Tattered Stars

by Catherine Cowles

  I heard a faint squeak and whine as the nail moved out another inch. I readjusted my hold and drew back with everything I had in me. It came free with a force that sent me flying back into the mattress, but I held onto my treasure.

  Dizziness swept over me as I straightened into a sitting position. I had the nail, and it wasn’t even bent. But before I could shift to work on the lock, the door swung open. I shifted on instinct, tucking the nail under the mattress but still within reach.

  “Evie.”

  The voice, so achingly familiar and painfully gentle.

  “I’m so glad you’re awake.”

  “B-Ben?”

  His cheeks heated. “Sorry about the chains. It’s just until you’re used to it here.”

  Until I was used to it… Bile crept up my throat. My childhood protector. My oldest friend and confidant. But everything had changed without me even realizing it. Only one question found its way to my lips. “Why?”

  His expression gentled even further. “It’s always been you, Evie. We’re meant to be.”

  43

  Hayes

  My SUV bumped over a series of potholes as I made my way up the drive to the Kemper ranch. Pulling to a stop in front of the series of buildings, I forced my hands to release their stranglehold on the wheel. I flexed and fisted my fingers, trying to get a bit of feeling back in them. But they remained numb, just like the rest of me.

  I couldn’t feel a damn thing. From my fingers to my toes. Some part of me registered that my heart was still beating inside my chest, but I felt so removed from it that the organ might as well have not existed.

  My gaze swept over the buildings and ranch roads, but everything looked eerily still. There were trucks and a beat-to-hell sedan parked next to the house, but I didn’t see one sign of life. I flexed my hands again. Was Everly here? In one of these buildings? In a shed like Shiloh had been held in? Or worse, was I too late?

  I shoved that thought from my head and pushed open my door. Mom kept saying when Shiloh was missing that she would know if her baby was gone. I had to believe I would know if Ev had left this Earth. I would feel it in my bones.

  As I slammed the door to my vehicle, Allen stepped out onto the front porch of his house. “You’re not welcome here.”

  “I don’t care where I’m welcome. I have some questions, and you’re going to answer them.”

  Allen’s jaw worked back and forth. “We’ve talked to a lawyer. We’ll be filing harassment charges against you and the department next week.”

  “Good luck with that.” It wouldn’t be the first suit Allen and his family had filed. They were always thrown out of court at one point or another, but they clogged up the legal system—sometimes for months. And the department would have to waste resources to deal with it.

  The door swung open again, and Ian appeared, a sneer on his face. “Here to throw your bullshit papers around again? I already told you. I’ll go wherever the hell I want. Talk to whoever I want. There’s nothing you can do to stop me.”

  I rested my hand on the butt of my gun. “Where’s Everly?”

  Ian’s face immediately blanked. “How the hell would I know? Can’t keep track of your woman, Sheriff? That’s because you don’t take a firm enough hand with her.”

  My fingers tightened around the metal, the grip like an extension of my hand. Rage pulsed through me like a second heartbeat. I closed my eyes for the briefest of moments, trying to pull it back. “I’m going to ask you one more time, where is she?”

  “Is Evie missing?”

  The soft voice came from my right, and I whirled around to see Addie. Dark circles rimmed her eyes, and she moved stiffly. But even with those struggling movements, I hadn’t heard her coming. “Yes. She was taken about an hour ago, give or take. Have you seen her?”

  Addie’s eyes widened, fear streaking through her expression. But it was Allen who spoke, his words cracking out like a whip. “Don’t say another word to him, Adaline.”

  She straightened, but I didn’t miss the wince of pain as she did so. “She’s not here. No one’s come or gone in over two hours.”

  “Adaline, be silent.” Allen charged from the porch, but I stepped between him and his daughter, pulling my gun.

  “I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to stay there, sir.”

  “This is my property, and that’s my daughter.”

  “And she’s answering my questions right now.” I glanced back at Addie. “Who has been here recently?”

  Addie tore at the side of her nail, a bit of blood springing up. “Ben. He came a few hours ago to talk to Ian.”

