Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 61868 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 309(@200wpm)___ 247(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61868 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 309(@200wpm)___ 247(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
Secrets are kept for a reason, but they have a nasty habit of rearing up and injuring when revealed. Should we let her keep this one or make her tell us everything?
We while away a couple of hours before lunch and continue back in the studio in the afternoon. The mood seems to lift. Jack sings his entire repertoire of lumberjack songs. West joins in occasionally by slapping his hands against whichever wooden surface he's closest to. I tell Skye as many ridiculous stories as I can think of to ease her anxiety, like the time Jack tried to cook for Thanksgiving but forgot to thaw the turkey first or the time West fell face-first into the mud outside and freaked us out when he opened the door looking like a forest creature. And the time I knocked myself unconscious slipping in the shower three days after I moved into the cabin, forcing West and Jack to take me to the emergency room for a concussion. They had to dry and dress me before getting me in the car.
It feels good to laugh and collaborate on something where we can all bring our skills to the table. Skye seems to enjoy unpacking paints, pots, pencils, and a range of other materials. She goes back and forth between the barn and the cabin, bringing us drinks and snacks.
When Jack's throat is ragged, West sets up a speaker, and our project is lightened by the tones of Johnny Cash and The Backsliders.
By the end of the day, we’ve gone some way to make good progress on the studio project and show Skye that it doesn't have to be frosty between us.
The light outside begins to fade away, and the sounds of the rain and wind give way to the distant rustle of birds and other wildlife getting ready for the night shift.
As we're getting ready to leave, Skye clears her throat. "I know I had a difficult start, but I know what you expect of me now, and I want this to work, just like you all do." This time, her words aren't accompanied by tears or red blotches. She touches her neck, which feels like a nervous action, and I step forward to embrace her before Jack can spoil the moment with some other cryptic comment about axes.
Before I can cross the studio, the sound of footsteps outside, crunching against the undergrowth, roots us all to the spot.
A sense of unease takes over as Jack and West move quickly and quietly to the door. The look of sheer terror that sweeps across Skye's face tells us all that we need to know. She’s hiding from someone. She’s on the run.
But who from, and who’s outside paying us an uninvited visit?
10
WEST
SHADOWS OF THE PAST
Skye’s body trembles, and her face is a frozen mask of fear. It’s an extreme reaction to what is probably an animal rustling around in the undergrowth outside.
“Stay with Skye,” I hiss at Finn. “Me and Jack will check outside.”
Jack uses the bottom of his shirt to wipe the sweat and dust from his face. Outside, the forest is dark except for the small light over the front door of the cabin. My eyes sweep the area, finding nothing. Jack and I step out of the studio cautiously. Jack’s holding a screwdriver at a vicious angle. I didn’t think to come armed, but I have my fists, and they’ve served me fine over the years.
“Around the side.” Jack angles his head and starts walking. For such a big, imposing man, he can move stealthily.
Jack’s first to make it around the left side of the lodge, and he comes to a stop. “Ethan, what the fuck are you doing?”
When I reach Jack, Ethan is pulling back from where he had his face pressed to the kitchen window. He straightens, then staggers a little, grinning with a mouth filled with stained teeth. The dude seriously needs to pay a visit to the dentist.
“Looking for the pretty girl you’ve got in there. I thought, if she’s fucking three stinking lumberjacks, she wouldn’t mind a fourth.” He takes a step forward and teeters on his leg. I half expect him to fall to the floor in a heap, but he rights himself. “Where is she?”
Jack steps forward, holding the screwdriver facing down but clearly visible. He straightens so his shoulders expand, making his already huge form even broader. I join him, creating a barrier between Ethan and Skye, who’s currently cowering in the studio. This fucking asshole isn’t going to get anywhere near our girl.
“You need to get out of here.” Jack’s voice is calm, but there’s an undercurrent of menace that could chill the Sahara. He doesn’t talk about the things he’s done in his life. As an ex-law enforcement officer, I can imagine there have been times he’s stepped over the line. I know from my own military experience that in the heat of the moment, a lot can happen that seems terrible in the cold light of day. But Jack has a handle on the violence that lingers inside him like a specter. I do, too, but only to a certain point. Threaten me or threaten something that’s mine, and it’s over.