16. Raven
“So, I think it only makes sense that I ask so we can get it out of the way. Is there something going on between you and Christian?”
Unlike others’ nosy way of asking, Honey’s tone is gentle. I glance at her as we’re strolling the town’s small shopping mall with fruity drinks in our hands.
“Why do you ask?”
“Let’s just say a certain someone is very miffed, and Mary Anne and Betty have to ask her to kindly shut up before she starts spreading rumors that’ll just impact the town and her pageantry chances negatively.”
It’s detailed enough that I know she and her non-profit work friends talked about it extensively, but something tells me she’ll drop the subject if I ask her to.
“It’s…complicated.”
“Right. Okay.”
She nods and doesn’t probe. But it’s me who can’t drop the subject yet, wanting to get this strange feeling off my chest.
“We met and slept together before we came here. To Nashville. We tried to keep things professional here and pretend it didn’t happen, but we ended up sleeping together again.” I bite my lip. “We’re still sleeping together.”
Honey Lee’s eyes are very wide, clearly not expecting that. She gasps.
“Wow. I had no idea.”
“Yeah.”
“Casual?”
“Very casual.”
My neck pricks at the words, but I stand by it. Honey Lee studies me over her juice cup.
“Are you having fun sleeping with him?”
Yes, but it’s more than that. I’m happier than I’ve been in a while, mostly because, other than us hooking up, Christian and I have also gotten close in the friendship department. He’s someone I can be vulnerable to about my past, and he opens up to me, too, about his personal and professional life.
But I don’t tell her that, not wanting her to misinterpret things. My cousin can be a hopeless romantic.
“Yes. I’m having fun.”
She studies me some more, then breaks into a relieved smile. “That’s good. I’m happy for you.”
“You’re happy that I’m sleeping with him?”
She reads my amusement and laughs. “That you’re having fun, silly. But yeah. That, too. If there’s anyone here who knows how to treat someone right, it’s him.”
“Oh?” I’m surprised at her words. “Isn’t he known as the town playboy or something like that?”
She shrugs. “He’s not looking for a relationship, but he always treats women he gets with right as far as I know—and women he doesn’t get with.” She glances at me mischievously and winks. “Besides, I heard he’s good in bed. And he’s not hard on the eyes, either.”
“No, he’s not.”
He’s gorgeous from head to toe, but that’s an admission I’ll keep to myself.
“I had the biggest crush on him in high school. You should have seen how he and Nick were back then. They had girls mooning over them left, right, and center.”
My amusement grows bigger, remembering Christian’s embarrassing story. I open my mouth, wanting to ask Honey Lee if any feelings lingered after high school, but I change my mind as soon as we spot Aaron.
Yeah, no one lights up like that at the sight of their husband if they’re not completely in love with the person.
“Hey, girls. Why don’t I see shopping bags in those hands?”
Honey Lee rolls her eyes and giggles. “Because we haven’t gotten around to it yet, sweetheart. Can you give us some time?”
“How long is some time?”
“I don’t know…the whole day?”
Aaron rolls his eyes, too, but there’s so much affection in his features when he kisses her cheek and leaves the clothing boutique to do his errands. Honey Lee takes my hand and tugs me in the other direction, her excitement contagious.
“Come on. I think I see a blouse that would look good on you.”
* * *
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay the night here? There’s plenty of room.”
I back the car in the garage and close the garage door immediately before I leave through the side door. Home sweet home is the feeling I get the moment I step into the living room, which is bizarre since it’s not even my home. But I’ll take that nice, cozy sense it gives me.
“Honey Lee, we’ve already talked about this. I’m sure. I took up so much of your time today, and now it’s Aaron’s turn to spend time with you.”
“But he doesn’t mind you staying here, too.” I can almost hear her pout through the phone. “We can cook you dinner. Talk all night. Besides, I’m worried.”
“About?”
“You being alone there.”
Her worry is sweet, but over the past few weeks, I’ve come to the point where I don’t want my fears to dictate my actions. Staying at my cousin’s while there’s a perfectly nice, safe house here is just a step back in my mind, and I want to fight it.
“Don’t worry about me, Honey Lee. I won’t be alone for long since Christian’s coming back tonight. In fact, I’m sure he’s on his way. And we can have dinner another time, okay? When we’re not too exhausted after hours of shopping.”
At the last part, she groans. “We did shop too much. But it was worth it.”
“It was. So much fun.”
“Seriously, though, are you sure he’s coming back soon?”
“Yes, he texted me. He’s driving already. And I promise I’m all locked up and safe here.”
“But…”
“You’re fretting. Please don’t.”
“I suppose I am. And I suppose there’s no safer place than Christian’s house.” She sighs. “Fine. But will you promise to call me if something comes up?”
“Of course.”
When we hang up, I carry my shopping bags into my bedroom, excited since I also got some stuff for Jazzy and Jared. Then I head to the kitchen and start up a pot of stew, adding ingredients along the way until the place smells heavenly. I’m in a good mood, and I know a lot of it has to do with the text message I got from Christian earlier.
False alarm. There’s no trafficking here. But I’m glad I checked and I’m excited to go home.
I’m glad he checked, too, because the idea of young, defenseless girls being taken and stripped of their rights just curdles something in my stomach. The news means I can put that worry away and focus on this: cooking a nice dinner until Christian gets here so we can catch up and have our meal with wine.
An hour later, I receive another text from him, one that makes my heart jump.
I’m close. Can’t wait to be home.
