Chapter 3
Noah pulled at the chains around his wrists, desperation to get free, to help Boone, tearing at his insides. Every thud of a fist hitting his friend felt like a punch driving into Noah’s own body. Bruising him. Killing him. Making him want to claw his way out of his own skin.
“Leave him the fuck alone!”
But Noah’s shouts did nothing, and his throat was so dry his voice was coarse and ragged.
They were going to kill Boone, and he could do nothing to stop them.
Noah shot up in bed, his heart thrashing against his ribs.
It was just a nightmare.
But it wasn’t. It was a memory. One that felt like a chain around his neck, choking him. Holding him hostage to that day.
He dropped his head into his hands and scrubbed them over his face. His fingers shook. Hell, all of him shook. He could still smell the dampness of that room. Could still feel the helplessness coursing through him.
When would it end? Or maybe it wouldn’t end. Maybe this was his new reality. His new life. One where he was forced to relive his worst moments again and again, forever waking in a pool of sweat, feeling like he was trapped.
He threw the covers off and climbed out of bed. It was early. Even with the curtains closed, he could see it was pitch black outside. Most of Amber Ridge would still be sleeping.
How much sleep had he gotten? Two, maybe three hours? He was used to it.
In the early days, he’d tried to get back to sleep after a nightmare. Bad fucking idea that had been. The sleep rarely came. And all lying in a dark room had ever done was make the memories play over in his head again and again. Boone’s pain…Noah’s rage.
In the bathroom, he turned the shower on hot before stepping under the stream, then he closed his eyes.
He was drowning. Yet he hadn’t told anyone.
Not a single soul. How could he? Indie was pregnant after years of infertility, and she and Colt had just gone through a hell of their own.
He didn’t want to dump this on his cousins or his aunt Pam.
He’d only just reconnected with his youngest sister, Bonnie, and there was no way he’d share this shit with her.
Would he have talked to his parents about everything if they were still alive?
He’d never fucking know.
He scrubbed his hands over his face, trying to push the heaviness of everything down.
Once he was clean and dry, he pulled on a white park shirt, black shorts, and a hoodie.
It was when he stepped into the kitchen that his phone rang. The first small smile of the morning pulled at his lips.
“Hey, Bon-Bon,” he answered on the second ring.
There was a small pause. “You answered.”
“You thought I wouldn’t?”
“Uh, yeah, it’s freaking early. What is it? Four, five a.m. there?”
He wasn’t sure. He hadn’t checked. But yeah, it was probably around that time. “It’s early for you in San Francisco too. You’re an hour behind us. Can’t sleep?”
“No, I can’t. I’ve been thinking a lot. Stuck in my own head. You?”
“Same.” Although, not so much stuck in his head as stuck in the past. “Want to talk about it?”
“Not really. You?”
“Absolutely not.”
Her laugh was soft and familiar. “Guess we’ll stick with the weather.”
“Or you could tell me how work’s going?”
Bonnie left Amber Ridge thirteen years ago, and he’d only recently made contact with her again. Since reconnecting, he’d learned that his sister worked in a women’s shelter as the program coordinator. He’d always known she’d find a job that helped people.
“It’s hard but rewarding. These women have been through so much and they just want a fresh start, but it’s so much work for them to find their feet.”
Which had probably been the case for Bonnie when she’d left Amber Ridge at eighteen. “If anyone can help them, it’s you.”
“Some days I feel like I’m failing them, but I try.” There was another pause. “So, opening day, right?”
“You remembered.”
“Of course. It’s why I called. I planned to leave you a message, but seeing as neither of us likes sleep, I can say it straight to you.”
He chuckled, but there was a heavy truth to that statement. He’d started to despise sleep, because that was when the nightmares haunted him. “Thanks for calling.”
“Are you all ready?”
“I hope so. We’re expecting a busy day.”
“Of course you are—who wouldn’t want to visit the old adventure park, but this time run by two Marines?”
“People who don’t like the outdoors or heights or fast-moving bikes.”
Bonnie scoffed. “Wrong town to live in if that’s the case. I hope it goes smoothly. And I hope whatever has you awake this early allows you to sleep tonight.”
His fingers tightened around the cell. That wouldn’t happen. “Thank you. You have a good day too, Bonnie.”
He hung up and glanced at his coffee machine before grabbing his keys and phone. Jules put his coffee to shame anyway. He’d just have to wait until she got to work.
When he reached the park, the sun was only just rising.
Good. It would be his slice of silence before the storm of visitors arrived.
The activities were fully booked. Hell, they were fully booked every weekend for the next two months, and even weekdays were busy.
People could still come to hike the trails or get a coffee at least.
Over the next two hours, he traversed the park, making sure the equipment boxes were fully stocked and ready to go. It was stuff he’d already checked before leaving yesterday. Colt arrived an hour before opening, as well as the rest of the staff.
He wasn’t sure if Addie had arrived, because that would require him to go to the office and visit her. Jesus Christ, he was a fucking coward.
When people started showing up for their booked activities, Noah would get busy and find the peace he finally needed. Because when he was busy, he couldn’t think about other stuff. The nightmares. The battle he faced every day to stay in the present.
Finally, he stepped into the cabin to see the front desk empty. Addie was in the office, bent over the desk. He tried not to stare at her ass. Fuck, he tried.
Then she turned, and her blue eyes commanded all of his attention.
“Noah! I didn’t hear you come in.”
“There’s quite a crowd out there.”
She grinned. “I know. Exciting, right?” She straightened and moved toward him. “Need help with anything before I let the crowd in?”