  “Is that typical?”

  Her gaze flittered from me to Ian and back, always checking to see where her father was. “Sure. He comes by every few days, usually. But…”

  “Addie, shut your mouth if you know what’s good for you,” Ian hissed.

  “Tell me,” I urged. “I can keep you safe.”

  Her expression went bleak. “No one can do that. But you’ll keep Evie safe, right?”

  “I’ll keep you both safe.”

  Addie looked off into the distance, towards the seemingly never-ending national forest land that wrapped around our mountains. “Ben was agitated. He said Evie needed to come home, to be protected. He hasn’t been himself since his wife died.” She glared at Ian. “And Ian just gets him riled up. I couldn’t hear everything they said, but Ben tore out of here pretty fast.”

  My rib cage gave a painful squeeze around my lungs. Ben. If he was the one who had her, that could be good or bad. He wanted to protect her, but it also sounded like he was in the midst of a mental break. I turned to Ian. “What did he say to you?”

  “I don’t have to tell you a damn thing. But maybe he’ll be the one to finally teach Everly her place.”

  The urge to use my fists to get the information out of him was almost unbearable. My fingers flexed and tightened around the grip of my gun again. “You’re right, you don’t have to tell me anything. But if anything happens to her, you can be arrested and charged as an accessory. I’ll make sure that happens.”

  Ian scoffed and spat off the porch in my direction. “Your lies and trumped-up charges don’t scare me.”

  I pulled out my cell phone with my free hand and typed a text to Ruiz, letting him know to pick Ian up for questioning. Then I looked at Addie. “Do you have any idea where he would go?”

  She glanced in that same direction again, out to the national forest land. “He has a place out there. He would never tell me where exactly. It was his emergency place. But it’ll be within a day’s ride from here. Likely, half a day.”

  That was a hell of a lot of land to cover. And I knew this wasn’t property Ben owned. He was squatting and hoping not to be discovered by the Forest Service. “Anything else you can think of?”

  Addie shook her head. “Can I come with you?”

  Her voice shook as she asked the question. But the bravery beneath the trembling meant I would forever admire this woman. “Of course, you can.”

  “You’re not going anywhere,” Allen bellowed, charging forward. “And you’re going to answer for your insolence.”

  I shoved him back, tightening my hold on my gun. “Step back. Addie is an adult. And she is free to leave whenever she wants.” I glanced at her. “Do you have anything you need to get?”

  She opened her mouth to answer, but Allen cut her off. “If she removes anything from this property, she’ll be shot for stealing and trespassing.” His eyes narrowed on his daughter. “If you leave now, you’ll be cast out. Dead to me and everyone else in this family.”

  Addie raised her chin. “It would be a sweet relief to be dead to you.”

  Allen’s face turned so red, I wondered if he was having a stroke. I motioned Addie towards my SUV. “Get in. It’s unlocked.” I kept my gaze trained on the two men as I waited for her to get safely inside the vehicle.

  Allen’s fists clenched and unclenched as he spluttered. “You’re going to
pay for this.”

  “You won’t touch me or Addie. If you do, the department will come for you first. And this won’t be something you can get out of.”

  Allen was silent but clearly raging as I walked backwards towards my vehicle. Opening the door, I climbed inside. “You know how to shoot?” I asked Addie.

  “I know enough.”

  I handed her my gun. “Take this, just in case.”

  Her hands trembled as she took hold of the metal. “I’m sorry if I made trouble for you.”

  I started the engine and took off down the drive. “Don’t be sorry. You were brave as hell.”

  “W-where are you going to take me?”

  “To my mom. You’ll be safe at our ranch, and your dad and cousin will likely think I have you at the station.”

  Tears slipped from her eyes and tracked down her cheeks. “Thank you.”

  I wanted to reach out and pat Addie’s shoulder, to give her some sort of comfort, but I could tell any sort of touch wouldn’t be welcome. I tore down the main road towards our ranch. It was still startling how close our land came to the Kempers’. A mere ten minutes’ drive. But it might as well have been a world away. And I was beyond grateful for that at the moment.

