But perhaps most perplexing of all—no Jax. Where the hell did that kid go? Maybe the police cars and chaos surrounding the house had scared the kid away?
After making plans to start back from square one first thing in the morning, Hunter dropped Luke off at his truck.
He’d just rolled into town—his head spinning in a hundred directions, including what it would feel like to run his fingers over Scar’s…
Jesus Christ.
He needed a drink. No, he needed food, first, then a drink.
Just as the thought of a greasy burger made his mouth water, he passed Gollum’s Grill and hit the brakes—a light was on.
No way. Could he be that lucky?
He whipped it into the parking lot just as a pair of headlights lit up his rearview mirror. He frowned and instinctively checked for his gun. Being the tiny town that it was, Devil’s Den shut down at nine p.m.. He hadn’t passed a single vehicle on his way into town.
A brand-new Lexus with blacked-out windows pulled up next to him.
A minute ticked by. Finally, the window rolled down.
“Is it open?”
With his hand covering his gun, Luke squinted to see in the car but could only make out the outline of the man’s profile.
“Don’t think so.”
“Damn,” the man said. “Long day. Needed some food.”
“I hear ya.”
The man shrugged. “Life of an Assistant District Attorney, I guess.”
The ADA? What the hell was the ADA doing driving around at one in the morning? Luke had met him a few times. He was new, filling the position after his buddy, Dennis, retired. What was the guy’s name again?
“You’re Officer West, right?”
“Right. I’m sorry…”
“Paul.”
Paul.
“That’s right.”
Paul shifted in his seat. “Well, I guess I’ll have to go dig something out of the freezer, then. Have a good night, Officer West.”
Luke nodded. “You, too, Paul.”
Paul… as in the same guy who’d just sent Scar flowers? Possessiveness gripped him... which only meant one thing—he was totally, one-hundred percent falling for Scarlett Knight.
He stared in the rearview mirror and watched the shiny car’s taillights fade into the distance.
**
Scar parked in a tight spot between Dixie’s beat-up pickup and Roxy’s latest shiny import, in a small clearing surrounded by woods. Her sisters had searched the woods around the library, finding nothing, then moved further into the mountains. Her last communication with them was thirty minutes earlier when Roxy had informed her that they were setting up camp and going to get some sleep before starting the search again.
She took a deep breath. She couldn’t tell them about the deal she’d made with Ms. Thorne, and she’d decided not to tell them about Maddie’s murder, either. It would open the door to too many questions, and she wanted them to focus solely on their search for Fiona.
She turned off the engine.
The sound of nature surrounded her—a million bugs chirping and screaming in the dark night, wind rustling through the trees. The scurrying of whatever nocturnal critters were watching her, interested in the uninvited visitor.
She grabbed her backpack, bag, flashlight and cell phone and got out of the Jeep. According to Roxy, the girls were about a mile in, camping along a stream, close to Devil’s Lake. Should be an easy hike.
She slung her bag over her shoulder, keeping easy access to her Glock in the front pocket. After clicking on her flashlight, she descended into the woods.
The clouds from earlier had drifted away and an eerie silver glow illuminated the woods. Shadows swayed across the ground, slowly back and forth in the breeze.
She zipped up her jacket.
She loved nature, always had, and being smack-dab in the middle of the woods was her favorite place in the world. There was something so peaceful about being alone in nature. So stress-free. So still. It wasn’t uncommon for Scar to take off for an hour in the middle of the day for a quick visit to the trails. It cleared her mind.
But not tonight.
Tonight, the stillness made her uneasy. The silence put her on alert. The solitude made her feel unsafe.
Just get to the campsite, Scar.
She pressed on at a decent speed, keeping her light on the ground and her head on a swivel. Finally, voices carried through the wind, and just ahead she saw a twinkling light of a campfire through the trees.
She didn’t make it two more steps when a chill shot up her spine. She stopped, slowly slid her hand into her bag and gripped her gun.