“No, I just wanted to check that you’re all ready.”
“I certainly am, but then, I’m just at the desk. You’re the one hanging from a bouldering wall.” Her smile widened—and suddenly she flung her arms around him in a hug. “Congratulations! Your park is finally opening and you should be so proud!”
Addie surrounded him. Her sweet scent. The softness of her body.
It took him a moment to move. To lift his arms and wrap them around her waist. The second he did, he felt it.
Silence.
Every loud, invasive voice that had been taunting him all morning just vanished. The anger, the fear of the nightmares…it was like touching her allowed lightness to overlap the darkness in his head.
But that was crazy, right?
She pulled back and that familiar smile still widened her lips. “It’s going to be a good day.”
Then she walked away.
And he stood there, realizing that in the couple of seconds he’d held her, he’d felt more peace than in the entire last year of his life.
Finally, a moment of quiet.
Addie closed her eyes and breathed her first deep breath since the office door opened for customers. She’d known it would be busy. And she was glad it was. But God, her cheeks hurt from smiling. And she’d needed to pee for, oh, only the last hour and a half.
Why there was a kitchen off the office but no bathroom, she had no freaking clue. She had to leave this cabin and use the block of restrooms outside, which meant she needed to wait for someone to take over the front desk.
Thank God for Cass, who was hired to work both the park and the office. But she only covered Addie for her breaks and days off. She was due to swap with her in—she glanced at her watch—five minutes.
She liked Cass. She wasn’t sure the two of them would be best friends anytime soon, what with Cass being all about adventure sports and the outdoors, and Addie…well, not. But definitely a friend, regardless.
She tidied the desk and was just putting the last pen away when the phone rang.
“Hello, Wilderness Adventure Park, Addie speaking, how can I help you?”
No one answered, and as the seconds ticked by, the silence stretched out.
She frowned. “Hello?”
Then she heard breathing. A heavy, rasping kind of breathing that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.
She slammed the phone down and yanked her hand back as if it had burned her. Her heart beat fast and the room felt too empty.
It was just a prank call. Businesses got them all the time.
So why did she feel a bit sick? And why was being alone in this office suddenly the last thing she wanted?
Because she’d already had the strange feeling that she was being watched?
The door to the cabin swung open. Addie jumped, her gaze shooting up before air whooshed from her chest. “Cass.”
Cass frowned as she entered. “Hey. Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I just got this strange call.”
“Strange how?” Cass crossed over to the desk and took a peanut butter cup from the chocolate jar.
“No one said anything and there was just this weird heavy breathing.” A shudder coursed down her spine at the memory.
Cass rolled her eyes. “A prank call. When my brother was fourteen, he and his friend did that kind of shit all the time. Trust me, it was just some kid being an idiot.”
“Yeah, I know. I shouldn’t let it scare me.” She rose and shoved a chocolate into her pocket because, who knew, she might get hungry on her break.
Cass dropped into the seat. “You’re new to town, right?”
“Yeah, but only from Bozeman.”
“Wanna go out sometime? CJ’s does great cocktails.”
She smiled. “Actually, I’d really like that. I don’t know many people here.”
“Great, let’s do it.” Cass’s phone buzzed, and she looked at the screen before rolling her eyes.
“Everything okay?”
“Just Rhett being Rhett. The guy doesn’t give up.”
“Is he harassing you?”
“No. He just thinks he’s all that when he really isn’t. Go. I’ve got it covered here.”
“Okay, be back in ten.”
“Make it twenty. My next session isn’t for half an hour.”
“You’re amazing.” Addie stepped outside, immediately inhaling a lungful of fresh air.
This was absolutely what she needed. To get outside and forget about the call.
After using the bathroom, she didn’t go straight back to the office. Instead, she walked around the park.
There were people everywhere. Every section was in use.
And even though everyone seemed to be having fun, none of the activities were things Addie would ever be interested in doing.
In fact, watching people on the bouldering wall just confirmed for her that was not the sport for her.
It was far too high and far too athletic-looking.
When she reached the mountain bike area, she stopped to watch Noah helping his group with helmets.
Just at the dang sight of him, her heart thumped faster.
What was it about him that made her want to be close to him? It didn’t even matter if she was talking to him, she just wanted to be near.
His gaze suddenly lifted to her.
Shit. She was staring. Not just staring. Watching from the freaking shadows like a damn stalker. Argh.
After offering the briefest smile of her life, she turned and headed in the other direction. She took a right then a left, not really thinking about where she was going.
She’d only been walking for a couple of minutes when she realized she was lost.
Crap. This place was too big. She looked left, then right. She didn’t recognize anything.
It was fine. She’d work her way back.
She turned around and started walking. When a noise sounded behind her, she stopped and spun, but there was no one there.
Her pulse picked up speed and she started walking again. But almost straight away, the crunch of leaves beneath feet sounded again. She turned. Again, there was nothing there.
What the hell?
She looked back ahead—only to screech at the sight of Jules just feet away.
She set a hand to her chest. “Jules! Oh Jesus, you scared me.”
Jules lifted her brows. “Sorry, honey. I was just on a walk for my break. Are you okay?”
No. She wasn’t. She was at heart attack stage. “I’m fine. I think I got lost.”
Jules frowned before she set a hand on Addie’s back. “Come on, I know the way.”
Addie joined the woman…but she glanced over her shoulder. A part of her wanted to believe the noises were all in her head. But the other part?
That part knew there’d been something in the forest with her. Or someone.