  My phone rang just as we pulled onto our ranch road. Ruiz’s voice came through the speaker. “Tell me everything.”

  I recounted the events of the past thirty minutes, including the fact that Addie was with me. “We need to coordinate with Forest Service and get search parties in that area.”

  “We will, but we don’t know he has her.”

  “It’s a direction. A possibility. We have to try.”

  Ruiz let out a sound of frustration. “We split the teams. Half in that area, half working their way out from Everly’s cabin.”

  It was a good plan. Sound. But it didn’t mean I could rest. “Tell the teams I’ll be in the area, searching. I don’t want anyone to shoot my ass.”

  “Hayes…”

  “It’s public land. You can’t keep me out.”

  “Fine. But be careful.”

  I noted an SUV parked in front of my parents’ house that didn’t belong to them. “I’ll have Calder with me.”

  “Great, a smoke-eater watching your back.”

  “He knows how to shoot.”

  “I hope he does.” Ruiz hung up without another word.

  I turned to Addie, sliding my phone into my pocket. “You can hand me the gun now.”

  She did so instantly, her hands still trembling.

  “You ready to go inside?”

  “S-sure.”

  I climbed out of the vehicle and rounded the hood to open Addie’s door. She didn’t move for a few moments. “No one’s going to hurt you here. You’re safe.”

  More tears slipped down her cheeks. “He’ll never truly let me go.”

  “He has to. And we’re going to make sure of that.”

  Addie swung her legs around and eased out of the passenger seat. Pain flashed across her features as her feet hit the ground.

  My hand went to her elbow. “Do you need a doctor?”

  She shook her head. “I’ll be fine.”

  “You let me know if you change your mind.”

  I led her towards the ranch house. As we walked up the porch steps, the front door flew open. My mom’s eyes widened as she took in Addie. “Well, who do we have here?”

  I had to give it to my mother. I could tell her nerves were frayed, her eyes were rimmed in red. Clearly, she’d gotten the news that Everly was missing. But she pulled it together and gave the woman in front of her a warm smile.

  “Mom, this is Everly’s cousin, Addie. Addie, this is my mom, Julia Easton.”

  Addie wouldn’t meet my mother’s gaze. “I’m sorry for intruding, Mrs. Easton.”

  “Nonsense, you come right on in. I’ll fix you some tea. I bet we could all use some. And call me Julia.”

  We made our way inside to find Calder poring over a map on the kitchen island. Dad must’ve called him to tell him what had happened. His head lifted as we approached. “Any news?”

  “We have a possible direction, thanks to Addie.”

  Calder took in the woman at my side, who had almost shrunk behind me at the sight of him. “Hi, Addie. I’m Calder, Hayes’ best friend.” He did his best to move slowly and didn’t approach for a handshake.

  “Nice to meet you,” she whispered.

  “I’ll start on the tea,” Mom said, moving to the stove. “How about some chamomile? I always think that’s a good one for anxiety and stress.”

  “Sure, Mom,” I answered when Addie was silent.

  Her gaze was focused on the map. “I can help.”

  “You think you can show us where to start the search?”

  She nodded. “We were taught to look for the same things when making shelter. He’ll want trees, not brushland. A source of running water. If he built a true shelter, he might’ve wanted to bring things in. That means he’s not up in the mountains.”

  Addie walked slowly towards the island, and Calder didn’t move an inch. She gestured to the pencil in his hand. “May I?”

  He extended it to her. “Have at it.”

  She studied the map, her brows furrowing. Then she used the length of the pencil to measure miles. Doing a little math on the side of the map, she then drew three circles. “I think these are your best bets. You can trailer horses in?”

  Calder nodded. “I’ve got the trailer hooked up to a ranch truck and two mounts ready to go.”

  She pointed to a forest road. “Drive in here until you get to mile marker eighty-two, then head east. That loop will take the least amount of time.”

