Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
“Welcome back to the Lakeview Harbor Resort,” Walker said as they drove through the resort gates.
“Thanks again for picking me up at the airport,” Milo said wearily. Exhaustion had him nearly delirious, but he wanted to surprise Nora by showing up.
“Like I said, it wasn’t a problem. I had errands to run out that way so it all worked out. And I scheduled that meeting with Reece like you asked, so that’s all set too.”
Yawning, he nodded. “Thanks.”
The ride from the airport took an hour and they’d spent most of that time talking about the new resort Walker and Harlow were working on and ways for Milo to wire everything so all the glamping tents could have Wi-Fi and other tech to make them more comfortable.
Personally, he thought that was diminishing the camping experience, but what did he know?
Walker parked the car just as Harlow came running over.
“I love how she can’t wait to greet me,” Walker said with a wink. But when he opened the door and said, “I missed you too, beautiful!” and held his arms out for her, she gave him a shove.
“I’m not here to greet you! Didn’t you see this text?” She held up her phone and shook it in his face.
“What text?” he asked just as Milo walked around to join them.
“Milo? What are you doing here? Nora said you weren’t coming this weekend.”
He grinned. “I wanted to surprise her and…”
“Holy shit,” Walker hissed. “Nora’s in trouble!”
“What?” he demanded. “How…where…” Grabbing the phone from Walker’s hand, he saw the word dragonfly and froze. “That’s the…”
“Yeah. That means there’s trouble,” Walker finished for him. “Okay, I thought she was off today, so where…”
“Dave got hurt and she took his hike. It’s a beginner one, but Lexi said she should have been back by now!”
Milo’s heart thundered in his chest as he looked around frantically. “Where do we even begin? I mean…she could be anywhere! What does the tracker on the walkie-talkie say?”
Just then, Lexi walked over and joined them.
She was slightly winded, but she clearly heard the question.
“The walkie-talkie is in the shed office,” she said.
“She used the dragonfly codeword a few times on the hike, and I tried reaching Slater and the other guides, but no one was available. When I tracked the walkie-talkie to the shed office, I figured she was fine, but I have no idea where she went after the hike.”
“This is why no one should be leading hikes solo!” Milo said loudly. “I told her that was a bad idea, but did she listen? No! And now…”
“What about the group she was with?” Harlow interrupted, looking equally frazzled. “Do we have names we can look up and find them?”
“I’m on it,” Lexi said. “I have everything up in my office.”
“I’ll go with you,” Harlow told her before looking at Walker and Milo. “Keep your phones with you. Check the cabins, the shed office, and anywhere else you think she might go!”
“We’re on it!” Walker announced before taking off toward the cabins. Milo was hot on his heels. “Where would she go, Milo? What’s her routine like?”
“After a hike? She always goes back to her cabin. At least, that’s what she did when I was here full time.”
“Okay, we’ll start there.”
But it didn’t take long for them to realize she wasn’t there or in any of their cabins.
Next, they went to the shed office and found it locked. Walker had a master key, and when they went inside, they found her pack and everything neatly put away, but no sign of her.
“This is bullshit!” Milo snapped. “How are we supposed to…” But then he stopped. “Her phone. I can track her phone.”
“You can do that?”
He nodded. “We installed that on our phones a while ago and I completely forgot about it.” Pulling out his phone, he immediately began tapping his screen and pulling up the app. It wasn’t loading fast enough, and he let out a stream of curses.
Beside him, Walker’s phone rang, and he put it on speaker. “Yeah, Harlow. What have you got?”
“We got part of the group and they said one of their cousins didn’t come back to the lodge with them. His name’s Kevin. Apparently he and Nora had a bit of an altercation on the hike. We’re heading down to you now. Are you at the shed office?”
“Yeah. But hurry!” He hung up and looked at Milo. “They’re on their way, so…”
“You stay and talk to them. I’m going to find her.”
“Milo…where are you even going to go?”
“It looks like she’s near the boathouse. At least that’s where her phone is.”
“I’ll go with you.”
“No,” he said adamantly. “And I don’t have time to argue. Stay and talk to this guy’s family because if anything’s happened to Nora, I’m holding them all responsible.”
“Just…”
But he wasn’t listening. Just the thought of Nora being in danger filled him not only with fear but with complete and utter rage. How dare anyone put her in that kind of position? That anger had him storming down the path, and he knew if this guy did anything to Nora, he would kill him.
