Hunted: A Suspense Collection

by J. L. Drake

  “That’s too bad. Would’ve been nice to see you around.”

  I smiled a little, looking up. “I have a lot of good memories here.” Vince joined me and admired the sky.

  ***

  Seth

  I picked up my cell and tried to call Mrs. McPhee for the fourteenth time. Come on! I had just about lost it when I finally heard her voice.

  “H-Hello?”

  I let loose a sigh of relief and then quickly did the math. Mrs. McPhee was nine hours ahead of local time. “Sorry for calling so early Mrs. McPhee,” I said. “It’s Seth Connors calling.”

  There was a pause as she tried to place me. “Hi, Seth, is everything all right?”

  I ran my hand over my pounding headache. “Yes, ma’am, I just have a question for you.” I didn’t have time to dance around. I decided to dive right in. “This is going to sound strange, but was there ever a family member or friend who used to call Emily ‘sugar’?”

  Jenny McPhee laughed. “Okay, that is a strange question. Are you sure everything is all right…Seth, is it?”

  I closed my eyes. Just answer, please. “Yes, I’m just trying to figure out something for Emily.”

  She laughed again, not getting my tone at all. But she never did really catch much unless it was something she truly cared about. Emily was obviously not included in that list.

  “Um…let’s see.” I nearly broke the phone in two while she took her goddamn time thinking. “Well,” she said finally, “I guess that would have been Shawna. She owns a ranch in Temecula with her husband, David. Mitch used to take Emily down there every weekend. They were all very close. Emily hasn’t been there since Mitch died.” She stopped talking for a moment and cleared her throat. “Does that help, dear?”

  I ripped a piece of paper out of Garrett’s notebook. “Could I have her address?”

  I stood up from my bed and spotted Garrett zipping up his overnight bag. “Temecula,” I shouted. We both grabbed our bags and ran out the door, jumping in my car.

  ***

  Lasko

  My phone buzzed, and I opened the text.

  Unknown Number: 8519 Cherry Rd Temecula.

  A smirk ran across my face as my hand reached for my keys. “Found ya, darlin’.”

  ***

  Emily

  I woke up around 5:45 a.m. and looked out my window at the stables. I pulled on a yellow sundress and headed downstairs. I took an apple off the table and quietly opened the door. The sun was just about to peek out over the barn. The sudden burst of heat felt nice. It made Claire’s mane glow even whiter. I went to the garden and picked a few carrots and left the tops on, then bent down and moved through the wooden rails toward Claire, who was grazing quietly by a huge oak tree. As I whistled in her direction, her ears twitched, and then she saw me. She pranced over, happy to see me.

  “I have something for you.” I held out the apple.

  ***

  Seth

  I was already up and changed by 6:00 a.m. I looked at my watch, anxious to see Emily. I needed to hold her, tell her I was sorry, and know she was all right.

  “You almost ready?” I shouted through the bathroom door to Garrett. We’d had spent the night in a hotel, as we didn’t want to be knocking on the door at 3:00 a.m.

  “Let’s go,” Garrett said, as he lifted his bag off the counter.

  When we were five minutes from the house, I felt my stomach knot even tighter. I wasn’t sure how we’d find her. Would she even want to see me? at least Garrett was there for a buffer. I pulled out my gun and checked the clip.

  Garrett leaned over and pressed the silver doorbell. I stood, hands on my belt, sunglasses resting in my hair, and one hell of a lump in my throat. A man opened the door. As soon as he saw the two of us, his face dropped.

  “Good morning, sir. I’m Officer Connors, and this is my partner, O’Brian.” We both held up our badges and let him inspect them. “We need to speak with Emily McPhee.”

  David’s face drained of color. “You’re a long way from home, officers. What is this regarding?”

  Garrett put his hand up. “Hey,” he said gently, “she’s not in any trouble. We just need to speak with her.” David thought for a moment, and then he opened the door wider, letting us come in. We followed him into the kitchen, and I noticed the pictures on the wall. Most of them were of a young Emily.

