Chapter Ten

Explosive Wrath

J oan’s truck careened down a steep hill, bouncing along as its worn suspension creaked with every dip and rise in the uneven terrain. The engine growled with a deep, throaty rumble. Dust kicked up behind them, and she could barely make out the shadows of the men standing in front of the Hoggs’ drive. The tires crunched over loose rocks, roots, and low shrubs. The frame rattled with a steady clank and thud, the metal body groaning as it strained, rattling Joan’s teeth. The muffler let out a low, vibrating hum as she shifted gears. The engine growled louder as she picked up speed. Joan’s stomach tightened after another shotgun blast. Thankfully, it missed. She switched off the headlights and did everything she could not to tap her brakes, thankful for the cloudy night sky that was currently shading the moonlight .

“Hold on, baby, hold on,” she whispered as the cab rattled and shook.

Joan kept a white-knuckled grip on the wheel, her body jerking with every jolt and dip. The tires bounced and slid unpredictably over the uneven ground, but Joan knew her truck, and if she hit nothing too large, Lucy could do this. She turned into larger slides to gain traction. The crushing sound of bushes taken out by the heavy-duty grill filled the cab. Lucy never wavered.

Joan braced herself, knowing that any moment could bring a hard drop or sudden impact. Heart pounding, adrenaline flooded her system, each bump amplified her fear.

Max’s growls turned to ferocious barking, which let Joan know he hadn’t been hit by the slug. She would check him for glass when they were out of danger.

Joan’s heart pumped so hard she thought it would fly from her chest. She kept her speed up and trusted that Lucy would make it. She hoped she was far enough away that they could no longer strike the tires.

Her mind filled with every threat Jeb Hogg made over the years. He had always planned to kill her. She’d figured that out after she testified in court. She knew this day would come, and she wouldn’t go down without a fight. The thought of killing his boys, even in self-defense, had weighed on her. Now all of Jeb’s sons were over eighteen, and she didn’t have those reservations. If they came for her, she would fight back.

Joan’s worry turned to Susan and Carrie. Where were they? Without her cell phone, Joan had no way to communicate with anyone.

Strike that. She had internet, which meant she could email.

If she made it back to the house, she would email 911 to the neighbors she’d connected with. Hopefully, someone will call the sheriff.

Poor Lucy spilled down another large ravine and tilted sideways, going onto two wheels before she righted herself with a heavy jolt and continued forward. They bumped up another rise and came out on the road again. Joan pushed her boot to the floorboard to get Lucy moving as she switched gears while the old faithful engine groaned.

A list ran through Joan’s head. She had to turn on the router and the computer to send the emails before the Hoggs invaded her property. She rounded the last corner too fast and skidded several feet until the tires grabbed the road.

“We need to get in the house quickly,” she yelled at Max, putting her arm out to stop him flying forward as she slammed on the brakes.

It did little more than wrench her shoulder. Somehow, he managed to stay in the seat with only a small chest bump against the dash. She jumped out, grabbed the shotgun off its rack, and ran toward the front door with Max right behind her. Her fingers shook as she unlocked the security screen, the main lock, and then the deadbolt. She ran inside and closed the doors behind them, securing the locks again. She needed to use the damn bathroom and should have done it before she even headed to Deputy Berger’s place. Maybe he heard the gunfire, and he was on his way.

The travel trailer Deputy Berger lived in was nothing to rave about. He’d come out on the losing side of his second divorce and bought his property with the money he had left. After saving enough, he added a well. The good thing was his trailer walls were thin, and sound carried out here. Where it came from was the problem, but with the Hoggs around, it would be the first place she would look. Joan wasn’t sure if the deputy was that smart.

She ran to the bathroom and didn’t bother closing the door. Max didn’t follow, which was the reason she usually shut it. When she finished, she headed to the router. With the flick of a switch, it was on.

Max growled at the front door.

Hoggs.

If no one came to help, they would enter her home quickly. She’d thought about it before. She had grates on the windows and security doors, but shotguns, especially loaded with slugs, would make holes large enough to eventually get through.

When she bought the property, there was a hidden shelter below ground. Joan had her greenhouse built on top of it and made a fake garden box that swung away to expose the door. This was done long before the Hogg family moved in, and she used it as a root cellar, but it was equipped for emergencies too.

“Come on, boy, it’s time to move,” she said and heard the truck coming as soon as the words left her lips.

She ran to the back door and quickly unlocked it and the security screen. With hands that shook worse than before, she took the time to relock. If they thought she was inside, they would spend their time getting in. Help had to come.

Max followed at her side; his low grumbles matched how she felt. Joan threw open the greenhouse door and ran in, closing it behind them. She heard male voices in the distance and knew they would circle the house within a few minutes. The planter box had a latch attached at the back corner. She slid it free and swung the entire box until she saw the darkened entrance.

“Come on, down you go,” she ordered Max. The stairs wouldn’t fit them both, and she had to swing the planter back into place and lock the hatch. It took a few seconds before she was beside Max again.

“We made it,” she whispered while running her fingers through his fur before she buried her entire face in the ruff of his neck.

He growled .

“Shush,” she said in a low voice and pulled him closer. He made a small whining noise then went quiet.

Shotgun blasts filled the night, and even in her shelter, it was loud. Jeb and his sons yelled threats and curses as they blasted the house. Max’s chest rumbled slightly, but no sound came out.

“You fuckin’ bitch. We’re gonna string you up,” Jeb yelled.

Life had thrown Joan too many setbacks, and she was done with Jeb Hogg and all he represented. Carrie and Susan deserved better. When Willow came home, she deserved more than to have those vile men living next to them.

Fury filled Joan’s brain, and a wildfire ignited in her chest, spreading through her body. Her muscles tightened, and her pulse pounded like a drum in her ears. Joan’s thoughts became laser-focused on Jeb Hogg and her endless dislike, drowning out everything else. Her mind was hijacked by a single, overwhelming emotion, blazing hot, relentless, and impossible to ignore.

Rage.

Her vision narrowed, her breath came in shallow, rapid bursts as the fury amplified. A storm of vengeance took root, swirling and demanding action; anything to release the boiling pressure inside.

Her hold on Max grew tighter as rational thought faded into the background, replaced by the overwhelming need to stop Jeb Hogg and his sons. An almost primal urge to kill consumed her. It wasn’t just the Hoggs. What the legal system had done to Willow, an innocent child, added to her fury. The fury grew hotter with every curse coming from Jeb and his boys. They’d brought dogs too, and their growling made it crystal clear.

Killing Jeb Hogg was the only answer.