None of that mattered. Marlee wasn’t going to backtrack. She had done everything the man had ordered her to do so she could find Cooper. Because she loved him. She loved him so much that the thought of not being with him left her aching inside, like someone had cut out a piece of her soul. She would walk the breadth and width of Texas if it meant eventually getting to Cooper.
She squared her shoulders and continued walking.
Chapter 45
Everything had changed in an instant. And Stella didn’t like it.
She wasn’t sure what to make of Chuck. He’d always been her right-hand man, the person who always did as ordered without question. But now, he was someone different. Someone she wasn’t sure she could trust—and most definitely someone she was afraid of.
Not that she could do anything about that at the moment. He literally held her life in his hands.
Oh, he’d told her that she could leave, but she didn’t believe that for a second. This man was someone she didn’t know. This Chuck was someone who killed simply for sport.
For all she knew, he’d always been like this, but had kept it from her. It was her fault. She had looked for people just like him because it took a certain type of person to track down pregnant women, kill them, and cut out their babies. She knew what kind of monster she was and had thought she knew what kind of monsters she employed. Obviously, she’d been wrong.
She didn’t ask him where they were going again. Instead, she kept her hands on her lap as he drove. She noticed the area, keeping details in her mind, even when it got dark. She was shaking, though not from the cold. In response, Chuck turned on the heater. Before, she would’ve thought he had noticed her needs. But now, it made her shake even more.
“I’m glad you stayed,” he suddenly said.
Stella glanced at him and forced herself to smile. “We’ve been through a lot together.”
“Yes, we have. And we’ll get through this.” He blew out a breath. “I’m sure when we do, you’re going to want to talk about all of this. I’ll tell you now, there’s nothing to discuss. I’m doing what needs to be done for you, me, and the company. That includes everyone who works for you. You’ll realize that once you’re safe.”
She nodded, looking out the passenger window. “I’m sure you’re right. It’s been ages since I’ve had to run for my life.”
“I always promised I’d protect you. I don’t take vows like that lightly.”
He slowed and turned off the main road onto what was nothing more than a path created by several vehicles’ passage over the years. They bounced along as the truck rolled through puddles of water, some thick with mud.
She thought he might have stashed another vehicle out here for them to switch to, but the farther he drove through the woods, the more she realized that wasn’t the case. She tried to tell herself that there was a helicopter waiting for them.
The idea was ridiculous. It would bring too much attention to them. But she couldn’t stop trying to make Chuck out to be a decent person in her mind. How could she do that when she had employed him to kill others and kidnap children?
Finally, he came to a stop and put the truck in park. Her gaze took in the clearing she saw through the trees. He turned off the ignition, cutting the light, and looked at her. She couldn’t make out his face, just this outline. He kept telling her that he’d protect her. Surely, that didn’t mean he was going to kill her, did it? In truth, she honestly couldn’t answer that.
“You can stay here, but I think you’ll want to see this,” Chuck said.
Stella rubbed her hands together. “I’ve not warmed up yet.”
“Suit yourself.” He opened the door and got out, shutting the door behind him.
She watched as he walked toward the clearing with purpose. He had come here for something, but she couldn’t tell what from where she sat. And she had seen very little when they’d driven up. As much as she wanted to remain in the truck, Stella found herself reaching to open the door. She softly pushed it closed behind her and followed Chuck.
Stella stood behind two trees and watched when Chuck also ducked behind a trunk. She saw him look up. She did the same and made out the outline of something rectangular in the trees. If she wasn’t mistaken, that was a spotlight.
Her gaze jerked back to the clearing. Chuck had set a trap for someone.
* * *
Exhaustion and pain weighed heavily on Marlee. Her throat was parched from dehydration, and she was soaked through and unable to stop shivering. But she wasn’t going to stop. She had to keep going.
Her mind wandered, going over the conversations she and Cooper had had. Some made her smile, others made her laugh, and many made her stomach flutter. He was special in so many ways, and she’d dragged him and his friends into this mess that was her life. No, it was her life and her work.
She rolled her eyes. How could anyone even think about being with her when she had such a job? She was always traveling, digging up information on people she’d rather not know. She chased bad guys in the hopes of getting a win at the end of the day. And for what? Little pay, long hours, horrible health benefits, and few rewards.
Maybe it was time she rethought her future, because she didn’t want to end up alone. And if she continued on this path, that’s precisely what would happen. She had a chance with Cooper. She knew that now. Only a fool would let that go, and she wasn’t a fool.
At least, not most of the time.
Her steps slowed as she realized she’d reached a clearing. It wasn’t something she had seen at all yet, so it gave her pause. She leaned heavily upon the stick and tried to get a read on the situation with her instincts, but her head was pounding too hard for her to focus on anything.
Marlee could go around the open area, but why? It was just a clearing. What could possibly happen? Her entire body ached, and if she could shave off even thirty seconds getting to wherever she was headed, she was going to do it. She took one step, then two into the clearing. On her third step, a voice rang out.
“Took you long enough.”
She knew that voice. It was the man who had called her earlier. Marlee stilled, debating whether to back up to the tree line again. Before she could, she heard what sounded like a switch being thrown, and then light flooded the area, blinding her. Marlee lifted an arm to block the lights directed at her as she looked in the direction where she’d heard the voice.
“Where’s Cooper?” she demanded.
The man’s laugh sounded all around her. “I have no idea, though my guess is he’s still locked in the warehouse with the bomb on the door.”
Marlee blinked and lowered her arm. “So you drew me out here on my own because you couldn’t get to me any other way?”
“Oh, I could get to you,” he said and stepped from behind a tree. He wore a smile that made her blood run cold. It was malicious, one worn by someone without a soul.
“Then why here?”
He chuckled, staring at her. “Of all the questions you must have, that isn’t the one I’d be asking if I were you.”
“Oh? And which should I ask?”
“The one about your sister.”
Marlee gasped, her stomach clenching as if she’d been kicked.