Kids—teenagers—made the best victims. They thought that because they were in high school, they could take him on. All he did was shift and show them that he was the bigger of the two to have them running in the other directions. Once in a while, one or two of them would come at him, but it never ended well. The most fun he’d ever had was the one about ten years ago. He’d never had that much fun in his life. Nor since, for that matter.
He would still pull out the newspapers and read about that one how there had been so few survivors that it was good that there hadn’t been classes that day. As it was, he’d killed off a large percentage of the graduating class, because that many had shown up to decorate the gym. The man had left one behind to tell them all about what he’d done.
Frowning, he did think about the fact that nothing was ever said about him being there. No one had mentioned a bear, not even the girl that he’d decided to play with. She was the first person that he’d ever left behind after seeing him, and he’d had high hopes for her. But she’d done nothing, not even saying a word about how he’d had so much fun knocking her to the floor when she hung up there on that ladder.
Harvey had gotten so much better since then. He didn’t leave anyone behind anymore. After the second time he’d done that, he decided that it wasn’t worth it. When they did get around to telling people there had been a bear in the place, he’d already moved onto something else. Too little too late, he’d always thought.
Not that he wanted fame. Not from this. He did want people to be afraid. That had been the best part about him getting into a school. The fear was so thick that he could taste it on his tongue. Harvey even liked it when kids would piss themselves in fear of him. He oftentimes wondered what their parents had to say about that.
Getting in and out of the schools had always been a breeze for him, and he wondered why no one had ever come along and made it so that people couldn’t. Someday, he thought, someone would come along and try to make it off limits to him. But so far, no one had been good enough.
There was that article he’d read about this family that was making schools harder to get into. He couldn’t wait for the building to be finished so that he could prove them wrong. It was the main reason that he’d moved out this way to get into the school before it was finished to figure out how they thought they were going to accomplish it. So far, all they had up was a shell for the building. It didn’t look like it was going to be too difficult for him. There was going to be a huge basement level, and he would almost get hard when thinking of all the kids he could trap down there. Also, the front doors were huge, wide enough that if he wanted, he could drive his car right up in the place.
He wondered if they’d have glass doors out front if they’d try and put bars over them. Nothing would keep him out. Harvey had figured out a way around all of their ideas long before they had even put them in place. Which reminded him, he was going to go by the building again tonight, just to see if they’d made much in the way of progress. Or failure, he supposed.
“That was them.” He looked at Rummy when he spoke, completely forgetting what was going on around him. “You were so lost just now that you didn’t hear the phone ring? Not good, buddy. You might well have gotten yourself into trouble with that.”
“I was thinking about this job and the money it was going to bring in for us all.” Rummy told him he was a good guy. “Nah, just a man who won’t bite the hand that feeds him. You’re a good leader, as I said. I appreciate you getting something for a man like me to do. I won’t forget this.”
He saw the big limo pull up in front of the building they were in. There wasn’t a speck of dirt on it either. He’d bet that they had servants that shined it up for them as soon as they got out. Laughing to himself, he watched as the driver got out and reached into the back as soon as he opened the door. The leg that came out first had him thinking this might be more fun than he’d thought.
The man with her was a big fucker. He wondered if he was human, but didn’t care. He did notice when she came around the open door that the woman was knocked up. Harvey couldn’t understand why anyone would want to have a child. It would keep him from having fun if no one had kids, but then there were saps all over the world that he could find if he wanted.
As soon as they were shown into the room, he knew that they were bears too. Black, if he didn’t miss his bet. The man—Lucian, Rummy called him—took his outstretched hand. Jerking his hand back when the man squeezed it just a little too hard, he glared.
Harvey had always thought that he had a good stare down. But almost as soon as he worked his face up into glaring at this man, Harvey felt his balls tighten to his body. This man wasn’t one to fuck with. It hit him as hard as the man had squeezed his hand too tightly. With the look he was giving him, Harvey felt the need to submit. Or at the very least, run and hide from him.
“Hello, Harvey Wendel. I’ve been looking for you.” He snickered at the woman when she spoke. But when he looked at Rummy, he was nodding like a broken necked doll would when a kid was shaking the shit out of it. “My name is Demi McCray. I’m here to put you into a world of hurt. And I’m planning on having a great deal of fun while I’m at it.”
Harvey looked at Rummy. “What the hell is she talking about? You said that this was about a job.” Rummy said that he’d lied. “You lied to me? You mother fucker, I’m out of here. I have no idea what this is about, but I’m not going to be suckered into something that I didn’t have shit to do with.”
“Sit your ass down.” He looked at Rummy when he spoke, and Harvey was just pissed enough to try and not do as he’d commanded him to do. “Sit your mother fucking ass down before I have to sit you there.”
He started to reach for Rummy when he suddenly was gone. In his place was a woman, a woman that looked slightly familiar, but he wasn’t sure why. Looking around the room again for some kind of help, Harvey knew he was in deep shit. Somehow the police had gotten into the room, along with the couple, another woman who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, and the woman who he’d thought was Rummy.
