Midnight Exposure (Midnight #1)(56)

He reached for his vehicle door handle and jerked it open. He drove away without a backward glance. His fingers were numb as he punched in the number for Jayne’s new cell. He’d programmed his cell number into the new phone. She’d know it was him. The sick, helpless feeling in his gut intensified as the line rang.

Jayne didn’t answer.



He ducked behind the dashboard of his vehicle as Jayne passed by. Her Jeep stopped at the corner, then pulled out onto Main Street.

He glanced at the digital clock. He’d give her five minutes so he didn’t frighten her before she was out of town. Then he’d “happen upon” her and offer roadside assistance. The Taser was in the console, ready to subdue her if necessary. There was no reason to engage in a physical confrontation. No doubt Brigid had spiritual powers. She possessed unusual strength of body and soul befitting a Celtic goddess. His balls and jaw still ached from the blows she’d landed.

His goddess had proven herself worthy once again.

He bit his lip and checked the time. Her five minutes were up. By now her Jeep had likely died. He started his engine and turned onto Main. Jayne wouldn’t be able to drive more than a few miles before breaking down. Not with a load of bleach in her engine oil. She wouldn’t make it to the highway.

He’d get her this time. He had to. The solstice approached.

Time was running out.



Jayne stopped at the last intersection on Main Street. Her Jeep coughed as she accelerated through the turn onto the country road that led to the highway. A thick mixture of loneliness and fear crushed her chest. Tears blurred her vision, and she swiped an angry hand across her eyes.

Despite the half hour she’d sat in front of the park, stewing over Doug’s revelation and trying to get her head on straight, a course of action eluded her.

She wasn’t sure whom she was angry with—Reed, Doug, or Ty Jennings. All three deserved a portion. Maybe she wasn’t meant to have a normal relationship. She could get a dog. Dogs were faithful. Dogs didn’t lie.

But a dog couldn’t make her insides melt like Velveeta in the microwave.

She checked her rearview mirror for the twentieth time as she left the town behind. Nothing but white, asphalt, and trees stretched out behind her. A sense of isolation crept up her spine.

She was on her own.

A shiver passed through her bones. She cranked the heat a notch higher and pushed the Jeep past the speed limit. The engine wheezed in protest, so she backed off the accelerator.

Snow blanketed the countryside. Its frozen surface reflected sunlight like frosted glass. With the turbulence of her emotions, she expected dark clouds to gather overhead. But the sun shone with a vengeance, illuminating all that had been concealed by the storm in harsh, brilliant light.

Had she been a fool? Was Reed really dangerous?

Her instincts said she could trust him. He’d saved her life, hadn’t he? So he hadn’t told her everything about his past. They’d only been together for few days. Hardly enough time for complete soul-baring. But she’d trusted Ty and hadn’t seen any sign of his violent, angry side until it was too late.

Jayne hadn’t exactly been honest about her job. The whole tabloid thing had failed to come up in a single conversation. She knew from her self-defense classes that stranger attacks were rare. Most women who suffered violence were assaulted by someone they knew.

The landscape passed by in a white blur. Where was she going? She needed a plan. Something proactive to block out the grief wringing her insides dry.

She slipped a hand into the pocket of the borrowed coat. The disposable cell phone Reed had bought her was heavy in her palm as she drew it out. There was only one person who’d have the real scoop on Jefferson Kimball’s story. She punched the numbers for the Daily Scoop, feeling slimy before the line even connected.

A few minutes and a truckload of lies later, Jayne disconnected the call and crossed her fingers. Her plan was sketchy, but not bad considering she’d had all of five minutes to come up with it. Jason had agreed to wire her some money as soon as she hit the next town. He’d also spring for a hotel room. Apparently, her firsthand account of the kidnapping was worth serious coin. And the inquiry into Reed’s background had set off her editor’s vulturish instincts.

Like a good scavenger, Jason had smelled blood.

When Jayne was settled, safely hidden in a room under the corporate name, she’d wait for Jason to call with the information about Reed. She wasn’t making any decisions until she knew the truth.

Had her request put Reed in danger of exposure? Yes, but with news crews already en route to Huntsville, that was a given regardless of what she did.

She’d read the article the cop had given her. The piece was light on facts and heavy on speculation. Jayne knew that newspapers lied. The Daily Scoop twisted the truth into its evil stepsister every single day, which made Jason the perfect person to ferret out the real story.

According to Jason, the next town was about thirty minutes down the interstate. Jayne was fishing in the center console for her GPS when the engine sputtered and the Jeep began to slow. Was that smoke coming from under the hood?

Jayne eased off the gas pedal and scanned the dashboard. Her temperature gauge waved way into the red. A few agonizing seconds later, the engine died out with a final shudder and wheeze. Smoke and steam poured from the engine. With no power steering, Jayne hauled on the wheel to guide the Jeep as far to the side of the road as possible. The plows hadn’t cleared the entire shoulder. Her tires crunched on the icy snowpack.