“No.” Jennie lowered her gaze. She felt like a failure. Why couldn’t she remember more? She desperately wanted to help Max, to find out what had happened to her.
A loud crack! shattered the stillness of the forest. Something whizzed past her ear.
“Get down!” Max dived behind the car, dragging her with him. Several thunk, thunk, thunks! slammed into the metal above them.
Jennie sucked in a breath. Someone was shooting at them. Shooting at her.
“Don’t move.” Max’s voice came from somewhere above her. She was lying in the snow, the cold slowly seeping through her clothes. Max hovered over her, protecting her with his big body. Protecting her. Her heart warmed. Whether he wanted to be or not, Max was a good person. A hero as far as she was concerned. That was twice now he’d saved her. If he hadn’t shoved her down into the snow, a bullet could have hit her. A bullet could have hit him.
She turned her head and looked up into his tense face. “Are you hit?”
His gaze slammed into hers. “No. Are you?”
“No.” She glanced around. “Where’s Lucky?”
Max slid off her. “I don’t know.” He crawled toward the back of the car near the water and cautiously peered over the trunk toward the other side of the river. Jennie got to her knees and followed. She heard a soft whine and looked down. Lucky’s black nose appeared from underneath the car where he crouched, stretched out on his stomach. It looked like a tight squeeze. Jennie imagined he’d dived beneath the car when the gunshots had fired at them.
What a smart dog.
His ears twitched, one black, one white.
“Stay,” she whispered, patting his head. “Don’t come out yet.” She glanced at Max, who had turned back at the sound of her voice. His gaze landed on Lucky.
“Good boy,” he murmured. He glanced at Jennie. “Whoever shot at us is across the river. They can’t get over here unless they go up to the bridge, which is about five miles to the north. Let’s just hang tight for a bit.” He ran a hand over his face. “There’s no houses on that side of the river for several miles, so they either came down the road by vehicle or they walked. I’m guessing a snowmobile.”
Which meant the person had probably been out searching for her, trying to catch her and bring her back. Or kill her.
She shivered. And not from the cold this time.
Max’s gaze met hers again. “We should have just stayed at the house.”
Jennie’s stomach churned. Yeah, they should have.
She looked away. The snow was falling harder now. And she swore the temperature had dropped several degrees. Her knees felt like ice where she knelt in the deep snow. But she’d rather huddle here and wait than have a bullet in her brain.
She touched Max’s arm. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to drag you into this.”
He looked down at her gloved hand on his coat sleeve. “I’m a part of it now whether I want to be or not.” He nodded at the car. “This is my car. You saw the registration papers. This isn’t just about you anymore, Jennie. It’s about me, too.” His voice cracked. He looked away. “And if it’s the last thing I ever do, I intend to find out what happened to my daughter.” He drew in a deep breath.
Jennie didn’t know why she did what she did next. Perhaps it was because Max was hurting, perhaps it was because she was starting to care about him, but whatever the reason, she didn’t know who was more shocked—Max or her—when she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. Just a quick peck. She wanted him to know with that quick kiss that she cared.
“If it’s the last thing I ever do, Max, I’ll help you. I promise.”
He didn’t say anything, just stared at her with a stunned look on his face. Then he turned away and peered around the car again. Jennie’s cheeks heated at her boldness. What had she been thinking? Kissing the man, for hell’s sake? She wasn’t even sure if he liked her.
He stayed that way, with his back to her, for another fifteen or twenty minutes while the snow continued to fall and the cold seeped through her coat and into her skin. The water lapped at the bank with the flow of the current. Jennie had a feeling he’d turned away from her intentionally so he wouldn’t have to look at her.
At last he rose to his feet.
“Let’s go.”
He kept his gaze averted. She’d made him uncomfortable. Something shifted in her chest, just a small prickle, but it hurt. She shouldn’t care what he thought of her, but she did. She’d been foolish and impulsive. The man did have kissable lips, after all. Crap, she’d probably offended him.
