Page 3 of Redemption

My eyes dart in that direction as I turn to face it to get a better look.

I may be paranoid, but I feel like I’m not entirely alone, like something is watching me. We’re the only ones who live out here, apart from Pete, of course, and there isn’t any other houses around for miles, so I know that it isn’t a person. At least it shouldn’t be a person. I roll my eyes, of course there’s not a person stalking me through my own woods.

What I’m feeling is either paranoia or an animal.

I’ve been stalked through forests before, and the feeling of being followed by an animal is the same as it is if you are followed by a person. The fact is, I’m cold, I’m hurt, and I’m tired. My brain is probably trying to play tricks on me, and it would be regardless of whether I have a concussion or not.

Although I am reasonably certain that I do, and that it’s a contributing factor to this feeling.

My body is sore as hell, and the cold is not helping, but I continue to push forward.

Why did we have to own so much land?

Why couldn’t we live in the suburbs where the only place I could get lost would be at the bottom of the garden and still within view of the house?

That’s right, because I have a super dangerous job, need anonymity, and have nine boyfriends. That would raise some eyebrows in the suburbs. Plus, on a normal day, I love the space and the remoteness of living here.

Just not today.

I stop, glancing around with a frown. I swear I’ve been this way before. The problem with being in the middle of a storm in the dark is that everything looks the same. Maybe I should have stayed where I was after all.

Tearing off a piece of my shirt that’s already torn anyway, I tie it onto a branch tightly and hope it’s not going to get ripped off in the storm and then continue forward. If I am going in the wrong direction and circling, then at least I’ll know it when I see the piece of my shirt.

If it manages to stay tied to the branch.

I keep my mind busy while I trudge on, my shivering getting worse, as I let my mind travel back to where Tank spooked. I realize that my falling off of him isn’t why I passed out.

A clap of thunder made me jump, and I fucking fell over and, in true Jensen style, hit my head on the ground and knocked myself out.

What an idiot.

I frown. I don’t think it’s a good sign that I forgot that’s how I lost consciousness. I think maybe I hit my head harder than I thought. I need to find the house, or the guys need to find me, because this is not good.

One step at a time, take it easy. Keep moving and pray you’re heading in the right damn direction.

That feeling of being followed hasn’t gone away, but whatever creature it is hasn’t attacked me, so I’m ignoring it.

I’m about to give up. I’ve been walking for what feels like hours, and I don’t even know if I’m heading in the right direction, but then I see it, a flash of light in the distance through the trees. It disappears, and my heart sinks, my feet stumbling as the disappointment hits me.

I’m so cold.

Just as I right myself, I see the flash again, brighter this time, and it doesn’t fade away.

It’s got to be the guys.

Which means I need to head in their direction.

I pick up the pace, following the lights as they move through the trees, and calling out for the guys as I go.

I would have thought that they would be on the four-wheelers or something, but I can’t hear any engines, so they can’t be on them.

There’s another boom of thunder overhead, and I rephrase my thought. Actually, the weather is being pretty fucking loud right now, so there’s a good chance that I just can’t hear them, and that they’re further away than the lights seem to be.

It really doesn’t matter, what matters is that they’re right there. I can see the lights, and I don’t want to lose them.

I start to jog.

Trick