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“Are you sure about this? It’s not too late to turn back,” Kaci says.
“I’m fine. Stop asking me.”
She laughs. “You know it’s my duty to ask. What kind of best friend would I be if I let you run off to a remote mountain cabin without checking you’re absolutely sure this is a good idea?”
“I promise you this is going to turn out exactly like I’ve planned. Besides, I’m not running. I need some peace and quiet to finish my novel.”
I tighten the grip on my phone as if that’s going to ease my nerves while the Uber snakes up Trout Creek Mountain. Part of me is truly excited about this trip. I’ll finally be able to finish my novel without the distracting noises from the pizza parlor where I rent a room. My poorly lit studio might be tiny and right next to the restaurant’s toilets, but it’s cheap as hell. Not that it matters at this point. If my books continue to make peanuts, it’s still too expensive. Thank goodness Joe—my landlord—is a top-notch guy. He occasionally brings me pizza slices and agreed to let me postpone my rent for a couple of months until I get back on my feet. He’s a real trooper. I sank all of my savings into my author career and still haven’t recovered financially.
My books have rave reviews about the plot and the characters, but several state that my sex scenes read as if they’re written by a virgin. Technically, they’re not wrong, but I won’t ever admit that to anyone.
Gosh, I hope hiding away in a cabin for a few weeks will help me focus and give me the inspiration I need to finally write panty-melting scenes. If I can’t pull it off, I’ll have to move back home and face the I told you so looks from my parents. A shudder runs through me as I picture them lecturing me about being a smart girl and getting a real job as if writing is something to be frowned upon.
The car slowly comes to a halt. “I’ve got to go, Kaci. I’ll call as soon as I’ve unpacked and settled in, okay?”
“What was that about unpacking? You’re breaking up.”
I look at my phone and wince. “I think there’s spotty cell service here. I’ll call as soon as I can.”
Before I can figure out whether or not she heard me, the line goes dead.
My Uber driver turns around in his seat. “This is as far as I can go.”
“Excuse me?”
He shrugs. “The cabin should be about a mile up ahead, but I can’t get there. Not with this car anyway. I didn’t know the roads would be this rugged. This is the first time someone has ever asked me to drive them up this mountain.”
Part of me hopes he’s joking, but the seriousness of his face tells me he’s not. I peer out of the window into the night. All I can make out are trees. The road ahead is not even lit.
Dread fills me as I step out of the car. Maybe Kaci was right. This might be the dumbest thing I’ve ever done. I barely survive living on my own in a bustling city. How am I going to find my way to this cabin I rented?
The driver puts my suitcase next to me and throws me a sheepish smile. “I’m sorry I have to leave you here like this.” He pauses for a second, then looks me straight in the eye. “Be careful out there, okay? Oh, and if you won’t let this negatively affect my rating, I’d appreciate it.”
He gets back into the car and spends another three minutes turning the vehicle back around on the small road while I’m thinking about how many stars I’ll knock off his rating for doing this to me. If he couldn’t drop me off at my destination, he should’ve told me so when I booked the ride.
The car disappears into the night, leaving nothing but eerie silence and darkness behind. I swallow. What if a bear jumps out of the woods? I don’t have any weapons on me. Not even a can of bear spray. I doubt hitting a blood-thirsty animal with my worn-out sports bag will do much.
I take a deep breath. The driver said the cabin should be straight ahead. Can’t be too difficult to find, right? I strap my sports bag around my shoulders and turn on my phone’s torch light. Careful not to trip over any loose branches or rocks, I start walking. Too bad I write romance instead of thrillers because this oppressive darkness is giving me lots of inspiration.
A shudder runs through me. I need to redirect my focus and stop thinking about wolves, bears, and people with bad intentions. I softly hum one of my favorite songs in a futile attempt to calm my nerves.
My thoughts drift away to the cabin I rented through an online ad. I recall it word for word as I spent four days reading it repeatedly before finally gathering the courage to reply. Besides, the ad wasn’t hard to memorize since it was so concise and to the point.
Room and board for rent in remote cabin (Montana) with shared bathroom. Price includes utilities. Must love peace and quiet. Preferably a renter who likes to keep to himself.
It sounded right up my alley. Lover of peace and quiet? Check. Keeping to myself? Another check.
The only thing that worries me is the shared bathroom, but I’m sure it’ll be fine. As long as the cabin owner isn’t some kind of deranged person, I can handle it. Not that I have a choice. I’ve already wired the money, so there’s no turning back now.
Another swirl of dread snakes up my spine. What if this cabin doesn’t even exist, and I gave my last dollars to a scammer?
The wind rustles through the trees lining the road. In the distance, I hear a pack of wolves howling. There’s not a living soul or a cabin in sight. I bite my lip to stop myself from crying. How could I have been so stupid? The only thing I have of this person is an email address. Anyone can create one of those and take money from naïve strangers, right?
I start to run, but I don’t notice the thick tree root lining the road. I flail my arms, but it’s no use. I hit the ground. Hard. And so does my phone.
I groan. A sharp pain shoots through my ankle as I try to stand up. Shit! I must’ve sprained it. To top it off, my phone screen is cracked, and there’s no cell service. I focus the torch light on my hand and cringe. Blood is seeping out of my palm. Great. Just fucking great.
What do I do? Turning back isn’t an option. The nearest town is about ten miles from here. The only choice I have is to head further up the mountain in the hopes that I’ll finally arrive at the cabin—or some other cabin, for that matter.
My ankle hurts like hell with every step I take. I curse myself and these woods. If I had been savvier with marketing my books or if I’d banged out better sex scenes, I wouldn’t be in this mess to begin with. I’d be reading a book under a comfy blanket in a cozy apartment right now.
I grit my teeth. I know better than to put myself down like this. Perseverance and determination combined with hard work will get me where I want to be. I won’t give up.
A good five minutes later, I see the faint glow of light and my body finally relaxes. As I get closer, I can make out the contours of a cabin, smoke circling out of the chimney.
I hobble up the driveway and step onto the porch. There’s no doorbell, so I use my uninjured hand to knock on the wooden door as hard as I can.
A dog barks from inside the cabin. The sound is followed by approaching footsteps and locks being opened.
The door swings open, and as I look up, my breath hitches in my throat. A huge guy towers in front of me, and his beard doesn’t hide the scowl on his face. I let my gaze travel down to his neck, where a tattoo disappears into his shirt. His sleeves are rolled up right below his elbows, revealing more ink.
I don’t know who or what I expected, but it certainly wasn’t this hot as a chili pepper mountain dude.
“What do you want?” the gorgeous guy barks at me.
Wow. Not exactly the warm welcome I was hoping for.
I extend my hand, ready to shake his and tell him my name, when my eye drops to his big hands. Is that... the glint of a knife blade?