Page 36

Chapter 35

Mila

J ude drove through a section of the woods I’d never seen before. The whole way, as we jumped over tree roots and drove through streams and over rocks, I sat stiffly beside him.

Ripley was in the back, unbothered by the terrain.

“Where are we?” I asked.

“Almost to work. Gus will drive us to the lake.”

“The lake?” I shouted over the roar of the engine.

“Yeah,” he hollered in response. “We’re lucky Finn hasn’t taken the pontoons off the plane.”

I had no idea what he was talking about, but I wasn’t going to bother asking. I was just glad he was here. This situation was far bigger than I could handle on my own.

We pulled up to Hebert Timber headquarters, and without slowing, Jude drove straight into a massive garage bay. A large, intimidating guy stood inside with his arms crossed and his feet planted shoulder-width apart. He was thick and tall and wore a flannel shirt. That, when combined with his dark beard, gave him a Paul Bunyan vibe.

Jude killed the engine and hopped out. “Gus.”

Ah, Gus. The oldest. I’d heard about him. The family resemblance was there. The same blue eyes and the same broad shoulders.

I climbed out, only then noticing a large van parked in the next bay.

Gus gave me a polite nod, then turned back to his brother. “Got everything you asked for.” His voice was a low rumble, like he didn’t use it a whole lot. “You should be set for a bit while things calm down.”

He pulled Jude into a hug and clapped him on the back.

“We’ll be okay here. Won’t we, girl?” Gus bent down and rubbed Ripley’s ears.

Frowning, I locked eyes with Jude.

“She’s gotta stay here,” he said, putting his arm around me. “Gus will take good care of her.”

The thought of leaving Ripley, the dog who had probably saved my life today, made me dizzy.

Gus stood and held out a hand the size of a bear paw to me. “Thank you. You’ve done so much.”

I took it, at a loss for what he was referencing. “Me?” I squeaked.

“Parker’s upstairs with my wife, going through your files. Thinks she can get a judge to issue warrants in a few days. We may finally see these guys taken down.”

I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. The past few hours had been a blur.

Jude stepped up beside me. “Mila is brilliant,” he said, giving me a squeeze, “but we’ve gotta run.”

“Hop in,” Gus said. “Stay in the back. We don’t want you to be seen.”

Confused as hell, I moved on autopilot, following Jude to the van and letting him help me into the back. Ripley joined us, sticking close to me. Inside, there were giant backpacks, water jugs, and several other random items.

“Where are we going?” I asked as Jude held a granola bar out to me.

“Off grid for a bit.” He wrapped his arms around Ripley and buried his face in her fur. “I love you, girl,” he whispered. “You did good today. We’re so proud. Uncle Gus is making you a big steak tonight. And we’ll be home soon.”

Ripley put her head on his lap, eyes fixed on his face, and let him stroke her fur.

The ride to Lake Millinocket was bumpy but blessedly short. Gus drove down the service road, and as he approached the flight dock, he glanced at us in the rearview mirror.

“Stay in the van,” he said. “Finn is going through his preflight checklist.”

I peered around the driver’s seat and surveyed the area.

At the end of the wide dock, a plane on pontoons floated in the water. A man who might have been even taller than Gus walked around the aircraft with a clipboard and a flashlight. He wore a flight suit and was rocking an impressive man bun.

This was all too much. “Jude,” I whispered, sitting back, “I’m scared.”

He scooted over, pulling me into his chest. “I’m scared too. But we’ve got this. You and I will be safe, and my family will handle everything here.”

“Won’t they follow us?” I looked around, searching for black SUVs or motorcycles. I didn’t know the area well, but beyond the small park, there was a church steeple and what looked like a main street filled with shops. This was hardly lying low.

“Where we’re going, they can’t follow.” He stroked my cheek. “I’ve got you. I promise you. I’ll keep you safe.”

I opened my mouth, my first instinct to argue. Instead, I leaned in, kissing him softly. His presence was grounding,his voice soothing. His words made me believe that maybe this was possible, despite the constant stream of doubts.

The back doors opened, startling me. Then Gus appeared, the pilot at his side.

“I’m Finn,” he said with what I can only describe as a devastating smile.

Jesus, what was with this family? They possessed some tall, strong lumberjack genes.

“Here.” He threw two dark hoodies and baseball caps at us. “Put these on and stay here. Gus and I will load the supplies, then I’ll need to recheck weight.”