She wasn’t alone.
The faintest scent of beer tickled her nose, and she grinned. “It’s me, Dix. It’s Scar.”
With a loud exhale, Dixie stepped out from behind a tree and lowered her gun. “You about lost one of those braids from your head, my dear.”
Scar laughed, and they embraced.
“You on watch?”
“Yep, another thirty minutes.”
“Watching for intruders, or watching the bottom of your beer disappear?”
Dixie grinned. “Hey, it’s been a hell of a day. Half our luggage is booze.” She patted Scar’s back. “Come on; I’ll get you one.”
“Sounds like heaven.”
Dixie led Scar through the woods. The familiar voices brought a smile to her face. God, she loved them so much.
“How’s Ace?”
“Wanting to be here, but he’s proving to be valuable where he is. I’m having him run down some things for me.”
Dixie glanced over her shoulder. “Anything I need to know about?”
Scar swallowed. “No, nothing big.”
Dixie broke her stride, turned and looked at Scar. She stared at her for a moment. “Okay. You let me know how I can help.”
Scar smiled. Being the skilled private investigator she was, Dixie knew instantly that Scar wasn’t telling her something. And being the sister she was, she knew when to let it slide.
They stepped out of the tree line, side by side.
“Scar!” With her curly, chestnut brown hair knotted loosely on the top of her head, Harley jumped up, spilling half her beer. She glanced at the puddle on the ground, “Dammit,” then back to Scar. “How the hell are you? How’d the visit with Ms. Thorne go?”
“Well, look what the cat dragged in.” Roxy turned from the raging fire, a tired smile on her face, a Styrofoam cup filled with wine in her hand.
Raven tossed her a beer from the cooler, her long dark hair tied elegantly to one side, and smiled. “Good to see ya.”
Scar caught the beer in mid-air. “Thanks.” She twisted the top and took a deep sip. She looked at Roxy’s ankle, which she had sprained days earlier, after falling into a secret tunnel hiding two skeletons under their house. True to form, not even excruciating pain could keep the badass, oldest sister from searching for Fiona. “How’s the ankle?”
“Hurts like a bitch.” She raised her wine. “Currently medicating.” She motioned to a log next to the fire. “Sit. Take a load off.”
Scar did just that and looked around the campsite. Logs, for seating, had been pulled around a fire, its flames flicking up to the dark sky. The moon sparkled off the creek, the sound of the water running over the rocks filling the air. Tents were constructed sporadically along the shoreline and in the woods—the ladies of Black Rose needed their privacy, of course.
There were five tents—not six.
She frowned, leaned forward. “Any sign of her?”
Roxy shook her head. “No.”
“Krestel?”
“No.”
Harley repeated her initial question. “Tell us about your conversation with Ms. Thorne. Did she see Fiona?”
Scar took another sip, finding her words. “Yeah, right before closing. She saw her returning the books. Claims they never spoke.”
Dixie shook her head. “Liar.”
“Eithe
r way, we know Fi got out before the fire. Thorne promises she didn't see her in the building when she locked up, and, as you all know, I found her shoe in the woods. So we know she got out.”
Roxy nodded. “She was either running from something, or someone took her. What else did Thorne say?”
She glanced down for a moment. “Nothing, but the man I saw running into the woods… we think it could be Thorne’s ex-husband. Walter. Fresh out of jail.”
“No shit?”
“No shit.”
“Did Thorne say anything about him? That she’d seen him?”
“Just that she thinks she saw a man walking toward the library while she was driving home. Before the fire.”
Roxy narrowed her eyes. “Who’s we? You said we think the mysterious runner could be Walter?”
Scar took a quick sip. “Ace and I… and Officer West.”
Dixie’s eyebrows shot up. “Officer West? The smoldering hot police officer that hates your guts?”
Scar laughed, feeling her cheeks begin to heat. “Yeah. He’s the one who found me in the woods behind the library before you guys got there.”
