Twenty-Three | Jo
Twenty-Three
Jo
By the time Dom returned to the clinic, it was already starting to get dark.
Dr. Foster had written down a list of helpful things regarding the cabin, like where the backup generator was and where she kept extra wood.
I was thankful that she was offering us a safe place to stay, but I hated being on the run once again.
Dom returned with Keith and Axel, which was a relief because I knew they would make sure Dr. Foster got home safely and that no one followed her. I knew that someone had already been to the bar asking about me, so it seemed likely that they would also come to the clinic looking for me.
I sat in the truck beside Dom, chewing my nails nervously as we drove along the secluded road that would take us to the cabin. I didn’t miss the way he constantly checked his mirrors, making sure no one followed us, which only made it that much more real that we were in danger.
“So, umm, there’s something I need to tell you,” he said nervously, glancing at me while keeping his attention on the road.
“Okay.” I slowly drew in a breath and released it as I waited for him to spit it out.
“Someone was at your house.”
His fingers wrapped tightly around the steering wheel as if the thought of it angered him.
“There were several bullet holes in the stucco. Windows were shattered. But unfortunately, whoever did it was already gone by the time we got there.”
My heart hammered in my chest as I swallowed hard. If I hadn’t been at work, would someone have...
“When I went through the house, I checked every single room, Jo. I made sure no one was in there...”
“But?”
I could hear it in his voice, the strain of what he didn’t want to bring himself to say.
“Your bedroom door was closed.”
I pulled my head back against the headrest and stared straight ahead into the darkness.
I knew the door had been open when we left because I always kept it open.
I hated coming home and not knowing what was waiting for me on the other side of a closed door.
It was one of many triggers that I had after being married to Tray.
“Fuck,” he growled, slamming his hand against the steering wheel as he shook his head. “I hate to even fucking say this out loud because I’m so fucking furious.”
“Just say it,” I replied, my throat dry as thoughts of the worst possible scenarios played out in my head.
“They shot your pillows that you sleep on every night, Jo. They fucking did it knowing we would see it. It was a fucking message to let you know they were planning to kill you.”
“I guess the bounty on me is dead or alive,” I mused, latching on to any ounce of humor I could find because it was better than allowing myself to fall apart the way I wanted to. There wasn’t time to give in to the fear that threatened to creep over me and wrap itself around me like a blanket.
“It’s not funny,” he replied sternly. “Someone knows where you live, Jo. They showed up at the bar you always go to. You can’t sit there and believe this is just some random person who heard about the bounty and is trying to claim it.”
“What do you think it is?” I turned in my seat to look at him, hoping I wouldn’t regret letting him get this close to me.
I wanted to let my guard down and let him in because it was lonely as hell doing this all the time by myself.
But trust was hard for me to give others, even though I wanted to believe they were as good as I prayed they were.
“I think someone’s been watching in the shadows and has known where you’ve been for a while now. I don’t think it’s the same person who showed up at the bar.”
“Well, I guess I should be happy...” I turned and looked out the window, staring into the darkness. “I always hoped someday I would be popular.”
He gruffed out a sigh and shook his head.
“Yeah, I don’t think this is the kind of popular you want to be.”
“Probably not, but you take the hand life gives you.”
He turned and looked briefly at me, trying to get a read on me.
“I know this seems really scary and bad to you,” I said carefully. “But believe it or not, I’ve been through worse. We’ll be just fine.”
I leaned back in my seat and closed my eyes before he could see the tears that would prove just how big a lie that was.