He and Gus grabbed the backpacks, plastic totes, and water jugs, lifting them as if they weighed nothing, and headed off. Two trips later, the van was cleared out.

When he’d finished his weight check, Finn returned, wearing a broad smile. “Okay, lovebirds, Marge is ready for you.”

Once we’d donned our hoodies and ball caps, we jogged down the dock, waving to Gus and Ripley. When we reached the aircraft, Finn lifted me up into the side door like I was a child.

“Headset is on your seat. Sit in the middle. We’ve got to stay balanced,” he said as Jude swung himself into the passenger seat and slid his headset on like a pro.

Feeling like a deer in headlights, I dropped into the seat.

Finn gave me a big smile. “Just sit tight and enjoy the ride. People pay big money for these views.” With that, he shut the tiny door and walked around the plane, giving it one more inspection.

He climbed in, started the engine, and toggled all kinds of switches. He followed that up with pressing a series of buttons. I sat frozen in my seat, focused solely on breathing.

I’d flown in more than one small plane and had experienced a few very bumpy flights, so this wasn’t new to me, but the shock of the day had officially swamped me, making it difficult to digest any of this.

“Ready?” Finn asked through his headset as the sound of the propeller became deafening.

Jude gave him a thumbs-up, so I did the same, and then we were off, gliding over the water as we picked up speed.

The nose lifted, and my stomach clenched in response. In seconds, we’d accelerated further, and the next thing I knew, we were in the air.

As Finn circled around the lake, I took in the view. Gus stood on the edge of the dock, waving. Ripley stood beside him, her nose in the air.

The sight of her made my heart pang. I already missed her.

Within minutes we were out of town, soaring over the endless miles of forest. The sky was bright blue, and beyond the green ocean of pines, wild foliage grew. Thousands of trees and leaves in every shade of red, yellow, and orange dispersed throughout the dense canopy.

We soared and swooped across mountains and rivers, with nothing but vast wilderness spread out in front of us. It was breathtaking.

After forty minutes, we began to descend. It was a bit nerve-racking, given the size of some of the trees, but Finn seemed completely at ease.

He banked right, and a large, glittering lake came into view. The water was bright blue, and a dock that looked newly built stood out against the wild backdrop. It was alone out here. There wasn’t a house, a road, or a boat to be seen.

Finn circled twice before reducing speed and touching down with precision on the glassy surface. We taxied a bit to reduce speed before he steered toward the dock.

When we were close, Jude climbed out and stood on the wing of the plane. And when we approached the dock, he jumped onto its wooden boards. While he tied off, Finn flipped all his switches and read his instruments.

“Where are we?” I asked as Jude opened the door and hit me with a devastating smile.

“Paradise.” Finn’s grin looked so much like his brother’s. “Also known as Big Eagle Lake.”

Jude helped me down, then went straight to the cargo hold and began unloading. I followed, grabbing one of the backpacks as he picked up a gas can and a large axe. We piled the supplies on the dock, and when it looked like we had everything, Finn handed Jude a clunky satphone.

“It’s charged. Should be good for a week. As agreed, check in at eight every morning. We’ll give you updates then.”

With a nod, Jude clipped the phone to his belt. “Thanks.”

Finn, hands on his hips, turned to me. “You’re in good hands. No one knows the woods like Jude.”

“Will you come pick us up?” I asked.

How long were we expected to stay here? It was beautiful, but the weather had taken a turn lately. It was already freezing, and the nights would be almost frigid. While I was no stranger to roughing it, I certainly wasn’t used to being completely alone in the woods.

“When you’re ready,” he said. “Call me anytime.”

He gave us a salute and then swung his giant frame back into the cockpit.

Jude waited for his signal, then untied the line. Then Finn was off, zipping across the water before taking flight. Leaving us alone in the wilderness.

It was then that I officially couldn’t take it anymore. I was scared and tired and hungry.

“What the fuck is going on?” I shouted, the words echoing off the nearby trees.

Jude, who’d picked up a gas tank, set it down again.

“Tell me the truth. I’m freaking the fuck out over here. You rescued me from bad guys in the woods and then threw me on a plane, and now we’re in the middle of bumfuck nowhere. Are we even in America right now?”

“Yes. We are in the state of Maine,” he replied far too calmly. “This lake is on the Gagnons’ land. It’s remote, without any proper roads.”

He pointed at a shed at the end of the dock.

“For years they would camp up here. They’d keep emergency supplies in the shed. Now that they’re all married with kids, they prefer the small cabin they recently built.”

