Hidden (A McKenzie Ridge Novel Book 2)

by Stephanie St. Klaire

  Dawson carefully helped Carigan out, holding Jax until she was on the other side and could carry him to the ambulance. Colton wasn’t letting Megan out of his arms. Dawson, full of understanding, having been there before himself with his now wife, Sam, simply supported him. He offered balance as Colton escaped the near tragedy, grateful to have his life in his arms.

  Making their way around the smoky house, opposite the side the fire was blazing, Megan and Jax were taken to the waiting ambulance to be checked over. As they rounded the corner of the home, Duke turned around and took off at a dead run, barking, making his way toward the nearby wooded area. Obedient to a ‘T’, this was out of character, and Blake had a hunch that he was chasing more than a squirrel or nighttime creature. Reading his expression and body language, Morgan knew exactly what her partner was thinking.

  Tapping his shoulder as she passed him, she ran after the dog, hand on her weapon, her flashlight illuminating the path before her. They finally came to a stop in a clearing where Duke had halted. He was whimpering, first stepping left, then right, he seemed unsure which way to go next. He sat at their feet looking to them for answer.

  “Shit, he’s fast for only having three legs!” Morgan said, hunched over with her hands on her knees trying to catch her breath.

  “Christ, no kidding, it’s not like either one of us is out of shape either!” Blake replied, just as winded from their chase through the forest.

  “What do you think he was chasing and how did he lose the scent, right here, there’s nowhere to go, but on foot,” She questioned, although she had a hunch she already knew the answer.

  “Fuck if I know, but I think it’s a who, not a what,” he admitted. “I don’t think our friend here lost the scent at all—he’s just not sure which one to follow.”

  The unease Blake was radiating hit Morgan like a brick wall. Blake was highly trained, ex-military, although no one knew exactly what branch or the extent of his service. They didn’t know much about his past, he didn’t talk about it, probably couldn’t. What they did know was that he was never wrong; he could feel trouble miles away and weeks in advance. If he was so certain there were too many paths to chase out here, she knew they had someone to look for.

  “We aren’t going to find what we are looking for out here tonight, they could be anywhere by now. We don’t have a team or enough to justify one. Low-key eyes on everyone, Jameson…got it? We have a problem on our hands.”

  She nodded and they headed back in the direction they had come. They had their work cut out for them. They were chasing ghosts.

  ***

  Megan and Jax were being treated by Dawson and Carigan back at the ambulance, when Blake and Morgan returned. Colton was at her side, quickly joined by Duke.

  “How are they?” Morgan asked, studying Megan, wondering who would be after her. Random act or someone from her previous life?

  “Baby Jax seems well, she must’ve had him cradled just right, his ears look good,” Carigan responded. “But our girl here can’t hear over the loud ringing in her ears!”

  “We’re taking them in, let Doc Charles give them a once over at the ER,” Dawson chimed in.

  Colton stepped closer, hand on the gurney Meg was sitting on, and said, “I’m riding with you guys. I’m not leaving them.” The defensiveness, or perhaps protective nature he had, rang loud in his tone.

  “I figured you were, buddy,” Dawson replied with a smile. “Can’t say I blame you. What about this guy?” He asked, pointing to Duke.

  Morgan reached down to give him a long rewarding pet and said, “We’ll take him back to the House with us as soon as we are done here. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t want to be left alone so soon…poor guy. We’ll get him over to Dr. Bain for an ear check, just in case”

  “Thanks, guys. Appreciate it,” Colton said while bending down to scratch Duke’s ears. “You were a good boy tonight. Good boy, Duke.”

  “We’re about to get crowded. Sparks, you’re a trained medic, you’re riding in the back with our two guests,” Carigan ordered, giving Jax a quick tickle to the tummy. “Tayler, shotgun. Grab a kit and clean up those wounds, looks like you’re getting some stitches on that big forehead of yours tonight. I’m driving.”