“Surprised he didn’t accidentally shoot you.” Harley waved air-quotes with her fingers. “Is he still holding a grudge over you closing that case for him? He should be thanking you; kissing your cute little ass.” Her voice trailed off, “Or mine, for that matter…”
Raven laughed.
Roxy glanced up, searching her memory. “That’s right… gosh, that was, what? Five years ago? What case was that again?”
Shit. She needed to change the subject.
Dixie spoke up. “Ace is looking into the Walter angle? Good.” She cut a glance toward Roxy. “And we’re pursuing the Krestel angle. If Krestel has her.”
Scar’s gut twisted as she nodded. Even without the girls knowing about her secret deal with Thorne—Krestel’s Evil Eye—the coincidences were too great to ignore. It had been in the back of her mind since the moment she knew Fi was missing.
They needed to destroy that damn evil witch ASAP.
She shifted in her seat. “Any progress on finding the Great Shadow Book of Secrets?”
The group cast wary glances at each other, sending Scar’s back straightening. Finally, Roxy said, “We’ve got a theory… What if Fiona found the freaking book tonight? What if that's why she's gone?”
A chill iced her veins—the book. The Great Shadow Book of Secrets, otherwise known as the only book that holds all of Krestel's curses, spells and evil magic, and the only book that contains a spell to destroy a witch. She hadn’t considered that maybe Fiona had found it. She’d only been concerned with finding Athena, which, in turn, would lead her to Fiona. She hadn’t even stopped to think about why Fiona went missing.
Harley leaned forward, “Maybe this Walter guy knows something.”
Scar stood, draining her beer. “Let me figure that out; I’m taking lead on that. You guys hit the sack. I’m going to set up camp on the cliff above Devil’s Lake.” Athena’s last known location, she thought.
“Hell’s Cove, huh?”
She nodded, grabbed her bag.
Dixie stood and being her protective self, said, “Want me to come with you?”
“No. You guys stay here. I could use a little solitude.”
“You always did love being alone in the woods.”
Nerves swept over her—alone. In the woods. Tonight might be the only time she truly didn’t want to be alone in the woods.
She turned. “Get some sleep, girls.”
“You, too, Scar. Breakfast at five a.m., and then we’ll head out.”
“See you then.”
CHAPTER 16
2 a.m.
Scar folded her arms behind her head and gazed through the mesh cut-out of her tent at the stars twinkling in the sky. Her feet were sore, her body ached, and she had a gnarly headache pounding between her temples. Above all else, she was starving.
She hadn’t had a thing to eat since lunchtime, and even then, it was a quinoa bowl and sliced apple.
Hell of a day to try to eat healthy.
She hadn’t even thought to grab something at the office on her way out—thank you very much, Luke. She’d been so flustered from him seeing her buck-naked, well, almost buck-naked. But, really, the teeny-tiny lace thong she had on didn’t leave much to the imagination. Hell, she might as well have been buck-naked.
Oh, my God. She was still humiliated.
She bit her lip, squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. He didn’t even give her the chance to suck in her stomach! Nope, he just came around the corner while she was jumping up and down, boobs jiggling like jello while trying to yank off her damn sock.
Dammit.
She was no prude, of course, but could a gal have a moment to prepare before the hottest man in town saw her naked?
She sighed.
She had a decent body, though, right? Curvy hips and butt, like all the Knight sisters had. And a nice pair of C-cups. A good, solid, handful. Every man could appreciate that, right? But maybe he liked his women super skinny, though… or, hell, maybe super curvy. Big butts sure were on trend. Maybe she should eat more to round the thing out a bit more…
Oh, my God, Scar. Stop!
She rolled her eyes. Why was she questioning herself? Why was she being so insecure about what he’d seen? Who gave a shit?
She blew out a breath—she did. She gave a shit.
Because she liked him.
Dammit, dammit, dammit.
