by Bella Falls
Georgia’s eyes widened. “I didn’t realize it was that serious.” She frowned as she soaked in the information. “And your boyfriend is okay with it?”
I leaned against the dark wall. “Yes and no. He agrees that it offers me a slight bit of protection within the pack. But he absolutely hates the implications of it all.”
“Good,” she exclaimed. “I would have been worried if he was all for it. I will work on seeing if I can find that one ghost I was talking about. See if she’s still strong enough that she can help get you…what’s the word we should use. Unbound? Uncoupled?”
“Either one would work,” I replied.
“Right? In the meantime, I hope things don’t get too complicated for you both.” Georgia opened the door and walked out into the afternoon sun. She glanced over at Dash with a lot of affection. “He’s been through enough already.”
I cocked my head and looked between the unaware shifter and witch. “Huh.”
As if awakened from a daydream, she shook her head. “What?”
I smiled at her. “Nothing.” I threw my arms around her. “I’ll be careful.”
Dash stopped his conversation with his brother. “Hurry up! We ain’t going nowhere fast until you get into the driver’s seat.”
“Woo-hoo!” I bolted for the classic car, ignoring Davis’s sullen face.
“It is so not fair that she gets to drive it when you won’t let me,” the younger brother complained. “Can she even handle a stick? And no, I don’t mean that in a dirty way.”
I flipped him the bird. “Been driving one longer than you’ve been out of diapers. Which, by the looks of your pout, couldn’t have been that long ago.”
A loud guffaw burst out of Dash. Georgia razzed Davis from behind him. I couldn’t help but smile at the poor guy.
“Fine, be that way.” He turned on his heels and snapped his fingers. “Come on, bar wench. Fetch me some more moonshine and a burger.”
She smacked him upside the back of his head as he walked past her. “Get it yourself.”
I snickered at the two of them and slid into the leather seat behind the wheel. “I could get used to this.”
Dash leaned on the doorframe. “As much as I love you giving my brother crap, are you sure you can really drive a manual transmission?”
Instead of sassing back at him, I stuck the key in and turned the engine over. The car roared to life and idled with a rumbling purr. “Get in and let’s see.”
He shut my door and made his way around the front bumper. I revved the engine just to see if I could make him jump. The amount of power sitting underneath me made me feel like a woman in charge.
Once he was settled with his seat belt on, I backed out of the parking spot and directed the Impala around the other side of the building. I turned in the direction we came from and let the car roll to almost a stop in the middle of the street.
“What are you doing?” Dash asked, looking around us at the lack of traffic.
“This.” I gunned the gas so that the wheels squealed underneath us. The car wrenched forward and took off down the road at a high speed for a couple of blocks.
I slowed us down to the speed limit, enjoying the complete discomfort of my companion. “Well, I don’t think my brother can question your abilities to drive a stick anymore.”
“My dad taught me long before I got my learner’s permit. He said if I could work a manual transmission, then I would always be able to drive any car. I had no idea I’d be able to get behind a baby as sweet as this one though.” I stroked the steering wheel.
We didn’t encounter the same clouds when we left Mystic as we did coming in, so I enjoyed the drive back to Rockville.
“Georgia gave me back the bag with some of the substance still in it. Do you really think you can use that to find whoever Zach got it from?” Dash asked after about twenty minutes of quiet between us.
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “But it’s definitely worth trying. However, we should do that after you’re good to drive.”
Dash snorted. “I was good back in Mystic. But you looked so happy, I didn’t want to rain on your parade. Seeing it bug my brother was the icing on the cake.”
I pointed at a small turnoff. “Should I pull over?”
He put his hands behind his head and leaned back in the passenger seat. “Nah. It’s kind of nice to be chauffeured around like I’m someone important.”
I started to tell him he was definitely important to several people but held my tongue. Maybe he had no clue how many people cared about him, and knowing him the little that I did, I’m not sure he would believe me if I tried to point out all of the ones I’d witnessed in my short time in the mountains.
Instead of trying to reassure him, I chickened out. “Can I turn on some tunes?”
He leaned forward and switched the vintage radio on. Turning the analog dial, he searched for a radio station to come in clear. When he found one, he looked for my approval. The two of us rode back, singing classic country songs out of tune at the top of our lungs while laughing until we ran out of breath.
Chapter Twelve
Once we returned to the tree farm, I headed up the gravel driveway toward my cabin. Dash pointed in the opposite direction. “Head down that way. I want to show you something.”
We dipped down another hill and up another one until another cabin loomed up ahead. His motorcycle was parked at the edge of a patch of grass, so I pulled in beside it. It pained me to end my time driving the Impala, but I was grateful for the opportunity.
“Would you mind taking a picture of me in the driver’s seat from the outside?” I asked him, retrieving my spell phone and holding it out.
“Of course.” Dash unbuckled and got out of his side, sauntering to my side of the car until he faced me. Stepping back, he held up the phone until he was satisfied. “Smile.”
I did as the shifter asked and offered a few different poses, all of them meant to make me seem cool enough to drive the car. When he showed them to me, I couldn’t help but crack up at some of my horrible attempts at model faces.
