Page 13

Chapter 12

Jude

I pulled into the driveway, rolling my neck again. It still wasn’t helping. Chloe had insisted I spend the day in the office, learning about the new software she’d implemented. Its purpose was to track shipments and load values. Apparently, it would be installed in the trucks this winter. The online training program had sucked up several hours of my afternoon, along with what was left of my sanity.

Now I was home, working up the nerve to go inside, where Mila would undoubtedly be doing something to drive me over the edge permanently.

Like dancing in her underwear, or playing one of my guitars, or reading poetry aloud to Ripley. Every day was a delightful new surprise wrapped up in an excruciating test of my self-control.

For years, I’d come home to a clean, quiet, peaceful house after a hard day’s work. That was before a hurricane of a woman swept in with her constant chatter and restless energy.

I never knew what I’d walk in and find.

Her clothes were all over my house. Bras hanging from doorknobs, hair ties next to the sink, and the smell of lemons everywhere I went.

It was distracting.

My home, my sanctuary, had been overtaken.

In this moment, the lack of my quiet, safe space annoyed me, but honestly, more often than not, I looked forward to seeing Mila and talking to her about how she’d spent her day.

As I climbed out of my truck, the morning’s conversation with my brothers played in the back of my head. It was true—I barely knew her. But the connection between us was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. But I didn’t know how to even begin to explain that to them.

Though she’d lied, it was undeniable: I trusted her. Though some of her methods may have been questionable, she was a good person who was trying to do the right thing. And against my better judgment, I found myself getting pulled in, wanting to help.

The sun was low in the sky and the air was cool as I walked into the house and flipped on the lights. The place hadn’t been this dark in a while. Not since Mila had shown up. And it hadn’t been this quiet either.

Assuming she was sleeping, I toed off my boots, hung up my stuff, and headed to the kitchen for a glass of water. My head was pounding, so I popped a couple of aspirin and chugged the whole glass.

Aside from dirty dishes in the sink, there was no sign of the woman who’d infiltrated my life.

I whistled softly for Ripley, and when she didn’t come, I assumed she’d been shut in my bedroom with a sleeping Mila.

As silently as I could, I opened the bedroom door. Rather than being met with my dog and a hurricane of a woman in my bed, the room was empty.

“Mila?” I spun around, my heart thudding against my sternum.

Where was she? Was she hurt? Had they found her?

I raced around the house, opening every door, scouring each room and closet.

Vision tunneling and hands shaking, I darted to the back door. It was locked, and there was no sign of a break-in. I hadn’t noticed an issue with the front door, but I checked again to confirm. Nothing. The place looked as it had when I left this morning.

“Mila,” I called as I jogged out onto the driveway, boots untied, and scanned the yard.

I turned in a circle, surveying the tree line, at a loss.

My heart pounded in my ears, worsening my headache, as I formulated a plan. She had no car, and Ripley was with her, so it was unlikely she’d gone by road. I jogged to the back of the house, where a path led into the woods. Could she have taken Ripley for a walk and gotten lost?

The possibility of her being lost in the woods, in the cold, hit me like an arrow to the heart. Fuck.

I picked up the pace, headed down the back of the hill toward the trail system. Quickly, I was ensconced in the thick canopy of forest.

It wasn’t dark, but it would be soon. I needed to find her before then.

When I hit the fork in the path, I only hesitated for a moment before choosing the direction that led toward the state park.

A wave of nausea hit me as I ran as fast as I could down the trail, jumping over roots and scanning the ground and surrounding trees for any sign of her.

The slightest jingling sound—barely audible over my pounding heart and labored breathing—eventually caught my attention. Coming to an abrupt stop, I turned one way, then the other, letting my ears adjust to the sounds of the forest.

I whistled loudly, and seconds later, Ripley appeared, trotting toward me, tail wagging.

“Good girl.” I crouched and scratched behind her ears. “Where is she?”

With a yip, she took off down one of the side paths. I darted after her, pulling my phone out of my pocket, ready to call for help if needed.

In a matter of seconds, she came into view. She was walking along the overgrown path, wearing one of my old sweatshirts, her expression serene.

“Mila.” I pulled up short. “Where have you been?”

She walked toward me slowly, her dark brows knitting together. “I went for a walk.”

