Page 17 of Wandering Souls

Chapter Four

Abi woke with a gasp, grabbing at her ribs and half expecting to see her hand come away with sticky, red blood. Her palm, clean in the morning light, unlocked her lungs and her breath rushed out all at once. Sweat dampened her hair and glued her pajamas to her chest and back. Glancing at her watch, she found it was just after six and though the hour was early, she threw off the blankets and rose.

Stretching her arms over her head, she blinked the sleep from her eyes and tried to recall the details of the nightmare. The only memory was of the cold knife sliding in between her ribs, puncturing her lung. Still vivid in her mind, she remembered the feel of the blade slicing through her flesh, the white heat that seared her entire body.

How she didn’t pass out from the excruciating pain was miraculous, but she thanked her lucky stars every day that she’d had the awareness to use her own blade to protect herself. Despite the hot metal singeing her thigh from the inside and the air leaking out of a lung into her chest, she’d somehow found the strength to survive.

When it came to fight or flight, her instinct was clear.

Fight.

Moving slowly, she stretched to try and loosen her muscles. She changed into a pair of sweatpants, a thick hoodie and sneakers. A short walk would help clear her mind and she had no doubt that the fresh, cold mountain air would ease the tension in her lungs. Stepping out into the brisk morning, however, reminded her she hadn’t quite acclimatized to the chilly spring weather.

Yet.

Refusing to let nature deter her, she left the cottage and located the trail leading down to the river again. The quiet enveloped her and she soon found a pace that quickened her heartrate enough to keep her warm. Air plumed out of her lungs with every step and though the muscles of her thigh were tight, they soon relaxed with the extra blood flow. Having seen the trail before allowed a sense of familiarity to scare away the discomfort of exercise and by the time she reached her turnaround point—about where she came across Bruce yesterday—she felt a little like her old self again.

Returning to the cottage, she entered the bathroom, stripped off her dampened sweats and stepped into the shower. Cold water squirted out of the showerhead at first, jarring her before it finally warmed. She showered, working up a thick lather of soap to wash away the remnants of the frightening memory lingering in the back of her mind. Spreading the suds over the scar on her ribs, she hid the raised, silvery line under a thick layer of bubbles until she could pretend it didn’t exist.

Her thigh was another matter. No amount of foam hid that atrocity. Instead, she looked at it with a practiced blindness and washed away another remnant of the past.

Abi dressed in a pair of black cargo pants, her polished combat boots and a white shirt for her breakfast with Ray. Topping the lot off with a thick hooded coat, she pulled her wet hair into a pony tail. A glance in the mirror told her she was presentable, which was all she needed. After all, he wanted to thank her for finding Bruce, nothing more.

So why were there butterflies in her belly?

Abi held her hands out in front of her and saw the tremors. Nervous energy pulsed through her and her belly flopped at the thought of seeing him again. When had she last been anxious about meeting a man?

“It’s just coffee,” she admonished quietly. “Get a grip.”

There had been something about the way he spoke with her yesterday that fueled the anticipation, something she found herself wanting to explore. She hadn’t meant to confess so much to him and it should have left her feeling raw and exposed. To her surprise,somethingabout Ray Wells assured her that she could trust him with whatever she told him, that she was safe in his company. Abi couldn’t explain why, only that she felt it deep in her soul.

She blinked at her reflection in the mirror.Ridiculous. You hardly know him.Of all the thoughts in her head, that was the truest of them all and she needed to remember it.

In the car, she adjusted the climate control to warm the interior and set off on the short drive into the center of Wills Crossing. Main Street buzzed with morning traffic and pedestrians going about their business, rugged up to ward off the icy air. Beanies, scarves and gloves were popular fashion accessories, and seeing almost everyone in them made her feel a little underdressed.

Abi spotted Bruce sitting outside the bakery as she passed. His ears stood to attention and his eyes scoured the passers-by. Alert and on guard, he sat alone. A few doors down from the bakery, she pulled the Jeep up to the curb and cut the engine.

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