“Thank you, Meadow. I appreciate you helping me with this.” The woman, another damned woman, bowed at the Rummy/woman person. “Hello, Harvey. Do you remember me? I’m Melody McCray. I used to be Melody Austin. You left me for dead when I was seventeen years old at Severance High School. Do you remember me now?”
It took him a moment to put it all together. When he did, he was jerked up from his chair and handcuffed. What the fucking hell had just happened here? How the fuck did this turn out to be him getting caught up in this shit? He wanted answers. However, he didn’t think he was going to get any from these people.
Harvey was being led out to a cruiser when he noticed that Rummy, the real one this time, was sitting on the front stoop of the house he’d been in.
You really fucked up, Harvey. Had I any idea what sort of monster you were, I would never have allowed you in my sleuth. You are a dead man. Dead. If you get out, which I don’t foresee happening, you will be dead before you touch your toe to the sidewalk. Of that, I can promise you. Harvey told him that it was his job to make sure he was safe. You want me to save you? The only way I can see that ever happening is if I were given a gun to blow your fucking brains out. No, Harvey, you’re on your own with this. I would tell you good luck, but I don’t think I will. You deserve everything you get. And then some.
As soon as he was put in the back of the big van that had POLICE written on it, he was beyond afraid. The door was shut in his face just as he realized that they’d not clipped his cuffs to the floor. He thought this might be his lucky break. Because if that woman could point him out in a crowd, he was as good as dead.
When someone laughed, he turned to see a man who looked enough like Lucian to be his brother come out of the shadows.
“I get to escort you to jail, Harvey. And let you know how pissed off I am for what you did to my wife.”
If he lived, which wasn’t looking all that promising right now, he’d hear the man’s laughter for the rest of his days. It wasn’t humorous; it was fucking terrifying. When his claw bit deeply into his back, Harvey understood now why he’d not been clipped to the floor like the police usually did. So the black bear with him could have his fun.
Chapter 8
Daniel opened his eyes. He nearly sobbed when that helped him realize that he’d not been killed when he’d had his accident. Looking around the room, he realized just how sore he was from wrecking, but he wanted someone to tell him about his kids.
Gannon loomed over him and smiled. “The kids are all right. They were bumped around a bit, but luckily they all were wearing their safety belts. Dan has a slight concussion, but he’s fine. Holly has a couple of stitches in her left hand. When the glass came at them, she covered both Mary and Dan as best she could. Mary is as right as rain. Not a scratch on her.” Daniel started crying then. He’d not hurt his children. “You’re all right, too, since you didn’t ask. You have a compound break to your arm, as well as a lot of cuts to your face that have been stitched up.”
“The kids are all right. That’s all I care about right now.” He moved and felt the pain as it ripped through his arm to his back. “Okay, I’m in pain. I don’t know what happened. One minute we were having fun, talking about the kind of pizza they were going to get, then I woke up here. I do remember hearing screaming. It was more than likely me.”
“Holly said that you were hit head-on. Do you remember anything about that?” Daniel started to shake his head, then realized that he did remember. He looked at Gannon. “Yes, well, I do hope that you keep that to yourself for a little while longer. The kids are on their way in, and while I know that they’ll bring it up, for now, I’d rather you just pretend you don’t remember her. They’re very terrified right now.”
“Because they don’t believe that it was her, or is there something else that I should know?” Gannon told him everything that he knew. “Yes, I guess I can see where the kids might not have to know that I saw her as well. Holly is a smart girl. She’s going to know that I’m keeping the fact that I know more than I’m admitting to from her. If she said that she saw her, then you can bet that she did.”
“I’m not saying that she didn’t see her. But you can understand that we’ve not found her. We know that she’s hurt. How badly, we have no idea. But there was blood in the other car. Also, Demi has some contacts out your way, and we have a feeling that we know one of the reasons she’s here. Something about you paying her alimony. Did you divorce her, or she you?”
“She sent the paperwork, and I signed it and sent it back. Why would that matter? She left me. Not to mention left me with three children with no support from her.” Gannon told him that Meadow had been able to track her movements before she left out west. Then he told him about the hairdresser. “Why would I pay her alimony? Or better yet, why would she think that I would have to?”
“Vicky has money. A great deal of it. But not by any legal means. There are at least five men that Meadow has found that are paying her hush money, or whatever Vicky might think it is. It’s pay off money for her not to tell their wives that she had the man’s child while he was married. Like I said, they’re still looking into that. There are no other children that you know of from her?” Daniel said that he couldn’t be sure because he only knew about his three. “I don’t think there are any more, either. There are no birth records about her having any other children. There have been a few abortions. This is a very indelicate question, Daniel, but do you know how old she is? The reason that I ask is, Vicky, is a good deal older than you are.”
“She said that we were the same age. I never asked her. But for her birthday one year when we were first married she told me something along the lines that she’d be twenty-five on her upcoming birthday. That was...let me think. That was when Holly was about five. So she should be around thirty-six. Right?” Gannon shook his head. “Just how old is she? Not that it matters, I suppose. That would be just one more lie that she told me.”
