Chapter 11

Natalie

Tuesday 4.48am

I wake to the sound of birds chirping loudly. I stretch, pain burning down the side of face from where Waters slapped me. I’m still disorientated, drowsy from an uneasy sleep, staying warm by being curled up against Hunter’s chest. Hunter?

I twist around, tossing the blankets off me as my heart leaps about. My body groans as I pull my aching legs to standing and grab my purse.

My fingers are stiff with cold as I stumble out onto the frosty grass. I wrap my arms around me, hugging my purse to my chest as I search for Hunter or Jack.

When I can’t see any sign of Hunter outside, I yawn and walk towards the treeline in case Hunter is watching the track up here.

I’m mid-yawn when I hear someone approaching. I freeze mid-step, adrenaline flooding my veins as I inch backward, keeping as quiet as I can. “Jack? Jack Holloway?” Someone calls.

I spin around, wide-eyed as I rush back to the shack. My heart is hammering relentlessly in my chest as I reach the door.

Jack staggers out, rubbing at his eyes as he adjusts the sweater he’s hurriedly pulled on. “He’s here then?”

I shake my head, mouth opening to ask where Hunter is when I hear a voice that makes my confusion deepen. “Nat? It’s okay. Everything’s under control.”

My eyes widen as Jed struts breathless towards me, looking far too pleased with himself. I shake my head. This wasn’t the plan. I spin around and face Jack. “Where’s Hunter?”

Jack looks like he wants to say something, but it’s Jed that answers with a smug look on his face. “He’s gone. You can’t trust a man like Hunter.”

A low growl comes from Jack, but he just turns and hobbles off, muttering to himself, leaving me alone with Jed.

Cold chills spill down my spine as I glare at my ex. Hunter lied to me. Told me he’d wait until Jed arrived then face Falcone with Jed as a backup.

And now Jed’s here, staring at me like he’s my hero. His face is far too smug as he extends his hand. “Come on; I’ll take you back to the city.”

Numbness crawls over my skin as he steps forward and tries to take my frozen fingers in his.

I ignore him and walk the few paces to Jack’s fence. “I heard him talk to you.”

Jed shrugs. “The first call you did. The second one he made when you were asleep.”

I’m so angry as we climb down the track in the early morning light, I’m not sure I can be pleasant let alone coherent, so I save my questions until I’m calmer.

Police are everywhere in the clearing. A fire marshal is pouring over the remains of the smoking remains. Everywhere I look, uniformed officers are filling out forms, examining the evidence, and cracking jokes.

I stare wordlessly, feeling utterly humiliated, loss like a raw wound in my middle, only growing as Jed gestures to the empty space where my truck was parked. “Falcone’s man had stripped it pretty good by the time we got here.”

I tune him out. I can guess the rest. I don’t need to hear how my plan to help was overturned while I slept.

While Jed goes to talk to whoever is in charge, I climb into his truck and try not to let him see how devastated I really am. When he’s done talking and looking ridiculously pleased with himself, he slides in behind the wheel and pats my knee. “Let’s get you home. You can put all this shit behind you. You never even have to think about Hunter Sloan again.”

I rest my head back as he drives down the track. He’s wrong. I’ll never be able to stop thinking about Hunter even if I wanted to. “I owe my boss a story,” I mumble.

Jed shakes his head. There’s a hint of regret in his voice. “Falcone Senior is dead. Things are going to either go in our favor while his son sorts everything out or they’ll get a whole lot worse for you.”

Eddie Falcone is dead? A sob is caught in my throat. Was Hunter planning this all along? Was he planning on murdering Falcone? For me?

I feel sick. My head is starting to pound. He’s gone. But if Jed is right, he can’t come back, not if he killed a man.

Waves of exhaustion roll over my body as we drive through the main street. Police are everywhere. A dozen cars surround the old homestead that Selma Wilkins turned into a bed and breakfast recently. Crime scene tape has been placed around the perimeter, and locals are milling around looking both horrified and excited.

I turn so I’m looking at Jed as we reach the highway. “Did you know Hunter planned to kill him?”

Jed’s jaw tightens, and his fingers grip the wheel tighter. “We found Sloan’s handler’s body in the trunk of his car; there’s no doubt you were next,” is all he says.

I slump against the door. “What will happen to Hunter now?”

His voice gets harder. “I’m not worried about your deadbeat boyfriend. I’m worried about protecting you. If you’re connected in any way to him or to this, this isn’t over, not by a long shot.”

He flicks a look at me. “Get some sleep. You look exhausted. We’ll talk more when we get to your place.”