  “I have a big forehead?” Dawson asked, rubbing his head.

  “Just get in, ya jackass,” Carigan scolded, getting a laugh. She wasn’t one to swear but when she did, it was smothered in her Irish dialect.

  Dawson fired back, “Such an angry leprechaun, O’Reilly!” Then ran to his side of the truck to avoid her wrath.

  She closed the doors to the ambulance, jumped in, and drove off. Blake and Morgan watched the ambulance leave with their friends inside. They were glad their injuries appeared minor and were hopeful they would check out as such.

  “Did you notice how she wouldn’t even look at us?” Morgan asked. “Of course you did, what am I saying?”

  “Yeah, I noticed. Something is going on there. She had a chance to say something and didn’t. She’s afraid. Really afraid,” he said scratching his chin.

  “Victim or perp?” She asked, hoping it wasn’t the later. She had really come to like Meg and didn’t want to find that she was a criminal.

  “I want to say vic. Remember that day, on the side of the road, with the flat tire?” He questioned, provoking Morgan’s memory. She nodded in response, acknowledging the incident.

  “When I went to pull the jack and spare from the trunk, there was a suitcase and a bag of money.”

  “On the run,” she stated, rather than question. She was trained to recognize that as a classic symptom or behavior of an abuse victim.

  “It gets better. It wasn’t a random flat; it was intentional, or appeared to be.” He offered. “I noticed a dark sedan off to the side of the road, just beyond where we were. It was there when we arrived, but turned around and left after we got there,” he finished.

  “If they were already there, why didn’t they offer to help?” Morgan questioned, catching on.

  “Exactly. I wasn’t sure it mattered, until now. I think we need to look in to Megan Johnson a little closer. We may have trouble in our town, and our friends are in the line of fire,” Blake said, full of worry.

  They would do their job, follow the clues, and not say a word until there was something to share or someone to arrest. Blake’s intuition ran deep, almost too deep for his liking and he didn’t like the weight this left in his gut.

  Chapter 15

  Several days quietly went by, and Megan had found herself going stir crazy. Her house was uninhabitable, and although everyone from Granny Lou to even Jessie offered to put her and Jax up until the repairs were done on her house, Colton wouldn’t hear of it. He had every reason in the book, pleading his case as the most logical host.

  He used everything from it being easier to oversee repairs, given the proximity of her house, to Duke and the other animals missing them. She concluded that it was less about the animals and more about him needing her close. He had been hovering, waiting on her hand and foot, even had friends over to “visit” when he had to leave. She didn’t need a babysitter, but given the circumstances, she understood why he felt she did.

  It had been a horrifying night, sheer terror as she felt her past closing in on her, with nowhere to run but a closet. The investigation had finally closed as a gas leak from the furnace in the garage. The majority of the damage was isolated to that area and the two interior rooms that butted up against the garage.

  The rest of the house was fine other than the smoke damage, which was easily repaired, considering. Her car, although in the driveway at the time, sustained damage from the heat of the blaze. Funny, her instinct was to run, but her means to do so wasn’t available to her, irony at its best.

  So here she was, roaming from window to window looking for cars that didn’t belong or strangers that were up to no good. Time certainly wasn’t on her side. If this was indeed a warning, or worse, an attempt on her life, it was only a matte
r of time before her number was up. He, or perhaps it was “they”, would be back.

  She didn’t want to run. She loved her town, her shop, all of their friends. This community felt more like home than anywhere else. So did he. He was her heart, and she couldn’t bring herself to break it. Maybe she could stay. Maybe, she thought, she should tell him. He said he wanted to protect her, take care of her. Maybe he could help her. But, would it be worth putting his life at risk too?

  Construction was due to start on her house in the coming days, and she would be able to move back in by Christmas. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. She had managed to settle in at Colton’s quite nicely, and her nerves had calmed allowing her new perspective. It had been a random accident, the investigation confirmed it, and she was determined to keep her demons at bay, taking away the power they had over her. She had become her own worst enemy, turning nothing into a bunch of somethings.

