Wow, the man was a wraith. More and more, she wanted to know the backstory of what he and his family did.
Accepting his hand, she climbed from the truck. She, of course, made far too much noise as her hiking boots crunched over fallen leaves, twigs and rocks. Without the flashlight, she couldn’t see, but apparently Reyes had no problem. He led, she followed, and with every step she tried to calm her rioting pulse.
They walked for maybe five minutes before he pulled her to a halt. Keeping his mouth close to her ear, he breathed, “I’m waiting right here behind this outcrop of rock. Go about ten steps and then turn on the flashlight. You’ll see the fallen tree. That’s where Jodi wants you to wait.”
She remembered. Jodi had been adamant that she come alone. Reyes had flatly refused, promising to wait at the base of the road.
Obviously, a lie.
Supposedly, Cade was already in place, and Madison felt confident that Jodi would approach from a different direction. Reyes had agreed with her assessment.
It all seemed far too clandestine for her peace of mind.
Cautiously stepping away from Reyes, Kennedy counted her steps, tripped once, felt a juniper branch scratch her cheek and finally was able to turn on the flashlight.
She spotted the fallen tree right off. She also heard night sounds she hadn’t noticed while standing so close to Reyes. Wind, animals, insects. The urge to look back, to prove he was still there, tested her resolve, but he’d schooled her on what not to do, and that was a biggie. He didn’t want her giving him away.
What if a bear showed up? Or even a big spider?
The snap of twigs lodged her heart in her throat, and then Jodi stepped out from behind a tree.
Her friend kept her distance, her mistrust palpable. “Where’s your boyfriend?”
The caustic question unfroze something inside Kennedy. This was Jodi, and that tone of voice was so familiar that it worked wonders for relieving her fears. “He’s nearby if I need him,” she admitted, and she could almost hear Reyes groaning his disappointment that she hadn’t stuck to the plan. “Jodi, how are you?” Despite her worries, a genuine smile slipped up on her. “It’s good to see you.”
Lifting her chin, Jodi asked, “Do you mean that?”
“Yes, I do.” Taking a few more steps, Kennedy bounced the flashlight around the area. “This is a weird place for a meeting. It feels creepy.”
“To me, it feels safe.”
“Safe from what?”
“Anyone. Everyone.”
The reminder of Jodi’s fear broke Kennedy’s heart. Whereas she had, overall, moved on with her life, Jodi hadn’t—and probably never would.
“Have you lost weight?” Jodi was a short woman, always on the thin side, yet with enough attitude for an Amazon. Tonight she looked positively frail. Even bundled up beneath a sweatshirt, Kennedy could see that she was at least ten pounds lighter. Her black leggings hung loose around her knees and bunched above her boots. The sweatshirt slouched off shoulders that were far too narrow.
Chin notching up even more, Jodi shook back her messy brown hair and sneered, “Someone’s been following me, so yeah, I’ve skipped a few meals.”
Oh, God. “Why didn’t you tell me?” Taking two more steps toward her, Kennedy reached out. “You know I would help you however I can.”
“Yeah? Glad to hear it.” Jodi came closer.
Kennedy expected an embrace even though Jodi wasn’t usually the hugging type.
Instead, Jodi took her by surprise by snaking an arm around her neck, snatching her back against a tree. Her shoulder thumped against the trunk and the flashlight nearly fell from her hand.
It took a second for the gesture to register, for Kennedy to realize that Jodi had her in a bruising choke hold. “What are you doing?” Not only was Jodi’s arm clamped so tight under her chin that Kennedy could barely draw breath, but now Jodi had a gun in her hand, and she aimed it in the direction of where Reyes waited.
“I know you’re out there,” Jodi said, her voice hard and filled with anger. “Come out.”
Kennedy frantically tried to twist away, which only prompted Jodi to tighten her hold. Obviously, this was a familiar move to her friend, and she had it fairly well perfected.
Kennedy was a few inches taller than Jodi, and probably had twenty pounds on her, yet she couldn’t get free. Not without trying to hurt Jodi, and she didn’t want to do that. Not yet anyway...
This was ridiculous! She thought about tossing the flashlight so she’d have both hands to work with, but that might make it difficult for Reyes to see her.
Reyes stepped out with his own gun at the ready. “Loosen up,” he ordered. “You’re hurting her.”
Ignoring that, Jodi asked, “Why are you here?”
Unconcerned with his own safety, Reyes strode closer. “Try to hurt her,” he warned, “and I’ll put a bullet through your brain.”
“I don’t want to hurt her,” Jodi shouted, sounding genuinely appalled by the accusation.
“Terrific. Then we should be able to get along because I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Says the big man with a weapon,” she sneered.
“To protect Kennedy,” he promised evenly. “And Jodi, if necessary, I’d protect you, too.”
“Liar,” she screamed.
“You don’t have to take my word for it.” Reyes stopped, his gaze unflinching. “Do you think Kennedy would lie to you?”
Her arm tightened in reaction. “Now that you’ve corrupted her, who knows?”
“Jodi.” Little stars started to dance before Kennedy’s eyes. “Can’t...breathe.”
“Oh, God.” Immediately, Jodi released her, then had to help support her as she started to slump.
The flashlight fell from her hand with a thud. In the next second, Reyes was there, first taking Jodi’s gun from her and then putting his strong arm around Kennedy’s waist. “I’ve got you, babe. It’s okay.”
“Reyes.” Finally able to gulp in enough air, she wheezed, “She’s my friend.”
“I know. Here, sit down.” He lowered her to the fallen log and crouched in front of her. “Okay now?”
Her throat ached, but otherwise she felt okay. Her gaze sought out Jodi. The beam of the fallen flashlight skimmed over the ground, stopping at the toes of Jodi’s boots and barely illuminating her face. One hand pressed to her mouth, the other to her middle. She looked devastated. Wounded, guilty, horrified...