“How?” I asked. “Do you have a secret trap door or something?”

Brett’s worried grimace turned into a mild smirk.

“Something like that.”

22

Desiree

I sat at Brett’s dining room table, away from the men as they spoke quietly in the living room. The coffee mug, cupped in my hands, was slowly growing cold. I had barely had any of it, but the warmth of it in my hands helped rid the bone-chilling cold. I stared into the darkness of the liquid and silently hated myself.

I wished Aiden hadn’t been there that day. I wouldn’t have dragged him into my mess, and he would be safe and happy in his cabin. Brett wouldn’t have the two of us in his home, weapons being drawn, and plans being laid out as to how to survive a threat he did not comprehend.

But I would likely be dead. There was that. If Aiden hadn’t been there, I would have been trapped, and there was no way I would have survived whatever it was they had planned for me.

Part of me wondered if I should just try to leave. If I stole one of their cars and ran to the local police, maybe they would put me in witness protection. Of course, if I did that, Sammi’s family would likely be under fire from the Feds, and I would lose everyone and everything I held dear.

Of course, I could also just roll down to the middle of town and throw my hands in the air. Wait for one of them to come find me and do whatever it was they wanted. Maybe then they would leave Aiden alone, and he could go back to the peaceful life he lived before I showed up.

There were options, but none of them were good. All I seemed to have left was to stay there at Brett’s house, endangering both of their lives and having zero control over what could potentially happen to the three of us. Everything was happening because of me, and yet I had no way of making it better. I hated it. But most of all, I hated myself for it.

“Desiree?” Brett asked from the living room. “Do you need another coffee?”

He was standing and making his way to the kitchen with his empty mug. I looked up and then back down to mine and shook my head. I tried to smile, but it was like the muscles in my face went on strike.

“Have you had any water?” Aiden asked as he followed Brett in with his own empty mug. “You should have water.”

I didn’t have a chance to answer, but I was glad anyway. As soon as he said it, my throat felt like it had been filled with sand. I was parched. As soon as Brett sat a large cup in front of me, I began downing it, relishing the clean, fresh taste of mountain water. It was certainly better than the tap in Queens.

“Thank you,” I muttered as I took a breath. I had put away about half the cup in one go. “I needed that.”

“I know,” Aiden said, nodding. “It’s common for people in stressful situations to reach for caffeine. The brain wants the extra kick. But what it really needs is water. I should have thought of that.”

“Did you bring your phone?” I asked suddenly. The words were out of my mouth before I even thought about it. The idea came so suddenly that it just kind of blurted out.

“I did,” he said. “I’m not sure it’s a good idea to call anyone right now, though.”

“Please? I need to use it,” I said.

“Are you going to call Sammi?” he asked.

“Yes. I need to tell her what’s going on. I promised.”

Aiden nodded and reached into his pocket to pull out his phone. It had been cracked a bit in the scuffle of the escape, but I could still see the screen. I dialed Sammi’s number and moved to the back of the cabin.

Brett’s home was a lot like Aiden’s, albeit a little bigger. There was a guest room, for one. Brett also lived alone, but it looked like he didn’t really intend to. There was space for a second person, a roommate perhaps. The guest room had a bathroom inside and a closet that was currently home to our drying coats and outside layers of clothes. Thankfully, Brett had extra socks to let us use, and our inner layers came in handy as I stripped down to leggings and a t-shirt.

I went into the guest room and sat on the bed. There was a window overlooking the mountain, and I was struck by the beauty despite everything that has gone down since I arrived to Ashford. Deep in the distance, purple mountains ranged forever. Between were trees and snow, blanketing the world in silence and elegance. Somewhere in there were men trying to find me. To kill me. The contrast between those two realities was striking.

Tags: Natasha L. Black Romance
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