Page 17 of Saving Scarlett

As in his usual fashion, Bane wore a black hoodie, but his cargo pants were a dark gray, which made me oddly proud.

Lifting the coffee pot, he poured more into his own cup, which was covered in cats in various poses. “It’s a lovely day today, so I was thinking that, if your leg is feeling better, we could go on a hike. There’s a place I would like to show you.”

Living in South Louisiana, hiking in beautiful forests and mountains was not an option, so it wasn’t something I ever got the chance to do, but some would have reminded me that Bane was a killer, friend or not. They would tell me I was crazy for even considering venturing into the forest with him, or being there with him at all, because what if he wanted to take me somewhere in the mountains to leave me for dead? But I knew that if he wanted me dead, he would have killed me already. If he wanted me dead, he wouldn’t have been doing so much to take care of me. Maybe I was stupid. I didn’t have the best track record with men, but I wasn’t afraid of him. My instincts, no matter how misguided they were, told me I was safe.

“I’m not sure of my stamina, but we could certainly try. Are you going to tell me what you want to show me?”

The grin on his face was pure mischief as he grabbed a box of cereal. “Nope. It’ll have to be a surprise.”

After breakfast, Bane and I headed out on our walk. While I’d gotten ready, he’d prepared a fruit and sandwich lunch for us to bring with us. For an assassin, he was certainly in his element at the cottage, and he seemed glad to share it with someone else. I truly didn’t know what to make of him. He was a complete enigma.

I was still surprised at how clear my head seemed, and I wondered if I could still be in shock. After being trapped under an abusive man’s thumb for years, I couldn’t deny that being away from him was freeing. But I also realized that the day would come when the reality of what I went through would hit me like a hurricane, and I would have to pick up the pieces and figure out where to go next.

The air outside was crisp, perfect for my jeans and hoodie, but the sun was shining bright, making me glad I had a short-sleeved shirt underneath, just in case I needed to shed the top layer.

Veering off the cottage’s gravel driveway, I followed him as he ventured into the evergreen forest. Hiking down the roughly cleared trail, we were surrounded by a chaotic mixture of massive pine trees and deciduous trees that had begun losing their leaves for the upcoming winter. The air was thick and fragrant with the scent of pine needles and the earthy aroma of soil and moss. Sunlight filtered through the thick canopy of branches, creating dappled patterns on the forest floor. As the wind rustled the leaves, I breathed deeply, allowing the atmosphere to fill me with a peace I hadn’t felt in a really long time.

I had to admit that as long as I’d lived in Louisiana, I’d always thought Alabama looked like the Gulf Coast, like the city of Mobile. Although I wasn’t sure what city I was close to as I hiked up the mountain closest to Bane’s cottage, the landscape looked absolutely nothing like Mobile. The mountains and trees were so much taller than I ever thought existed in such a southern state, and the fresh scent of the forest was pure joy.

For a good part of the hike, probably about an hour, I walked directly behind Bane, watching the black backpack he wore that contained our lunch, water bottles, and hiking essentials bounce with each step, but eventually, the trail opened up, and I was able to walk by his side. He wasn’t particularly chatty during the hike, which wasn’t a bad thing, especially since I was used to living in a place below sea level and could barely catch my breath as we climbed in elevation. When I did ask him a question, he usually answered me, albeit with a brief response.

Every once in a while, I tried asking him personal questions. Those were the questions with the vaguest responses. It was clear he didn’t want me to know a lot about his personal life. At least not anything past face value, which I understood. With his lifestyle, protecting his identity was important, but by this point, I kind of felt like we were in it together. Maybe he saw it differently. “Was the cottage a family home, or did you buy it as an adult?”

As I waited for his answer, he pulled a water bottle from the side pocket of the backpack and offered it to me. I took a sip and handed it back. I wasn’t going to let him distract me.

When he put the water bottle back into the bag, he pulled out an apple and offered that to me as well. This time, however, he did not get one for himself.

“The cottage was not owned by my parents. What about you, Little Red? Do your parents own any vacation homes?”

I shined the apple on my sweatshirt, taking a bite and chewing before responding. “My parents are divorced, and I lived with my mom. My father paid child support and saw us sometimes, but he was more interested in buying our love than showing us love … if that makes sense. So, I’m not really sure if he has vacation homes, but my mom did not, no. My grandparents on my mom’s side had a fishing cabin down the bayou though.”

His steps slowed as he turned around to face me, the grin on his face genuine. “Where down the bayou?”

Swallowing my apple, my cheeks heated at his intense interest. “Oh … um … Port Fourchon, I think. Somewhere between there and Grand Isle. I had a lot of fun there as a kid.”

His grin only got wider but he spun around and started walking again. “Such a small world. I spent a lot of time there as a child as well, but I haven’t been back often as an adult. Damn place gets torn to shreds every time there’s a hurricane.”

“I know! The news footage is always so disheartening. It would be nice to go back there one day though, just for the memories.”

Walking beside me, he nodded. “Yeah. I’ve told my sister the same thing. One day, we will take my niece there and bring her fishing. With all the technology, kids don’t get the same experiences as we did when I was a kid. I would love to change that for her.”

I wasn’t sure how long we’d talked when the forest finally opened up as we reached the top of the mountain, the sound of rushing water meeting my ears. Although I thought I could hear water as we walked, our conversation, and the wind through the dense foliage had all but drowned it out.

“Is that a—“

Bane stepped forward, a smile on his face as he held out his hand to pull me onto a large boulder. I hesitated for a moment, afraid I would slip off, but took a deep breath, and allowed him to help me climb up. Trusting him continued to get easier—trusting anyone really.

Chapter 16

The Savior

Above the row of boulders on the ridge was a large waterfall that could only be seen at certain times of the year. Scarlett’s dark eyes were bright with wonder as she took in the scene. The rapids from the falls made their way down the mountain until they joined the river below. I realized, as we watched the water crash against the rocks, that I would have to show her the river next. I also realized, as we talked during our hike, that she couldn’t have known about her father’s ties to organized crime. Over the past few days, as Phantom did more digging, I’d only skirted on the topic of family with Scarlett, not wanting to upset her. It became quite clear she didn’t have a close relationship with her family, probably due to her abusive husband. The question was then, was I going to tell her about her father, and would she believe me? I wasn’t sure of the answer to either question.

“This is breathtaking, Bane. Can we sit here, though? Because standing is kind of scaring the shit out of me.”

Chuckling, I nodded. Still holding her by the arm, I guided her down until she was seated on the flat surface of the boulder, and then sat beside her, setting the backpack on the ground.

“This is the only time of the year that the flow of water is this strong, because the rains are heavy. It usually lasts for a few months, and then it freezes, but as it warms, the entire area behind us,” I motioned to the clearing at the top of the ridge, “gets covered completely by different types of flowers, which draws thousands of butterflies. It’s truly magical.”

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