Page 13 of Fierce Hope (Hope Landing: New Recruits #3)

Jade cranked up the heater in her car, trying to ward off the morning chill as she navigated the winding mountain road between her condo complex and her office. The thin winter sunlight did little to warm the frost-edged air, but that wasn’t why her hands trembled slightly on the steering wheel.

Yesterday’s threatening phone call kept replaying in her mind: Stop digging.

The security cameras Deke installed made her condo feel safer, but out here on this lonely stretch of road, that safety felt far away. She checked her mirrors—a habit that had become almost obsessive lately—and adjusted the vents.

That’s when movement in her rearview mirror caught her attention. A dark SUV appeared around the curve behind her, following closer than comfortable on the narrow mountain road. Her stomach knotted. It’s just someone running late for work, she told herself. Not everyone is out to get you.

But the SUV crept closer, hugging her bumper. Jade pressed her foot harder on the accelerator, heart beginning to race. The vehicle matched her speed, staying right on her tail.

“Back off,” she muttered, knuckles white on the wheel.

The SUV suddenly surged forward, its front bumper nearly clipping her car. Startled, Jade yelled, swerving slightly. Her pulse hammered in her throat.

She wanted to believe the driver was on his phone. But she feared the worst.

This isn’t random, her mind screamed. This is connected to the break-ins, the phone calls ...

Before she could finish the thought, the SUV swerved into the oncoming lane. For a moment, she felt relief—they were passing her. Then the vehicle veered back sharply, forcing her toward the guardrail.

Metal screamed against metal as her car scraped the barrier. Jade fought the wheel, trying to maintain control as the SUV crowded her.

One wrong move and she’d go over the edge.

The SUV suddenly roared past her. Through her panic, she tried to glimpse the license plate, but it was caked with snow and road grime. Then the SUV accelerated around the next bend, leaving her trembling and breathless in its wake.

They’re really trying to kill me now.

She coasted another quarter mile, her hands shaking so badly she could barely keep the wheel steady. The small trailhead parking lot appeared ahead—empty this early on a Monday—and she pulled in, the frozen gravel crunching under her tires like broken glass.

Head against the steering wheel, she breathed hard, adrenaline coursing through her system. The heater hummed, but she couldn’t stop shivering. After a moment, she forced herself to step out and assess the damage.

A long, ugly scrape marred the passenger side of her ten-year-old compact, silver paint peeled away to reveal bare metal. She ran her fingers along the gash, feeling sick. No major damage, but the message was clear.

Next time could be worse.

Her phone felt heavy in her pocket. She didn’t want to make this call—didn’t want to give Deke more reason to dig into her life. But her hands were still trembling, and the mountain road stretched empty and threatening in both directions.

He answered on the first ring.

“Someone just ran me off the road,” she said, her voice shakier than she’d like.

“Where are you?”

“Mountain Pass Road. The old trailhead lot.” She tried to steady her breathing. “I’m okay, just?—”

“Stay in your car. Lock the doors. I’m five minutes out.”

She frowned. The trailhead was at least fifteen minutes from town. But before she could question it, he continued, “Did you see who it was?”

“Dark SUV. The plates were covered in slush.” Another trembling breath. “Deke, I don’t think this was an accident.”

“Neither do I. Keep talking to me. Are you hurt?”

“No, just scared. The car’s scratched up, but—” The sound of an approaching vehicle made her turn, and her words died in her throat. Deke’s black truck was already pulling into the lot. “How are you here already?”

He parked beside her, out of his truck almost before it stopped moving. His face was tight with fury as he strode to her, hands gentle but urgent as they gripped her shoulders. “Are you sure you’re not hurt?”

She shook her head, finding herself leaning into his solid presence. “I’m fine. But Deke ... you couldn’t have gotten here this fast.”

“I was already headed into town,” he said smoothly. “Lucky coincidence. Come on, let’s get you warmed up.”

He guided her to his truck, cranking up the heat and draping his jacket over her lap.

The leather seats were already warm, as if he’d been driving for a while.

She wanted to question it further, but exhaustion was setting in as the adrenaline faded, and his truck felt so safe compared to the exposed parking lot.

