CHAPTER 15 - CHANCE

I finished up early making the cast, and since the drive hadn’t been as long as I thought it would be, I thought I’d get home early to see what Dream had cooking. It was nice thinking about someone waiting for me at home, almost like having a wife. Not that I’d do that again. One mistake was enough for a lifetime.

But I liked having her with us, and if she was willing to stick around, I would be willing to see where it went.

I was zoned into the road when something flashed in my rearview mirror. At first, I thought it was lights, but then I realized, it was a car’s windshield reflecting.

The car was not the same as the one from before. This one had a long silver streak down the side where the paint had been rubbed off in an accident, and a huge dent in the front. It got close on my tail, and the front windshield’s glare made it impossible to see inside.

I wouldn’t have known Nick if I’d seen him. So I would have had no way of knowing it was him, but I had a pretty good idea. I decided to turn down one of the hunting lease roads, where I knew I could easily lose the car if it followed. When I took the dirt path, the car turned behind me, and I kicked up my speed and caused a stir of dust to surround him.

Knowing I had a good lead, I turned down one of the wider side trails where I knew I could loop back around to the main road, and sure enough, when I did, the car was nowhere in sight. I decided to take one more detour home, hoping that if it was her ex, I’d have the advantage of knowing the back roads.

With him on my mind and knowing how persistent the guy had been in the past, I realized he might have seen my vehicle the other day and checked it out. He’d have found the address if he had, so I thought it might not have been a good idea to leave her there all alone.

Panic came over me, but I kept telling myself that I was overreacting. I decided to call the number just to be sure, and I’d go ahead and tell her to be on the lookout for Nick, just in case.

I dialed and tapped my fingers nervously when she didn’t answer. Then I dialed the house, but that led to nowhere too. I hurried and dialed Cynthia as quickly as I could and felt a rush of relief when she answered the phone.

“Hey, Chance. I was just about to ring you myself.” Cynthia’s voice was strained, and I could hear Star in the background asking to talk to me. “Just a moment,” Cynthia said with a muffled voice.

“Why aren’t you at the house? Did you invite Dream to yours?”

Cynthia let out a breath. “No, Dream left. She got a phone call about an hour ago, and though she said it was nothing, I didn’t believe her, but she wouldn’t answer me when I asked if it was the person she was running from. I knew something had to be up with her. She up and left in such a hurry; told me to tell you that she was sorry.” Cynthia’s concern was evident in her tone.

“Shit!” I said, slamming the heel of my hand on the steering wheel. “Cynthia, I need to you keep Star at your house and keep your doors locked. Don’t go out or answer to anyone until you hear from me again, ok?” I knew Cynthia was not your typical little old lady neighbor. She had a gun and a permit to use it, and we’d gone target shooting a few times before. I knew she’d be able to protect herself and Star if need be.

“We’ll be fine here Chance. You just go get Dream and please be careful,” she said.

“I’m not the one who needs to be afraid,” I said, my voice a low growl.

I hung up the phone and dialed Dream’s number again, hoping she’d answer and tell me where she was. I turned on my phone and went to the GPS app I’d set up in case I needed to find her. I felt horrible doing it without her knowledge, but I needed to know she was safe and I’d had the opportunity. Surprisingly, she was in the next town, and she wasn’t moving.

I dialed her number again, and then when she still didn’t answer, I texted her to let her know I’d just keep calling. Finally, I got a call back. Her voice was a panicked rush when she answered. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t put Star in danger. He knows where you live.” She was sobbing uncontrollably.

“You can’t run forev—Shit!” The car came out of nowhere, and this time it was the same car that had been waiting out front of the diner. “I’m being followed. Don’t go anywhere. I know where you’re at. I’ll lose him, and then I’m coming for you. Wait inside the bus station and don’t come out until I get there. Cynthia has Star and can go with my friend for a few days. I’ll call Austin, and we’ll get this worked out. I don’t want you to live this way. He has to be stopped.”

“There’s something you need to know about him. He’s a sociopath, and he has no remorse. He’s told me that he’d killed before.”

“I’ve killed too, Dream. I’m not afraid of that or him. I’m not going to let you deal with this alone.”

“You don’t owe me anything, Chance. What happened between us, it was amazing, and I wish we could have more, but I can’t drag you into what’s happening. The only way to stop him is to kill him. As much as I hate him, I can’t do that. I can’t ask anyone else do that either.”

“Dream, you have to trust me.” She had no idea what being a SEAL meant, and I wasn’t above using my past to take care of the likes of Nick the ex.

“Wait, you said you know where I am.” I had a feeling my tracking her wasn’t going to sit well. I didn’t need to break our trust, but I knew I couldn’t lie either.

“When I set up the new phone, I put a locator on it.”

“Shit,” she said with a huff. “I should have known.”

“Look, I only did it to make sure that if you were in danger, I could find you.”

“I’m not your responsibility, Chance, I’m a grown woman. You should run the other way screaming.”

“I care about you, and I’m not leaving you for him to find. He’s right behind me. I’m going to have to lose him and then I’m on my way.”

She sniffled, and her voice broke as she begged me, “Please be safe. I feel horrible this is all happening.”

“I know, but it’s not your fault. None of this is. He’s a sick asshole, and he needs to be put out of his misery. Talk soon. Keep your phone handy. Promise me, Dream. Promise you will stay put.”

“Okay, fine. I promise. I need to know you’re safe.” She sounded so sad that I wanted to grab her and hold her. She was so concerned for me and Star that she was putting herself at risk to keep us safe.

“I’ll be safe. Don’t you worry? We’ll all be safe, baby.” I saw my cut-through road coming up and knew it was my last chance to lose Nick, who seemed content to drive calmly behind me without staying too close. I knew I’d take the road last minute, and hopefully he’d pass the turn, and I’d buy myself some space.

Sure enough, I whipped into the street and barreled down it, throwing up more dust. When I got to another road, one that went up into the woods, I pulled in and waited for him to pass, which he did without seeing me, and I waited a moment and turned and headed out the way I came. Having lost him, and led him out of the way, I headed toward Dream and hoped whoever he had helping him, whoever had been in that other car, they’d be long gone too.

I made it to the bus station and found her in a phone booth stall in the back out of sight. “Smart girl.” I drove up, and she hurried over to my truck. She hopped inside, and I pulled back into another stall.

“I lost them.”

“Them?”

“He seems to have someone helping him; either that or he’s swapping cars. There were two different ones on me, and I don’t think it was a coincidence.”

I told you he had friends that would help him. They’re all as crazy as he is. They don’t care that he beats me and rapes me. They all just look out for one another so they can call on one another to do each other’s dirty work when they need it. Leave me here Chance. There’s a bus to Canada in forty minutes. Let me get on it and I’ll be gone for good. I’ll be out of your hair and you can go back to living your nice quiet life.”

“There’s only one problem with that,” I said to her.

“What?” she asked me.

“There’s not one fucking way in hell I’m letting you go.”