CHAPTER 32
Jessie sat on Blake’s brown leather couch, watching Logan pace from window to window. Neither said a word as they waited to hear that Jason Bolton had been taken care of. Minutes felt like hours as time slowed to a crawl, and patience was a challenge.
When they had come down the ridge from Morgan’s ranch, they had a clear view of what Jason had been doing to their town. It looked like a war zone. There was smoke and fire everywhere. The scanner had gone crazy – they were calling in help from everywhere, even flying in teams from the cities. Dawson and Colton had stayed behind to work the emergencies. It was the last place he would look for them, should he look, and they were much needed.
McKenzie Ridge sat in the middle of a vast forest of dry trees and shrubbery – fire fuel. If they didn’t keep the fires contained, it would be far more than just McKenzie that would be destroyed. With every passing minute, it seemed another fire went up. Some were small dumpster fires…some were more devastating.
Jessie’s emotions were high. She was worried about Blake and the guys, wondering if they had him yet or if they were having to hunt him down like they worried they’d have to. Then, she thought about the condition of their town and considered how her moving there brought the trouble that caused it. She knew she shouldn’t, but she felt guilty.
Trying to focus elsewhere, she thought about what Blake said as they parted ways. He loved her. He actually said it. The words came so naturally – to both of them – that despite her heavy heart, she felt a little joy. It gave her something to look forward to once all of this was behind them. It would be over soon, and Jessie would finally get to start her life…with Blake.
An alarm sounded, pulling her back to present as she watched Logan check the monitor. There was a car coming up the long dirt road that led to Blake’s cabin. It stopped just before it hit the clearing that opened up to his house.
“No fucking way! It’s him.” Logan seethed between gritted teeth. “Stay here. Do not come outside no matter what. I mean it Jessie.”
Logan grabbed his phone from his back pocket and sent Blake a message before he pulled his weapon, cocked it back, and went for the door.
Jessie launched to her feet, consumed with fear. “What if…what if you don’t…come back?”
“I’ll be back…promise. Blake should be here soon. I just texted him. Stay away from the windows.”
“I…I’m…”
Logan hugged her quickly then put his hands on her shoulders, ducking to eye level. “It’s okay. I’ll be right back. This will be over before Blake even gets here.”
Jessie nodded, forcing a small smile. “Be careful.”
Logan disappeared outside. She ran to lock the door behind him, then with her back against the door, slid to the floor, holding her knees.
Jessie could hear movement outside, perhaps the sound of Jason’s feet crunching in the gravel as he approached the house. She couldn’t believe how brazen he was to just show up so boldly. When she heard him climb the front steps, she froze…he was right outside the door.
A second set of steps quickly came up behind, and she heard the scuffle that ensued. Then, a loud thud. Then, nothing at all. She wanted to look outside but couldn’t. Not knowing what happened, or was still happening, was torture. Did Logan prevail, or did Jason?
Jessie ran for Blake’s room, to his nightstand drawer where Blake kept a gun. It wasn’t there. She checked his closet and dresser…all of the weapons were gone. What the hell
, she thought? He must have taken them, preparing for a shootout. She ran down the hall, checking the closet there to no avail. Then, the kitchen. They were all gone. He’d taken everything – or had he? Why would Blake take them all? He could only use a couple at a time and carry a few more than that.
Footsteps behind her caused her to stiffen and close her eyes. She wasn’t alone. “Hello, Jessica.”
That voice sent a chill down her spine – she would never forget it or the terror it was generating. She told herself not to panic. Blake’s on the way…don’t pass out. Fight.
Turning to face him, her hand remained behind her, sifting through the drawer, searching for a knife.
“Looking for this?” Jason asked, holding up a gun.
Her expression must’ve betrayed her and given away the shock and disappointment she felt when she found the knife drawer empty.
“Ah, or one of these?” he asked, holding up a knife. “Do you really think I would miss something like that? That I wouldn’t be prepared for anything
? While you all panicked over a few fires, I was here, grabbing these.”
“Oh, my God…” she said. He had
been there after all. He didn’t set a fire or clue them in, so they’d think they were safe there – when they weren’t.
“Right? Brilliant. I’ve been trying to get to you – alone. We need to talk.”
“No, we don’t. Blake will be here any minute. If you leave now, he’ll never know you were in his house. He finds you here, he’ll kill you.”
“Are you giving me a way out?” A pleased smile, smothered in ego, donned his expression. “After all this time - you still care about me, don’t you? You must know.”
“Know?”
“Everything. How I spent my time in prison, planning our next and last meeting,” he said, as if it were a joyous event.
“Jason, it’s not too late. Just go,” she said.
“I can’t. We have unfinished business.”
“Wh-where’s Logan?” she asked, angry that her voice betrayed her and showed fear.
