Destined (The Rangers of Ridge County #1)

Chapter Thirty-Two

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

MILLIE

I stayed until Rory fell asleep.

It was past midnight, and Greer kicked me out after I mentioned making a pallet on the floor. She decided to spend the night, but there wasn’t enough space in the studio apartment for all three of us to sleep comfortably.

I wouldn’t admit this to her, but I didn’t want to go home and be alone with my thoughts. If I stayed, I could focus on Rory and avoid my own worries a little longer. But the elder Ranger sister had enough to deal with. I wasn’t going to burden her with more.

After opening my car door, I waved up toward the apartment window where Greer was standing watch then slid into the driver’s seat. Turning up the heat, I waited a few minutes for it to warm before pulling out onto Peak Street. Immediately thrown into a flashback of my first time traveling this very route with Emmett.

Emmett .

Thoughts of him flooded my mind one after another.

It was getting harder to deny I liked him.

Ignoring the feelings hadn’t worked. In fact, I was certain it had backfired. The more I tried to enforce boundaries, the more I wanted to cross them.

But would Emmett? Maybe he was happy with how things were between us .

Before I could spiral further, a pair of headlights shone in my rearview mirror and gained on me quickly.

Where did this truck come from? The entirety of Peak Street had shut down hours ago, but I guess Rowdy’s could have a few stragglers this time of night.

My turn was coming up, so I flipped on my blinker and eased to the left. I’d hoped the truck would continue on, but it followed. I accelerated as it surged forward. “Idiot,” I shouted as I slowed for the truck to pass.

It didn’t. Instead the driver revved the engine aggressively, inching even closer. Reflexively, I stomped down on the gas pedal trying to avoid a collision.

“Damn it!” I shrieked as my car skated across a slick spot on the road. With both hands white knuckling the steering wheel, I managed to right my car, fully aware it had been sheer luck that kept me on the road.

Maybe I should call someone. Road rage was a reportable offense, right?

But when I glanced back, the truck was…gone. There was nothing behind me but darkness.

I slowed and focused back on the road in front of me. Over the next few miles, I frequently checked my rearview mirror, just in case. Luckily, I made it the rest of the way without any more trouble. Normally, I would have parked behind the house but not tonight. I stopped near the front porch overly anxious to get inside.

My hands were a little shaky as I reached for the door handle. Unfortunately, the warmth of my car didn’t save me from the bite of the cold air as I hurried forward. Jet met me there and pushed his way inside as I flung the front door open. Following him into the living room, I watched as he made himself comfortable on the couch. Dropping my keys and bag onto the closest surface, I plopped down beside him. My fingers sank into the fur at his nape, and he nuzzled into my touch as I gently scratched his head and neck.

We stayed that way for a few minutes. It had been a strange couple of days, and it was nice to sit in the normalcy of this moment. Giving Jet one final scratch, I yawned as I pushed to my feet. It was way past my bedtime .

Climbing the stairs took considerable effort, and I fumbled through the rest of my nightly routine in a daze before crawling into bed. I drifted off to thoughts of last night. Of how these sheets weren’t nearly as soft, and this bed wasn’t nearly as comfortable.

Emmett wouldn’t storm into my room tonight, and I found myself wishing for a knock that wouldn’t come.

“Jet,” I groaned. Rolling over, I squinted into the darkness as he hissed and pawed at the door. Normally, I kept it open so shit like this didn’t happen. After a few minutes of his incessant behavior, I sat up and swung my feet to the floor. Clumsily tiptoeing across the cold hardwood, I glared at him before twisting the handle. He stepped to the landing, and I rolled my eyes.

As I turned back toward my bed, I heard a creaking noise that stopped me dead in my tracks.

Jet hissed again, and my eyes shot to where he was pacing. I moved back to the door and peered down the hallway in the direction of the stairs, but it was too dark to see anything. After a few moments of silence, I was convinced we were both paranoid. This was an old house and bound to make creepy noises.

As if I needed another reason to hate the place.

I’d just turned around when I heard the noise again. This time, it echoed through the silence, and the seconds stretched as Jet stood frozen with his back arched. In that moment, I knew someone or something was inside the house with us.

I scrambled for my phone on the other side of the room, trying to make as little noise as possible. If whatever was downstairs didn’t know I was up here, I might have time to call for help. I pulled up Emmett’s contact, but before I could dial it, Jet took off down the hallway. I chased after him but quickly realized my mistake.

At the top of the stairs stood a hooded figure dressed in all black, blending into the darkness. All I could do was helplessly watch as Jet lunged, claws outstretched. My eyes widened in horror as the figure batted him away with the flick of a wrist. I caught sight of something in his grasp before the hand settled, disappearing into the darkness again.

