Page 11 of Trail to Trouble
“I mean, I have a couple interviews lined up as well. I just finished school. My degree is in marketing.”
“Where do you hope to land?”
“I had thought that maybe I’d stay in the Twin Cities, as I enjoyed my first few years at school there, but now...let’s just say I might not be suited for the city.”
His brow arched again. Must be his thing.
“It’s a long story,” she added.
He nodded, but didn’t ask for the story. Smart guy. He’d figured out she didn’t want to talk about the long story.
It was getting late, and Hannah suspected Hunter wouldn’t climb into his tent until all his campers were tucked in for the night. Though her mind raced and she doubted she’d be able to fall asleep right away, she pushed herself up to let him off the hook.
“I guess I’ll turn in now.”
“Me, too,” he replied as he stood and broke up what remained of the dying fire.
Hannah made a move for her tent, paused, and looked over her shoulder. “Good night, and thank you for a good day. It was a pleasant hike to the waterfall. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
The handsome guide smiled softly. “Me too.”
She tried to pull away from his intense gaze, but couldn’t. Those warm eyes of his emitted pure kindness. Still, a hint of apprehension snaked through her. She’d once trusted Sebastián, and look how that turned out.
ChapterThree
The glowof the campfire died down, and the silhouettes of the guide and his target faded into the darkness. If only he’d caught up with them sooner, his work here would be done. But, they—she—the Almighty Bitch, had the luxury of a canoe and he had to follow on foot in unknown territory. Crossing over tributaries, ravines, and trudging through thick brush had slowed him down some. That, and making sure his target or the other parties hiking and canoeing did not see him, caused his travel to take even more time.
His heart raced, but Almighty Bitch was in his sight now. In the darkness of night, he’d edge closer to her and then wait for daylight to find an opportunity to right the wrong she’d done to him and others in her wake. She’d pissed him off. He was sick of her kind. The perfect and almighty. Those who looked down upon him. She’d pay and never do that to him or any other man again. A rush of adrenaline shot through him. He smiled at himself. Yes, when he was done with her, she’d never be able to look down upon anyone again. That thought was euphoric.
A knife stabbed at his brain, ruining the beautiful thought in his mind. He cupped his head with his hands and pushed with all the strength he had, as if that would help to ease the sharp pain. It didn’t. With his right hand, he slapped his own head. Hard. He wanted to scream in agony, but still had enough wits about himself to know he shouldn’t or the others would hear him.
The pain in his brain intensified. He squeezed his eyes shut. It didn’t help, so he reopened them.
Distraction. He needed a distraction. He slapped himself again, then reached down and pulled the switchblade from his pocket, opened it, and with a small bit of pressure, dragged the sharp blade over the top of his forearm, careful not to cut too deep. Just deep enough to pull his attention from the shooting pain in his head. The last cut to his arm hadn’t healed yet. The cuts were coming faster and faster.
In the darkness, he could barely see the wound, but his stinging flesh and the feel of the moisture on his arm brought relief to him. His body went languid, and he slid his back down the tree behind him until his butt rested on the ground. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the tree. Total euphoria as if he was on the best drug-induced high known to man, yet he didn’t take drugs. Not anymore. Not since his last run-in with law enforcement. He had no chances remaining. Any other mishaps and he’d be in prison. He knew and believed it. His lawyer warned him, too. The man was confident he could get him out of the mess he was currently in, but one more misstep and he’d be done. Even with knowing that, here he was, trailing Almighty Bitch. It’s like he couldn’t help himself. He was drawn to her like a magnet.
Slowly, he opened his tired eyes, though he was exhausted. Life exhausted him. People exhausted him. He needed the high of teaching Almighty Bitch a lesson. That should get him through a few more days.
ChapterFour
The pleasant aromaof smoked bacon teased her nostrils. Then, the hiss of grease in a fry pan wafted into her ear canals. She opened her eyes, hoping this wasn’t a dream. Surprisingly, she found herself alone in the tent. Whispers outside the tent pulled her into reality. She was the last one up. Unusual. Even more unusual was the fact that she hadn’t woken at all throughout the course of the night. That was something that hadn’t happened since Sebastián—dread coiled in the pit of her stomach—since he’d begun to stalk her. She swallowed hard.
She curled into a tight ball, sucked in a deep breath, and then willed herself to relax, to take advantage of a few more moments of peaceful solitude. Sebastián wasn’t here. She was fine.
Maybe it was the fact that she was in the wilderness’s security that helped to calm her mind and had allowed her to get a good night’s rest. Guys, cowards like Sebastián would never venture into the wild. She was safe here. Safe from assholes anyhow. Though her guide was a man, she felt like she could trust him. She saw the goodness in his eyes. But she once thought Sebastián was a good person, and look how that turned out. Once he knew she wanted only friendship from him, he lost it. Called her a tease, among other horrible names. Then, stalked, kidnapped her, and...
“Hey sleepyhead, your eggs and bacon are ready,” Alyssa called out, shaking her from the unwanted reverie.
The same reverie that ruined most every day and night, except for last night.
Hannah slipped out of her sleeping bag, did a quick clothing change, and poked her head out of the tent.
Her gaze landed on the tall man scooping eggs and bacon onto Bianca’s plate. It looked delicious. He looked delicious. There was nothing better than a good-looking guy cooking breakfast in the wilderness for her and her friends. Yeah, they paid for this service, but it was still nice to see a man who could cook.
Maybe it was the full night’s sleep that put her in this good mood and gave her a bit of a change of heart when it came to men. The mood change was welcome. She was sick of being bitter and angry, and sick of being afraid of men. She knew good men were out there. Her father and older brothers were proof, but her experience with Sebastián had changed her—damaged her.
“That smells delicious,” she commented.
