Chapter 23
23
RAE
W hat the hell was I thinking?
In a way I felt like a badass escaping those two, yet guilty for the swarm of police about to descend on my house and the two unsuspecting men.
My hair whipped across my face when I dared a glance over my shoulder for the tenth time since I scaled the short chain-link fence surrounding my backyard.
No one.
Disappointment and relief mixed within me at finding no one behind me. I was lying to myself if I said I didn’t want Alec to chase after me. I wanted it desperately. Running was a mistake, but any thought of backing out of my spur-of-the-moment plan was dashed when I shimmied open that window and jumped out.
Slowing to a quick walk, I rubbed at the center of my chest to ease the building pain my grief caused. It became worse the farther away I weaved from the house. No, not the farther away I moved from the house but from him . I swallowed back the lump of unshed tears clogging my throat.
He didn’t believe me. The man I’d dreamed of saving me for so long didn’t believe in me. That hurt. No, it was worse than hurt. It crushed me.
That might have been a tad overdramatic.
Whatever. I was committed now, and I had a plan. A plan-ish.
The canvas strap of my hobo bag dug into my palm under my tight grip. It was all I had left and would have to hold me over until… well, my plan didn’t really go that far into the future. All I knew was I had to get out of that house and away from them.
Step one complete. Now I had to get out of town without them finding me.
The bus station. I had enough cash on hand to get a ticket out of Texas; then I’d figure it out from there. Maybe Colorado, find a small place to rent and hide out until they stopped searching for me.
Again, that suffocating ache squeezed in my chest.
Would Alec search for me out of duty or more, because of us?
At the corner of two intersecting roads, a siren blare sent me ducking behind a tree. Two police cars roared past, their lights frantically blinking with the sirens wailing.
My tense muscles relaxed a fraction as they screamed off down the road heading for my house. Hopefully those police officers would get there before Charlie and Alec realized I ran away. I called them from a burner phone the moment they stepped out of the house, knowing I would need extra time to put distance between me and them.
If they didn’t know I ran before now, they would very soon.
The sudden sense of urgency sent my pulse racing. Turning, I jogged down the street in the opposite way the squad cars vanished. My bag beat against my hip with every step of my tennis shoes as they slammed against the crumbling asphalt. A right and then a left, I weaved through alleys to stay off the major roads, knowing Alec would snatch me right off the sidewalk if I did.
Alec.
Crouching behind some trash cans, I leaned against a faded wooden fence for a quick breather. I wasn’t out of breath from the running—okay, maybe a little—but from the enormity of what transpired in the last fifteen minutes that sat heavily on my chest.
I was on the run.
A wanted criminal.
“Fuck,” I whispered to myself. Gathering my hair, I twisted it up into a makeshift bun and secured it with the tie I slipped over my wrist at the last second before sneaking out the window. I balanced on the balls of my feet. The running shorts, T-shirt, and sports bra I’d changed into were a smart last-minute decision too.
I bounced and shifted my weight as I thought about my next steps. All I had to do was make it downtown to the bus station. Of course, it would be easier if men like Alec and Charlie weren’t hunting for me.
Lips dry from the heat and lack of water, I ran my tongue over the bottom one and pressed them together. Alec would be furious that I ran. Instead of that thought inciting fear, a tingle of excitement ignited in my core. I squeezed my thighs and eyes shut. Sticking around to discover what punishments he had planned for my careless and erratic behavior might be worth the jail time.
Reaching inside the hobo bag, I pulled out the one burner phone Charlie didn’t confiscate in his search. The small black device sat heavy in my hand as I debated the pros and cons of calling Alec. I wanted to tell him I was sorry for running, and also a part of me hoped he would apologize. Take back everything he said and tell me he believed me despite the evidence.
Yes, I purchased and hid illegal drugs, but for a good reason. The boards rattled against loose nails when my head thumped on the loose plank. But he wouldn’t see it the way I did, even with his history. He made it clear he became a Ranger to uphold the law without prejudice.
I wouldn’t call him. Not yet anyway.