At least, that’s what he told himself.
As soon as he reached the structure, Milo knew something was wrong.
The lights weren’t on, but the door stood half open.
He stepped closer, trying to hear if anyone was in there.
He held his breath until he heard her. Nora’s voice carried faintly across the space—tight and controlled, nothing like her usual simple confidence.
He didn’t hesitate, didn’t call her name.
He stepped inside and quickly evaluated the situation.
The guy was standing too close. Nora’s back was to the workbench, and one of his hands braced beside her like he was blocking her in.
Milo took in the size difference automatically.
The way the guy filled the space, towering over her.
Nora’s jaw was set, her hands clenched at her sides, like she was calculating her next move.
Milo didn’t bother calculating how badly this could go for him. Physical confrontations were so not his thing, but this was Nora, and there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for her.
Even risking his own well-being.
His gaze flicked to the rack along the wall where they housed all the oars for the kayaks and canoes.
He quietly crossed the distance in three strides, grabbed one, and stealthily made his way across the room.
Adrenaline made him brave, and as he came up from behind, he swung before the guy even realized anyone else was there.
The crack of wood against muscle echoed sharp and loud. Kevin shouted, stumbling sideways, clutching his shoulder as the oar clattered to the floor.
Milo was already moving.
“Now,” he said, his voice low and absolute, as he reached for Nora’s hand.
She didn’t argue, didn’t hesitate. She was shaking, but she moved with him, running across the room and out the door into the open air, Milo positioning himself between her and the boathouse without thinking twice.
Behind them, they heard Kevin swear, furious and stunned, but he didn’t follow.
The sound of footsteps on the path told him everyone was coming. “He’s in there,” he stated, but his focus stayed on Nora—on the way she gripped his hands like she might never let go, and the cold, steady truth anchoring him in place.
No one was touching her again. Not on his watch.
It was chaos all around them, and he eventually noticed Walker, Axel, and Connor, along with Lexi, Harlow, and a group of guests hovering around. But Walker and Axel were holding Kevin firmly between them.
“Call the cops,” Milo said. “And don’t let that bastard out of your sight.”
“Already called,” Lexi assured him. “They’re on the way.” She came over and hugged Nora. “Are you okay? What can I get you?”
She shook her head, but Milo could still see her trembling.
Without a word, Lexi stepped away and was immediately replaced by Harlow, who wrapped a blanket around Nora. “Here you go.” She gave her a gentle hug before stepping away.
There were so many thoughts racing through his head, but now wasn’t the time to voice any of them.
But he would.
Later.
And only to Slater, Walker, Axel, and Connor.
He’d never felt like this before—this level of rage and fury and helplessness. He knew he went in and got her out before anything more could happen, but all he wanted right now was to take Nora away from this mob scene and take care of her.
Glancing at Connor, he said, “Get this guy out of our sight. Now.”
“I’m on it.”
Slowly, Milo pulled Nora into his embrace, cupping the back of her head so she didn’t have to watch anything going on around them. He only loosened his hold when it was just the two of them, with Lexi and Harlow.
“Where are your things?” Lexi asked her.
“In the changing room. In the locker,” she said quietly. “My phone’s on the floor, I think. I dropped it when he…he um…”
“Look on the floor,” Milo said sternly.
Harlow moved closer. “When Lexi brings your stuff out, why don’t the two of you head to your cabin. I’m sure you’ll need to give a statement to the cops, but in the meantime, try to relax.”
All Nora did was nod.
When Lexi returned, she handed Nora a bag with her clothes and then her phone.
“Great. The screen’s shattered,” she murmured.
“We’ll get you a new one tomorrow,” he promised as he led her away.
No one said a word until they were almost to the cabin. “We’re going to see what’s going on,” Harlow said softly. “If you want, we’ll call or text and let you know if they’re going to talk to you tonight, okay?”
Again, all Nora did was nod.
“Thanks, Harlow. Thanks, Lex. I’ve got her from here.”
Neither looked like they wanted to leave, but they eventually did. And as they stepped onto the front porch of the cabin, Milo had a feeling she was in shock and considered calling the resort doctor. But first, he had to get her inside where she would finally feel safe.
And it gutted him that if he had only told her the truth about coming to see her, none of this would have happened.
The guilt weighed on him heavily, and he hoped she could forgive him.
Nora didn’t realize she was shaking until Milo stopped walking.