Once Jarek saw that she was nowhere near the Sturgess ranch, he would move on, too.It was the best way to keep everyone safe.
Hudson reached for her hand, but she could no longer allow him to be her strength.Rather than open her hand, she moved it onto her lap and twisted her fingers together.
Conrad sat in the passenger seat.She half-expected him to spin around and spew hate and blame at her.Much to her surprise, he didn’t.
“I thought everyone knew each other in this town,” she whispered, wondering why the body hadn’t been positively identified yet.Was there hope the body didn’t belong to Nikki?
“Lake Aberdeen is in a different county,” Hudson said, his voice low.
“Oh,” she said.A couple of hours had passed since Nikki had been taken from the Sturgess ranch—enough time to drive her out of town, kill her, and dump the body.So much for Jarek using her as leverage.Of course, he could try to fake still having her in his possession.All he would need were a few photos of her alive.He could pretend to still have her.They wouldn’t be the wiser.
But killing her made no sense.Why would he do that and risk losing his leverage?
If what they said about Nikki was true, she might have attempted to escape or fought.Not saying being killed was her fault, but his killing her could have been a reaction to contain her that went too far.
Looking at Hudson right now, when she’d caused his family so much loss and pain, wasn’t an option.So, she kept her gaze focused out the opposite window, into the dark.
The rest of the drive to Lake Aberdeen was spent listening to Travis’s radio, waiting for any updates.None came.
By the time they reached the lake, Cassie was bone tired.She was running on empty and needed a second wind if she was going to make it through the night on the run.The fact she had no idea where she was weighed heavily on her mind.Additionally, she had no supplies, no food, and no weapon.She’d memorized the area around the Sturgess ranch and where Christian lived, not this area.
Plus, her rifle was inside the truck.
Would she survive the night out here?
You’d have to keep walking.And then what?
More questions danced around with no immediate answers.Was she talking herself out of going tonight?
She could go back to the Sturgess home, gather supplies, and then leave before morning.Surely, the family would sleep in after everything that had happened today and now this—this unimaginable outcome.One she couldn’t allow herself to fathom.
How hard would it be to sneak out the back door once she had sufficient means to survive without help?It couldn’t be that difficult.The property was vast.She had no idea how many acres.The main thing she knew was that the Sturgess ranch was as close to her son as she’d been since his birth.
Travis pulled up beside another vehicle markedSheriffand parked.Several other vehicles were lined up, along with an ambulance.Lights whirled, but there was no sound.Only the chirps of crickets and other insects could be heard as they exited the vehicle and then navigated down a path toward the water.Owen had been driving behind them the entire way, along with his twin.They kept a healthy distance, no doubt giving their brother space to breathe while letting him know they were there for him.
She could only imagine how horrific this ordeal was for Conrad, despite what it might feel like to have that kind of steady support in one’s life.For a while at the Sturgess family home, she’d experienced it.Something like this was rare and precious.It deserved protection.
As for the timing of slipping into the night, she decided to wait.The mountain lion was still out there, somewhere.Going off half-cocked without a plan or supplies invited danger and possibly death.Jarek didn’t deserve the satisfaction of her dying while trying to escape him.
The man needed to burn in hell.But first, he deserved a long prison sentence.
Conrad broke into a run several steps onto the trail.Travis was on his brother-in-law’s heels.
Once again, Hudson reached for her hand.
Cassie moved hers away and then ran, too.
Findingand then losing the person you were madly in love with had to be the worst kind of pain.Hudson knew firsthand what it was like to lose someone, and he couldn’t fathom what Conrad was going through, losing both his love and their child in one fell swoop.
Anger caused all of his muscles to tense as he watched his brother.An officer turned and held up his arms to stop Conrad, but Travis was already yelling to let Conrad through the human barricade.
Conrad ran up, then abruptly stopped.He sank to his knees and buried his face in his hands.
Travis turned and shouted, “It’s not Nikki.It’s not her.”
Hudson’s legs became rubber bands.He stopped and then took a knee.
“What?”Cassie asked as disbelief caused her jaw to drop open.“Did I hear that right?”