AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter Thirteen
Hattie trudged next to Jensen, her mind spinning but always coming back to Steffan. He’d been glorious, holding her so close and sheltering her, giving her another kiss to end all kisses, and being willing to fight for her. If only she could be with him.
This was what it felt like to do the right thing and sacrifice yourself for someone else? This was the reward her parents and Sadie were always after in their self-sacrificing lives? It stunk. Why would anyone sacrifice their life so they could feel like this?
She’d never be with Steffan and she was going to prison. Her heart thudded dully in her chest. She needed to think about how to prove that she hadn’t murdered Franz. Unless she had somehow fallen on him with the knife as Treven’s evil father knocked her out. It seemed improbable. Had William Rindlesbacher set this entire thing up to frame her for another death and have leverage to set his son free?
Jensen said nothing as they trudged along. That scared her. They walked for a while, a group of Jensen’s men behind them. Where were Steffan, Ray, and William? Could she really be prosecuted for a crime with only William’s word against hers? If the recording device was gone and only hers and Franz’s fingerprints were on the knife—probably.
She found her mind moving from processing what might have happened to praying.
That made no sense to her. She’d prayed while Franz had a knife to her throat and look how that had worked out. But maybe … maybe she needed to keep trusting and humbling herself. Could that be what this entire nightmare was about? Humbling herself? Could it all be about her meeting and falling for Steffan? Would she take the happiness she’d found for that brief time with Steffan, the way he’d shown her he could care for her, would take care of her, and only saw the best in her, to go through the dread of going to prison? She thought she would. She’d given herself up so he wouldn’t get himself in trouble, and she’d do it again any day.
Hattie kept walking, and she kept praying.
They stopped at a clearing with a bunch of side-by-side utility vehicles. Jensen escorted her into the passenger seat of a two-person vehicle.
He nodded to an older gentleman who climbed into the driver’s seat. “Peter.”
Peter? Peter. He’d said that name earlier, and the older gentleman seemed familiar. Why was he so familiar? It couldn’t be Jensen’s partner from before. She’d never actually seen that guy, only in the shadows.
“Strap on your seatbelt,” Jensen said. He offered her a brief smile. “Hopefully I won’t be seeing you again.”
Hattie could only stare at him. What did that mean? She was going in for questioning. He’d see her again. Jensen shut the low-slung door. She strapped on her seat belt and glanced at the man next to her. He looked straight ahead and said nothing. Could it possibly be him? The man who had helped Jensen rescue her from prison before? Her heart thumped strangely and as hope filled her, she prayed harder for heaven’s light and protection and for Steffan and Jensen and even for Franz, heaven rest his stupid and greedy soul.
Moments later, the line of vehicles started to move. Peter waited for everyone else to proceed and then took up the rear. That seemed odd. Wasn’t she a prisoner? They hadn’t tied her up. Was Jensen giving her some kind of clue? Should she jump out and run for it? Would that make her look more guilty?
She noticed too late they were lagging a fair distance behind the other vehicles. They’d been going around tight corners, but she hadn’t seen taillights from another vehicle for quite a while.
“What’s going on?” she demanded, but her voice was shaky. Jensen wouldn’t put her with some guy who would hurt her. She prayed harder than ever. This wasn’t deathbed repentance, right? She didn’t want to be a hypocrite, but she wanted a chance to remember how to turn to God like she used to. To be the woman Steffan thought she was. To be with Steffan.
She didn’t see any possibility of that miracle happening, though.
The man shrugged. “Waiting for the general and Prince Steffan to catch up.”
Her heart leapt. Could Steffan rescue her somehow?
Peter was going even slower now. Suddenly, he cranked the wheel and slammed on the brakes. The headlights angled out over nothingness. He focused on her as he put the vehicle into park. His face was very serious. “Did you know you’re not supposed to carry petrol in the back of a Polaris Razor? There’s a warning sticker right there.” He pointed. “Fire and explosion could occur.”
She glanced back. Two large containers of gasoline were strapped onto the back. A blast of unease washed over her. He was going to burn her? No. She was letting her imagination run away with her.
Please, please help me, she begged her Father above.
“I told Chief Jensen about the petrol situation when we stepped outside the cabin.” Peter shrugged, but his eyes glinted. “Crazy guy didn’t believe me.”
“What’s going on?” she demanded, her voice shaky. This guy seemed crazy.
Another side-by-side vehicle raced up next to them. Ray and Steffan leaped out.
“Go, go, go.” Ray about ripped her door off. “William’s not far enough behind us.”
Hattie unbuckled with trembling fingers and Ray helped her out of the vehicle and into Steffan’s arms.
She wanted to cry with relief, but nobody said anything as Steffan took her hand and tugged her deeper off the trail, through thick underbrush and around huge pine trees. She wanted to yell her thanks to Ray for rescuing her. She had no clue what the plan was, but she was with Steffan and away from Peter and William, so that was all she cared about right now.
Thank you, she prayed.
A whoosh and the light of a roaring fire tugged her head around. Through the trees, she could barely see Ray as he jumped into the other side-by-side and rammed into the rear of the one that was now on fire. The Polaris went rocketing off into the night, falling into the crevice below. An explosion, smoke, and flames told the end of that story.
