Across the Vanishing Sky (Starlight Grove, #1)(126)

The wind picked up, rustling the tree branches. Something else sounded. I thought it was Aster. Moving closer, maybe? It was the sound of footsteps crunching gravel.

I looked up, movement catching my eye. There was a flash of color, and then a figure stepped up behind Aster. I opened my mouth to scream, but it was too late. The butt of the gun came down hard on the back of Aster’s head. It was as if she were a marionette, and someone had cut all her strings.

She crumpled to the ground. Not moving. I prayed she was still breathing.

I started forward, but the man made a tsking noise, stopping me in my tracks. It took me a second to recognize the face hidden beneath the ball cap. And then he leveled his gun directly at my head.

“You just couldn’t leave well enough alone, could you?”





53





BRAEDYN





My brain struggled to compute what I was seeing. The tan sheriff’s department uniform. The ball cap pulled low. The gun that wasn’t a service weapon. Because that was still secured in his gun belt.

“Sheriff Miller?” The words came out in a sort of wheeze, barely audible.

“I didn’t want it to come to this. I didn’t want to have to hurt you. But you won’t fucking stop.”

My breaths came quicker, short pants as if my ribs had tightened so badly around those organs that I couldn’t take a full inhale.

My fingers started tingling, the sensation spreading up my forearms. I needed to breathe. If I didn’t, I’d pass out, and everything would be over.

I forced a pained inhale, my gaze flying back to Aster. She still wasn’t moving. But I didn’t see any blood pooling. The only problem was that I didn’t see her chest moving either.

“What did you do?” I whispered, my focus returning to the man in front of me.

Because more than anything, I needed to know the answer. It didn’t matter that he had a gun aimed at my head. I felt the truth at the tips of my fingers. I was so close to ending the torment I’d felt for the last year.

Miller’s face screwed up. “I didn’t do anything. Now drop the fucking bear spray.”

Anger surged, burning out some of the fear and helping me breathe. “Doesn’t look like you’re doing nothing now.”

“Watch your tone with me, you little bitch. You’ve been sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong for a goddamned year, and it’s time you learned your place.” He closed the distance in three long strides. “Drop the spray and start walking.”

I hesitated for a moment too long, and a shot pierced the air. I dropped to the ground, fear coursing through me.

“The next one goes through your femur. I hear that’s painful.”

I dropped the bear spray. It was no match for a bullet. But I had to think. I’d make him believe he had the upper hand, then make my move. I’d done it to Vincent, and he was younger and stronger.

Miller hoisted me up and shoved me toward the trail, making me stumble as I struggled to stay upright. My mouth went dry, and I shook out my hands, trying to clear the tingling sensation.

“Nova. Where is she?” It was the only question that mattered. The only thing that mattered. That and buying time until Dex arrived. Just five minutes. He would help Aster, and he would find me.

“I don’t know,” Miller ground out, shoving the barrel of the gun into my back.

“You have to.” He had to. I was desperate now. The answers were so close I could almost see them.

“What I know is that you’ve brought more people to this corner of the forest than anyone has in years,” Miller snarled.

Confusion swept through me. He was holding me at gunpoint because he didn’t want me in these woods?

Miller gave me another shove when I slowed. “You know, this is one of the least popular trails up here. Most people go for the waterfall one or the Mount Lupine trail. But no, not you. You had to do Three Creeks Canyon.”

“We didn’t want touristy.” I didn’t know why I was explaining myself to him. But I remembered someone telling me that this trail was beautiful, a little quieter.

A slew of curses spilled from Miller. “Well, that was a dumb fucking idea.”

“Why?”

The sound of the rushing river grew closer. Even though we were tipping into July, the water was still high, showing just how much snow the higher elevations had received last winter.

Miller gripped the back of my tee, giving me a little shake before shoving me forward again. “Because I’m getting paid more than a little money to make sure law enforcement stays the hell out of this forest.”

The confusion was back. I tried to put the pieces together but couldn’t.

“You know what grows great around here?” Miller went on. He didn’t wait for my answer. “Weed. It might be legal now, but there’s a limit to what the state will allow an individual to grow. And not everyone wants to play by those rules.”

My mind swirled. I’d seen something on the news about stuff like this. Organized crime outfits using state or national land for their drug operations, hiding them in plain sight, so to speak.

Nausea swept through me, a truly sick feeling, as I turned to face the man with the gun. “You killed Nova because she stumbled onto your pot operation?”