Page 32 of Through The Woods

It was stupid, but I wanted to do whatever she needed. She kept us all together and made things seem okay.

I brought my hand to my mouth to stifle my sobs. While I was still no closer to finding out the woman’s identity, I now knew one of the men’s identities.

Joker was Matt—it had to be. I wasn’t sure how I’d missed it before. I’d wondered how someone who lived like he did had learned sign language. It was the elusive she.

If she and the woman in the picture were one and the same, I couldn’t imagine Charm ever letting her go. He was gone a lot, sometimes on his own. It wasn’t too far-fetched to think that he would’ve gotten her away from the club.

I was also grateful that he hadn’t made me stay out in one of those cabins.

I wouldn’t have lasted a night.

“Neve!” The prospect, Axel, called up the stairs. “Are you finished cleaning yet?”

I slid the book back under the papers and straightened up just as he came into the room.

“Hey, I just finished. What’s next on the agenda?” My heart beat wildly in my chest, leaving me lightheaded from the exertion.

He gave me an odd look. “Uh, I’m just supposed to make sure you don’t get into trouble.”

Right.

I knew that. I dutifully followed him back downstairs, doing my best to push away thoughts of little boys with broken arms.

Fir tree

What in the hell was wrong with me?

When Charm hadn’t shown for dinner, I’d casually asked if I should save a plate for him. Doc informed me that he’d left on club business and that should’ve been the end of it.

Except it wasn’t.

I’d tried to fall asleep. I’d counted sheep…motorcycles…you name it. It didn’t work. My mind had existed in this limbo of using and trying to quit that it hadn’t considered much else in quite some time. There’d been nothing to challenge it, until Charm’s journal.

As much as I didn’t want to, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I needed the identity of mystery girl almost as much as I needed my next breath.

To what end, I still didn’t know.

So, instead of fighting it, I picked the lock on Charm’s bedroom door—a little something I’d learned from Clint—and snatched the book before heading downstairs. The place was quiet; once again, nothing like what a motorcycle club should be.

I passed by the large stone fireplace, wanting nothing more than to curl up beside it, but the chances of being caught were too high. Instead, I went into Charm’s study and turned on the small desk lamp before sinking into his chair, the book cradled in my hands reverently.

I skipped ahead to where they were older.

I’d gone in there ready to throw her ass to the wolves, but then she looked up at me with those damn doe eyes and every ounce of determination fell away.

“Look at you, my knight in shining armor.” Her eyes sparkled with amusement. It was the first bit of life I’d seen from her in longer than I could remember.

I blew on the soup and pressed another spoonful to her lips. “Just drink this. It’ll help calm your stomach.” She’d been vomiting more frequently and I knew it wasn’t some fluke. I’d let her keep her secret for a little while longer though.

I wanted to be excited, but given the circumstances, wary hope was all I could manage. Six months ago, I would’ve been over the moon. Now, I was just scared. For all of us.

She reached up and cupped my face in her hand. “Why are you so good? Look at me, I’m a mess.” When she smiled, the skin stretched tight over the bones in her face, further revealing how much weight she’d lost over the past few months.

She’d become a walking skeleton.

I brushed her thin hair back and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. “You’re not a mess. You’re perfect. You just need to eat a little more and then you’ll be back to your old self.”

She gave me another weak smile. “I think I’m starting to feel better already.”

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