Knox continued to watch me, forcing me to return his fiery stare. The air caught in my chest; his striking green eyes were captivating and gazed back at me with an intensity that was unnerving. They were framed on top by broad, arching eyebrows while dark circles cast shadows from fatigue. Distracted momentarily, he caught me off guard with his question. “Why did you run away last night?” His tone was aggressive and I gulped.
Without thinking, I responded. “Why do you think?” My tone came off more defensive than I wanted, but I felt like I was being attacked. I glared at him. “How would you feel if you had lost your home in a fire, didn’t know where your family was, and had been taken to a cabin in the woods by strangers?”
Chase shot me a reassuring smile. I wanted to get off to a good start, but Knox was making it difficult. I sighed and decided to ask a basic question. “How do you know each other?”
Knox answered. “We all work together.” Wow, you’re really giving me a lot to go on here.
He narrowed his eyes. “Where did you learn that move you pulled on me last night?” Chase sputtered, almost spitting out the water he was sipping.
I felt intimidated by Knox, but there was no way I was going to give him the satisfaction of knowing it. “My dad taught me.” If he was going to give me short answers, I was going to give him the same in return. My turn. “What were you all doing in the area and at my house? You obviously don’t live in this cabin, so I’m guessing you’re not from around here.”
Chase stayed silent as if waiting for Knox to answer. Knox’s face was unreadable and while I couldn’t be sure he was the leader, both Ethan and Chase seemed to defer to him. Whether through fear, respect, or both, I could see why they may hesitate to contest Knox’s authority.
“You’re right,” Knox responded, “We’re not from here. The three of us live in Santa Cruz and were in the area for our job.” He paused, making me wonder if he was going to stop after that measly explanation. Crossing my arms, I fought the scowl forming on my face.
After a few long moments, Knox continued. “We work in private security and do private investigation on the side. We came to Coleville on assignment . . . and that’s where you come in.” He paused again. “Haley, we were hired to find your dad.”
My pulse started racing. Was he admitting that they were responsible for everything that had happened? Did the guys lead the criminals straight to Dad? I couldn’t help but feel disappointed that Chase, Knox, and Ethan were involved in some way. It was the only explanation that made sense and suddenly I wanted to lash out at them.
Chase interrupted. “We were hired to find your dad, but we had nothing to do with the explosion at your house or your Dad’s disappearance. We don’t know what happened. We want to help you, and we want to figure out what’s going on.”
I watched Chase’s face as he talked. His blue eyes appeared clear and honest. He seemed so sincere, it was almost impossible not to give in and completely trust him then and there.
Knox spoke then, breaking the spell. “You didn’t appear to be carrying a flashlight last night; it made it pretty difficult to find you.”
I scarcely held in a laugh, surprised by the change of subject. “Oh, good. You know I wasn’t trying to be found.”
I felt the air in the room lighten. He scratched his chin, and I could hear the short hairs brushing against his fingers. “Did you drop the flashlight at some point?”
I shook my head. “Nope.” He seemed to be done interrogating me, at least for the moment.
He stopped scratching his chin. “I’m just trying to figure out how you made it two and a half miles in the dark.”
I grinned. “It was simple really, I used my eyes.”
Chase laughed, but Knox narrowed his eyes. “There was barely any light from the moon last night. You mean to tell me you can see in the dark?”
“Sort of.”
He started laughing, a laugh that was deep and hearty. “You’re kidding, right?”
My face felt hot now. “No. I’ve trained myself to see better in the dark. Most of the time, though, I use a special flashlight with red light that helps preserve my natural night vision.” Knox stopped laughing and shook his head.
I furrowed my brow. They had given me some answers, but I still had a lot of questions. I still wanted to know who they were working for. Feeling braver now, I decided to push the issue. “Last night, you promised to tell me the rest of the story. Who hired you to find my dad?”
Knox responded, his voice calm but direct. “I can’t tell you that. I can tell you that we did a full background check on our client and didn’t find any reason to be suspicious of his intentions. Now that we know men were following your dad and he has disappeared, we are concerned about the possibility that our client is involved.”
Knox leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. He dipped his head and massaged his temples with his fingers, eyes closed. “Haley, who do you think was chasing your dad?” He sounded tired.