  “Shawna, these officers want to speak to Emily,” David said flatly.

  Shawna rose, nearly knocking over her tea cup.

  I flashed my bright white killer smile that always calmed people down. “She’s not in trouble. We just need to see her.”

  “She’s in the pasture with Claire.” Shawna nervously looked at David. He pointed to the door, and we followed him out.

  “Is she expecting you?” David asked over his shoulder.

  “I’m thinking not,” Garrett answered. My heart started to beat hard when I saw her; she was so beautiful in her yellow dress with the sun behind her. She was all right—well, at least physically.

  As we started up the long path, I could see Emily wasn’t alone. There was a guy standing next to her, smiling as he told her something. Who the hell was this guy?

  ***

  Emily

  I stared at Claire as Vince spoke. “She hasn’t taken to anyone since she arrived a few months back. I thought maybe it was because she didn’t like men, but not even Shawna can ride her.” He looked down at me. “Maybe she sees something in you, something she connects with.”

  “Maybe.” I ran my hand down her long neck.

  “What do you think it is?”

  I laughed. “Okay, Dr. Drew, enough with the psychobabble.”

  He laughed, holding up his hands.

  Claire nudged my arm. She knew there were more treats. I laughed as I pulled out the carrots. She started to go for a bite, but then her head moved up so she could look past me. I reached up and patted her soft pink nose.

  “Emily?” a soft voice said. I turned to see Seth as he stood by the rail. What? How in the world did he find me?

  “Back to reality,” I whispered as Vince shot me a puzzled look. “Just…give me a moment.” He nodded and walked toward the barn. I started toward Seth with Claire close behind me. I stopped a few feet in front of him. I wasn’t sure what to make of this. I wasn’t sure if I was ready to see him yet. He bent in through the rails as he moved toward me.

  “Em, I’m…” He paused. There was so much pain on his face. He ran his hands through his hair. “I’m so sorry.”

  I didn’t move. We stood there for a few minutes, neither of us saying anything. Seth looked around. “It’s nice here.” I saw Garrett walk up and meet Vince at the barn. I moved past Seth, ducking under the rails.

  Garrett’s face lit up when he saw me. “There she is!” He came up, wrapped his arms around me, and lifted my feet off the ground. “You had us pretty worried,” he whispered into my hair.

  “I’m sorry, Garrett.” He hugged me tighter. Seth came up behind me.

  “Let’s go back to the house.” Vince’s voice was nice, but I could tell he was just friendly, and he must have wondered who the hell they were.

  Shawna met David out on the patio. “Is everything all right?”

  “These are my…friends…from back home, Garrett and Seth. They work for the Orange Police Department.” I felt like I needed to explain their badges. They shook each other’s hands.

  “Sorry for not informing you that we were her friends earlier, but we had to make sure she was all right first,” Seth said as he looked at David.

  “All right?” Shawna asked, her voice rose.

  “Yes, ma’am. Emily is in a bit of trouble right now, and we needed to know she was okay,” Garrett answered as he looked at me. My eyes were wide. I couldn’t believe he had just divulged that information.

  Vince stepped toward me, almost like he was protecting me. “What kind of trouble?”

  “Unfortunately, we can’t go into too much detail, but
she’s not safe,” Seth informed them, eyeing Vince.

  Shawna’s hand flew over her mouth. “Oh, sugar.” She looked over at me with tears.

  David put his hands on my shoulders. “If there’s anything we can do, we’re here to help in any way.” The guys smiled. I knew they could tell how much they loved me and why I had chosen to come here.

  Shawna took my hand. “Does this mean you have to go now?”

  I looked up at Seth, then at Garrett.

  “Maybe we could stay till tomorrow…” Seth said, but I could tell he wasn’t overly sure if it was a good idea.

  “Wonderful,” Shawna said. She still seemed worried. “You boys can stay in our guest room tonight. I’m going to go make us something to eat.” She always cooked when she was upset. David followed her into the house.