“Thanks. Matt is going to be sooo jealous,” I crooned, composing my text to him in my head to send to him later.
“You’re just as much a pain to him as Davis is to me,” Dash accused, pulling the driver’s door open and helping me out.
I shrugged. “It’s our duty as younger siblings to keep you older ones on your toes.”
Dash walked up to the small front porch and unlocked the door. “I miss having Davis around. I mean, I get why he feels like he can’t be here. But I really do miss the idiot.”
He opened the door and walked in, crooking his finger at me to follow. When I entered, my mouth dropped open. I’d expected to find something similar to the setup where I was staying. Or maybe something a little simpler and dingier, more like his place in Honeysuckle.
Instead, the large room felt grand and homey at the same time. “Wow,” I exclaimed, walking further into the space and turning in circles to try and see all of it. “It’s not what I expected.”
“This is the old caretaker’s house. Dates back to the 1800s, and then it had some additions built on in the twentieth century. I pulled up all the old flooring and put down new hardwood.” He stomped on the sturdy floor, showing off the honey-stained grain.
I walked into the modern kitchen, admiring the stainless-steel appliances and stone counters. “You spared no expense.”
“It’s so Elodie can maybe rent it out as a luxury accommodation,” he explained, although the way he glanced over the place with affection made me think he didn’t really want to leave the place.
He strutted over to the large natural stone fireplace and patted it. “This is actually original. Built by hand. I had to restore a few stones and redo some of the mudding with Max’s help. But other than that, it’s about as original as we could get it. Sometimes I chop wood when I need to get some aggression out.”
“How much have you been able to store?” I
asked.
Dash beckoned me out onto an open porch. He walked down the back stairway and pointed at the huge pile stacked up nearby. “That’ll get us through the winter with no problem. I’ll probably provide some for the other cabins like the one you’re staying in.”
I could hear water running nearby. “Is there a crick or something?”
He grinned. “How about a full-blown river? There’s a path there that leads to a nice place where it’s easy to fish from. Many times, I’ve caught my own dinner.”
I nodded, impressed. “You’re quite the hunter.”
Dash wiggled his eyebrows. “I’m a trained predator. There are very few who can escape me.”
“Especially defenseless fish,” I teased, running back up the stairs. When I reached the open living room again, I found Max standing in the middle of it. “Oh, sorry, I didn’t know you were here.”
“I see you’re making yourself right at home.” His tone did not sound congratulatory or happy. “Where’s Dash?”
“I’m right here,” the alpha replied, carrying an armload of wood with him. “Nice of you to enter my place without knocking or a heads-up. What do you want?” He replenished the wood stack next to the fireplace.
The tension in the air made my arm hair stand on end. Not wanting to intrude more, I tried to make a quick getaway. “Well, I’ll just let the two of you talk.”
“No,” Max insisted. “Please stay. After all, you are my alpha’s intended. If that’s even true. Based on what I just saw, it looks more like you’re just playing house rather than bringing her up to speed on what being mated to the alpha really means.”
Heat rose in my cheeks, and I looked for a hole in the floor to dive into for escape. Dash took a few steps forward until he stood at my side. “That comment was completely unnecessary and rude. What’s going on with you, Fletcher?”
The older man unclenched his fists and shifted his stance. He ran his hands through his salt-and-pepper hair. “I’m sorry. Zach’s death has been hard on me.”
“You’re not the only one,” Dash reminded him.
“But I’m the one who’s been dealing with the kid’s parents the entire time.” Max thumped his chest. “I’m the one who was supposed to be letting him get some work experience with my crews so he could learn some responsibility. He died on my watch. Mine.”
“Mine, too,” Dash reminded him. “As alpha, I should have known that something wasn’t right. That he was going down a bad path again.”
Max directed his frustration my way. “But you’ve been pretty distracted lately.”
I swallowed hard, unsure of what to say or do to diffuse the situation. Standing between two riled-up shifters didn’t seem like the best place to be. And yet, all of Dash’s defensive emotions welled inside of me, too, making me want to stay and fight.
A loud pounding on the front door interrupted the tense confrontation, and I rushed to go answer it even though it wasn’t my house. Cameron stood on the other side, chewing on a toothpick.
“I saw Max’s truck drive by and thought it might be a good idea that I was included,” she said, giving me a knowing glance. “May I come in?”
It occurred to me that as it wasn’t my place, I didn’t have the right to say yes or no. “Oh, yes. Please.” I moved out of the way so she could enter.
“Well, boys, looks like someone called a meeting but failed to include me,” Cameron called out as she approached the other two. “What’s going on?”
Max scowled at her. “Nobody asked you here because this isn’t official business.”
“Yes, it is, if you’re trying to accuse me of something,” Dash responded. “Why did you come here, Fletch?”
The older man glanced between the other two leaders of the pack. “I came here to talk.”
“No, coming here to talk would have meant that you would have either called me to give me first or knocked on my door and waited for an invitation to come inside.” Dash took a step forward. “Instead, you barged in here and started barking at me. Am I wrong?”
