okay.”
She scampers off, and when she’s gone, I set my beer down and scoot in front of Hazel just as she hangs up. Her hands are shaking, and the cell tumbles to the bed.
“What just happened?”
It takes her a second to look at me, and then Hazel blinks, her eyes welling up with tears.
“I…I heard a voice. It was all distorted and weird.”
“What did he say, Haze?” I grab her hand, squeezing it as my heart thunders against my ribs.
“He…he said, ‘I’m coming for you, Hazel. You…you think you saw the last of me at the trial? Think again.’”
When she finally looks at me head-on, a tear slips down Hazel’s cheek.
“It was him.”