“Seems like a pretty remote area to need a large metal gate,” she said as I leaned out the window.

“All the more reason to have security. My shop always has many client vehicles parked around it, and people see a remote area as a good spot to steal from. I wouldn’t want an upset client because their vehicle was broken into,” I said as the metal slowly began to swing open and grant us entry. “Bad for business.”

I could almost hear the quickening of her heart as we pulled through the gates and the headlights of the truck showed the long driveway with the overgrown grass and old trees that fanned out on either side. During the day, it was quite a pretty drive if you were into that sort of thing, but it had an unsettling ambiance at night. Also made it very difficult to get through and sneak up to the house without setting off one of the cameras or motion detectors.

Sunshine swallowed hard, and I could feel her sigh as the bouncing truck rounded the last corner to reveal the shop I kept as neat as a pin and our sweet-looking old farmhouse. I’d already closed the gardens up, but there were a few of the perennials that liked the cooler weather flourishing. They swayed next to the little solar lights that were glowing brightly.

“Wow, this is a really pretty spot,” she said and looked around.

“Thank you. It was my parents’ place but I took the property over when they passed away. I just really thought this place suited me more than moving. Lots of memories here,” I said and hopped out of the truck, but Kirby remained in the passenger seat. “Are you not getting out?”

“Oh, I didn’t think we were going to be long. I was going to see if I could call—”

She looked down at her phone, and I knew she didn’t have anyone to call. Not really. Her mother, maybe, but the only other person on her saved list of people from this state was the man that just assaulted her.

“No, I won’t be too long, but I need to take care of a couple of things.” I gave a half-hearted shrug and made sure that my body didn’t give off any vibes that she was in danger. But she was most certainly in danger. She had been the moment I saw her for the first time. “You can call whoever you need to in here if you want.”