“This far from the house? Are you crazy? It’s not safe,” I spat.

Adrenaline coursed through my body. Over and over, I silently told myself that she was fine. That she was safe. Everything was okay.

But that wasn’t true.

I was not okay.

“In daylight, in the woods. And I brought the dog. Not a big deal.” She walked past me without slowing.

“Yes, it’s a fucking big deal.” I spun on my heel and stomped after her. “You’re being hunted by violent criminals.”

She threw a weary expression over her shoulder. “Don’t exaggerate.”

Eye twitching, I caught up to her and grasped her good arm, pulling her to a stop. “Exaggerate? You’re the one who got shot at.”

She rolled her eyes. Actually rolled them at me.

Annoyance flared hot in my veins, making my head pound harder. Why was she not getting this?

“That was a week ago. These kinds of idiots have short attention spans.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose and followed after her as she picked up the pace.

“Bikers have been poking around town,” I said to her back. “Asking questions about you. The FBI is here too. Trust me, there’s a lot of heat right now. You have got to be careful.”

It made my stomach roll, how unafraid she was.

Without slowing, I took off my glasses and cleaned them with my T-shirt.

Mila spun around and glowered at me. Ripley stood between us, looking back and forth, confused.

“Why were you out there?” I asked again, trying to keep my tone even.

“Because I’m stuck in the house.” She threw her good arm up. “It’s a nice house, and I’m grateful that you’ve let me stay here, but I’m going stir-crazy.”

The movement caught my eye, highlighting the small backpack she’d slung across her chest as to not disturb her sling. Eyes narrowed, I slowly surveyed her, noticing the headlamp that hung around her neck like a necklace.

Something was off here.

“There are plenty of trails close to the house. Why did you come this far? Why would you venture onto public land where you could be seen?”

She shifted, her attention flitting away, a clear sign that she was hiding something.

All the suspicion my brothers had brought up rose in my chest.

Was she playing me? What was really going on here?

“I need the truth, Mila,” I said softly. “I don’t appreciate being lied to.”

She said nothing. Her eyes were on me again. Staring me down. She had one hell of a poker face, but I wouldn’t put my family in danger for her if she couldn’t tell me the truth.

“What are you doing out here? Tell me. I won’t ask again.”

Her eyes fluttered closed and her body deflated. “I’m out here searching for my phone.”

I frowned. “What?”

“When I fled, I stuck my phone in my bra, along with my ID and cash.” She sucked in a harsh breath and let it out again. “I used it to record the secret meeting that took place at a poker game. The big bosses were there, and they were planning something significant.”

I took a step closer, wanting to reach out and touch her, soothe the anxiety radiating from her.

“I took it with me when I ran, but I lost it along the way.” Head lowered, she wrapped her good arm around herself. “It’s all I’ve got, Jude. It was supposed to be the smoking gun. With it, I could have finished this once and for all. But I fucked up.” Her shoulders rose and fell as she breathed, face still averted. Eventually, she straightened and looked at me. “While you’re at work, I come out here and look for it.”

“But your search area—”

“Is massive. I jog, and Ripley comes with me.” She gestured to the backpack. “I bring food and water and then jog back and shower before you come home from work.”

“You’re not supposed to jog. You’re supposed to be healing.”

“I take it as easy as I can, but this is too important.”

Arms folded, I kicked at the ground, reining in my anger. All this time, I’d assumed she was safe and sound, but in reality, she had been running around the woods with one arm and my dog?

“Why?” I threw my arms out and let them fall to my sides. “Why did you lie to me? If you’d told me about the phone, I could have been helping.”

She turned and continued her way down the trail. I followed, still trying to wrap my mind around this development as the sky above grew darker.

Was this the rock-solid evidence she’d told Parker about? Had it all gone missing?

“Mila,” I said, rushing to catch up again.

She wheeled around, her eyes filled with tears. “I’ve got nothing. Is that what you want to hear? That I gave up a year of my life for nothing? That I thought I was an investigative journalist, but it turns out I’m nothing but an idiot who lucked out and got close, only to fuck it all up?”

She stomped away, wiping at her eyes.

Heart lurching, I jogged to catch up. “You’re not an idiot.”

“I sure as shit feel like one. Can we go home? Please?”