A scream—that I didn’t immediately recognize as my own—pierced the air. The hooded figure took a step in my direction, and I bolted into my room, locking the door behind me.

This could not be happening. I shut my eyes tight, willing my brain to wake up from this fucking nightmare.

My eyes sprung open as the incessant twisting of the door knob brought me crashing back to reality.

I frantically looked around in search of anything I could use as a weapon to defend myself, then whimpered as my eyes landed on everything and nothing simultaneously.

I was trapped.

Suddenly, the weight in my palm had me looking down and remembering I still had my phone. I swiped at my screen, incorrectly entering my passcode twice before finally navigating back to Emmett’s contact. I had just pressed call when a loud bang caused me to startle and drop my phone. It landed upside down, and I hurriedly grabbed it before running to the opposite side of the room. When I flipped it over, my heart sank.

The screen was shattered.

NO!

I mashed the power button repeatedly, but the screen never illuminated. I felt tears welling up as whoever was on the other side of the door hammered away at it. It would give soon, and there was nothing I could do to prevent it. Scanning the room again, my eyes stilled at the window. Other than the door, it was the only exit.

My room was directly above the kitchen, so the lattice for the roses extended past my window. I made a split second decision before rushing to open the latches keeping it secured. At the same time, my door splintered down the middle from the sheer force of the powerful blows from the other side.

I was sweating and crying. With all my might, I tried to break the sill, but it wasn’t budging. My hands were too slippery.

Out of options, I grabbed my useless phone and hurled it as hard as I could toward the glass pane. It shattered at the same time the hinges on my door buckled. I didn’t spare another glance backward as I threw my elbow into the shards that hadn’t fallen to the ground with my phone. I felt the blood running down my arm into my palm, making my hand even slipperier.

I didn’t let that stop me. I couldn’t.

As I hoisted half of my body through the window, my door caved in, and the intruder burst through. I threw myself onto the lattice praying it would hold my weight. Before I could move, a gloved hand reached out and fisted my hair. I yelped as I was jerked to the side. Instinctually, I let go of the lattice and started clawing at the hands tangled in my hair. Panicked, I grappled to gain leverage against the window sill I was being pulled back through. Something pricked my skin, causing me to cry out.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the gleam of a jagged piece of glass still attached to the frame. Was it what stuck me?

I reached up, easily breaking the shard free, before using it to stab at the arm dragging me to my doom. I knew the moment I made contact with flesh because a distinctly male voice grunted, “Bitch,” at the same time the tension on my hair disappeared. As did any purchase my hands had to the house.

Sliding down the weathered siding, I felt for anything to slow my free-fall. My only thought was to reach for the lattice once more, and when my fingers brushed it, I grabbed and held on for dear life.

My downward momentum slowed as my body pitched to the side, striking the house. My shoulder screamed, the air rushed from my lungs, and my eyes blurred.

My heart felt like it might explode from the shear force of its pounding beat.

Everything hurt, but I couldn’t focus on any of it.

Move .

I had to move because I absolutely refused to die here.

As I forced myself into motion, I used the lattice like a ladder and made my way down.

When my feet hit the ground, I realized I was barefoot. I didn’t have my keys or a phone.

I was going to have to run. But how was I supposed to out pace this psychopath without shoes on?

Fuck.

Where was he? I spun, looking for any sign of him. I knew the wound I had inflicted wasn’t going to slow him. If anything, it had probably fed the rage rolling off him in waves.

My vision was fuzzy, and I swayed as I stepped toward the wooded area that separated me from safety.

I heard a crash from inside the house, and I knew he was coming.

As fast as I could, I raced for the tree line. It was still dark out, and I tripped over rocks and other debris that shredded the soles of my feet. I pushed forward anyway—adrenaline the only thing holding me up at this point.

I rushed under the cover of the trees, hoping the extra layer of darkness would hide me. Instead, it had me running in circles. Branches slapped my face and ripped at my hair. A mixture of tears and sweat burned the cuts on my cheeks, serving as a reminder to keep going. All of my extremities were numb, and I was fading fast. I let out a sob before muffling the sound with my hand, certain I’d given myself away.

Straining to hear, I braced for impact as something sprinted in my direction. Instead, a small animal darted past me. My intuition had me following while every loud noise made me second guess that decision.

What if I was running back toward the maniac?

I struggled to keep up, and my breaths were coming in short huffs. My ribs ached. I felt light headed and nauseous.

I couldn’t keep going, but I had to. My life depended on it.

Spotting a light up ahead, I stumbled in its direction.

“Just a little bit farther,” I whispered to myself right before my toes caught on a large root.

I went down hard, screaming as everything faded to black.