They hurried back across the snow and through the trees, toward the house. No gunshots followed them. Nothing but the stillness of the forest and the falling snow. The wind picked up again, chilling Jennie clear to her bones. It was a great relief when they arrived back at the house a few minutes later, freezing and covered with snow. They stomped their boots off on the back porch, brushed the snow from their coats, and hurried inside. Max removed his boots just inside the door on the ceramic tile entryway, then strode to the closet and hung up his coat. He turned away from her and went into the living room without a word. Moments later Jennie heard his clipped voice. He was on the phone with the sheriff’s office. Telling them about the car. And the person, or persons, who’d shot at them.
Shivering, Jennie unzipped her coat and hung it in the closet next to Max’s. She rubbed her hands together as the heat from inside the house soothed her, warming her cold limbs. What had she gotten Max into? What had she gotten herself into? Someone had tried to kill them.
Lucky bounded down the hallway toward the clinic with a soft bark.
Gray.
Jennie hadn’t visited the wolf since before breakfast.
She headed down the hallway after Lucky.
Something told her she’d find her answers with the wolf.
CHAPTER EIGHT
He watched from behind the snow drift as Max and Jennie headed back across the forest toward Max’s house. He propped the rifle against his leg. He now regretted the impulse to shoot at her. He should have just watched and waited. Now she knew he was out here. And so did Max. The place would be swarming with cops as soon as the weather cleared.
He’d wanted to toy with Max a bit longer, but he couldn’t now. It was time to set things in motion.
The snow was falling more heavily now and the wind was picking up again. He decided to head back. He watched them a moment longer, until they disappeared into the trees, then he turned away.
He couldn’t believe Jennie was still alive, especially after the car had slid off the road and into the river. She should have drowned, damn her. And of all the people to find her? Max Montgomery? That son-of-a-bitch would only make things worse. Max had seen his missing car. He’d kept Max’s car in running condition in case he needed to move it on short notice. A mistake on his part, he realized now, for it had enabled Jennie to escape.
Now Max might start believing Emily was still alive and he didn’t want that yet. He wasn’t ready.
Hatred bubbled in his chest. He drew in a deep breath, forcefully tamped it down. Not now. He had to maintain control. Control was how he’d planned out his revenge. He couldn’t lose it now.
Jennie’s escape had fucked up his plans. He’d wanted to make Max suffer a little longer before sending him clues that Emily was still alive. Now he’d have to get Jennie back first. Or kill her. Both options were proving to be difficult. Damn the bitch. He was beginning to regret his decision to abduct her. But he’d wanted to prove Emily wrong. And he had. He’d shown her he could abduct anyone, no matter who they were.
But at least he knew where Jennie was now. He wondered how much she’d told Max. Would she be able to find her way back to his place? Would Max figure out who he was? He was relieved he’d chosen to always wear the hood. Jennie had never seen his face. She wouldn’t be able to describe him. And even if she did, it wouldn’t be him she described.
The current weather conditions prevented the cops fro
m coming and arresting him any time soon, but it would only be another few days before the snow stopped and the plows came out. He intended to have Jennie back by then. He intended to finish this before the cops were on to him.
He’d go get Jennie later tonight when Max was asleep. It wouldn’t be too tough. Max lived alone with a dog and a couple of horses. The closest neighbor was over a mile away. He planned to sneak in and snatch Jennie from right underneath Max’s nose. Drag the bitch back and make her suffer a bit.
Max would pay for what he’d done. Very soon it would all come to a head.
He slipped back through the forest to where he’d hidden his snowmobile. He climbed aboard and started the engine.
I’m coming for you, Jennie. This time you won’t get away.
* * *
Jennie opened the kennel door and sat down on the floor. Gray crawled toward her, then settled her head in Jennie’s lap. Jennie gently stroked the animal’s thick fur. Lucky sat on the floor outside of the kennel and watched.
Someone tried to kill me out there, Gray. I think it was the same person we were running from. But I can’t remember anything and it’s so frustrating. Do you remember?
