13

The dense forest and tangled undergrowth slowed John’s progress, but Aurora was everything Collins had promised—a true workhorse. She navigated the rough terrain effortlessly, never missing a step. The full moon cast a silvery glow over the landscape, offering just enough light to guide them forward.

The air was thick and stifling, and every faint breeze was a welcome relief. Mosquitoes swarmed around him, and he regretted not wearing a long-sleeved shirt. But none of that mattered. His only concern was reaching Tosin’s place. He feared for Ms. Lily’s safety.

At last, the Brazos River came into view, and John urged Aurora into a faster pace along the riverbank, closing in on Tosin’s property. As they reached the clearing, he swung down from the saddle, tying the reins to a low-hanging branch. He pulled his rifle from the scabbard and moved toward the shack with quiet, deliberate steps.

A truck sat in the yard, its rusted frame glinting under the moonlight. Tosin was here. But was Ms. Lily? An owl hooted, breaking the heavy silence. A rustling sound came from the brush, and John’s sharp gaze swept over Tosin’s cluttered yard. His senses tensed. Where was he?

He heard a moan. It sounded like a wounded animal. As John watched, a form rose in the moonlight. Tosin. He rushed forward and pushed Tosin to the ground, holding the rifle on him.

"Sheriff," Tosin blubbered in surprise, holding a hand to his head.

With a foot on Tosin’s chest, John asked, "Where's Ms. Lily?"

"Who?"

"The woman you took from the jail," John snapped.

Tosin’s bleary eyes squinted in confusion. "Oh, you mean the fancy lady?"

"Yes. Where is she?"

Tosin rubbed his sore head. "She hit me."

John lifted his boot. That didn’t surprise him one bit. "Where is she now?"

"Don’t know," Tosin muttered. "Don’t want a woman who hits."

"Then why’d you take her in the first place?"

"She wanted outta jail, so I got her out."

"And why didn’t you let her go?"

Tosin frowned. "’Cause she’s mine."

John exhaled deeply. ""Tosin..." Just then, headlights darted through the woods. A door slammed and Arthur charged into the clearing with his gun drawn.

"Over here!" John called, and pulled Tosin to his feet. "Cuff him." he said to Arthur.

As Arthur snapped handcuffs onto Tosin’s wrists, John asked again, "Where did the woman go?"

"Don't know. Don't care," Tosin muttered. "She hit me."

Arthur looked at John. "What do you think?"

John’s eyes drifted toward the dark woods. "I think she’s out there somewhere."

"What’s the plan?"

"Take Tosin back and lock him up. Then round up a posse. We need to find her."

"You staying here?"

"Yeah. I’ll start searching now."

Arthur tightened his grip on Tosin’s arm. "What the hell were you thinking?" he demanded. "You can’t just take a woman. That’s kidnapping. And now she’s lost out here because of you!"

Tosin only shrugged. "Don’t care."

As Arthur hauled him toward the truck, he continued berating him, but Tosin refused to say anything more. It was clear that Ms. Lily had shattered whatever fantasy he’d had about women. John wasn’t surprised—Ms. Lily seemed to have a talent for breaking illusions.

He took off his hat and wiped the sweat from his forehead with his arm. The heat was suffocating, and sweat trickled down his back.

Why did Ms. Lily have to blow through his town in the first place?

Where was she now? The woods stretched for miles, and she could be anywhere. He set his hat back on his head, swatted away a mosquito, and cupped his hands around his mouth.

"Ms. Lily, can you hear me?" he called out. "Tosin is gone. You’re safe. Ms. Lily!"

Silence. Not a sound. Not even an echo.

Nothing.

Heaving a deep sigh, he walked toward his horse. He had to find her. Ms. Lily was going to be the death of him.

Charlotte ran and kept running. She had to get as far away as possible. Brush and branches scratched her arms, legs and face, but she didn't stop. The madman was behind her--with a gun. Her breathing became labored and sweat coated her body. She still refused to stop.

Her foot caught on a tree root and she fell headlong to the ground. She spit out a leaf and dirt. Unable to stop herself, she began to cry--tears rolled from her eyes and sobs racked her body. She curled into a fetal position and gave into them.

For about five minutes.

Then, with a sharp inhale, she forced herself upright, wiping at her tear-streaked face with filthy hands. The night pressed in around her like a living thing. She could barely make out the moon through the thick weave of branches above, its light unable to reach her. A sharp sting on her arm made her slap at her skin. Then another. Mosquitoes. Perfect. Just what she needed.

She was completely alone.

Henry had failed her. The sheriff had, too.

A rustling sound snapped her attention toward the darkness. Her entire body went rigid. Was something—or someone—out there? The fear lodged deep in her chest tightened its grip. She shivered despite the oppressive heat.

How had this happened to her?

Her whole life, she’d been protected, sheltered, pampered. Nightmares like this happened to other people—not her.

And yet… here she was.

The truth of that hit her in the chest. She was her own worst enemy. At twenty-eight she had thrown a hissy fit because her mother was remarrying. Henry and her mother had told her to grow up.

Growing up like this was hell.

She slapped another mosquito and stood, resolute now. She had to prove that she wasn't a cream puff and that she could take care of herself without Henry’s or her mother's help. She would survive this. All she had to do was keep eluding Tosin. By morning the sheriff would discover she was missing and start a search for her. He had to, she reasoned. He was the sheriff.

Brushing dirt from her clothes, she tuned in to the sounds of the forest, listening for any sign of Tosin crashing through the brush. But what she heard instead was… unfamiliar. A rhythmic thud-thud. She turned cautiously—then froze.

A hog, the size of a walrus, grunted a few feet away. It had to be a wild boar because he sure looked different from the pigs she'd seen on TV and in movies. His skin wasn't slick and smooth, but dark and straggly with longish hair. Its snout was longer, too. It emanated a sharp sound that wasn't friendly.

In a blink of holy hell the hog lowered his head and charged her. She screamed and dove for a tree, grabbed a limb and climbed faster than she ever could have imagined. Her foot slipped and she gripped another branch. She heard and felt a snap. The limb gave way and before she knew it she was falling.

‘No! No!'

She plunged downward, the ground rushing up to meet her. But before she hit, a gunshot shattered the night, the explosive sound echoing through the trees. Heart pounding, Charlotte scrambled to her feet, ignoring the searing pain in her muscles. She had to keep moving. Tosin wasn’t going to catch her.

"Ms. Lily!"

She froze. That voice. She recognized that voice. She turned around and caught a sight of the sheriff on a horse. Moonlight glistened off the rifle he held in his hand, and even though shadows lurked around him, the sight was comforting. He dismounted. "Ms. Lily," he called once more. “It’s the Sheriff. You are safe."