  Eventually, sometime soon, she would talk to Colton about her past. It was the final nail to be put in that coffin before she could truly leave it behind and move on. The nagging guilt of carrying such a dramatic secret was the source of her short comings. It made her anxious, fearful, and suspicious when there was nothing to worry about to begin with. Telling him everything would free her of that bondage that held her trapped in her own circumstance. For now, she was safe, more importantly, she was happy.

  Happy had been a distant friend until now. She finally felt content, felt like she belonged, felt like she was wanted for more than her money and status. Colton made her genuinely happy and made her realize there was more to her than those things too. He was healing, and exactly what she had needed at such a vulnerable time, allowing her the clarity to see her purpose and that she was fulfilling her destined role, here in McKenzie Ridge.

  Sharing his bed each night made her happy too. She was done running. She was ready to start really living, and own her new life. No regrets.

  ***

  While Meg was working, Colton found himself sitting with his pets, on his front porch, twiddling his thumbs for the first time in his adult life. He never sat alone, on his porch, talking to his animals…bored. In a matter of just a few months Megan turned his world upside down, he couldn’t even remember what it was like before her. She filled the gaping hole he had been carrying most of his life. She was his missing piece, she completed him.

  Getting Meg back to work today was a good idea, he thought, but he couldn’t help but worry. It was hard to leave her, but he knew he couldn’t hover any more than he had. She was getting restless; he could see it, feel it even.

  Something had not been right about the fire, despite the “accidental nature”. Her reaction was another issue. Sure fear made sense, but she was absolutely spooked, petrified, like she had seen a ghost. Rather than run from the danger, she hid in the middle of it.

  He pained for her, ached for answers. He would do anything to take that fear away. He waited his entire life for her and he wouldn’t let anything happen to her. He would take her demons, fears, anxieties, hurt, and pain and absorb every last bit of it for her. He knew the night they met, months ago, that she was special—she was his.

  He had fallen harder each day since that first meeting. Love at first sight is such a cliché he didn’t think he believed in it, but he did believe in fast love. He was in so deep, he ached for her. Everything she felt, he felt deeper.

  He knew she had fallen for him, but wouldn’t let him in entirely, she was afraid to. It wasn’t only obvious to him, but to everyone. He saw it on their faces, in their words, in their hugs goodbye. She had a family here, and it started with him.

  He would find a way to get through to her, get her to open up. He couldn’t have another night like the night of the fire. He had lived through enough loss in his life, and he was done with it. He would do anything for that woman; chase her to the ends of the earth and back, over and over again. It made him sound weak, needy, and insecure, but he was anything but. His vulnerabilities are what made him strong, and made him the right man for Megan. He loved her.

  He couldn’t imagine a life absent of Meg. He wanted to love her forever. All he needed to do now was get through that stubborn wall of hers and convince her that she needed to love him forever too.

  ***

  Megan closed Blooming Grounds early to prepare for the ladies to arrive for a meeting. Colton stopped in to pick up Jax so the ladies could have their committee meeting in a kid-free zone. He noticed the bottles of wine and glasses set on the table. There was beer as well…Jessie.

  He was glad she was cutting loose and having a relaxing night. He held her close, giving her a detailed promise of what was waiting for her at home. He lifted her off the ground, while he gave her a preview by way of a steamy kiss that would blush the cheeks of just about anyone who may have walked in on them.

  When he set her on the table, facing the front of the store, she noticed a man staring at her from across the street, causing her to gasp. She pushed Colton away and stood, frozen in place, shocked. Colton grabbed her shoulders and asked what was wrong. He turned the direction she was staring and saw a lone car pass by, and wandering tourists.

  “Meg, seriously, what is it?”

  “Oh, sorry. I thought I saw someone standing there, but I don’t know where he went?”

