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Veronica climbed into her car, Rebel and Alfie leaping into the backseat. Her hands trembled as she swerved out of the driveway.
She never noticed the Ford Taurus pull out onto the road behind her.
chapter thirty-four
The sweet, pungent odor of aviation fuel and oil filled her nostrils as she opened the large doors to the hangar. The King Air 260 sat in the middle, right where they’d left it, gleaming under the fluorescent lights.
It was a gorgeous workhorse of a plane. More plane that Connelly needed, but he’d said he’d bought it for her. At the time, she’d thought it was ridiculous of him to drop several million on a plane that sat nine passengers and had a range of nearly two thousand nautical miles. But it handled beautifully and suited her needs now.
She ran her hand over the sleek wing, and tears pricked the back of her eyes as she remembered the last time she’d been here.
How he’d kissed her. Touched her. Woke up all the parts of her she’d thought long dead.
She would find him.
She wouldn’t let their story end this way.
The dogs whined and paced, matching Veronica’s own anxious energy. Alfie barked once sharply, and Rebel growled low in her throat. She was as ready to hunt as her human was.
Veronica quickly completed the pre-flight checks, noted the fuel level, and texted Ash, hoping he’d see it before she took off. She picked up Alfie to carry him up the steps to the plane, then called Rebel. The athletic dog bounded up the steps without a problem.
“I’ll be right back,” she told them before shutting them inside and crossing the hangar to the aircraft tug parked in the corner.
The crunch of tires outside had her pausing. She expected to see Ash’s Tahoe, Cal’s electric blue Camaro, or maybe one of the guys of Redwood Coast Rescue. Instead, it was a car she didn’t recognize.
A Ford Taurus.
The engine idled for a moment before finally cutting out, leaving an oppressive silence in its wake. She glanced around for anything she could use as a weapon, but there was nothing. Only her, and the plane with her protection K9 shut inside, and the dark figure now stepping out of the car.
Jeremy Firestone.
The world went cold around her, vision tunneling down to just him. His face was half-lit by the security light, casting long shadows across his features and making him look even more sinister. Every memory of fear Veronica had ever felt rushed back at once. She struggled for breath, chest heaving like she was drowning.
But she couldn’t drown, not now.
Not when Connelly was missing, and it was up to her to find him.
Drawing on every ounce of courage she had left, Veronica stood tall and met Jeremy’s gaze head-on.
“Veronica,” he said with a smile, drawing her name out as if savoring it. “I thought it was time we meet.”
“Where’s Connelly?” She silently congratulated herself when her voice didn’t shake because her hands certainly were.
Jeremy smirked and held up his phone. There was a countdown timer on the screen, ticking away the seconds. “Facing his fears. He has about... five hours left, give or take. Less if he panics.”
“Five hours? Five hours for what?”
Jeremy’s oily smirk spread wider as he watched her, his dark eyes gleaming with wicked delight. “Doesn’t matter.”
Every fiber of her being screamed at her to run, to escape, but she remained rooted in place. She had to know where Connelly was. She had to save him.
“Where is he?” she demanded again, stepping towards Jeremy. His smile faltered for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure.
“It doesn’t matter.” Jeremy tilted his head, his eyes narrowing in annoyance. “He was in the way, but we’re alone now, just how it was always meant to be. You’re my muse. You’ll be my masterpiece, and I’ll finally take my place in legend. I’ll finally become The Shadow Stalker.”
Suddenly, it wasn’t fear flooding her system but rage. It burned through her veins like liquid fire. “Like your dad?”
He scoffed. “Dad wasn’t the real thing. He hid behind the name. He didn’t understand its power.”
