Chapter Twenty-Seven

Rayne

When I wake up, I’m alone.

I frown. I reach across the bed to confirm that there is no large, comfortable pillow of a man next to me anymore. I crack open an eyelid and realize that it’s still quite dark. The subtle light of day struggles to pour through the window.

Where is he?

I toss the covers off and realize that I’m not cold. Usually the fire goes out in the night, and we have to start it again to warm up early the next day. It seems curious to me that I don’t have to do that. Maybe Lorn couldn’t sleep, and he’s reading in the living room?

The thought of Lorn hunched over a book with his burly shape and his robust beard has me grinning. Somehow, over the course of my time here, he has become dearer to me than anything. I ache to be near him, and his absence has me feeling unsettled.

My bare toes land on the wood floor as I make a quick exit in search of my mountain man. When I open the door, I can tell that the fire has been stoked. The scent of hot coffee permeates the air. I head in the direction of the kitchen and cast a glance at the table there.

Holy hell, that was a hot night. With Lorn, it seems to get better and better every time, and I’m looking forward to our next session. What new ways can I explore my sexual world with Lorn Hart?

My heart flutters at the thought, even as I continue my search for him. It’s not like he’s hard to find. Cabin’s pretty small. Man’s pretty big. The coffee press is set on the counter, and a steaming cup of sits next to it with a note.

My heart sinks.

I lean over and read the piece of paper. Lorn’s writing is neat and clear, written in all capital letters. So masculine.

Rayne,

The generator went out at the main cabin again. Didn’t want to wake you. I won’t be long. Enjoy some coffee, and I’ll be with you before you finish the last sip. Keep the doors locked. Don’t go out and find me. I’ll be ten minutes at the most.

Yours,

Lorn

PS Did I ever tell you that you have a perfect, perfect ass?

I chuckle as I read the last of the letter. What a goon Lorn is. I cast a glance at the coffee on the counter, then look back at the note.

I don’t want to sit here and wait for him. Besides, wasn’t it he who said I shouldn’t be alone? A wave of uneasiness washes over me, and I glance at the front door. I’m angry because I’m scared. I’m an adult woman. I should be able to survive twenty minutes in a cabin by myself without Lorn standing guard over me, right?

Larry’s face flashes across my mind’s eye. I don’t feel that way. Not at all.

I need to get to Lorn.

I rush of panic sweeps through my belly, and it sours with the anger, right after. Will I ever be free of the fear? Will I ever get to live a normal life?

I change into a pair of sturdy jeans and a thick sweater, then slide a jacket over it and slip my socked feet into my boots. When I step outside, the misty swirl of early morning meets my gaze. I squint my eyes as I try and focus on the path to take. Granted, I’m not the best at navigating in the woods, but this morning I have an advantage. It hasn’t snowed since Lorn left, and my gaze lands on a sturdy set of footprints heading off in the direction of the main cabin.

I’m sure that’s the right direction. If I fall off a cliff again, well. I’ll have to be mindful not to. I set out into the snowy path that Lorn left behind as my eyes work to adjust to the dim light of dawn in the mountains. I hold my jacket tight around me as a shiver runs through my body, and I miss the warmth of Lorn’s cabin. It’s so cold out here, perhaps colder given the fact that I’m alone for the first time in ages.

Even before I traveled here, I wasn’t alone. I was with Helen. I was surrounded by people in the city. I was with my driver on the way up. As soon as I got into the woods I ran into Lorn, and I’ve been with him ever since. Every time I’ve been alone, something weird has happened. It’s not a good feeling.

I pick up my pace on the trail. There’s an opening up ahead, and I nearly jog to the edge of the path. When I get there, the main cabin stands large and proud beneath the shadow of the hills and mountains. The front door is propped open, but the front porch light is off, so Lorn hasn’t yet gotten the generator to work.

Honestly, what would Lorn do without me here?

I step closer to the hill, ready to take it slowly so I don’t slip and require more assistance, when I catch sight of something from the corner of my eye. When I turn, my spine turns to ice, and it has nothing to do with the weather.