  Colton turned again, there still wasn’t anyone standing there, just the passersby and light traffic. Nobody was standing there, watching them. Perhaps she was having a flash back, he thought.

  “I’m sorry, Colton. It must have been a shadow or something, I don’t know. I just thought I saw someone out of the corner of my eye. I didn’t mean to worry you!” She wrapped her arms around him, and let out a deep breath. This really needed to stop happening, she thought.

  “It’s okay.” He kissed her for reassurance. “You just need a break. Have fun tonight, I’ll see you later.”

  With one last kiss, he propped Jax on his shoulders and went for the door just as the ladies started filing in. She wouldn’t be alone, providing them both relief.

  Chapter 16

  Blooming Grounds resembled the likes of a hot hen house. The final committee meeting for the week long Holiday Hoe Down Bizarre and Crystal Showdown Gala was underway. Their meeting was accompanied by an impromptu “wine tasting” that may or may not have made their little meeting more of a girls’ night drink fest. The more they drank, the louder they got, and looser the conversation.

  Megan was especially loose and on glass number who knew what, of wine. She needed to get lost in the alcohol and forget her troubles for the night, which was a recipe for disaster in the making. She knew the man across the street was real. Like the last time she caught someone watching her, she found him familiar, but couldn’t place him.

  He wasn’t a customer; it would have been an obvious connection. Who was he? Why was he looking in her shop and where did he go? Maybe she was losing her mind, time for another drink.

  “It sounds like everything is on track!” Sam said to the group, while clapping her hands. “This is going to be our best year yet!”

  “I’ll drink to that. It’s going to be fan-fucking-tastic!” Meg deadpanned, lifting her glass to all the ladies around the table. All eyes were wide and jaws dropped. “We are going to celebrate this shiizt,” she finished, before tossing back her glass and chugging the last of her wine.

  “What the hell? Fancy Pants just dropped an ‘F’ bomb? Oh this is good!” Jessie joked, laughing hysterically at her swaying and slurring friend.

  “Oh honey, I think it’s time to switch cups. Let’s get you some coffee!” Evie said, moving to the barista bar to make the much needed sobering sauce.

  Her giggle wasn’t as subtle as she had hoped. She had to agree with Jessie, this was funny, right up there with toddlers swearing. You know you shouldn’t laugh, but can’t help yourself because it’s so shocking when it happens.

  Jessie grabbed an open bottle and reached over to fill the glass Meg was twisti
ng upside down and shaking violently, as if it just needed help to refill itself. Meg let out a slushy sounding hiccup that ended in a little burp that was so out of character, it even caught her by surprise as she quickly covered her mouth, trying unsuccessfully to stifle her giggle. Burping had never been funny, until now.

  “Here ya go, Princess! I got you, girl!” She said with a mischievous laugh while filling that glass back up. It earned her an excited, wide-eyed giggle from her schnockered friend.

  Carigan weighed in on Jessie’s doings, “Jessie, come on, I don’t know if that’s such a good idea, she’s already pretty hammered.” Her disapproval was anything but believable. Her wide smile and laughter while a two handed wine drinking Megan tried to line her glass up with her mouth.

  “Oh she’ll be fine, won’t you honey?” Gran asked, as tossing her own glass back. Her “arthritis” must have been acting up again because her glass wasn’t full of wine or beer, but she was clearly just steps behind Megan in the sloshed department. Gran drank for medicinal purposes only, after all.

  She just carried her inebriation a little better, more experience. Lou Shaw was no dummy, once the coffee came out, she knew the liquor was done for. If she fed the girl wine, no one would be watching her. So enabler was her mantra for the evening, mostly because she didn’t bring the bottle of booze that compliments coffee.

  “Megan, lets sober you up sister, have you even been drunk before? Oh my God, honey let’s leave our shoes on,” Morgan plead, until the shoes proved to be a walking hazard. High heels and drinking didn’t mix, especially with a virgin drunk. “Better yet, you sit, I’ll get the shoes.”