“Vicky is over fifty.” Daniel couldn’t believe that. She had aged well, he thought. “She’s had all kinds of surgeries to make herself appear younger. But Demi was able to unearth her birth certificate so that she could find her parents. Who, as you might not have known, are still alive. We haven’t contacted them as yet. Melody thinks that it should be up to you.”
“She told me that they were both dead.” He had a thought. “I guess having them hanging around the children would definitely mess things up for her. Such as her age, to begin with. Are they like her? If so, then I’d rather not ever bring them into our lives. The kids have had enough upset for several lifetimes.”
“I don’t know that answer, but I’m sure that the others will. I’ve been hanging out here while Melody and your kids have a nice lunch. They needed to be assured as much as you did that she’s just fine too.” He nodded. “They’re very close to her, aren’t they? I mean, like they really love her.”
“They do. When Mel, or Melody as you call her, was out of work due to money issues, she stayed with us for a long time, even when Vicky was still living there. The kids helped me with her, too, when Melody was hurt. Holly was still a little girl then, but she would take care of her if I had to run out. Dan too, but he was younger. Mary, of course, doesn’t remember that part of my sister’s life. But she takes them places that I’d rather they didn’t go. I don’t want to lose them.” Gannon told him what Melody had said about feeding them good meals and not taking them out much. “She says that like I’ve ruined their lives. I don’t care for pizza, never have. I really didn’t take them out much because it was cheaper to eat at home. That was most of it.”
“You’re a good man, Daniel. And a better father.” Daniel thanked him and wanted a hug in the worst kind of way, but he let it go. “I can hear them—your kids. Being a bear, I have better hearing. They’re nearly here now.”
The door flew open and banged loudly against the other wall. He didn’t even scold them for making all that ruckus. They were there with him, and he couldn’t have been happier. Hugs and kisses, the ones that he really wanted, were passed around to them all. He’d never been so happy to see them as he was right at that moment.
Then his sister walked in. She was glowing—not really, but she was happy. Her eyes were bright with tears right now, but he could see the way that she looked at Gannon. Good Lord, they were in love. Daniel hugged her tightly too and told her how glad he was to see her.
“Not as happy as they are to see you.” The kids started pulling things out of bags that he’d not noticed before. “We’ve brought you dinner. They told us at the desk that you could have whatever you wanted, so we thought about it and got you an everything pizza with anchovies on it.”
The kids were laughing at him; he knew it. Daniel could only imagine the look on his face when she said what she’d brought him. But when a thick roast beef sandwich was laid in front of him, he could have kissed her. It was his favorite go-to comfort meal. Instead of chips as the others were eating, he had a plate of fresh vegetables along with some dressing to dip them in. Daniel laughed when Gannon had two of the same sandwich.
“I guess you eat more than most. Because of what you are.” Gannon nodded and bit down on the sandwich. “I can’t tell you how glad I am that you and Melody are together. She needed someone like you. A strong man that doesn’t cater to her every need or want.”
“Oh, I cater to all her needs. I love how she doesn’t expect anything to come her way, and I give it to her.” Gannon took another bite as he continued. “I’m in love with her. And
as soon as I can get her to tell me yes, she’ll marry me, and we’ll have a nice little wedding. Or a large one so that I can explain to the world how I’m the luckiest man in the world because she said yes.”
Daniel told himself that he wasn’t jealous of their love. He was, but only slightly, he thought. Melody was happy, so that made him very happy. Holly asked him if he was all right. Daniel looked at his little girl and touched his fingers to the bruise that was on her cheek.
“I’m so much better now that you’re here. All of you. And we’ll talk about what happened later, all right?” She looked at the other two, who were fighting over the last napkin for whatever reason. “There is no reason to upset anyone any more than we need to, right?”
“Can I ask you a favor?” He said anything. “I’m sixteen now, and I’d like to be able to have a say in some of the things that are going on around the house. One of them being, I’d really like to stay here for the rest of our lives. I love the school that we’re going to. I like having friends over if I want. Also, I love being here with all the McCrays. If you don’t mind.”
“I don’t know what we’re doing, love.” The other two were staring at him now, and he looked at them. “We have nothing back home to go to; I know you’re aware of that. The McCrays have made me an offer about staying here, and they’d help me find a building that I could work from without having to work from home. That was the reason that we were going to have dinner out. So that I could talk to you about the pros and cons of moving our life here.”
“There are no cons, Dad. Even if there were a couple, there aren’t any that I’d count.” He asked Dan why not. “I feel good here. Safe, I guess you could call it. There is plenty to do all the time. I love that we have Grandma Cindy and Grandpa Alden around. Did I tell you that he’s teaching me to drive the mower? He has a lot of rules like I’m not allowed to drive over five miles an hour. I think he’s making that up because I think it would take forever to mow even our old lawn if I had to go that slow. And he pays me.”
Gannon: McCray Bruin Bear Shifter Romance Page 11
