Delicious - Page 31

“And this is a nature preserve,” I add, jumping when a stick I trip over comes back to whack me in the leg for vengeance. “There’s no one out here that’s doing anything…nefarious. Except maybe Jed and his friends.” Because, well, that’s obvious. But other than him? Who could be out here at night, when I haven’t passed any other houses or businesses this far out in the woods?

Hell, I haven’t even seen a road.

“You’ll find something to point you back, eventually.” That feels…not as true as the other things I promise myself. I can convince myself that there aren’t rabid wolves, that I won’t freeze, and that there aren’t serial killers waiting in the woods to kill me. But convincing myself I’m not hopelessly lost, doomed to starve in the woods before anyone finds me?

That one is harder. The thought causes my heart to slam against my ribs, and I can feel tears burning at my eyes as the idea of it comes around again and again with mounting viciousness.

“You’ll be—” Crashing through the underbrush cuts me off, and when I hear the sharp bays of something I can’t identify, I’m sure that either the Ghost of Easter Past is on my tail, or I’m about to get eaten by an animal I’d written off as harmless.

But the bays become barks as I freeze, and I whirl around to see the light of two bright LED flashlights. The dogs run to me, circling, sniffing my legs and barking up at me with teeth bared in their ugly, hound faces. One of them snarls at me, prompting me to pull my arms up and across my chest while I stand there, unable to do more than pray that I won’t get eaten.

The dogs certainly don’t seem very friendly.

But maybe they’re a rescue party.I can hear voices behind the lights, though I’m blinded by their brightness, and I stare into them, doe-eyed, like I’m an animal being spotlighted by hunters. “H-hello?” I ask, when the lights are close enough for me to reach out and touch. One of the dogs snaps at me, causing me to gasp, and I stumble to the side, nearly falling, as both of them follow me eagerly, waiting for a chance to do more than bark.

“Thefuck?” The voice isn’t familiar, and a hand reaches out to clamp on my arm, jerking me upright. “Who the hell are you?”

“I’m—” I squint, trying to see past the bright lights that have spots dancing in my vision. “I’m lost, I’m…trying to find my way back. Who are you?” Something in me prickles, and my stomach doesn’t unclench with relief. If anything, these two people and their dogs make everything in me feel worse.

Like I really am in trouble now.

“Can you make them stop? Please?” I ask, tripping away from the more aggressive dog. The man’s grip tightens on my arm, making me yelp, and my heart goes into overdrive at that.

“You’relost?” The man sounds amused, if a little unbelieving. “You expect us to believe you just wandered out here? The only ones out here in the preserve are the rangers.” He sounds gruff, with an accent that places him far to the south of Ohio. Distantly I hear the other one spit, and with a low whistle, the dogs back away from me, though one snaps at my leg in warning.

“I’mlost.I stay with a friend around here,” I protest, once again trying to wrench my arm away. “Who are you?” Their lights are still in my face, and I hear something heavy being readjusted as I blink away the light-spots once more.

“You drunk?” the other asks finally. “Who the hell wanders out here at night without a jacket, huh?” I hear him walking closer to me, and the light bobs until it’s inches from my face. I turn away from it, squeezing my eyes shut, only for a glovedhand to yank my face back toward it, fingers digging into my lower jaw. “You sure as shit look drunk to me.”

“Drunk…?” I repeat, still unable to open my eyes. I’m colder than I should be. I’m cold all over, and not being able to see them makes this even worse. “No, I’m not drunk. I don’t drink, I just. I gotlost,” I say again, trying to jerk out of his hold as well. Their hands on me make me feel gross. Like there are spiders climbing up my arm and across my face. “Let…let go of me.”

Suddenly I wonder if there are worse things to worry about in these woods than wild animals.

Unhelpfully, Jed’s voice echoes in my ears, and the remembered words make me stiffen.

Just to make sure there aren’t any poachers.

Yeah, that’s what he’d said. And he’d been so casual about it, like they’re just simply a fact of life around here.

“Do you… Umm…” I don’t know what to say, and I try to find their faces behind the lights once more. “Do you live around here…too?”

One of the men snorts, and his fingers clench my jaws harder, grating into the bone. “Nah, we don’t live around here. Bet you don’t either.” He sidles closer, causing my breath to catch in my throat. “You’re a ranger, aren’t you? Stupid girl.”

“I’m not aranger,” I hiss back, finally managing to jerk out of his hold. “I told you, didn’t I?” If I don’t show them how afraid I am, hopefully they won’t take advantage of it. That’s what I tell myself anyway, as I stand straighter in the light of their flashlights. “I don’t know how to say, again, that I’mlost. That’s all. I just need you to point me toward literally anything, and I’ll find my way from there. Is that so hard to understand?” I don’t want to go too far with my false bravado, so I close my mouth and wait.

“Come back with us.” The one still holding my arm is the one to speak first, I think. Though it’s hard to tell in the dark. “We’ll drive you to wherever you want to go. Our truck isn’t that far.”

His tone, and his words, immediately have me on edge. Instantly, I know that going with them would be an awful idea, and I shake my head without hesitation. “I’m not going with you,” I promise quietly. “I don’t fucking know you. Like I said, I’m just—” The fingers on my arm tighten, and I’m jerked forward into a body that smells like unwashed clothes and tobacco.

“You’re awfully bitchy for someone that needs help,” the man snarls, his breath hot and fetid against my face. “Awfully demanding. Want us to just leave you here, little lostthing?” He spits the word at me, causing me to recoil as much as I can. I can feel the other man behind me, his breath coming in sharp pants.

I need to get out of here.

“Fuck off,” I snarl, unable to pretend for even a moment that I’m not disgusted. “Don’t touch me.Don’t touch me!”Fear makes my voice raise higher and louder than I intend, and when the man tries to jerk me closer, I shove him.

And for some reason, he goes. His grip leaves my arm, tightening enough to bruise before ripping backward. The dogs start freaking out, and the flashlight drops to the ground at my feet.

“What—” The man behind me shoves me hard, causing me to stumble toward the snapping, growling dogs as he strides forward. “Earl?”