I’m so bone-weary, so ashamed Jed came to get me like I’m a runaway teenager, I just meekly close my eyes and let the vibrations of the truck lull me into a fitful doze.

***

My neck aches from sleeping at such an odd angle as I slowly become aware we’re sitting outside my apartment.

I reach inside my purse, searching for my keys as Jed stretches beside me. My brow furrows as I try to locate my phone. Jed seems to understand and places his hand on my knee again as if he has the right to do so. I slap it off and scowl at him. “Stop doing that.”

He shrinks back and looks down at my purse. “If you’re looking for your phone, Hunter took it. It’s probably in the trash.”

I glare at him. My ire rising as I think of the two of them conspiring against me like I’m some damsel in distress incapable of rational thought.

Well, that’s just great. He left me looking like a fool, and he took my phone with him? I spit out the words. “My entire life is on that thing.”

Jed looks like he’s ready to try to comfort me. “We’ll get you another phone, and I checked in with Jemma before I came to get you. Your Dad is doing good.”

I bury my face in my hands. “This isn’t happening.”

Jed doesn’t say anything. I hate that I’m so vulnerable. Hate that I’m so emotional. My whole body feels raw. Like someone took a brush and scrubbed my skin. Hunter killed a man. For me.

I don’t know how to process this. I don’t know if I should feel sad a man is dead or relieved because it might make things easier for me. Should I be disgusted? Guilty? I don’t feel anything but betrayed.

I pull my hands away from my face and sniff as I look at Jed. “Can I call him?”

His face darkens. “Even if he did still have your phone, what purpose will it serve talking to him?”

He’s right. I know he is. Besides which, Hunter probably tossed my phone the second he could. “Can you walk me inside? I want to call Jemma.”

Jed’s smile is far too eager given what I’ve been through and why I’m inviting him inside.

He opens the door and steps around his truck to open my door like we're on a date.

I ignore him, frowning as I drag my legs up the stairs and unlock the door.

I stagger inside, Jed on my heels, and head for the sofa. I sink into it, staring into space as Jed wanders into the kitchen. I have no idea what he’s doing, just that I know he’s invading my space again. Only this time, as much as I hate to admit it, I do feel safer having him around.

The only problem is that he won’t stay here for long. Just like he always did, even when I needed him, he’ll run off and be saving someone else leaving me to cope on my own.

I lean back into the sofa, trying not to cry as I think about Hunter and what’s he’s done for me. What Jed would never even consider doing.

When Jed hands me a cup of something hot, I have to chase away all thoughts of Hunter. Instead, I peer across at Jed as he takes a seat at my desk. “What is this?”

He pulls out his phone and dials before answering me. “Lemon, honey, and vodka since you didn’t have whiskey.”

Whiskey.

I sigh, too tired to protest it’s early and keep drinking it until a slow burn fills my aching body. My limbs are leaden as I pull myself off the sofa and head towards the bathroom.

When I return, I hear Jed on the phone and am so shocked at what I’m hearing; I gape at him. “Yeah, that’s what I was thinking. I’ll stay with her as long as I need to.”

His eyes lock on to mine as he sips his own mug. “Yeah. He’d been in her truck; registration was in the glove box. Let me know if he starts talking. I need to know if he contacted Eddie.”

He ends the call, his expression serious as he scratches his chin. “You’re staying here as long as you need to?”

Jed nods slowly. “I’ll stay here until I know for sure Bobby Falcone isn’t looking for you. We don’t know whether his father told him he was in Haven Springs.”

If the seriousness hadn’t hit me before now, it slams into me with the force of a hurricane.

Heat rushes to my cheeks. I open my mouth and close it again, nausea swelling in my stomach until I’m retching and running towards the bathroom.

I heave over the toilet bowl until my eyes are watering and Jed is beside me, holding my hair back. “Shit. Nat. Look it’s just a precaution. We don’t know Waters told Eddie anything about you and Hunter. And even if he knows and told his son, the longer I stay around, the less likely Falcone Junior is to even think about getting to you.”

I rock back so I’m sitting on my heels staring at him. My bottom lip starts to wobble as I try to stand.

Jed helps me to the basin where I rinse my mouth out and splash water on my face. I stare in the mirror, appalled at the bruising around my face, my hair hanging lank and the bloodless thin lips staring back at me.

“I’m going to take a shower,” I mutter to myself.

Jed doesn’t move for far too long. I can feel his eyes on me as if he’s waiting for an invitation.

When I take a step back from him, he blows out a breath and runs his hand over his face. “I’ll be in the living room.”

