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Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

No.

No, no, no.

Panic assailed her and she stumbled backwards, catching herself on the doorframe. Her vision clouded as blackness crept into her peripherals and her lungs constricted tightly in her chest. She took a breath, forcing oxygen into her burning lungs, and slammed the door.

Ainsley turned and fled back down the stairs, unlocking her car with the key fob. She jumped inside, hitting the lock button with her left hand and shoving the key into the ignition with her right. The car turned over and she threw it into reverse, quickly backing out of the spot and heading out of the parking lot. She fished her phone out of her pocket and called Marv.

He picked up on the second ring. “Ainsley? Is everything–”

“He’s here. He was in the apartment. I went upstairs and they were right there.” She knew she was rambling hysterically, but the words just kept pouring out as she sped out of town, driving blindly. “I didn’t see him, but he must still be there somewhere.”

“Okay, just take a deep breath.” Marv’s voice filtered over the line. “I’ll go over and take a look.”

“No! Please, Marv, don’t. I don’t know what he might do. Oh, God, why is he here? Why now?”

“Hey, everything’ll be okay. You’re safe, that’s all that matters. We’ll figure something out. Where are you now?”

She relaxed her grip on the steering wheel, stretching her fingers for a moment, and she looked around her. “I’m near the interstate.”

“Okay. I’ll keep an eye out over here, make sure no one follows you. Do you have somewhere you can go for a while?” he asked.

Ainsley debated for half a second before flipping on her blinker and merging into the right lane. “Yeah. I’m going to Dare’s. I’ll call you when I get there.”

She headed east for about a half hour before making a large circle and heading south, paranoia prompting her to check the rearview mirror every few seconds. She didn’t see anything out of the ordinary, but that was half the problem. She really had no idea what she was looking for.

A WalMart sign towered over the buildings up ahead and, making a split second decision, she exited the highway. At this time of night the parking lot was relatively empty, and she pulled into a spot under a lamp post as close to the store as she could. For several long moments she searched the dark parking lot, examining her surroundings before turning off the engine. She grabbed her purse and climbed out of the car, double checking to make sure it locked behind her.

Inside, Ainsley pulled a cart free and made her way toward the women’s section. Into the cart she tossed shorts and jeans, then haphazardly pulled several tops from the racks and threw those on top. She saw some cheap flip flops hanging from an end cap and tossed a pair of those in the cart as well. Steering her cart toward the toiletries, she quickly tossed in shower necessities.

That would at least hold her over for a few days, until she could get back to the bar to retrieve her things. Just the thought of him being in her apartment made her blood run cold. How close had he come to catching her?

Ainsley checked out and carried her purchases to the car, keeping a vigilant eye on her surroundings. She tossed the bags in the back seat and climbed into the car, then headed back to the highway.

A glance at the clock on the dash revealed that it was just after five-thirty. Brookhaven was only a half hour away, and she nervously drummed her fingers on the steering wheel. She couldn’t show up at Dare’s at the crack of dawn, and she couldn’t risk going to her parents’ or Kinley’s house.

If Joel had tracked her to Woody’s, he’d more than likely suspect she’d go straight to her family. She couldn’t put them at risk. It was probably stupid of her to go to Dare’s, but surely Joel wouldn’t find her there.

If she laid low for a while, maybe he’d eventually give up looking for her and move on. Besides, Dare was the sheriff; she would be safe there, tucked away in his house by the lake, out of sight.

She would, however, need to find a job. Preferably something she could do online where she wouldn’t have to be out in public, watching her back every second of the day. She’d been on edge working at the bar, but Joel had stolen the last remaining shred of security when he’d shown up at her apartment.

A sign next to the highway declared there was a McDonald’s off the next exit, so she followed the large yellow arches to the restaurant drive through where she ordered a cup of coffee. Unable to sleep after leaving Dare’s house two nights before, she’d been up for nearly twenty-four hours. She was exhausted, both mentally and physically, and she desperately needed the jolt of caffeine.

Sipping her coffee, she drove around for nearly an hour, all the while keeping one eye on her rearview mirror. From time to time, a car would fall in behind her, and her pulse thundered wildly until it finally turned off. Though she watched for any car to show up more than once, it never did. Just to be on the safe side, she took several extra turns to get back to the highway.

Calmed slightly and feeling relatively safe, she headed toward Dare’s house. The lake came into sight, and Ainsley sighed. So much for her plan. She’d just blown over a hundred and fifty bucks at WalMart on clothes for the next few days since she couldn’t go back to her apartment to get her own. On top of that, she’d have to spend a good chunk of her money on rent. She mentally crossed her fingers, hoping she’d be able to find a job right away.

Her pulse accelerated once more as she turned down the long driveway leading to Dare’s house. The Magnolia trees lining the drive were in full bloom, making it look like something out of a fairy tale. The early morning sunlight streaming through the blossoms lent them a sense of peacefulness, and hope suffused her chest.

She reached the house where the driveway circled around and parked in front of the steps leading up to the porch. A sense of déjà vu swept over her. Here she was, less than forty-eight hours later—only this time the circumstances were entirely different.

Who would have imagined that the man she had visited, a man she really didn’t even know, would be the one person she turned to for help?

Ainsley tightened her grasp on the steering wheel. What if Dare couldn’t help her? Joel had found her once; what would stop him from finding her again? This was a ridiculous idea. She should just leave, drive far away and start fresh somewhere new.

Ainsley reached for the gearshift to put the car back into drive when she noticed Dare standing in the front doorway. Arms crossed over his chest, head tilted slightly to one side, he stood there staring at her expectantly.

Shit.

Part of her had hoped he would still be asleep. From the look of his drenched T-shirt, it appeared he’d not only been awake for a while, but had been working out.

She drummed her fingers on the gearshift for a moment, then finally turned off the ignition, fingers shaking as she palmed her keys. The dog was nowhere in sight, but she kept her eyes peeled as she cautiously climbed out of the car.

Ainsley drew in a deep breath and plastered on a smile as she approached the front porch. “Hey. Sorry to show up so early.”

“No problem.” His gaze flickered over her shoulder for a moment before returning to hers. “Wanna come in?”

“Um…”

Dare seemed to read her thoughts as she paused near the base of the stairs and glanced around again. “Sarge is in his room. I put him away when I saw your car.”

Relief rushed through her. “Thanks.”

He dipped his head in a nod and opened the door wider. “I’ve got coffee on if you want some.”

“Sure, thanks.”

She barely refrained from glancing over her shoulder at the driveway. No one had followed her here; no one knew where she was. She was safe.

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