  “I’ll show you to the guest room.” Vince waved to the guys.

  I touched his arm. “Thanks.” I was appreciative that he was being so friendly.

  Vince covered my hand with his and then walked inside with Garrett.

  “They really care about you,” Seth said from behind me.

  “Yeah, they do.”

  He took my hand and turned me to face him. “I was so stupid, and I never meant what I said. I’m so scared he’s going to take you from me. Then you went to Michaels—”

  “I’m tired of being scared,” I cried out. “Your life and Garrett’s life revolve around me and this mess I’m in. It’s not fair to you guys.”

  He moved in closer. “You wore a purple shirt that hung off your right shoulder with a pair of ripped jean shorts. You had on pair of wedge shoes and gold earrings. Your hair smelled like vanilla.” His eyes sparked. “I fell for you before we even met. You were laughing, and you were so kind to everyone around you.”

  I grinned while I remembered with him. “So why did it take so long for you to make a move?”

  He looked down at himself. “Dating a cop isn’t exactly easy. We can be pretty messed up sometimes. Emily, when I said those words to you, I wanted to take them back so badly. I never wanted to push you away. I never wanted to hurt you.”

  I breathed out; I hadn’t realized I’d been holding my breath. I dropped my gaze down to the ground, but he lifted my chin with his hand. “I don’t want to lose you.” He leaned in slowly and then stopped, waiting to see if this was what I wanted. I paused to feel out my shattered heart. It would take time, but he was what I wanted. I stepped in and met his lips. Seth slid his arm around me and pulled my body into his. “Oh, baby, I’m so sorry.”

  After some much needed alone time with Seth, we joined everyone for lunch out on the patio. Shawna shared lots of stories about me when I was younger. I caught Vince as he watched me a few times. I wasn’t too sure where his head was with me or what he thought I was involved in.

  After lunch, David asked for the guys’ help with his truck. They seemed pleased to be asked. I wandered back up to the pasture to see Claire. I really enjoyed her company. She was so relaxed and easy. I got her ready to ride and hauled myself up. Then I pointed her toward the mountains and let her run as fast as she could.

  ***

  Seth

  I took a seat on a wooden rail when we finished with David’s motor. Shawna brought us out some cold beers and bottled water, and we all took a moment to relax. I decided on a water, as my stomach hadn’t forgiven me for the other night. Nor should it. Vince was balancing on an upside down bucket as he took out an old rag and wiped his dirty hands clean.

  “Why is it that Emily hasn’t been back until now, David?” I glanced at Garrett, and knew he wondered the same thing. Emily never talked about what had happened to her father. Other than the little bits and pieces I’d heard, I really didn’t know the story.

  David stared off toward the driveway and began to talk like he was watching it play out in front of him. “Well, Mitch, Emily’s father, and I grew up together. We did everything together. Heck, we even went to the same college. We considered ourselves brothers. I knew Jenny, Em’s mother, wasn’t the right fit for Mitch, but he just loved that woman with all his heart.

  “When Emily was born, things changed in their relationship. She never wanted kids, and she made that very clear. It broke Mitch’s heart.” He paused and seemed to gather himself. “So he’d bring her down here as often as he could and shared her with us, kinda made us her family. I guess you could say we’ve been a part of that girl’s life since she could sit up on her own. Emily tried to get her mother’s attention any way she could, but nothing worked.”

  David took a drink and continued. “One weekend when Emily was fourteen, she begged her father to come down here. She wanted to enter her horse in the town parade. She was so excited, and she wore her sparkly blue riding outfit. Shawna even made her horse a matching bow. The look on Mitch’s face when she waved and screamed ‘Dad!’ from the middle of the parade was a moment I’ll never forget.

  “They left the next afternoon. It was raining pretty hard, and we told them to stay, but Mitch didn’t want Emily to miss school.” He cleared his throat again. “They said the kid who weaved into their lane and hit them head on was two times over the legal limit. He had fallen asleep at the wheel. Their car flipped twice and landed on the roof. Emily was pinned, and Mitch...well, he suffered a massive blow to the head. That poor girl watched her father die next to her. She was all by herself, so alone.”

