8. Dark Stranger

8

Dark Stranger

T he enormous asshole of a man leads me to a small cottage about a mile away from the clearing. What's with all the hot men in this town living in the middle of the woods? Hopefully, it's not to murder unsuspecting women caught in a rainstorm.

He opens the wooden door for me but doesn't enter. "The phone is on the wall by the kitchen." He takes a seat on the rocking chair on the porch and lights another cigarette .

"You don't have a cellphone?" I ask before stepping inside. I'd much rather him just bring it out to me so I don't have to go into this stranger's house. He could probably strangle me without even using much force. His hands are as massive as the rest of his body.

"It's dead." He looks out toward the woods and rocks in his chair.

I don't move. I know it's an idiotic idea to step into this stranger's house, but what other choice do I have? Besides, if he wanted to murder me so badly, would he make so much of an effort to save my life from whatever beast he scared away in the woods? I mean, maybe he just wanted to kill me himself, but I need some hope if I ever plan on making it home.

The stranger looks at me from the corner of his eye. "I'll stay out here, and you can make your call," he says as if reading my thoughts.

"Thanks." This calms my nerves a bit, and before I can think about it too much, I step inside and charge toward the old-timey phone hanging on the kitchen wall.

My heart beats wildly as the phone rings, and I gaze around the small living quarters. Although the outside of the cottage looks old and rustic, the inside holds a more modern flair besides the giant, antique-looking windows. He has stainless steel appliances, a flat-screen TV, a leather couch, a record player with an extensive vinyl collection, and…

My heart drops to my stomach once I notice the handcuffs and chains attached to a wooden pillar at the far end of the room. Shit. This guy is a serial killer.

"Hello?" Granny's frail voice knocks me out of my terrified trance.

I put my hand to the receiver, trying to muffle my words so the murderer doesn't hear me from outside. "Granny, it's me. Can you come pick me up? I'm at some crazy guy's house in the middle of the woods. I lost my car keys."

"Woah, Red, calm down! Where are you?"

"I'm not sure. I'm at a cabin near where they found all the bodies from the attack."

"Isn't that where Jack lives? Let me call him. He can pick you up."

"Wait, no…" The line clicks off, leaving me with an insistent buzz.

I redial Granny's number, but it's busy. She must have got a hold of Jack. Great.

"Everything okay?" The floorboards creak, and the enormous man steps through the door frame, ducking his head as he enters.

I drop the phone. "Shit. Sorry. Yeah, everything's fine. My big, strong boyfriend should be here any second. "

The stranger no longer enters the house; he just watches me from the frame. He nods. "Okay." I can't help but notice his shoulders sagging and his forehead pinching. I bet he's disappointed he won't get me long enough to dispose of my body.

I pick up the phone from the floor and attach it back to its wall holder, my heart beating out of my chest.

"Can I get you anything?"

"No!" I yell, immediately regretting the terror in my voice. "I'm fine. I'll just sit out with you on the porch."

"Okay." He doesn't move. "Are you sure you're okay?"

I can't help it; my eyes flash to the chains in the corner.

He follows my gaze and runs his hand through his short, dark hair, revealing the underside of his muscular forearm. "Oh, shit." He laughs. "I guess that looks a bit terrifying. As a park ranger, I take care of any injured animals I find. Some of them are dangerous, much like the wolf you almost met in the clearing. Those chains are to protect me and the animal before I can get more help."

Wolf? So that's what he's calling that creature I saw in the clearing. I know for damn sure it was the size of a car, but now that I think of it, my fear could have dramatized the size.

"Why do you chain the animals inside your house?" The boldness of my voice surprises me. I'm dealing with a suspected murderer, yet my mind can't help but wonder if he's just the person who would have the answers to the mystery of the attacks unless he's the culprit. Sure, the reports indicated that the wounds were from animals, but a man of his size could make it look that way.

"They're injured. If I leave them outside, other animals will attack them." He steps closer, and I step to the side, trying to get around him.

"Surely your station would have a better place to keep injured animals." My dad was a park ranger, but I don't know shit about where they work. They never seemed to have take your kids to work day during the first five years of my life.

"Station?" He scrunches his thick eyebrows and chuckles.

We're both taking slow steps, him toward me, me toward the door.

"Yeah, doesn't the Department of Parks have a home base or something?"

"You're looking at it." He extends his arms and motions to the space around him. "You're looking at a department of one."

"You are the only park ranger in Dayton?" I had always assumed my dad had co-workers back then.

"You must be new. This town isn't known for its size."

I'm now steps away from the door. "I'm not new. I grew up here. "

His steps track mine, and he wags his finger. "I knew you looked familiar. What's your name?"

"You don't look familiar."

He chuckles and rubs the back of his head. "Fair. I did stay pretty secluded growing up."

I really don't care about carrying on this conversation. "Cool." I slip outside of the door and rush down his porch, my heart pounding out of my chest.

"Hey, wait. Where are you going?" he calls from behind me, following me out.

"I told you, my big, strong boyfriend is picking me up. I don't want him to get lost." I'm trying not to look like I'm running, but I'm moving fast, almost toward the edge of his clearing.

Suddenly, I'm whipped back around. My heart hammers as I look up at the stranger holding my arm. I don't know how he got to me so fast.

Terror swims through my veins, but somehow, being this close to him makes me unable to look away. I get lost in his dark eyes, his straight jaw, the veins pulsing at the side of his neck, and the perfect slope of his nose. Adrenaline surges through my veins, my head lightens, and my skin becomes itchy. Something familiar pangs in my chest. It almost feels like déjà vu—like a part of me has lived this moment with this man before.

He doesn't say or move, seeming lost in his thoughts as he gazes down at me.

Birds call in the distance, and I'm knocked out of our trance, pulling back and yanking my arm free from his grasp.

He shakes his head as if gathering his thoughts. "Sorry, you shouldn't go back out into the woods by yourself. It's dangerous, especially now that it's getting dark."

A small voice inside of me yells that this man is dangerous. His story about the chains in his cottage doesn't seem to make sense, and his entire essence screams danger, but if he wanted to murder me, wouldn't he have done it by now?

I know one thing for sure. If anyone knows more about the attacks, it's him. He lives just seconds from where it transpired and appears to be the only park ranger. Although it terrifies me, I need to meet with him again and get some answers.

Leaves crunch as Jack's truck drives down the trail toward where the stranger and I stand.

God, I don't want to deal with Jack again, but it doesn't seem like I have a choice.

I take a deep breath and extend my hand to the stranger. "I'm Red. I'd like to talk to you again. "

The stranger gives me a quizzical look before accepting my hand and shaking it with a strong grip. "Okay, Red." He gives me a devilish smirk.

Jack's car door slams. "Red, are you okay?" He rushes toward me, his eyes examining me before turning to the dark stranger whose hand still grasps mine.

"Cameron," Jack grits through his teeth.

He lets go of me. "Jack, what a delight."

They know each other. I'm not sure if this makes things better or worse, but now I have a name for the stranger. Cameron.