I considered the best way to respond. Knox and Chase obviously knew a lot more than they initially let on; maybe they were still holding back details that would help me find Dad. With escape no longer an option at this point, I realized I may have to give them a little information if I wanted some myself. Besides, if they were working with the criminals, relating part of Dad’s backstory probably wouldn’t tell them anything new.
My palms felt clammy. I knew providing some information could help, but secrecy and silence were so ingrained in me that any disclosure, however slight, felt like betrayal. I grabbed a pillow from the couch, hugging it tightly. “My knowledge of all of this is very limited; I really only know a few things that my dad told me. Long story short, my dad used to be an undercover cop in Los Angeles.”
I paused, debating the best way to relay the story quickly. “About twelve years ago, he and his partner were working undercover with a criminal organization; I don’t know any names or details. His partner was murdered after his cover was blown, but Dad was able to get away. We went into hiding and have been living in Coleville ever since.”
I’m not sure what I was expecting, but neither Chase nor Knox seemed terribly surprised by this revelation. I hugged the pillow closer, tightening my grip. “As far as I know, our identities and location have remained a secret for all of these years. But, Dad told me that he was spotted a couple of weeks ago in Sacramento by a former colleague, and I’m guessing that’s not a coincidence.”
I let out a breath, feeling relieved by sharing the story but also drained. I was getting hot and the air in the cabin felt stifling. I need fresh air. Forgetting about my ankle, I tried to stand, wanting to head out to the deck. My feet started to give way, and Chase and Knox jumped up simultaneously.
Before I knew it, Knox was standing behind me, his arms supporting me. Chase’s face was full of concern. I sighed. “I just wanted to go out to the deck for some fresh air.”
I was shocked when Knox lifted me into his arms rather than acting as a crutch like Chase had. Out of instinct, I wrapped my arms around his neck and held on for the short walk to the deck. Chase moved to open the sliding door; the cool, fresh air was soothing and I felt somewhat calmer.
Held close to Knox, I was reminded of last night in the woods. A wave of heat washed over me despite the cooler air outside. Looking toward the deck, I coughed. “Sorry I threw dirt at your face. Are you okay?”
He grunted and shrugged his shoulders. “I’ve had worse things done to me.” I wondered what others had tried but imagined most opponents were eventually conquered by Knox. He was too strong and too formidable to face many serious threats. He continued, “I was a little surprised, but I can’t say I blame you; having a stranger approach you in the woods at night is kind of intimidating.”
I grinned. “Yeah. Any more of you guys going to come out of the woodwork?”
Knox said, “Not today.” But based on his dry tone, I really couldn’t tell whether he was serious.
He carefully set me down on the wooden lounge chair. “Thank you for sharing your story, Haley.” I was surprised, but he continued before I could open my mouth, “Ask us more questions and we’ll tell you as much as we can. But, the more we know, the better chance we have of finding your dad.”
For someone who looked so tough, he had been exceedingly gentle. His manner of speaking also varied widely, sometimes seeming gruff and impatient, and then at other times he could be so caring and insightful. Thinking through last night and this morning, I couldn’t help but be intrigued by the dichotomy.
Knox headed toward the house but turned when he had reached the door frame. “Did you know where you were headed last night? Did you have a destination in mind?”
I nodded. “Highway 89.”
He ran his fingers through his hair, and I was mesmerized by the array of golden strands glinting in the sun. “I figured as much. Did you even have a map?”
I shook my head then tapped the side of my head with my index finger. He shook his head, grinning. Although I barely knew him, I sensed that he was impressed. “Let us know when you want to come in.”
Lounging on the deck, I had a nice view of the forest. I inhaled deeply, savoring the fresh, crisp air and the sounds of birds chattering pleasantly as they flitted from branch to branch. Although it was still slightly cool out, the sun was shining, and I was comfortable in my borrowed sweat pants and long-sleeve T-shirt. Occasionally a breeze whispered through the trees making the branches sway and creak, their leaves rustling.
Forcing myself to believe that Dad had to be safe, I debated what to do. Knox, Chase and Ethan hadn’t really given me a reason to doubt them so much, and it was obvious to everyone, including me, that I needed their help. And while I still wasn’t sure who the guys were working for, they at least seemed to be on my side. Could I trust that they really were?