“I have a goal,” he replied firmly. “Reagan, I will do anything to get my brothers back. You need to know that.”
“I do,” I whispered with conviction.
There was a few more minutes of silence between us before he explained, “I just don’t know what we’re getting into. Looking back, I should have pressed that kid for more information. But I never thought it would come to this. My brothers know how to handle themselves.”
He sounded so edgy and concerned that my stomach twisted with nerves. This was Vaughan- always-in-control-of-the-situation-Vaughan. He didn’t let things bother him, he adjusted and then adapted. He saw every scenario from every angle and knew exactly what to do in order to keep us all safe. If he was nervous about Hendrix and Nelson things did not look good for them.
“You’re worried about them?” I guessed.
“I’m worried about what we’re going to find. If someone or something has managed to detain my brothers, it’s formidable.”
“Yeesh,” I complained. “Way to reassure a girl.”
He flashed me a devilish grin, “Oh, sorry. I didn’t realize you’re the kind of girl that needs to be reassured.”
“Maybe I am,” I shrugged, but my tone was teasing. “Maybe I’m very insecure and need you to promise me everything will be alright.”
He laughed out loud and nudged me with his shoulder. “I’m thinking you’re more like the kind of girl that makes everything alright, even if it’s not.”
“There goes all my mystery,” I sighed. “I guess you have me all figured out.”
“Hardly,” he grunted. I opened my mouth to spout something witty or flirty or…. something, but he beat me to it with a, “You’re really worried about Hendrix, aren’t you?”
“And Nelson,” I admitted. “I don’t like that they’ve been gone the entire night. And I don’t like that we let them leave anyway.”
“I don’t either,” he said in a low voice.
We came to a wooded area that seemed to stretch on for a while. Light didn’t penetrate the thick canopy of branches above and the entire atmosphere seemed gloomy.
Ok, gloomy was the wrong word. These woods seemed f-ing haunted and I was a teensy bit reluctant to enter them.
“Nope,” I shook my head. “This is the fastest way to die.”
“Tracks,” Vaughan pointed down at the ground where the same set of footprints had reappeared near the edge of the forest. The mud was thicker under the shade and coolness of the trees, where the sun wouldn’t dry it out every day.
“It’s obvious why they never came back,” I grumbled. “They walked into these woods and were never heard from again…. because something ate them!”
“You’re not honestly scared of a bunch of trees and woodland creatures are you?” Vaughan turned to face me. He put both hands on my shoulders and peered into my eyes intently. I was comforted by that small touch and let out a deep breath.
“Vaughan, this place is where people come to die,” I insisted. “Look at it. This is probably where Freddy Krueger, Mike Meyers and the Wicked Witch of the West all hang out. Can’t we walk around it? Find the road?”
“The tracks, Reagan,” he pointed out again. “And let’s look at it this way. I’ve never seen any of those guys kill anyone first thing in the morning. I’m thinking they like to sleep in.”
I cracked a smile because I couldn’t help it, “Sleep in?”
“Obviously their serial killer ways keep them up all hours of the night. They probably just called it a day. We’re safe.”
“We’re safe,” I repeated as if saying it would make it true.
“You’re always scared of forests?”
“Only ones with gnarled branches, closely planted trees and ghosts.”
“So all forests. Got it.” He grinned at me again and I took a step forward- closer to him. I couldn’t help it, he was like the sun on a leaden morning like this and I wanted to gravitate around him. “You’re safe with me, Reagan.” His voice dropped and his dark blue eyes brightened with sincerity.
“I know,” I whispered. There was suddenly a thickness in my throat and I was having trouble finding my words.
There was a moment between us- charged and powerful. And then it dissipated like fog in the hot sun. It just fizzled out. And it wasn’t from my end. It was because of him. I felt him change and pull back and in a moment there were miles between us- continents that stretched us apart.
“Ready?” he dropped his hands and took a step toward the cocooned darkness.