Then—
I can’t wait to see you.
God, he knows just what to say to turn me inside out.
When I hear the knock on the door, my smile is so wide as I fly toward it. My hands are giddy as I unlock it, the questions already brimming. But I know I want to give him a big hug first.
“Hey—”
The rest of the words disperse from my mind when it registers that the person in front of me isn’t Christian. But he’s someone I recognize.
And he’s someone who makes my blood run cold.
Instinct has me slamming the door immediately, but Sam’s faster than me as he blocks it with his foot and shoulders his way in. He holds up his hands as if to say he means no harm, and his eyes and smile are friendly. He looks charming, but he always does.
He looks the same, and it sends a sliver of fear deep in my gut.
“Hey, is that a way to welcome a guest?”
My hands are shaking. My entire body is, too, and it takes everything in me to keep it in and not let it take over. Warning bells ring in my head that this is a dangerously familiar situation to be in, but it’s too late.
“What are you doing here?”
Sam’s observing me, too, albeit more calmly—like he just decided to pop in and visit a friend and not the person he stalked relentlessly. That sends another wave of coldness through my body.
“What, no hi? No how are you?” He smiles again, still as friendly as ever, but there’s an edge to it that I know all too well. “I should have expected it, though I was hoping for a warmer welcome. After all, you did run away from me.”
“I—”
“And sent the cops after me. Can you imagine how betrayed I feel?”
Oh, God.
My gaze darts around for my phone and finds it near the coffee table, but he spots it first and snatches it right away, then tucks it in his pocket. He’s also still blocking the path to the front door. I calculate the odds of unlocking the back door or running toward my bedroom, but he’s one step ahead of me as he blocks the latter, too, and corners me in the kitchen.
If I unlock the back door, it’ll take time. If I manage that small miracle and run toward the fields, he’ll still catch up?—
“Hey, are you even listening? Did you hear what I just said?”
There’s an ugliness to his voice that tightens my stomach. The last time I heard it, I made my excuse to the bathroom, but I’m painfully aware that I can’t use that excuse now. My nerves are on edge and I can hear how small my voice sounds.
“I heard you.”
He flashes another quick smile. “Oh, good. I was hoping we could talk.”
Terror clamps my throat when I remember what our last talk led to. But understanding also dawns that I have to get him talking—because if he’s talking, it means he won’t get aggressive yet. I have to keep him distracted.
I have to survive.
The petrifying feeling washes over me before a sense of calm takes over. My chin lifts and my voice is louder.
“Only if you tell me how you found me.”
Sam blinks, obviously expecting something else. When I stay where I am, he looks pleased and relaxes a bit. But he doesn’t leave his spot.
And he lights up.
“I’m glad you asked. It’s a brilliant story.” When I remain silent, he clears his throat. “Remember how I said I was interested in hacking and that I should take it up since I’m good with computers?”
I don’t remember him talking about hacking, but I nod until he continues.
“Well, I finally took some lessons. And while I did, I made some really good hacker friends, and one of them is tight on cash and really good. So, I dug up some cash and got him to look around for you. Social media, old account numbers…flight tickets. It turns out he has some real talent in finding people via the flights they take—and imagine my luck when he found your flight headed to Nashville.”
Oh, my God.
“Now, I would have dismissed it since Nashville is so far out of your usual territory, but I dug around, too, and imagine my surprise when I found out you have a relative down here, just hours from Nashville. I’m no genius, but it was such a jackpot moment and I knew I would find you here.”
“You left out the part where you found out my exact address.”
This time, his grin is almost gleeful.
“Oh, I met someone in Nashville. She’s also from Sweet Haven. She was quite happy when she learned that you had a boyfriend. I told her we had a little tiff and I wanted to win you back.”
Aimee. A groan rumbles in my chest and I can’t help my stronger tone. “What did you do to her?”
“Her?” He puzzles over my question, then shrugs. “Nothing. She’s nice and pretty, but she’s not you and—Raven, what are you doing?”
I’ve been inching my way toward the other end of the kitchen island while he’s talking, but his narrowed gaze stops me in my tracks. Before I can react, he crosses the distance and grabs my wrist, then drags me so easily until I’m close to him. I gasp.
“Were you trying to get away from me?”
“There’s nowhere to go.” I spit it out, the panic dancing in my stomach even while I try to appeal to his common sense. I try to fight his hold, but Sam’s so much stronger than me—and he’s becoming angry now.
“That’s right. There’s nowhere to go.” His friendly face turns into a sneer, showing his true colors. “You think you’re so smart trying to get away from me, don’t you? You think you’ve had the last laugh while I have cops on my tail?”
“Sam, let me go?—”
“Tough luck, Raven. You should have given me a chance when I asked nicely?—”
“I said let me go!”
My hand reaches blindly behind me, I grab an object and swing it without hesitation. The banging sound of the pot is so loud that it jars me, but it’s effective as it hits him in the head and he releases his hold on me. Without thought, I run for the pot of stew and flip it over behind me, blocking his path as he shouts.
“Raven, what the hell?”
But it’s not enough. I’m halfway to the door when hands reach for me again and drag me back even harder. Sam whirls me around to face him, disbelief written all over his features.
“I can’t believe you tried to scald me.”
“I—”
He hisses. “I can’t believe it.”
This is it, my mind says as I try to fight again, but his clamp is like iron. I brace myself for the hit as one of his hands swings up.
Then a figure comes flying in from the door like a force of darkness—Christian.
And the next thing I know, Sam is on the floor.