Max opened his mouth to defend himself, but Cameron interrupted him. “Considering I watched you fishtail your truck as you bombed down our driveway, I don’t think you can support that you came here with completely good intentions.”
Instead of the newcomer’s presence helping to diffuse the tension, it increased it. I flinched away from the crackle of dominance the three were throwing at each other.
“Listen,” I said with my hands held up. “I think everyone’s a little tense because you’ve suffered a major loss in your community. Maybe we should stick to focusing on figuring out what happened to Zach.”
All three of them turned and stared at me. I half expected Max to blame me for something. Instead, he drew in a deep breath and slumped against the back of the couch. “She’s right. I’m sorry for coming in so hot. But I just don’t get why you’re not doing more, and I’m not the only one. Lucille’s been talking to others about how ineffective you’re being.”
“She’s a grieving mother,” Dash replied. “I can’t fault her for being angry.”
Max stroked his mostly gray beard. “But still. You can’t have one of your pack talking about how they don’t trust you and stirring up trouble. And in this case, everything depends on how you handle things.”
Cameron raised her hand as if she were a kid in school. “Speaking of, bring me up to speed.”
Max and Dash talked her through the visit at Zach’s house with his parents. I let Dash choose whether or not to share what I’d found out talking to his little sister or when we searched in his bedroom. When he left out those details, I remained quiet.
“What did you do about the drugs I found in the bathroom?” Max asked.
“They’re being analyzed as we speak. Should find out the results soon.” Dash glanced over at me but didn’t give any further explanation.
Cameron accepted his answer, but Max challenged it. “As your second, you should be keeping me informed of every step you’re taking. I should know it all so that I can reassure the Owens family.”
“Your job isn’t to reassure them. Your job is to back me up on my decisions and actions. And I’ve done what I needed to so far. It’s up to Charli to take the next step,” Dash said.
Again, all eyes fell on me, and I almost withered under their intense attention. “Uh, so I had Dash keep the bag and a little of the product in it. I’ll be using that to find out where it came from.”
Max spluttered for a second in surprise. “You think you can do that?”
I stood up a little straighter in determination. “I’m going to try.”
“Tomorrow,” Cameron insisted. “You’ll try whatever it is you do tomorrow. It’s already been a pretty heavy day for you as is.”
The second the words came out of her mouth, the exhaustion from dealing with everything came crashing down on me. “Actually, it would be better if I could do it once I’m rested.”
I cringed when I glanced over at Max, expecting him to yell at me. Instead, he nodded with respect. “Agreed. If whoever was involved hasn’t already left, then they won’t know we’ve got an edge in finding them. Thank you, Charli.”
“Is there anything else on your mind?” Dash asked his second.
Max pushed himself off the edge of the couch. “No. I’m sorry I barged into your home. I had no right.”
“I know you’re looking out for me and the pack.” Dash clapped him on his back. “You’re a good man, Fletch.” He walked him to the front door, and the two exited together.
“Okay, now that the menfolk are gone, tell me what’s up for real,” Cameron said in a lower voice.
I blinked at her. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
She placed a hand on her hip. “I can smell a pile of manure a mile away. You and alpha boy know something more than what you said in front of Max. Spill.”
I looked at the door, wondering if I should wait for Dash to come back in. But I trusted my gut
and retrieved my purse while telling her about talking to Sammy. I pulled out the folded drawing and laid it out on the distressed-wood dining table.
Cameron flipped on the overhead light so we could see the details better. “That kid had some serious talent. It’s a shame he kept it hidden.”
“You’re not disturbed by the image itself?” I asked. “To me, he was literally fighting his demons on the page.”
She ran her fingertip over the surface, tracing over the lines that Zach had dug into the paper where he’d pressed the pencil harder. “From the looks of this, that poor boy was in nine kinds of pain.”
I leaned a little closer to try and see what she did. “What do you mean?”
“He’s hidden letters in his drawing. Can you see them?” she asked, tapping the page.
Narrowing my eyes, I willed myself to see what she was talking about. “No.”
She picked up the paper and brought it closer. “Here. And here’s one. And another.” With her fingertip, she showed me how Zach had incorporated different styled letters into the design.
“Frosted fairy wings,” I exclaimed. “He’s spelled out H-E-L-P.”
“Whoever this monster represents,” Cameron said, focusing on the drawing, “it was Zach’s way of trying to work through his problems. And none of us knew he was struggling. Even I thought he was doing better.”
“That’s the thing. I think he was really trying to do better based on what his sister was saying.” I went to my purse and pulled out the burner phone. “I managed to find this in his room based on a phone call she overheard.”
“Man, the only time I’ve seen a flip phone in recent days is when someone’s using one to hide something. Have you been able to figure out what’s on it?” she asked.
I shook my head. “We hadn’t gotten that far yet.”
“Well, it should have an SD card in it, so we might be able to pull something off of that.” She held out her hand. “If you want, I can get Etta to help. She’s a whiz with technology.”
