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Chapter 10
The woods smelled of fresh moss and dirt. Endless rows of trees surrounded the trail where I’d parked the truck. We weren’t far out of Boston. The small stretch of forest was close to the city but far enough for the raccoon family to have a chance at avoiding backyards for a while. I hated that my thoughts all revolved around being alone with Mila in the woods. I wouldn’t make a move on her, no matter how freaking sexy she was when she laughed, played with her hair, or adjusted the strap of her top when it slipped down the soft skin of her shoulder. But honestly, if she made a move on me out here, I didn’t trust myself to stop her.
“Here is good,” I said after we’d walked down a small deer trail and reached a grassy opening in the woods. Carefully placing the cage on the mossy forest ground, I kneeled next to it.
“Is it okay if I free them?” Mila asked as I was about to open the cage to send the raccoon family on its way. She kneeled beside me, not even the slightest bit worried about her jeans getting muddy.
“Sure.”
I watched her open the cage. Usually, it took a little while until the animals felt safe enough to leave, but not this time. Only moments after being given their freedom, the raccoon momma and her little ones rushed off into the thick brush of the woods. A rattle of leaves, a snapping of a branch, and they were gone.
Mila rose to her feet, staring after the raccoon family as if deep in thought.
“It must be wonderful to feel free,” she said.
I rose as well, standing right next to her. Was that sadness in her eyes?
“You make it sound like you feel trapped.”
“I do. All the time.”
Was the chief right? Andrei Kowitsch...was he holding her captive?
In silence, we listened to the wind making the mighty branches groan, and the leaves whisper.
“There aren’t many things my overly protective brother loves, but I’m one of them.”
“That’s a good thing, isn’t it?”
She frowned. “I guess. But sometimes, a young woman could do without someone breathing down her neck all the time. Deciding what’s right and wrong for her. Which path to take and which to avoid. Sometimes I want to learn for myself. Make my own mistakes.”
Finally, she opened up about her brother. Every inch of me wanted to let her speak, let the conversation evolve naturally. But the truth was, the sooner I got out of this investigation, the better it was for all parties involved. Especially her.
“Your brother...do you live with him?”
I already knew the answer to that.
“Yeah. When my mom left and my dad died, he took over and raised me. He was barely a teen himself but was forced to grow up, to be a parent.”
“He sounds like a great guy.”
Mila thought about it for a moment. “He was. Well”—she bit her lip—“is. To me, at least.”
“Is he a student as well?”
Mila giggled. “God, no. He’s...a contractor, of sorts. Anyways,” she said abruptly, “should we get back to the truck? I have a class at three.”
Shit. Not now that you’re opening up.
“So you’re just gonna leave me to get eaten by dogs on the next call?”
That beautiful smile returned to her full, rosy lips as she gave me a playful tap on my chest.
“I don’t think the road that Noah Davis can’t maneuver has been built yet.”
“Ha! If only you knew how many times life has flattened my tires.”
I looked into her eyes, my lips slightly curled into a smile. This woman was absolutely everything I ever wanted. She was funny, smart, sexy, devoted. The whole package. My gaze briefly dopped to her lips. So soft and full. She must have noticed as her breath suddenly picked up, and she licked her lip. We were close enough that I could grab her by the wrist and pull her into my arms. Squeeze her against my body and kiss her.