“We need to call the police,” he said, his voice hard.

Fear jolted through her, sharper than the earlier panic. “No! I mean ... what would we tell them? There must be hundreds of dark SUVs around Hope Landing. We have no proof?—”

“Jade.” His tone gentled, but his eyes were intent on her face. “Someone just tried to run you off a mountain road. This is attempted murder.”

She wrapped her arms around herself, mind racing. She couldn’t risk police involvement, couldn’t risk them looking too deeply into her background. “Please,” she whispered. “Not yet. Let’s ... let’s try to find out more first.”

Deke leaned back in his seat, studying her with a mix of concern and calculation.

“You know, my team has access to resources most people don’t.

We can check traffic cameras, run plates even with partial numbers.

” His lips quirked. “We could probably tell you how many times the Tooth Fairy visited your neighbors.”

Ice formed in Jade’s stomach. She’d known Knight Tactical was good—their reputation in Hope Landing was stellar—but this level of surveillance capability? Her carefully constructed life suddenly felt like a house of cards in a strong wind.

If they start digging ... if they find anything about Dad’s old schemes ...

She forced a smile she didn’t feel. “That’s ... impressive.”

“We’re good at finding answers,” he continued. “It comes with our backgrounds. Military intelligence, cyber security—we’ve got quite a skill set.”

Jade’s mind whirled. She had to keep them from finding reasons to dig deeper, had to control how much they investigated. But her options were shrinking by the minute.

Lord, please don’t let them connect any dots leading back to my old life. The thefts. The cons.

“Look,” Deke said, his voice turning serious. “I won’t leave you vulnerable like this. Until we solve this, I’m escorting you everywhere—work, church, grocery store, doesn’t matter.”

She started to protest, but the memory of the SUV forcing her toward the guardrail was too fresh. Her hands trembled slightly in her lap.

“And I need access to your client files,” he added. “A fresh pair of eyes might spot something you’ve missed.”

Panic fluttered in her chest. Her client files were safe—she’d been careful about that—but giving Knight Tactical access to any part of her life felt dangerous. Yet refusing would only make her look more suspicious.

“It’ll be completely discreet,” he assured her, misreading her hesitation. “We won’t contact any clients yet. We’ll do the background checks quietly.”

Background checks. The words echoed in her head like a death knell. This was her last line of defense—her final chance to keep her past and present separate. But what choice did she have?

She nodded slowly, each word feeling like another nail in her coffin. “Okay. Whatever you need.”

Deke squeezed her shoulder gently. “We’ll figure this out, Jade. Trust me.”

Trust. The irony wasn’t lost on her. She sent up a silent, desperate prayer: Please let this be about my current life. Please don’t let it lead back to the past.

If it did, everything she’d built would crumble. And Deke—the man trying so hard to protect her—would be the one to destroy it all.

“Okay,” Jade whispered, her voice trembling despite her efforts to steady it. “I’ll do whatever it takes.” The words felt like surrender, but she was out of options. The phantom sensation of her car scraping the guardrail still echoed through her bones.

Deke pulled her into a quick, fierce hug. “We’ll get whoever’s doing this. I promise.”

His embrace was warm, solid—everything that had been missing from her life for so long. She allowed herself one moment to lean into that strength before pulling away. She couldn’t afford to trust this comfort too much.

Opening the truck door, she slid out into the crisp morning air. The sun had risen higher now, casting long shadows across the parking lot. Her gaze drifted down the empty road where the SUV had vanished, and she shivered despite herself.

She felt simultaneously safer and more trapped than she’d ever been. Deke’s protection was real, but so was his ability to uncover every secret she’d buried. Every background check, every traffic camera search, every piece of intel his team gathered would bring them one step closer to the truth.

She walked back to her scraped car, keys clutched tight in her hand. Behind her, she could hear Deke on the phone, already mobilizing his team. His voice was low, intense—a predator catching a scent.

If this attack was tied to the life she’d fled, it was only a matter of time before Deke and his team found out everything.

But for now, she had no choice but to play along and pray that when the truth finally emerged, there’d be something left worth saving.