I scowl at his back as he leaves the room and closes the door. I should be nicer to him; he is offering to protect me. Police protection. That’s why he’s here. My ex-husband has been assigned to watch me. If it weren’t so tragic and ironic I now have his undying attention but don’t want it; I’d probably laugh.

I run the shower so Jed won’t hear me crying and scrub my body until my skin is tingling. By the time I’m dry and wrapped in my robe, Jed has made himself far too comfortable considering. He’s eating cookies, dropping crumbs on the floor and using my laptop without bothering to ask permission.

I head to my bedroom and pull out a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, then slink back into the living room, frowning at Jed as he kicks off his shoes.

He ends his call and spins in my office chair and gives me a smile he usually reserves for grandmas and little kids, and probably, victims. “Feeling better?” he asks in a gentle tone.

I groan. A victim. That’s what I am to him now. That’s why I’m getting all this attention. I narrow my eyes at him. “Did you volunteer for this? Did you volunteer to come get me?”

He cocks his head. “I didn’t exactly have a choice. But yeah, if you must know, I pushed to be the one to watch you. That recording you sent me with Waters might earn me a promotion.”

A promotion? My life is in danger, and he’s using it as leverage? I knew he was career-minded when I married him, but this is an all-time low.

I drop back into the sofa and try to find something positive to focus on. “Can I use your phone to call Jemma?”

He nods and tosses his phone onto the couch. It’s so old; it doesn’t have Bluetooth, WIFI or GPS like most phones do now.

I find Jemma’s number under Brett’s and chew my lip as I wait for either of them to pick up. Jemma is almost breathless when she comes on the line. “Nat? You are not going to believe this!”

She’s close to squealing, so I have to hold the phone away from my ear. “Is Dad okay?”

Jemma mumbles incoherently. “He’s fine! It’s Mom. She’s here in the hospital! She came back!”

***

Tuesday 6.34pm

Hunter

I know I shouldn’t be looking at her phone. It’s pointless and stupid, but it’s the closest thing to contact I’ll have with her, so I sit down on the bench inside the bus station and switch it on.

She doesn’t use a thumbprint for security, which makes me shake my head. Either she’s too trusting, or she doesn’t give a shit. Whatever her reason, it means I can take a peep inside her life way too easy.

It’s a risk, considering she has GPS the feds can track, but in five minutes I’ll be on a bus, and her phone will be on its way back to her.

I open her email and find her address quickly. She’s ordered some nail polish which should be arriving in the next couple of days. I scribble on the FedEx bag sitting on the bench; then in case anyone is looking at her mail, I write the name and address of the beauty shop she bought from on the back.

I close her email and stare at the screen fighting the crazy impulse to call Jed, to see if I can say goodbye to her.

I scroll down and find the last call I placed to him. It’s about a million kinds of crazy to even contemplate trying to speak to her. There is no way in hell dipshit would let me talk to her. And what am I supposed to say anyway? Sorry I fucked up your entire life?

My fingers are hovering over the call button when the phone buzzes in my hand. I curse and fumble to switch it off when I see the number is unlisted.

Curiosity overrides my hesitance, so I answer and press the phone against my ear. I recognize the voice instantly. “You must have some snatch to mess Sloan up the way you did. Maybe I’ll come by that one-bedroom you got on Cranston Street and see what all the fuss is about.”

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

The phone goes dead before I can say a word.

I stare at the screen, heart thrashing about in my chest as my thoughts spin around in my head. I should have left the damn phone in the valley so Jed would know they have her number and address.

Heat is blazing through my veins as I sit and hold the phone in my hand as the first, second, and final call to board comes blaring through the sound system.

I get off the seat and stand paralyzed with indecision as my hands start to shake so badly, I have to jam them along with Natalie’s phone in my pockets.

This isn’t over for her. Not by a long shot. Adrenaline is surging around me as I think about Jed being with her, watching over her

But is his presence enough to deter them? The federal agent probably won’t be there yet, and even if she goes to a safe house, what if she has a handler as corrupt as Waters?

My jaw clenches as I watch the last passengers scramble on the bus. I could walk away; I could pretend this isn’t chewing me up inside. I should get on the bus. I should let Jed and his buddies do their jobs.

I shouldn’t even be thinking about risking going anywhere near Natalie. I show up in the city, someone is going to notice.

I press Jed’s number and jam the phone against my ear, tapping my foot as it switches to voice mail immediately.

The bus driver leans out the door and yells at me. “Hey knucklehead, I ain’t holding this any longer. You on or you off?”

I work my jaw, fists balling at my sides as he glares daggers at me. Seconds tick by as every possible scenario runs through my head.

I spin on my heel and head out of the bus station to the sound of the bus driver cussing me out.