everything came back into focus and her ex held her against the wall. He flashed a gun in her face and then pressed it into her side. “If you scream, I’ll shoot, do you understand?”
She nodded. He leaned forward to kiss her, but she turned her head, forcing him to kiss her cheek. He pressed against her harder and used his free hand to turn her head toward him.
His hair was greasy and stringy, as if it hadn’t been washed for days, and his mouth and body odor made her want to gag.
“When we’re married, I’ll kiss you anytime I want,” he snarled.
“I’m not marrying you,” she said. “What the hell are you even doing here?”
“I’ve maxed out my expense card and your father won’t give me any more money until I bring you back,” he said. “The stupid horse was a longshot, but it was supposed to win me my freedom. I can’t wait to see what the old man says when he finds out you’ve been fucking around with shifters. He’ll probably let me off the hook from marrying your fat ass.”
She glanced down the short hallway and saw Trent walking toward them.
“Trent!” she yelled, and they made eye contact before Charles jabbed her in the side.
“Kiss me like you mean it or your boyfriend gets a bullet in his head,” Charles whispered.
She kissed him the same way she used to when they dated, void of emotion and disinterested, but it seemed to do the trick. When he finally let her go, Trent had turned and retreated back toward the main room.
“Trent!” she yelled again, but he didn’t turn back.
Why had he left her?
“That was easier than I thought. It seems even a cripple will let you go once he’s had his fun. He’s probably raising his glass in a toast to me right now.”
Tears slipped from her eyes as she stared after him, but he never reappeared.
“All right, let’s go.”
Charles pushed her into the back door, and then pressed the gun into her side and used his weight against hers to get the door opened.
The warm summer evening washed over the both of them and she coughed loudly as she looked around the parking lot. Unfortunately, the lot seemed hopelessly bare of bears, or anyone else for that matter.
In fact, it was too empty. Would Trent come for her, or had he truly left her behind? Either way, she needed a plan. She studied her options, and to buy time, she started talking.
“You do know you’re in a shifter town, right?” she asked.
He pushed her toward his car, and she tripped on the loose gravel and fell onto her hands and knees. She got up slowly, and once she righted herself, she saw Trent step out of the back door of the bar.
Elation swamped her, but she kept her face a mask of indifference. Charles hadn’t heard the door open, and she had a feeling Trent wanted the element of surprise.
“So what? Those little dogs aren’t going to help you. Besides, you belong to me. Now quit stalling and get in the fucking car,” he yelled.
“Actually,” Trent bellowed out into the darkness, “we’re not dogs, and we’re not little.”
Charles had turned to face Trent just in time to see five grizzly bears emerge from each side of the building. The man soiled himself, adding to his stench, and dropped his gun.
Olive kicked the weapon underneath a car and ran into Trent’s arms.
He wiped away one of her tears and studied her face.
“Are you okay?” he whispered.
“I am now.”
She held onto him tight, as if to absorb his warmth, and his arm anchored her to his side.
“You didn’t think I’d let you go without a fight, did you?”
She shrugged as more tears escaped. Truthfully, she hadn’t known what to think. She’d been so sure he loved her, but when she saw him walk away, it had shaken her confidence.
“Hmm…,” he said, and kissed the top of her head. “I guess I’m going to have to show you what it means when a bear finds his mate. Let me finish this first; poor Charles is having a meltdown.”
She turned to see Charles sniveling and
She nodded. He leaned forward to kiss her, but she turned her head, forcing him to kiss her cheek. He pressed against her harder and used his free hand to turn her head toward him.
His hair was greasy and stringy, as if it hadn’t been washed for days, and his mouth and body odor made her want to gag.
“When we’re married, I’ll kiss you anytime I want,” he snarled.
“I’m not marrying you,” she said. “What the hell are you even doing here?”
“I’ve maxed out my expense card and your father won’t give me any more money until I bring you back,” he said. “The stupid horse was a longshot, but it was supposed to win me my freedom. I can’t wait to see what the old man says when he finds out you’ve been fucking around with shifters. He’ll probably let me off the hook from marrying your fat ass.”
She glanced down the short hallway and saw Trent walking toward them.
“Trent!” she yelled, and they made eye contact before Charles jabbed her in the side.
“Kiss me like you mean it or your boyfriend gets a bullet in his head,” Charles whispered.
She kissed him the same way she used to when they dated, void of emotion and disinterested, but it seemed to do the trick. When he finally let her go, Trent had turned and retreated back toward the main room.
“Trent!” she yelled again, but he didn’t turn back.
Why had he left her?
“That was easier than I thought. It seems even a cripple will let you go once he’s had his fun. He’s probably raising his glass in a toast to me right now.”
Tears slipped from her eyes as she stared after him, but he never reappeared.
“All right, let’s go.”
Charles pushed her into the back door, and then pressed the gun into her side and used his weight against hers to get the door opened.
The warm summer evening washed over the both of them and she coughed loudly as she looked around the parking lot. Unfortunately, the lot seemed hopelessly bare of bears, or anyone else for that matter.
In fact, it was too empty. Would Trent come for her, or had he truly left her behind? Either way, she needed a plan. She studied her options, and to buy time, she started talking.
“You do know you’re in a shifter town, right?” she asked.
He pushed her toward his car, and she tripped on the loose gravel and fell onto her hands and knees. She got up slowly, and once she righted herself, she saw Trent step out of the back door of the bar.
Elation swamped her, but she kept her face a mask of indifference. Charles hadn’t heard the door open, and she had a feeling Trent wanted the element of surprise.
“So what? Those little dogs aren’t going to help you. Besides, you belong to me. Now quit stalling and get in the fucking car,” he yelled.
“Actually,” Trent bellowed out into the darkness, “we’re not dogs, and we’re not little.”
Charles had turned to face Trent just in time to see five grizzly bears emerge from each side of the building. The man soiled himself, adding to his stench, and dropped his gun.
Olive kicked the weapon underneath a car and ran into Trent’s arms.
He wiped away one of her tears and studied her face.
“Are you okay?” he whispered.
“I am now.”
She held onto him tight, as if to absorb his warmth, and his arm anchored her to his side.
“You didn’t think I’d let you go without a fight, did you?”
She shrugged as more tears escaped. Truthfully, she hadn’t known what to think. She’d been so sure he loved her, but when she saw him walk away, it had shaken her confidence.
“Hmm…,” he said, and kissed the top of her head. “I guess I’m going to have to show you what it means when a bear finds his mate. Let me finish this first; poor Charles is having a meltdown.”
She turned to see Charles sniveling and
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