With a nod, I fell back and let her lead the way back through the state park. The whole way, her shoulders remained slumped, tempting me to console her.

Instead, I kept my hands to myself and my mouth shut.

I should be angry about the lies. I should be frustrated that she’d put herself in danger.

But all I felt was admiration. This woman was fierce and fearless.

The closer we got to the house, the firmer my resolve to help her became.

While she showered, I built a fire and got started on dinner. I’d never been good with words, and as I heated up soup and sliced bread, I struggled with how to explain my thoughts in a way she’d understand. How to tell her that whatever she needed, I was in. That she could trust me. That I would see this through with her.

After silently slurping soup in front of the warm fire for several minutes, she wiped her mouth with a napkin and said, “I owe you an apology. You could have kicked me out or called the cops. Instead, you opened your home to me, and you’ve taken care of me.” She swallowed thickly. “And I really adore your dog.”

Ripley lifted her head from where she was curled up in front of the fire.

“So please know how grateful I am for all of that when I say that I’m losing my shit, Jude.” She stirred her soup, her gaze averted. “I should have told you the truth. I know that. But I can’t rest. Not while those men are out there.” When she finally lifted her head, her face was gaunt, her eyes ringed with dark circles. “I’ve got to stop them.”

“Your plan was riskier than necessary. Sneaking out of my house and running around the woods alone wasn’t wise,” I snapped. “Like it or not, your body needs the rest.”

She stood abruptly, brows pulled low and her good hand on her hip. “You’re being an overprotective caveman.”

I had to stifle a smile. Her attitude was adorable.

“I wish. Do you have any idea how much easier my life would be if I could club you over the head and drag you home? Chasing you around, trying to keep you safe, is exhausting.”

“I can’t live any other way.” She huffed. “This is how I’m wired. Ever since I was a kid. And it’s exhausting for me too most days. Trust me.” Her body deflated a little. “I don’t want this. I don’t want to single-handedly try to take down an international opiate trafficking ring.”

I stood, set my bowl down, and padded toward her. “So don’t do it alone.”

Her eyes widened as I got close and flared when I ran my knuckles along the edge of her jaw, then cupped her face.

“Let me do it with you,” I whispered.

“Who are you?” she asked, and I swore she leaned into my touch a little bit. “My knight in shining armor?”

I leaned closer, unable to fight the pull of her atmosphere. “I’m just the guy who wants to protect you.”

“Why do you care?”

My breathing picked up, and hers did too. With each inhale, our chests came dangerously close to touching.

Desperate for her to understand how I felt, despite how terrible I was at putting the emotions into words, I said, “I care about you.” I brushed my thumb over the light bruise that lingered on her cheek. “I respect you. And I want to help. But you can’t lie to me. You have to let me in, and you can’t be wandering off and putting yourself at risk.”

She bit her bottom lip, her teeth sinking into the plump flesh there in a way that had electricity coursing up my spine. What was it about this woman that made me lose all control?

“I want to protect you.”

She placed her hand on my chest and held it there, her breath hitching. Then, her expression going hard, she pushed. “Too bad. Because I’m trying to protect you.”

Frustration and a little fury swirled in my gut as I stepped in again, closing the distance she had created between us. “Then it looks like we’ll have to protect each other.”

She tipped her head back, glowering. “You are so damn stubborn.”

“And you are so damn beautiful.”

The moment I said the words, my body went rigid. Shit. Those words were not meant to come out.

Gasping, she clutched a fistful of my shirt.

“Fuck, I want to kiss you right now,” I gritted out. “But I won’t. I respect you too much to cross that line when you’re healing.”

Chopping wood would help. Or maybe I’d punch a wall. The fire that was rising up inside me had nowhere to go. A cold shower might help while I reined myself in. I wasn’t the kind of guy who shouted or argued, but Mila had a way of pushing me out of my comfort zone.

She let go of my shirt and took a careful step back. “Calm down, caveman. I’m not exactly kissable right now. I’m bruised and in a sling, and I’m wearing your sweats.”

My instincts urged me to reach out and pull her close. Wrap my arms around her and beg her to let me in, to let me help her, to insist she never lie to me again.

Instead, I choked them back and took a step back, smirking. “You underestimate yourself, Trouble. You are very kissable.”