“Apparently Finn was planning to fly Henri and Alice out here for a night, so the plane was ready. According to him, they come out here about this time every fall to celebrate some anniversary. So he checked in with them and brought us instead. My brothers gathered supplies, and Chloe and Parker are working through all the evidence you put on the drive.”

He hefted a pack onto his back, then picked up the axe and the gas can again.

“Let’s take some of this stuff inside. It’s a short walk up this path.” He gestured ahead. “We’ll get you warm and fed and talk about everything.”

With a nod, I shouldered the other large backpack. Instantly, my shoulder screamed.

Jude reached for it, but rather than passing it over, I adjusted it so it was balanced evenly, then picked up a tote bag and a water jug. My shoulder was fucked, and there was no going back now.

Silently, we walked up the dock and around the shed. Sure enough, about fifty yards from the shore was a small cabin. Made of dark wood with a green metal roof and two small windows in front, it looked like something out of a fairy tale.

It was one large room, with a small kitchenette equipped with a tiny table and two chairs, a large wood stove, and a queen-size bed.

A small loveseat sat in the middle of the space, facing the oversized back window.

A small bookshelf was filled with dogeared paperbacks, and pretty landscape paintings hung on the walls. There were lacy curtains and candles on the table. It was quaint and new and so much more than I expected.

“There’s a bathroom through there,” he said, pointing to a narrow door next to the kitchen. “Pump shower and a cassette toilet.”

I dropped the backpack, rubbing my shoulder. “This is nice.”

He nodded. “Told ya. It’s the Gagnons’ little escape. They come out here for romantic trips.”

I couldn’t help but smile. That was strangely sweet.

“I turned the electricity on. They’ve got solar and a battery bank, so the lights should work. The fridge takes a while to get cold, though. Water heater takes even longer.”

He hefted a cooler onto the countertop and began unpacking bags.

“How long?” I dropped onto the small couch, massaging my aching shoulder. “How long do we need to stay here?”

He took the satphone off his belt and placed it in the middle of the table.

“Not sure. Probably a couple of days. It’s not so bad.”

“It’s not that. I’m worried about everyone.” Dread formed in my gut like a lead ball. “And my mom and Hugo.”

He waved a hand. “Parker talked to the Boston police. They will have a detail at the hospital and with your mother.”

My heart lodged itself in my throat. “How?”

With a shrug, he set a roll of paper towels and olive oil in a cabinet. “I told you. Owen knows people.”

I stood, desperate to move. Otherwise my anxiety would overwhelm me. I unpacked sheets and towels, several sets of warm clothes, and plenty of food. The cooler was stocked with steaks and a bottle of champagne. Clearly Henri and Alice had big plans for the evening.

Jude led me out the door and around the back to a tiny woodshed and a small firepit made of large stones. He brought an armload of wood inside and got the stove lit.

“You rest,” he said. “I’ll finish setting up and make food.”

“Have you been here before?” I asked, a tiny twinge of jealousy catching in my throat. Had Jude brought dates up here for romantic rendezvous?

“Never,” he said. “Finn told me about it.”

“You seem to know what to do.”

He shrugged. “I’ve spent a lot of time in the woods. Usually in outposts and camps that are half as nice as this. But in the end, they’re all pretty much the same. It’s not a big deal.”

It felt like a big deal as I watched him get the stove going, unpack groceries, and make the bed with fresh sheets and a fluffy blanket.

For so long I’d been alone. When the shit hit the fan, I had no one but myself. But now, I had Jude and his family and, hopefully, the police on my side. That knowledge made this whole ordeal a little less terrifying.

Later that night, after feasting on Henri and Alice’s chocolate covered strawberries and cuddled up under several layers of blankets, my fear began to fade.

“Thank you,” I said, burying my face in his chest.

“I told you I’d do anything to protect you.” He tucked my hair behind my ear. “And I meant it. You are brave and passionate and infuriatingly reckless. But you’re mine. And no one hurts my girl.”

That single word hung in the air. Mine.

It felt like too much and too little at the same time. My pulse quickened. What did that admission mean? And was I ready for it?

Before I could spiral out, Jude kissed my forehead and pulled the blanket up. “Stop overthinking, Trouble. I’ll spare you the time. You are mine. We’ll get out of this, and afterward, I’ll do anything and everything you want.”

Eyes closed, I let the warmth of his body and his words comfort me, praying with everything I had that he was right.