The wolf lifted her head from Jennie’s lap. She let out a soft growl. Jennie gazed into the animal’s yellow eyes.
Can you help me remember?
Something shifted in the wolf’s eyes. Jennie’s heart rate kicked up. She leaned closer, peering into the animal’s soul. Gray’s eyes clouded over, like a fog, going from yellow to gray. Jennie stared. Her head started to spin. The bump on her forehead throbbed with a steady pound, pound, pound. She closed her eyes, moaned softly.
Then the pounding was gone.
Jennie opened her eyes. The fog slowly cleared away from Gray’s eyes…
A man walked into view. He bent down, a big hand reaching out. She caught a glimpse of black hair, pale skin, a thick black beard. She had the sensation of being lifted in the air. Being held tightly against a thick chest. Bouncing...Trees flashed by, the sound of the river gushed past. She yipped, squirming against the big hand that held her. A door closed. Then she was falling…
She tumbled down a concrete staircase, cracked her head, smacked her limbs. She righted herself and looked up. Her back leg throbbed. She lifted it, shifting her weight to her front paws. The man chuckled from above.
“There’s you a pet, Emily,” he shouted down the stairs. “He’s your responsibility.” His footsteps clomped away. She slowly turned around.
A dark-haired girl sat on a small bed. She looked about sixteen or so. She was a pretty thing, but her hair was a mess and her face streaked with dirt. “H-hello,” the girl whispered, lifting a hand toward her. “You’re a cute little thing.” The girl patted her leg. A chain rattled. Her gaze followed the sound until she saw the chain attached to the wall. The girl was a prisoner, chained like a wild beast.
“Come on, come here little fella.”
She eyed the girl with suspicion.
“Come on little guy. I won’t hurt you.” The girl patted her leg again.
She inched forward. One step. Then another.
The girl reared back against the wall, her eyes huge in her frightened face. “No,” she pleaded softly. “Don’t hurt him. He’s just a pup.”
A sound came from behind her. She jerked her head around as the man reappeared. He bent down and snatched her up by the scruff of the neck. He’d been so quiet she hadn’t heard him sneaking down the stairs. She yelped as she dangled in the man’s hard grip.
He chuckled. “You didn’t really think I was going to give you a pet, did you?” The man shook a finger at the girl on the bed. “He’s my prisoner. Just like you.”
The girl made a sobbing sound. “Please don’t hurt him. Please.”
The man’s hand tightened around the scruff of her neck, then he flung her aside. She cried out as she slammed into the wall. Her head pounded. Then everything went black.
“Jennie. Don’t move.”
A low, rumbling growl pierced Jennie’s senses. Her eyelids fluttered open.
“Don’t. Move.”
She turned her head slowly. Max knelt on the other side of the kennel door, his gaze intense as he stared at something in front of her. He held some kind of rifle against his shoulder. His finger hesitated over the trigger.
“W-what?” She gasped in a breath, glancing down.
Gray was lying on the floor in front of her, her head cocked toward Max. The wolf bared her fangs and let out a fierce snarl.
“Jennie. Do. Not. Move. I have the tranquilizer dart ready to fire at her, but you have to hold completely still or I might accidentally hit you.”
Jennie’s eyes widened in alarm. “No! Get that gun off of her!”
Max tensed. “Don’t move!”
Gray rose to a crouching position, her snarls growing louder, her gaze never leaving Max. And in that second everything made sense to Jennie. She realized what had happened.
It’s okay, Gray. Max won’t hurt you. He’s not the one. It’s not him. He’s the one who saved you.
Gray turned her head toward Jennie. Their gazes locked.
It’s not him.
Gray whined softly. The wolf scooted around so she faced Max, placing her body protectively between Jennie and Max. Jennie gently stroked the wolf’s fur.
It’s okay, Gray. It’s okay. He won’t hurt you.
Max hissed out a breath. “Get the hell out of that kennel, Jennie. Now! Do you have a death wish?”
“No. You don’t understand, Max. Gray would never hurt me. She thought you were someone else.”