Jason shrugged, “I took care of him. We need to get away from him. Let’s go.”
“Go?”
“You said your boyfriend was on his way – we need to go. I have a place no one knows about, thirty minutes from here. We can talk there.”
“I-I’m not going anywhere,” she said.
Jason rolled his eyes. “I have a gun – you’re going. Outside…now.”
She went. If he killed her right there in Blake’s house, it would destroy him. He couldn’t live that nightmare twice. Thinking back to what Blake said impressed that somehow; he predicted this outcome – she needed to run. Get outside and run
.
Taking the steps off the porch, one at a time with a gun in her back, she walked. She took in the landscape, getting her bearings while trying to decide how she was going to get away and out of his reach. Out of the gun’s reach.
She jumped in surprise at the heap on the ground, just feet from the porch – it was Logan.
“He’s not a nice guy,” Jason said. “He was a problem for all of us.”
Jessie couldn’t tell if Logan was dead or alive and prayed Blake was nearby. She also couldn’t help but think about what Jason just said – Logan was a problem for everyone. The more Jason talked, the more psychotic he sounded.
They walked toward an unfamiliar car. It wasn’t the one she saw on Liam’s laptop.
“New ride?” she asked, not really caring but stalling.
“How’d you know?” he chuckled.
“Lucky guess.”
“Right. I know you guys have been looking and watching. I switched cars right outside of town,” he admitted. “I’ve known your every move, every plan. Smart guys, those O’Reillys. Blake and the other guy too. Just not as smart as me. They only saw me when I wanted them to, found what I wanted them to find. Like that Portland warehouse. That was great! We really got them there. They didn’t find the tunnels that run under that part of town. We got out unseen.”
We
? Did he think she was a part of his we
?
“Pretty clever – still a little crazy though.”
“Maybe. I’d have to be to go along with this,” he said.
Go along with what?
She thought. Was there someone else? Someone helping him? Was he here too? Jason Bolton was a disturbed individual who lived in a fantasy world that was his mind. There was no telling how many we’s
lived in his head.
“So, why didn’t you tell? You know, about your buddy that…weekend?” she asked, referring to the other man she remembered helping and participating in her torture. Maybe he was part of the we
he was referring to.
“Stop. Talking. I don’t want to talk about that…or him.” Bolton said, clearly triggered by mention of the other guy. “We’ll have time to talk later. We need to get you out of here first.”
He was eerily calm, and something felt off. He was crazy, sure, but something felt off, even about his level of crazy. He’d just spent ten years in a cage, alone with his thoughts. There was nothing reformed about him – he was here after all – he was still a crazy fucking bastard, she thought. But there was something he kept alluding to that had her more bothered than anything. First, the we
reference…then mentioning that he needed to get her out of there. It was like he thought he was helping her, being the good guy or something.
“I saw your dad – did he tell you?”
His words stopped her where she stood, stunned by what he had just said. “I don’t speak to my dad. Haven’t since…since you…
”
“He told me, you know. About the baby,” he said.
Her eyes filled with emotion – she didn’t want to talk to him, especially about this.
“I’m sorry our baby didn’t make it,” he said, the sympathy in his voice seeming sincere. “I’ve struggled with that for as long as I’ve known.”
“Yeah, well. It wasn’t meant to be. I don’t want to discuss that with you,” she said, closing her eyes, searching for calm.
“Jessica…”
“Jessie! My name,” she choked, her voice reducing to a whisper, “is Jessie.”
“Jessie, we’re connected – forever – because of the baby, don’t you see? It would be what, about ten now?”
“We were never connected, never will be, and he
would be nine!” she fired back, her hostile tone a sign of the rage building inside of her.
“Ohhh, nine, that’s right. Women are pregnant almost a year – so nine,” he said, so nonchalant it was as if he were talking about the weather. “What did you name him? I wish I could have met him.”
“What’s wrong with you?” she shouted. “I didn’t even get to meet
him. He didn’t get a name. He was too early, way too early. I couldn’t carry him, he died because of what you
did to me. My body…is broken.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, really,” he said, nothing apologetic about his tone. “Maybe we can name him, go to his grave.”
“There is no grave!” she screamed, turning to face him, her body full of fury. His expression showed how shocked he was at her boldness.
Run
. Blake’s voice ran through her head. It was time to fight, she’d spent ten years preparing for this. First, a diversion. She looked just over his right shoulder and grinned as if someone was there, and she nodded her head.
Jason quickly looked, aiming the gun in the direction she guided him to. She took that moment to fight. With a swift knee to his groin, she brought him down, the gun falling from his hand. He went to his knees, completely distracted by the pain she inflicted, so she hit him there again with her heavy boot before kneeing him in the face and nailing him with the right hook Logan had complimented her on. Jason fell to the ground, on his side, resting on the gun.
Then…she ran.