  Calder smiled. “I’m thinking you should get a job as a park ranger.”

  Addie looked down, dropping the pencil as she turned away.

  “Shit,” he muttered. “I didn’t mean to scare her off.”

  “It’s not you. She’s been through a lot lately.” And I had a feeling I only knew the tip of the iceberg. I looked at my friend. “Are you sure you want to do this with me?”

  Calder’s face hardened. “Of course, I do.”

  But he had girls at home that he was an only parent to. Responsibilities that I couldn’t dream of. “I can go alone.”

  “I’m going with you, so quit arguing. The truck is loaded with supplies. You ready to go?”

  “Let’s go.” I could only pray that Addie’s suspicions were right and that Ev could just hold on a little longer.

  44

  Everly

  “I bet you’re thirsty.” Ben moved from the threshold to the small kitchen, lifting a bucket onto the counter. “I need to boil this before you can drink it, though. You’ve been living the city life for a long time. Don’t forget, you can’t drink straight from the creek. You’ll get sick.”

  I watched as he stoked the fire in the woodstove in the kitchen area, then poured the water into a pot on top. I couldn’t find any words. Ben. My sweet, kind, gentle Ben. He was the one who had taken me. Chained me.

  My fingers itched to reach for the nail. At least that would be some sort of protection. But never in a million years had I thought I’d need protection from Ben.

  “Did you try to take me before? Outside the vet?” I didn’t know which would be better, that another psycho was running around, or that Ben had left me with a concussion and bruised ribs.

  He stilled his movements, not looking at me. “I’m sorry you got hurt. That wasn’t what I wanted.”

  “I know you wouldn’t want to hurt me.”

  Ben turned, raising his gaze to me. “Not ever.”

  “This?” I lifted my foot that was chained. “It hurts me.”

  “You have your jeans protecting you.”

  “It doesn’t hurt me physically, Ben. It hurts me here.” I patted my chest. “It scares me.”

  “You don’t have to be scared.” He moved across the room.

  I couldn’t help my reaction. I skittered back on the bed.
/>
  His expression hardened to stone. “You don’t need to do that. You know me. You’ve always known me better than anyone else. Now it’s as it should’ve always been. You’ll be my wife. That’s why Liza died. I know it. Because it was always supposed to be you. I’ll keep you safe. No one will find you here. Ian can’t hurt you here, and no one else can, either.”

  I might’ve known Ben once. The boy who was my best friend. But the man before me now was a stranger. I studied his face as my heart hammered against my ribs. I wasn’t even sure exactly what I was looking for. A reason why, maybe? A how? Had this sickness always been in him or had there been some sort of break?

  “What happened to you?”

  He stiffened. “What do you mean?”

  I chose my words carefully. “I just mean… You’re so scared someone is going to hurt me, but I’ve been taking good care of myself since I’ve been back. Ian hasn’t hurt me once.” Not unless you counted scaring the hell out of me.

  “He wanted to. Was planning on it. I stopped him. He’s the one who burned your barn. If it wasn’t for me, you’d probably be dead. I have to keep you here. Keep you safe. And you’ll see. We’ll be married.”

  My stomach pitched as if I were on a Tilt-A-Whirl. Only there was no pleasant rush of adrenaline like an amusement ride. There was only nausea and fear. “If that’s true, then you can unlock me. I’ll stay here. I don’t want Ian to hurt me.”

  Ben’s eyes narrowed on me. “You’re lying. I always know, Evie. You don’t see yet. But you will. You’ll see the truth. You’ll see that we’re meant to be.”

  “Please, Ben.” I wasn’t above begging. My tears or trembling voice had always been his undoing. He’d hated the sight and sound of them. “I don’t want to be locked up. We can figure out another way.”

  “This is the way it has to be.”

  The man before me might have been a stranger, but I knew that tone. It was the same one he’d had as a child. The one that said his mind was made up, and he wouldn’t be moved. I sagged against the wall, needing time to come up with another plan—some other way. And I needed information.