Page 72 of His to Possess

Cutting the lights, I hung back, barely able to see anything. A diffused light was turned on, illuminating only a few feet of the front door and small porch. I was finally able to see someone standing on the front porch and talking to Max and his companion. Whatever they were saying wasn’t going over well, an argument ensuing.

Five minutes passed then ten, the disagreement almost coming to blows. I could hear Max’s angry voice from inside the cab. What the hell was going on?

When Max and his friend rushed back toward the truck, I nearly panicked. There was little room for me to maneuver the truck. I yanked the gear into reverse, unable to see a freaking thing behind me, merely praying I wouldn’t get the tires stuck in the mud. Everything remained wet, another light fog shifting over the rough terrain.

“Shit. Shit.” I managed to shift the truck successfully, although a slight thud against the back bumper meant I could go no further. Thankfully, the trees were just enough of a cover, or so I hoped. I hunkered down, holding my breath as their headlights flashed inside the cab.

Please. Please.

The lights were far too bright. There was no way I hadn’t been seen. When the headlights dissipated, I breathed a sigh of relief, finally moving to a sitting position. As I rolled out of the hiding place, I had a clear shot of the house.

And the man.

And his expression.

And I could swear the stranger was staring right at me.

I kept the lights off for only a few seconds, narrowly avoiding hitting a large oak before deeming it necessary to have light. I was a fool for doing this. Damn it. By the time I reached the main road, I could swear another set of headlights was coming upon me fast. I’d come too far now to stop what I was doing.

Within a couple of minutes, I noticed the truck once again making a turn. As I slowed down, I knew for certain that whoever Max had visited was following me. Great. I had to make a quick decision. Slowing down, I drove past what appeared to be little more than a gravel path, struggling to read the sign. A park. I decided to keep going, glancing into the rearview mirror every so often. I’d been right about the other vehicle. However, whoever was behind the wheel made the same left turn into the park after shining his brights in my direction.

Luckily, I found a turnoff only a few hundred yards from the park entrance and pulled in, counting to five before cutting the engine and venturing out into the night. I’d been foolish enough not to grab a jacket and the chilly night air immediately caused goosebumps. I eased the Beretta into the waistband of my jeans against my back. The area was freaking dark. With a last thought, I checked the cab of his truck for a flashlight, finding one almost immediately. Maybe luck was turning in my direction.

And maybe pigs flew in the winter.

I’d set myself up with this case, eager to work on something grittier than the unusual fare the captain had given me and my partner for months. Granted, even though I’d had three solid years on the force prior to making detective, my partner almost five, we were still considered probies as far as the captain was concerned. Being forced to work our way up the food chain had been the fuel to leap into this case with a vengeance.

Why did I have the feeling I’d been played from second one?

I loathed the fact I was no longer certain of who in the system I could trust. Every aspect of what I’d searched for had come up to one huge dead end, although I was even more certain Roselake was the center of the mystery.

I trekked through the woods, finding the gravel entrance without any issue. The beam of the light was strong, allowing me to see a solid thirty feet in front of me at a wide arc. While I could no longer hear the sound of anything but the wind and swishing trees, I could feel Max in close proximity.

Within seconds, the fog had increased, still floating low to the ground but creating an eerie atmosphere that gave me the heebie-jeebies. Every little sound from night creatures to the slight snap of a twig caused me to react, swinging my light in the direction of the noise.

What the hell are you doing out here by yourself?

The question was one I should have answered before starting this. I grabbed my gun, feeling more secure as I continued walking, likely having traveled at least a solid mile. Maybe more. When my flashlight finally caught something metallic, I shrank against the tree line, taking cautious steps. The truck wasn’t one that I’d seen. Within a few steps, I realized there were several others, all lined up in a row, although there was no parking lot to be seen.

I turned off the light, feeling my way forward, the hackles on the back of my neck raised. Using the vehicles as a cover, I moved forward, listening for any sounds. When I heard a deep male voice, I felt somewhat vindicated. There was a second voice, then I recognized Max’s. I crouched even lower, creeping toward the voices and when I was likely a hundred yards out, I eased behind a tree merely listening.

“Jesus Christ,” Max muttered, obvious distress in his voice. “This was meant as a warning.”

“Who is she?” a female voice asked.

“Not from around here. It’s obvious she wasn’t killed in the woods, merely placed here for us to find,” a third said.

“Then we need to hunt while the scent is fresh,” and a fourth, another female voice chimed in, the tone full of anger.

I shrank back, closing my eyes. Another murder had already occurred. What in the hell was going on? And how could they see anything in the utter blackness?

I heard the crunch of limbs before Max’s voice appeared closer. “I appreciate you changing your mind, Stone, and joining us. We need you and your pack.”

Pack? What the hell was he referring to? I shifted further into the open, biting back a hiss as a group of headlights appeared on the horizon. I was forced to shrink back several feet, almost tripping over a fallen limb. The darkness was suffocating, another wave of anxiety pooling into my stomach. No, something was off. Way off.

“Look, I thought about what you said, Max. If we’re being threatened in any way, then we need to find out who’s behind it,” Stone answered. “Doesn’t mean we’ll be the best of friends.”

“Understood,” Max said with a hint of sadness.

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