Three brief taps hit the driver’s side back window, Hugo’s way of indicating the premise is clear of any immediate threat. I lift Isabelle off my lap and place her onto the seat next to me. After adjusting my jacket wrapped around her shoulders to ensure she is fully covered, I open the car door. The smell of pine trees and varnished wood infiltrates my senses the instant I step out of the car.
Out of respect for Isabelle, Hugo has made himself scarce. I dip my torso into the car to offer Isabelle my hand to assist her out. She holds down the hem of my jacket to maintain her modesty as she slides across the leather seat.
Her freshly-woken eyes eagerly absorb the log cabin and surrounding forest. This little hideaway is where I come when I need to get away from everything. This is where I came the weekend I was arrested. I knew I had to put distance between Isabelle and me, or I would have ended up at her apartment seeking answers to all the questions filtering in my mind after she left Friday night.
There is no cell phone reception or internet connection in this part of the forest. The power is run by a little generator in a shed attached to the back of the property, and the cabin is heated by an open wood fireplace in the living room.
Catherine arranged for the cabin’s caretakers to crank the generator, ignite the fire, and replenish the fridge this morning when I called her on the drive to Parkerville last night. So we will have everything we need for our two-day stay.
I clasp my hand around Isabelle’s and guide her up the three cedar wood stairs and across the wooden veranda. She remains quiet, but her eyes absorb every detail. Fresh wildflowers infuse the air when we walk into the living room of the cabin. The caretakers are a plus sixty-year-old husband and wife team who lives next door. Catherine must have told them I was bringing Isabelle, as this is the first time they have ever left flowers.
My head shifts to Isabelle. “Did you want something to eat before you shower?” She hasn’t eaten anything since Hugo arrived at our room with a bag of sugar-coated donuts and coffee this morning. It is now a little after noon so she may be hungry.
Isabelle shakes her head. “No, I want to shower first.” Her voice is low, but it doesn’t sound as shaky as it did earlier.
“Okay. Just give me a minute to see Hugo off, then I’ll come and shower you.”
Her pupils widen before she nods.
“The main bedroom is just through that door.” I point to the wooden door on her left.
She cranks her neck back to the door. When she turns back to face me, the smallest smile curls her pouty mouth. “I’ll wait for you in there.” She paces toward the door.
Just as she is about to enter, she spins back around to face me. “Can you thank Hugo for helping me today?” she requests with her brows pulled tightly. “He’ll probably hear my screams ringing in his ears for a week.”
I nod. “I will tell him, but it is his job to protect you, Isabelle. He won’t be expecting a commendation for doing the job he is paid to do.”
“I know, but I still want him to know I’m grateful.”
Her eyes assess my face before she strolls into the main bedroom. Once she closes the door, I walk back out onto the veranda. After scanning the densely treed property, I find Hugo standing near the driveway talking on the satellite phone Hunter gave me earlier.
“We will go over more specifics when I return. . . alright. . . I’ll speak to you tonight. Bye, Hawke,” Hugo says into the phone before lowering it from his ear.
“How is she?” His head gestures to the cabin.
“She is alright, a little rattled, but she’s proving to be stronger than I thought.”
A broad grin stretches across Hugo’s face. “Yeah, I’ve seen a different side to Izzy this weekend. She’s a little powerhouse when she wants to be. At least, unlike Hunter, I was left uninjured from our run-in. Hunter learned the hard way not to mess with Izzy when he copped a bloody nose.”
My head shifts to the side as my brow arches.This is the first I’m hearing about any confrontation between Isabelle and Hunter.
“Hey, I’m no snitch. If you want to know all the details, you’ll have to pry it out of Hunter or Izzy,” Hugo remarks with a broad grin.
I shove my hand in the pocket of my tailored suit and glare at him. Hugo is the first man I’ve come across who doesn’t quake in his boots from my furious glare.Stupid bastard.
I remain quiet as my brain tries to devise an acceptable praise for Hugo. It isn’t that I don’t like issuing praise, but I pay my staff very well to ensure I have the best crew working with me. So their acclamations usually come in the form of money. So Hugo will be rewarded for aiding Isabelle today with a hefty bonus check, but I told Isabelle I'd thank him on her behalf, so I'll follow through on my agreement.
“Isabelle wanted me to thank—”
“Don’t thank me, Isaac,” Hugo interrupts. “I should have never let her wander that far from my sight.”
I don’t refute his statement since everything he said is true.
“Do you want me to come back and collect you tomorrow afternoon?” Hugo questions as he heads back to my town car.
“No, I’ll take the DB out for a spin,” I reply with a sly grin.
Hugo waggles his brows before opening the driver’s side door of my car. He leans across to grab the charger for the satellite phone off the passenger seat. “Just in case you need it,” he states, handing me the equipment.
