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Sitting on the sofa while watching Jules sleep, I grab my phone and call Stryker, my best friend. We go way back, and either one of us, without question, will always drop what we have going on to help the other out. I give him the rundown of what’s going on, asking him to meet me at the cabin in North Carolina later tonight. I add to his to-do list, needing him to acquire us some clothing, girl shit, and gluten-free food.
Finally, I allow my weary body to climb up on the bed as I pull Jules’ limp body into my arms and spoon her. Laying behind her, I kiss the top of her head as I think about all the shit we’ve been through today. Why the hell did I get hit with a double whammy, and by whom? Since she had the tracker sewn into her clothing, all I can conclude is at least one of those men were Nick’s. I knew Nick was obsessed, but this brings things to a whole new level of crazy. My instincts tell me there is something deeper to this story, and it seems as if it all revolves around Julianna. To what extent, I don’t know, but I will have to ponder this shit after I get some shuteye.
It’d seemed as though I’d never get here. The past twenty-four hours have been hell, and the last stretch of this drive has me beat, despite the long siesta I had this afternoon. I glance at my phone, and it reads almost 11 pm. I had overslept back at the hotel. I didn’t think I was that tired, but apparently I was. It was close to dinnertime when I finally woke up, and that was only because Jules began stirring.
We hadn’t eaten anything all damn day, and we were both starved. I called concierge, and they had our dinner and my dried clothes to my door within minutes. After Jules ate, I then gave her more pain medicine, thankful she didn’t have to take these drugs on an empty stomach. She fought to stay awake for the next two hours, and then finally fell back asleep.
As I approach the cabin, the gravel crunches under the tires as I slowly make my way down the driveway, careful not to displace the rocks. The automatic porch light sensors kick on as I put the car in park. Stryker’s Jeep is here, and damn near every light is turned on inside the cabin, spilling light out through the windows and into the darkness. Turning off the engine, I get out of the car, and stretch my fatigued muscles.
Immediately, I’m hit with the smell of pine as it fills my lungs. The crisp, clean country air is invigorating. Looking up into the sky, it’s a clear night, the stars are out in numbers, and the moon shines bright. It feels good to be out of the city and nestled into a safe corner of the world. This very moment makes for a picturesque photo, like a…a…hell if know any artist’s work; I’ve never been into that shit. It’s refreshing and wholesome, nevertheless.
It’s been almost a year since I’d been here last. I made pretty good driving time; six hours is not bad from Charleston to Lake Mattamuskeet. Stryker, a few others, and I went in together on this cabin. It’s the perfect oasis from the real world, and better yet, no one knows about it but us men.
Ranger, Stryker’s German shepherd, is waiting for me on the front porch. I give a light whistle between my teeth, calling to the ole boy. He gets up off the porch and starts wagging his tail, and when he realizes it’s me, he gives a gruff bark and runs to greet me. “Hey, old boy.” I rub him all over as he soaks in the attention.
Stryker appears at the front door, his shadow backlit from the indoor lights. “Hey, man. Let me give you a hand.” He takes the front steps two at a time and we embrace, slapping each other on the back.
“I’ve had a hell of a long day, man.”
“Yeah, when you called, you sounded pretty beat up.”
“You have no idea.”
I move to open the car door, revealing Sleeping Beauty, and Stryker whistles in a low pitch. “You definitely stumbled upon a hot one, dude.”
“Yeah, well, don’t let the package fool you; she’s got a mean bite.”
Stryker chuckles at my remark while he grabs my backpack and bags from the front seat. The car door slams behind me as I use my foot to shut it, and we make our way up the wooden steps, and into the cabin.
“You can put her in here, in this first room. I made sure all the linens were changed out for her.”