A short distance away, the face that has haunted my waking and sleeping life for eleven long, horrible years waxes into view.

Larry Corker has finally shown himself.

His long face is gaunt, his hair brownish gray and straggling down to his shoulders. He’s dressed for the weather in a thick jacket and boots, and his eyes gleam with hatred as they watch me from about twenty feet away.

He lifts his hand and wiggles his fingers at me in greeting. That taunting fucker.

I don’t have time to be angry at him, because I’m too fucking scared. This is my boogeyman. The monster from under my bed come to life. He has appeared right out of the woods, and there’s no one here to help me.

I have to save myself.

I turn with a shriek and flee through the woods. I pick a trail and gun it with everything I’ve got, because my life depends on how fast I can run. In hindsight, I probably should have run closer to Lorn, but the truth is, with that hill, Larry would have had the upper ground behind me. If he has a gun, that route equals death.

His footsteps crunch behind me, his panting huffs between the trees. I pick up my pace and sprint as fast as I can through the thick snow. My legs burn at the extra effort it takes to lift them. It’s like running on the beach, though the deep sand is frozen instead of burning. I limp and wince at the shoots of pain in my ankle, then favor it. My lungs also burn as I press on, grateful for all the years I spent as a runner.

I reach a clearing and find that I’ve run to my old cabin, the one with the busted down door.

Great. Super helpful.

He’s closing in. If I don’t lock myself away somewhere, he’s going to catch me out in the open. At least the cabin might have a weapon of some kind I can use.

Like a knife in a gunfight. Oh my god, I’m so screwed.

I sprint on, the cold air stinging my lungs and throat as I fight to get to safer ground. My feet pound over the door and I reach down to lift it up. Somehow, I have the adrenaline to lift the door back up and I slam it closed behind me.

It won’t stay. There’s no way, but it’s another barrier. I slide a few chairs up against the wall, then turn to take in my surroundings.

The kitchen is stocked. There are a few sharp knives in there that I can use. Is there anything better, though? I glance at the woodstove and my gaze lands on the fire poker.

That could work.

I jump as the front door slams against the wall of furniture I laid out. Larry peeks inside, and his dark eyes sparkle with malice when he sees me.

“It’s amazing you’ve been able to live this long, Rayne. You have absolutely no common sense.”

Bile rises to my throat, and I swallow it down as I stare, wide-eyed and afraid, at him. I’ve imagined this meeting in my head, of course. So many times. Every time I have a gun, and I shoot him like he shot my father. I should have been more realistic. Of course, this is how the end would be.

Where’s my god damn mace? I packed it. I did!

Larry rolls his eyes at my attempt at a barrier. He kicks the door aside and shoves the chairs away. They fall over with a resounding crack, and I wince. I take a step back, but he doesn’t move from his place at the doorway. He wants to torture me. He wants to draw this out.

“I’ve been waiting so long to see your face again, Rayne Carr. Look at how you’ve grown. I always knew you would be a beautiful woman. I imagined how you would look every day I was in prison.”

“You look like shit,” I toss back.

I’ve been afraid for far too long. Today my fear has found me, and I have no choice but to face him. When people ask how I went out, they may never know the truth, but I’ll know.

I went out with courage.

Larry chuckles and glances down at himself. “Come now, I don’t look so bad. After so long in the can, I spent a lot of time beefing up, preparing for this moment. With every squat, every chest press, I imagined squeezing your throat until I watched the light fade from those pretty little eyes. I got into the best shape of my life, to be sure that when the time came, I’d be strong enough to overpower you.”

“The local police know you’re here. They aren’t like the others who trusted you. They’re already on their way up.”

Larry lifts a sardonic eyebrow at me. “Come now, Rayne. We both know that’s not true. With the snow up here, nobody’s coming to rescue you. That burly sack of shit has finally left you alone so I can finish the job and move on with my life. You’re done, Rayne. You’ve reached your time of payment for what you did to me. Are you ready to die?”

I square my shoulders and stare into his black, beady eyes. I stare into the face of death itself.

If I have to die, I will fight. My father deserves no less than that, and neither do I.