  A tear slipped down his cheek. He wiped it away quickly. “Jenny was devastated. She blamed Emily for making Mitch come, and in turn, Emily blamed herself. I guess maybe she still does. She closed herself off from everyone. We tried to get her to move down here, but she couldn’t bear the idea of leaving her home. We understood; we knew someday she’d find her way back.”

  I felt ill over the story. Watching her beloved father die? Not being able to help…Goosebumps ran down my body. I knew Jenny had always been hard on Emily, but to blame her for her father’s death...I couldn’t even comprehend it, nor did I want to.

  “It’s amazing after all she went through, from her mother’s lack of love and Mitch’s passing, that she turned out the way she has.” David shook his head and dropped his beer to his feet. “When she showed up here yesterday looking run down and lost, all I could think was, what did Jenny do now?”

  I sank down into my chair. I hated how much I had hurt her, and the fact that she’d risked her own life just to get some space from me dug at my core. David glanced at me. “How bad is the trouble she’s in?”

  “Bad.”

  “What’s bad?” Vince piped in.

  “Bad like she shouldn’t have come here on her own without one of us,” Garrett said as he set his empty beer bottle down on the ground.

  “Why did she come here on her own?”

  Garrett glanced at me, while I fought to hold back my anger. “Things have been tense at home, and she needed some space,” I said tersely. “But—” I held up my hand, not wanting to hear Vince’s next comment, “it’s not safe for her to be here without some protection.”

  David scratched his head. “Okay,” he said softly. He gave Vince a look. “No more questions. It’s probably best we don’t know unless we have to. Unless she wants us to.”

  ***

  Emily

  I packed my bag and got ready for bed, feeling sad that I had to leave. I crawled under the covers. I’d forgotten how much I needed this place.

  Seth appeared at the door. “Can I come in?”

  I pulled back my covers and glanced at him in the moonlight. He looked just as tired as I felt. He slid in beside me, and I rolled into him and rested my head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around me and buried his face in my hair. Then he breathed in deeply as he murmured my name. We listened to the wind pick up outside. It made the windows rattle, and the soft sound of a wind chime sang off in the distance.

  “How did you find me?” I whispered, breaking the silence.

  His arm flexed around me. I could tell the past two days had been hard
on him too. “When Erin was on the phone with you, she heard Shawna call you sugar. I got hold of your mom and asked her if anyone ever called you that. I got the address, and here we are.”

  I looked up. “You called my mom?” He nodded, but he knew I wasn’t overly pleased.

  He stroked my back gently. “But don’t worry. She doesn’t suspect anything.”

  I shrugged and pulled the blankets up further. “Would she ever? And if she did, would she care?”

  He bent down and kissed my head. “I know what I said hurt you, and I can never express how sorry I am. But if something ever happened to you…” He couldn’t finish. “You scared me, baby.”

  I squeezed his arm. I knew it was hard for him to open up and show me how he was feeling, but I still couldn’t get his words out of my head.

  “I’m sorry I scared you,” I whispered because I was. We both passed out shortly after.

  ***

  “Mmmm, lavender,” his voice purred.

  I shot straight up in bed, breathing rapidly. Seth’s arm reached for mine and brought me back to him.

  “Emily, it’s okay,” he said as his hand stroked my back. “I’m here.” I looked around the room and realized it was morning. I let out a shaky breath, rolled out of bed, and headed for the shower.

  “Did she get much sleep?” Garrett asked Seth as he walked toward the top of the stairs.

  “A little. She tossed and turned a lot. Her dreams aren’t getting any…” He looked up to see me on the top stair. “Hey, baby.”

  I smiled and hoped they didn’t know I had heard their conversation.

  Later, Seth and Garrett helped Shawna clean up from breakfast, while I grabbed an apple for Claire and slipped out. I walked over to her stall and reached in to pat her when I noticed a yellow envelope nailed to the door. It read: