Jude
It was a foggy Sunday morning, and I was more comfortable than I’d ever been. We’d passed out after another round and leftover late-night pizza, and I’d slept like the dead.
When Ripley nudged me with her cold nose, urging me to let her out, for the third time, I rolled over, being careful not to disturb Mila, who was curled around me, naked, and checked my watch.
I blinked down at the digital display once, then again. Shit, it was already eight.
I was an early riser by nature, but the comfort of my bed and the delicious warmth of this woman had knocked me out cold.
I got up, snagged my boxer briefs from the floor, and took Ripley to the door.
While I waited for her to do her business, I turned on the coffee pot and stretched.
Something had shifted between Mila and me yesterday.
We’d been growing closer for a while, but if I wasn’t mistaken, she was finally beginning to trust me.
It felt good to have earned such a hard-won prize.
Full pot in hand, I was pouring the first cup when she screamed. My heart lurched out of my chest and I damn near dropped the scalding carafe at the sound. Without a second of hesitation, I took off, running. I found her still in bed, naked and crying and clutching her phone.
“What happened?” I whipped my head one way, then the other, searching for danger. “Are you hurt?”
She looked up at me with tears shining in her eyes. “What did you do?”
Frowning, I took a step closer.
“I logged into WhatsApp so I could let my mom know I’m okay. I check in with her every Sunday.”
I dipped my chin. Okay. She’d mentioned they used the app to keep in touch without being traced.
“She told me that Hugo has increased neural activity.”
A breath I hadn’t realized I was holding whooshed out of me, and my chest expanded. “That’s amazing.”
“But that’s not all.”
She stood and walked toward me in all her naked glory, making my brain momentarily forget about comas and hospitals.
“She says that last week, Hugo was approved for transport to Mass General for care under their experimental neurology team.”
I fisted my hands at my sides to keep from reaching for her. “That’s great news.”
Brow cocked, she studied my face for a moment. “There’s more.” She held up one finger and looked down at the phone. “Turns out a generous benefactor has lent my mother a penthouse apartment down the street from the hospital so she can be with Hugo every day.”
My chest expanded farther, my heart thumping against my sternum. “Wonderful.”
“And this generous person, want to know what his name is?” She didn’t wait for me to respond before continuing. “His name is Owen Hebert.” That cocked brow jumped even higher on her forehead. “Do you know him?”
My brain shorted out. She was naked, yet I was being interrogated. It made it difficult to string words together.
Head tilted, she waited, her focus remaining fixed on me. “What did you and your brother do?”
I ran my hand through my hair, collecting my thoughts. My hope had been that she wouldn’t find out about this until everything was over and dealt with. But now that she knew, I’d have to fill her in.
“Owen is kind of a big deal in Boston.” I sighed. “He’s connected. Like hangs-out-with-billionaires-regularly connected. Some of whom sit on the board of that hospital.”
“What did you tell him?” she gritted out. “We don’t want charity—”
I grabbed her shoulder gently. “It’s not charity. If not for my dad, Hugo wouldn’t have been hurt. So when I told Owen, he jumped at the chance to help.”
She responded by letting out a heaving sob and collapsing into my arms.
I pulled her close, conscious of her still naked state and willing my cock to behave.
“I wish I could see them,” she said, her tears running down my chest. “Hug my mom and tell both of them how sorry I am. How I fucked up.”
My stomach twisted. “You didn’t fuck up.”
“My mom gave up her life to be by his side every day. She speaks to him in French and reads novels for hours on end to stimulate his brain. She’s incredible.”
“You gave up your life too. And you’ve made big sacrifices. We’re so close to finishing this. You will see them soon.”
She clung to me, and I rubbed circles on her back, wishing I had the power to do more, to fix every one of her problems, to ensure that she and her family never had to worry again.
After a few moments, she took a step back. “I can’t believe I’m standing here naked and sobbing on you. I’m sorry.”
Affection bloomed inside me. “I don’t mind.”
“I’m so happy and sad at the same time. And also a little annoyed at you.”
I wrapped her in my arms, resting my chin on her head. “Let’s focus on the happy part. He’s doing well, and he’s got the best care team in the world. You single-handedly broke Dickie Perkins yesterday and have him on record admitting to a criminal conspiracy.”
She looked up at me, her teary eyes shining with victory. “And Maine is a one-party consent state.”
I swiped at her damp cheeks with my thumbs. “That’s my girl.”
After coffee, omelets, and a joint shower that went on until the water ran cold, we set up in the spare room, listening to the conversation with Dickie.
Mila uploaded it to the cloud folder where she kept the research she’d share with law enforcement, and I studied the photos and maps, trying to make sense of what we’d learned.
A multi-million-dollar opioid industry was dependent on the status of a bat species?
I shook my head. Only in Maine.
“We’ve found the route from the border at Sainte-Louise,” she said. Spinning in her ergonomic chair. “And we know how they’re cutting through the forest. They’ve got almost a hundred miles of abandoned road at their disposal. But there has to be a pickup point, right?”
I nodded.
“So the protected area ends here.” She pointed to the region on the map. “That’s still miles from any main road. How are they getting out of the forest and onto the highways to distribute?”
“Probably on ATVs or snow machines,” I suggested.
“But wouldn’t that make them obvious?”
“Yes and no. Depends on the season and the location. Some of the public trails are pretty busy.”
She spun around again and straightened in the chair. “Could we go see?”
I frowned at her. “See what?”
“This area.” She pointed to a piece of our territory that was northwest of town.
“Why?”
“I’m trying to understand how it all works.”
I shook my head. “No. Too dangerous.”
“I’m just saying drive around, get a sense. I’m not suggesting we even get out of the car.”
“There’s not much out there. forest and a couple of farms.”
She stood and grabbed a fistful of my T-shirt. “Let’s drive by and take a look at the roads and the forest, see if anything feels off.”
“Feels off?”
The way her eyes danced told me she wouldn’t back down. I might as well give in now, despite how boneheaded and dangerous it could be.
“Humor me. It can’t be more than thirty minutes from here, can it?”
I nodded.
She bounced on her toes. “I’ll go get changed. We need warm clothes.”
“Why?” Unease rolled in my gut at the calculation in her eyes. “My truck has heat.”
She shook her head. “Oh no, we’re taking the ATV.”
Fifteen minutes later, we stood in my garage, both dressed in layers, while I filled the gas tank. This was a terrible plan.
“Are you sure you can hold on tight enough?”
The last thing I needed was to hurt her.
“Yes.” She nodded like a bobblehead. “Willa says I can take breaks from the sling. And I have one good arm. How fast are you planning to drive this thing?”
“Not that fast, but there are bumps. Tree roots and stuff.” Jaw tense, I pulled my glasses off and dug for the hem of one of my layers. “It’s too soon. It’ll be too painful for you.”
She shook her head. “We’re too close. And we can take it easy. Just check things out. We’ve got to put the missing pieces together. You said yourself—some of these are public trails. We’re a couple enjoying our outdoor motorsports together.” She gave me a big, cheesy smile.
I handed her a helmet. “These have microphones so we can speak to each other,” I explained, pulling batteries from my pocket.
Once the batteries in both mic packs had been replaced, I pulled my own helmet on.
“You look pretty hot like this,” she said, licking her lips.
“No flirting, Trouble,” I said, thankful the face mask hid my smile.
“Put this on.” I tapped her helmet, then swung a leg over the seat. “And hold on tight. First sign of any problems, we’re out of there.”
I put the coordinates into the GPS module and got her situated behind me while I waited for the route to appear.
I never went up here. Near that part of our forest, there was some public land and then endless highway.
I wasn’t sure there was anything worth seeing.
But we were too damn close to give up now.
I revved the engine and took off, keeping my speed slow and the machine as steady as I could as I steered toward the trail system. It would be a bit of a ride, but it felt good to be out in the forest, feeling the breeze, inhaling the earthy scents.
The way Mila clung to me also felt good. If I was being honest with myself, everything that involved her felt good.
When my GPS pinged, I glanced at the map. “We’re approaching our area,” I said. Slowing, I turned onto a dirt path only as wide as the wheelbase of the ATV. “Hang on. It might be bumpy.”
The forest was thick, but the new clear signs made navigation easy. The scenery was beautiful. It brought with it a sense of vitality. We skirted a large pond, and as I sped up a little, Mila adjusted her hold on me.
“Where does this come out on the other side?” she asked through her mic.
“Let’s find out.”
I kicked the speed up a little more, following the GPS toward what looked like a road.
As we emerged from the forest, we found a field of baled hay and an old wooden fence with several missing posts.
A massive grain silo sat in the distance, along with several outbuildings.
“Farm,” I explained.
She peered around me. “They grow grain here?”