She took another deep breath and forced her eyes closed.
Go to sleep, Scar. You need to have a clear, crisp mind for tomorrow. You’ll get her tomorrow.
Just then—snick.
A chill shot up her spine as her eyes darted open.
Was someone…
Another twig snapped.
Shit.
She reached under her pillow, grabbed her gun, and froze. The thin tent walls were practically see-through. Her eyes rounded as a dark shadow stretched across the cliff in front of her. Definitely too tall to be one of the girls. A man?
Her pulse picked up. Could he see the outline of her body through the tent?
One slow footstep closer, then another. Then, another.
She slid her finger over the trigger, her heart pounding. A cold sweat broke out over her skin as the man silently stepped across the large rock, stopping in front of her tent door.
She slowly lifted her head, aiming the gun at the door flap as the sound of the zipper ripped through the silence.
She slowly squeezed the trigger…
“Scar?” A deep voice whispered.
Her mouth dropped open. “Oh. My. God, Luke!” She sat up and yanked back the flap.
Luke sat in a squat, his back to the edge of the cliff, with the moonlight shining down on him. His brown eyes immediately locked on the gun in her hand. “I scared you…”
She gave him an are-you-fucking-kidding-me look.
His eyes widened. In embarrassment? Strike two, was he thinking?
“I’m sorry. I thought you might be sleeping, so I tried to be quiet.” He flashed a forgive-me smile and raised a big brown bag. “I brought you food.”
Grease stained the side of the bag and her mouth watered. “Is this I’m sorry for barging in on you naked, or I’m sorry for scaring the shit out of you?”
“Both.” He held up a small cooler. “And just to seal the deal…”
Her eyes lit up. Regardless of her humiliation earlier, this man had booze. “Welcome, then. Come on in.”
He ducked inside and sat beside her. He’d changed clothes into a thin black T-shirt under a leather jacket, jeans, and combat boots. And based on the delightfully fresh scent that swept past her as he sat, he’d grabbed a shower, too.
She clicked on a small lantern as Luke opened the bag and the heavenly smell of French fries perfumed the air. Unable to hide her excitement, she smiled from ear to ear.
She was excited. Shockingly so. Not j
ust because of the food, but because of him. He was there with her, on this crazy journey, again, and a weight lifted from her. She wasn't alone.
He pulled out a large basket of fries, two bacon cheeseburgers—extra cheese—and two freshly baked brownies; the kind with the little crushed walnuts on top.
She gaped at him as if he’d snuck contraband into prison. “It’s two in the morning, where did you get this?”
He smiled at her, enjoying her happiness. “A buddy of mine is the cook at Gollum’s Grill—a name I figured you’d enjoy. Anyway, after Hunter dropped me off at my truck, I swung by. He always stays hours after closing.” He grinned. “He’s got a poker table in the back; invites his buddies. Illegal gambling.”
“Good thing a cop doesn’t know about that.”
He grinned, winked. “I haven’t paid for a single meal there in years.” He separated the food and opened the cooler. “Beer?”
She gave him another are-you-kidding look. “Can you just inject it directly into my vein?”
He laughed.
She bit into her burger and closed her eyes. It was the best burger she’d ever had. “How did you know I was here?”
“You said you were going to join the search and Hunter told me where your sisters set up camp. But, I knew you’d come here, hoping Athena might show up again.” He bit into his burger, taking a third of it in one bite.
“Nice detective work.”
He looked at her and winked. “I learn from the best.” He swallowed. “Have they found anything? Any sign of Fiona?”
She popped a ketchup-covered fry into her mouth and shook her head.
“Damn. Did you…”
“No. I didn’t tell them anything. Not even about Maddie’s murder.”
“Probably for the best.”
She nodded.
He sipped his beer and stared thoughtfully at the ground before saying, “You really are good at what you do, Scar. And… I’m sorry about everything before.”
Evil Eye Page 10