Max kept the tranquilizer gun pointed at the wolf. “I should have just put that damn thing out of its misery instead of saving it.”
I should have just left you to die out there in the woods.
Where had that come from? Jennie’s head throbbed. Why did that feel like a memory? Had Max said that? She didn’t think so.
Lucky rubbed against Max’s leg and whined. Max ignored him. His gaze never wavered from the wolf.
“Gray knows things, Max. And now I know some of what she knows.”
Max let out a snort. “Do you realize you’re starting to sound crazy? Come on, Jennie, just get out of there before you get hurt.”
“Does your daughter have dark hair?”
He stiffened. His gaze swung to hers. He puffed out a breath. “How did you—?”
“Is her name Emily?”
He paled, swallowing hard. “How—?”
“If you put the gun down, I’ll explain. Please.”
Max hesitated, then lowered the dart gun. “Goddammit, if you know something about Emily, you’d better start talking. Now.”
Gray growled.
Easy, Gray. Jennie gently stroked the wolf’s head. She looked at Max. “You need to calm down. You’re upsetting her.”
Max glared at her. “I’m upsetting her? I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing, but you’re starting to piss me off. Start talking. Now.”
Jennie sighed. No matter how she tried to explain what had just happened between her and the wolf, she doubted Max would understand. She wasn’t even sure if she understood.
“This is going to sound insane, but when I looked into her eyes, I could see what she saw. It was like I became her. I think she was just a puppy. A man snatched her up and tossed her down a flight of stairs. There was a dark-haired girl chained to the wall. She was sitting on a bed. She looked like she was about sixteen or seventeen.”
Max’s breath hitched in. The sound was loud in Jennie’s ears. He dropped to his knees, the dart gun falling from his hand. He rubbed a hand over his face. “Christ!”
Jennie’s heart clenched. She didn’t want to hurt him, but she wanted to be honest. She took a deep breath, let it out slowly. “The man called her Emily.”
Max jerked toward her, anguish flashing across his face. He turned away. She watched his sides heave in and out as he struggled to breathe.
Oh
Max, I’m so sorry.
When at last he turned back to her, his eyes blazed with fury. He rose to his feet and came toward the kennel. “Where is she, damn you!”
Gray snarled, the hair rising on the back of her neck. Jennie grabbed the wolf’s fur and held on tight. “I don’t know. In a basement somewhere maybe? I passed out before I learned anything else.”
“Take me to her.” Max glared through the kennel door at her. “I want to know where she is.”
“I don’t know where she is. I don’t even know if she’s alive. I only saw what Gray saw. It might not even be your daughter.”
“Bullshit! You said her name was Emily.”
Jennie’s heart went out to Max. Maybe she shouldn’t have told him about the girl yet until she knew for sure…
She rose to her feet. “That doesn’t mean it was her. Maybe I misunderstood.”
He sucked in a breath, paled. “Stop toying with me. I can’t…take it.”
“I’m sorry.” She pleaded with him with her eyes. “I never meant to hurt you. I’m still trying to understand what just happened with Gray. I’m trying so hard to remember. I want to remember so then maybe I can help you find her.”
What looked like defeat settled into his face. “She’s been gone for three years. Do you really think she’s alive?”
“I don’t know,” she whispered. “I hope so.”
Max bent to retrieve the dart gun. “I’ll go put this up.”
“What was I doing when you came in here?”
Her voice halted him halfway across the room. He turned back around. “You were hunched over, moaning. Gray was growling. I thought she was about to attack you.”
“No, she was just remembering.”
Jennie shoved open the kennel door. Max leapt back, his gaze jerking to the wolf.
“Don’t let that thing out. It’s dangerous.” He raised the gun.
She held his gaze. “No, she’s not.”
Max ground his teeth. “Dammit, Jennie! Don’t be stupid.”
“Just chill out, okay? Put the gun down.” Jennie stepped out of the kennel. Gray hesitated in the doorway, wobbling on her three legs.
Abducted (Unlikely Heroes Book 2) Page 6
