Page 14 of Saved By the Mountain Man

It just meant that Jethro could be closer.

I needed to find a better place to hide the evidence, a place where Jethro or anyone else would never think to look. If they found me with the only damning evidence I had, they’d kill me for it. Jethro didn’t have a heart. It took me too damn long to figure out that part.

He’d only ever cared about money. The fact that I’d been the accountant who’d made it possible for him to let it go unnoticed had just been convenient. He’d kept me close because it had kept him rich.

I’d been the fool to believe it was real.

But then, it wasn’t the first time I’d thought love was real.

I was a fool.

The folder had felt heavy in my backpack, a physical reminder of the danger I was in. I had hidden it under a loose floorboard in the cabin, but it didn’t feel safe enough there. If they found me, they would tear the cabin apart and there were only so many places they could look before they found it.

If they found it and I wasn’t around, I might be lucky and get away, but that wasn’t a chance I was willing to take.

I had to keep the evidence far enough away from my person so that I could use it as leverage, if nothing else.

Jethro wouldn’t hurt me until he knew where it was.

I knew I was playing with fire, but I’d passed the point of no return just about the time I’d run away from Chicago and headed north, leaving Jethro’s files empty.

With some luck, he’d head south first. Toward Florida, where my family used to live. It would take him a while to figure out I hadn’t gone that way. Or maybe he’d know enough to come north right away. There was just nowhere for him to start looking.

That was the only thing that counted in my favor—a plan for safety and survival from a life before Jethro, one he’d never known about.

The forest was dense, the trees towering above like silent sentinels. The birds had already started migrating, so the branches were eerily quiet. My footsteps were muffled and still too loud in my ears.

The further I walked, the more I hoped to find a secluded spot, somewhere deep enough to offer real protection. So far, there’d only been fallen logs or twisted roots—nothing that would keep the files safe from rain and snow, and that would come. I could taste it. Winter wasn’t far off.

The air was crisp and fresh, the earthy scent of pine and damp leaves filling my lungs. It was a stark contrast to the stifling fear that gripped me.

As I trudged deeper into the woods, I kept my eyes peeled for any signs of life. When Tanner and I were together, we used to talk about escaping to a place like this. Away from his work, away from mine. Away from the chaos of the city.

Now, here I was. Alone, which sucked, but living that reality. It felt more like a nightmare than a dream.

I came to a small clearing, the sunlight streaming through the canopy and casting dappled patterns on the ground. It seemed like a good spot—isolated, hidden, and unlikely to be disturbed. I kneeled down, feeling the cool earth beneath my fingers, and started to dig a small hole. It wasn’t much, but it would have to do until I could find something better. There were no rocks or crevices around. I’d put the file in a plastic bag and it would have to do.

I had to get it in the ground before it froze over and it was too hard to dig.

I buried the file and covered it with dirt and debris so that it was well hidden. I made a note of where it was, remembering landmarks, painting a picture.

A sense of dread washed over me. This evidence was my lifeline, the only thing standing between me and the dangerous men I had escaped. If I lost it, if it was discovered by someone else who could give it to them, I was as good as dead.

I stood up, brushed the dirt from my hands, and took a deep breath. I had done what I could for now. It was time to head back to the cabin and try to figure out my next move. But as I turned to leave, I felt a prickling sensation on the back of my neck, as if I was being watched.

My heart skipped a beat, and I spun around, scanning the trees. At first, I saw nothing but shadows and sunlight. Then, afigure appeared from the trees, tall and imposing, and it was on me in no time.

I cried out and ran, but a strong arm grabbed my hoodie and yanked me back. I spun around and started hitting, balling my hands into fists.

“Hey, hey, hey!” a familiar voice said, and someone grabbed my wrists tightly, stopping me from throwing more punches. “Jesus, will you stop?”

I blinked up at him, and his face came into focus. His lip was split, and he licked it.

“Feisty as ever,” he said.

“Tanner?”

“Can I let go of you?”

---