Free False Regret: Pikorua - Book 1 by Angela Reid Page A

chance
to escape again.  I exited the bathroom, and the two men were still fighting. Cade’s
gun had been knocked from his hand and lay near the sofa. I snatched it up and
debated killing Gordon. The fear of accidentally killing Cade kept me from
pulling the trigger. Maybe he deserved to die as much a Gordon, I wasn’t sure
anymore, but it wouldn’t be by my hand if I could help it.
     I
kicked the gun near Cade, hoping he would get it and not Gordon, but I wasn’t
going to stick around to see how it played out. I grabbed the van keys off the
table and ran towards the door.
    Gordon
saw me, as did Cade, but he held Gordon down, letting me escape instead of
running after me. I heard the gunshot just before I put the van in gear. My
heart did a flip in its chest, worried it was Cade who took the bullet, but I
didn’t hesitate for a second. I sped away from the cabin, nearly tipping the
van on the first curve as dust trails flew up behind me like a sand storm.
Whatever happened back in that house didn’t matter. I’d grieved Cade once,
there was no need to do it again.

Chapter 4
    The
series of twists and turns in the seasonal road had my bearings completely off
kilter. Darkness had rolled in, and I worried I might accidentally circle back to
the cabin. Anxious sweated dripped off of me as I kept pushing the van to its
limits.  Relief settled when I came to a black-top road, knowing it had to lead
to civilization. The street seemed endless in the dim headlights as fear gnawed
at me. I imagined that Gordon would catch up with me, but no lights ever appeared
in the rearview mirror.  After a short while driving on pavement, I realized
where I was. Lost for nearly two hours on the trails, I was shocked to realize
I’d been on the outskirts of town the whole time. Directional sense had never
been my forte.
    Three
hours later, after speaking to the sheriff’s department and the State Police,
and having a hundred pictures taken of my injuries at the hospital, they
allowed me to make calls.  The police wouldn’t offer me any protection until they
investigated my claims, but they advised me not to stay at my place, either.  I
wanted to scream, duh, but refrained.  
    A
part of me still wanted to protect Cade, though. If he was alive, I didn’t want
to reveal his cover. I didn’t mention the FBI or Cade’s real name. I didn’t
tell them I knew the man named Donny or that we had history together.  The
story of our past stayed locked inside me. I wasn’t sure what to believe with
Cade, but I’d let the police decipher it for themselves.
    After
having called my mother and brother, both phones going straight to voicemail, sending
me into panic mode, I phoned Matt. He picked me up at the hospital, where they
deemed me physically fit enough for release.
    When
I saw his blonde hair come through the door, wearing his concern in the furrow
of his brow, I erupted into sobs and buried my face in his softness and wept.
So many emotions collided inside of me all at once.
    “Shh,
baby,” he said, stroking my head. “God, I was so worried about you.” He pulled
back and looked at me. “Jesus, Ellia, what happened to you? Who took you? What
the hell happened? Why were you jogging alone? You know how I feel about that.”
    “I’m
okay. They just smacked me around a little, and I’ll explain later. Right now,
I need to go somewhere safe. The police are giving us an escort to my place so
I can pick up some things, but they won’t assign an officer to keep watch
beyond that until they determine if I am still in danger.”
    “Are
you still in danger?” He searched my face for answers.
    “Yes,
I am definitely still in danger. This wasn’t random, Matt. They targeted me
because of something my father has done.  Those men are looking for me. The
police just want to make sure they aren’t spending valuable resources on a
crazy woman with a big imagination. The allegations against my dad are serious,
and you know cops; they