Shoving the phone into my shorts pocket, I stood and dusted off my backside with both hands. After checking down the alley both ways, I headed south. Well, I hoped south. I never had to make my way downtown using only the back roads and alleyways.
I’d find out soon enough.
Half an hour later, I was lost, fucking hot, and really had to pee. The heat was my biggest complaint. Sweat slicked every inch of skin, making my shorts and shirt cling to my back and thighs. I lifted my face to curse this damn state and its hell-like temperatures when the wind shifted, suddenly blowing from the opposite direction in forceful gusts.
I smacked the heel of my hand against my forehead. Of course a storm was brewing somewhere close. If I were lucky, it would miss Sweetcreek, but seeing as today was a terrible day, I would bet the storm would tear through the heart of town. Hell, I would raise whoever was betting a tornado or two.
At least the uptick in wind helped cool the sweat dripping down my temples and damp hairline. There was no hope for the small creek that ran between my breasts and collected in my sports bra, though. Still grumbling and cursing under my breath, I paused at a T-intersection, glancing both ways before taking a right.
The cell phone, heavy in my pocket, nagged at me with every step.
I should call him.
No. The second I do, Charlie will track it somehow. He was a dick for being easy on the eyes, tattooed, and damn brilliant with computers. Actually, he was a dick more for going through my things than his other attributes, even if it was at Alec’s bidding.
I paused. A gust of wind sent any rogue strands of hair flying against my face. I palmed the cell phone. At some point, my desperation to hear his voice, to tell him I was okay, turned into an almost physical pain.
The long cracks along the concrete sidewalk held my full attention as I debated my next move. I loved him. I always had and probably always would.
The crunch of gravel beneath tires met my ears. An older-model Chrysler crept along the curb, pausing close to where I stood. My pulse skyrocketed. Slowly turning toward the car, I held a hallow breath. The driver leaned across the seat and manually rolled down the passenger window.
“Get in.” I retreated a step at his demand. “There’s a storm coming.”
I stared at him warily and shook my head.
“Thank you, but I’m almost home.”
It was a lie, and if I wasn’t mistaken, the smile that spread along his thin cracked lips suggested he knew it.
I swallowed and turned to walk away. I was never this rude or dismissive, but there was something off about that man, and every instinct told me to run.
Fast.
Blood thundered in my ears, my breaths like shards of ice slicing up my dry throat. Not breaking my sprinting strides, I dug out the phone. Behind me, the man called out. A second later, the sound of a car door slamming shut echoed through the air.
I bit back a frustrated cry. Another alley opening came into view to my right. My tennis shoes skidded in the loose gravel when I took the corner tight at full speed. The phone bounced in front of my face as I dialed the only number I knew by heart.
Please pick up , I internally pleaded as it rang and rang in my ear. Pounding footsteps drew nearer. I fought the urge to check over my shoulder to see how close the man was.
A click sounded on the other end of the line, cutting off the ringing. Hope soared in my veins. But I needed more time. Reaching out, I wrapped a sweaty palm around the handle of a blue plastic trash can and yanked. It crashed to the ground, barely covering a gruff curse that was close—too close.
I had seconds before?—
“Alec,” I cried into the phone. “Please tell me it’s you.”
“Rae. Where are you?”
I wanted to collapse at the worry and anger in his tight voice.
That worry told me he’d find me. No matter what happened in the next few seconds, he would find me. Dead or alive. But I couldn’t think about that, not when I was literally running for my life.
“I’m sorry,” I wheezed. “He found?—”
Something thick wrapped around my neck, cutting off my next words and sealing off my air supply with a hard tug. The phone tumbled from my hand, crashing to the pavement. I scratched and clawed at my neck to loosen whatever was wrapped around it.
Black spots dotted along my vision. Stumbling back to release the pressure, I slammed into a wall. The stench of death wafted off him, a smell locked in my memories, one I would never forget. I tried to scream for help, but nothing came out when I opened my mouth.
“Time’s up, sister.”
Sister?
That was the last thought I could muster before my limbs fell limp at my sides and everything went dark.