Chapter 32 Trust Was Limited
TRUST WAS LIMITED
Reenie pulled herself up into Ford’s truck on Monday.
She hated having days off, but no one was going to let her work every day either.
She was scheduled for the cafe this weekend, which meant two days off during the week. Having been off this weekend, she didn’t know what to do with herself.
Not that Ford left her side much on nights and weekends when he wasn’t working. And living with her in the cabin in cramped spaces wasn’t fun either.
Which was why they spent the weekend at his house, and since her car still had the brake light out, Ford told her to take his truck this morning and it was best to just leave it at the cabin for her usage.
She wouldn’t argue because the last thing she wanted to do was to be pulled over again.
After adjusting the seat so her much shorter legs could reach the pedals, she backed out of his garage, holding her breath she hit nothing, then into the road and turned toward the orchards.
She might not be working, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t see if Brooke needed anything. Maybe she’d plant some more flowers around the cabin and spruce it up some.
The gates were open during the day, making it easy enough for people to pull in and out, but Clay could see everything.
She came to a stop next to the cafe, shut the truck off, opened the door and hopped down. Yeah, this wasn’t for her in the long run.
“What are you doing here on your day off?” Brooke asked, wiggling her finger in a stern motherly way, though she was sporting the Ridgeway smile her son had.
“I wanted to stop in and see if you needed anything in town. I’m shopping for flowers and pots to put on the front porch of the cabin if that is okay?”
“Of course it is, sweetie. Make it your home. We want you to feel that way.”
No one ever wanted her to feel at home. “Awww. Thank you. I can’t just sit still.”
“Don’t you have anything to do with that online shop of yours?” Brooke asked. “Have you thought of expanding it?”
“I’ll spend some time on designs and some shop maintenance this afternoon too, but it’d be nice to get out some.” She wouldn’t give up the one source of independent income she had.
“I’m good here,” Brooke said. “You enjoy your day off. Make sure you let Ford and Clay know where you are. My boys get ornery when things don’t go their way.”
She smiled. “I’ll text them both the minute I hoist myself into Ford’s truck.”
“Good luck driving it,” Brooke said. “I’m sure you can barely see over the steering wheel.”
“Just about.”
She texted Ford, then Clay and turned toward the cabin to get some money she had hidden there.
She parked out front, unlocked the door, sticking her tongue out at the camera she knew was watching and recording her. Not that she thought Clay watched every movement on it unless he had to, but it felt good to do it anyway.
Throwing back the covers and lifting the mattress, she saw that her envelope holding some cash was still there and wondered why she always worried someone was going through her things.
When she was walking by the hall that led to the back door, she saw a flash of something, stopped, and tried to look out the glass.
She saw it again, then opened the door and peered out into the distance. The mountains were off miles away, but it was such a beautiful view.
The new apple trees well off in the distance looked more like miniatures, but she knew some would produce fruit this year.
There were no people that she could see. Nothing she could hear. The wind was blowing some, and it was most likely the sun reflecting off of tags or anything else out there.
When it flashed again, she wished she had binoculars for a closer look. There was a small tingling in her spine, but not enough to have her heart hammering in her chest.
She was safe on this land and she knew it. That was one thing she was confident about and it had allowed her to drop a bit of her guard. But it didn’t stop the fact that she knew Oliver was looking for her.
Her phone vibrated in her tiny purse. She pulled it out and saw both Clay and Ford giving her a thumbs up in reply. She found it funny they had the same response when she said she was leaving or returning.
After putting her phone back, she locked that door, and went out the front, locking it behind her. Heaving herself into the truck, grunting loudly, she reached for the door to shut it. Good lord, she might fall out if the door swung open too far.
The truck rumbled to life and she was off, driving through the property that felt so much like home, through the gates and towards town.
She passed Ford’s house, her head turning to look at it. It’d be a nice place to raise a family.
Surprising that she thought that way when she never had before.
Her hand went to the heart locket on her neck. She hadn’t been without it once since he’d given it to her. A nice piece of jewelry she’d never owned in the past.
If she’d had it years ago, she was positive her mother would have stolen it and sold it for cash.
It meant more now.
Ford meant more.
She wanted to tell him how she felt.
That she loved him.
How would he react?
She’d bet he’d be happy to hear it.
She maneuvered into town, parked in the public lot, paid for an hour. She wouldn’t be that long, as she was only looking for flowerpots and soil.
After checking several shops with no luck, she headed the few blocks back to Ford’s truck, cutting down an alley between businesses.
Someone yanked her back the minute she stepped out. “Don’t make a sound and I won’t have to hurt you.”
She froze. Everything that Ford and Clay had taught her escaped her brain. She felt like such a failure over that thought.
“Do you understand? Just nod your head if you do,” the man said. His rancid breath made her gag. Like dead fish washed up from the sewer.
Reenie nodded once, her eyes looking around. There was no one. Why weren’t there people around to see this?
“I’m going to remove my hand, and if you yell, I’ll have to hurt you.”
Something sharp pressed into her side and she realized he had a knife. The dull pain she’d felt more than she cared to count told her he’d just broken skin with that jab. Terrified that he’d do more damage, she bit her tongue not to call out.
He removed his hand slowly, kept his arm locked through hers and steered her back toward the parking lot.
Maybe if she could time it right, she could break free and make a run for it.
She glanced nervously at him, but couldn’t see much of his face. There was a baseball hat on his head, dirty blonde hair sticking out around his ears, a black plug in his ear.
If she couldn’t fight back, she was going to remember every detail about him she could.
She just hoped fear didn’t have her mixing up facts.
The kind of fear that had water dripping down her back, buckets of sweat behind her knees inside her jeans.
She saw Ford’s truck in the distance. This guy was bringing her close enough to it. If she could get her hand in her purse, she’d hit the panic button. That would draw attention to them. If she got stabbed in the side, it might not kill her. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t been cut before.
“Don’t think of it,” the guy said as if he was reading her mind. “I have no problem drawing blood in front of people. I have orders to bring you back, but no one said you had to be in one piece.”
She gulped. There was no way Oliver would do this. He wouldn’t care enough.
But who else could it be?
When he steered them to a van parked off a side street, her opportunity was gone. She was too far away to get Ford’s truck to go off. The hope they’d move closer hadn’t come.
Reenie knew if she got thrown into this vehicle, she’d have no shot at escaping.
As soon as he pulled her to the side of the van, she began to struggle.
You’ve got the tools, she chanted internally. You can do this. Don’t let Ford down.
She stomped on the guy’s foot as Ford taught her. He grunted and tightened his hold on her.
Her elbows were flaying everywhere, but nothing was connecting.
“Cut the shit. Bobby, open the door.”
Oh my God, there is more than one!
Another man came around, opened the door and tried to shove her in by picking her feet up. She was kicking everywhere and landed one on his jaw.
“Motherfucker. I thought he said she was docile.”
That just lit a fire under her ass.
A nasty dirty hand clamped on her mouth again and this time she bit down hard, tasted blood and hoped to hell she didn’t contract some disease from it.
“That’s it,” the second guy said. All she saw was a fist come up, swing toward her face, then blackness erupted.