by A. C. James
Jess just held onto her hand, supporting her with every squeeze.
“So I started seeing a counselor. She works at the domestic violence center. It’s free.” Cari let out a shaky laugh. “And I’ve been going to Al-Anon meetings. Anyway, I hope this doesn’t change your view of me. I hope you understand,” Cari said, the secret leaving her in a rush.
Cari searched her friend’s face for pity—the last thing she wanted or needed right now. Her relationship with Jess had been strained since she came back here. Jess had asked her questions when she came home that she hadn’t been ready to answer.
She hadn’t seen Jess in years because she was cut off from friends. Seth consumed everything. Now Cari was afraid she’d never regain the closeness and intimacy they’d once had, especially since she’d pushed Jess away. Your old life doesn’t just snap back into place after you’ve been through hell. It changes you. Finding a way to enjoy family and old friends was part of her recovery. It was more productive to own who she’d become than to try to go back to the way things were before. Trust didn’t come easy for Cari anymore, and it was a huge leap to tell even her closest friend.
“Car, if this changes my view of you it’s only that I see you as stronger than ever! It takes guts and courage to do what you’ve done. I’m very glad you’re getting help and going to meetings. I could see something was wrong, and I knew you were upset the last time I came to visit you. I put some things together—you not drinking, and him with a beer. He seemed nice, but none of us know what goes on behind closed doors. I’m glad you reached out and let me know. I’m here for you. I’ll always be here. Love you, girly.” Jess squeezed her hand.
A huge weight lifted off her. They were hugging and crying, which was a little weird. Cari could only think of a handful of times she’d seen Jess cry. The waiter came over hesitantly, like he wasn’t quite sure how to approach two sobbing females to ask if they needed another drink. Maybe he just figured they’d had one too many margaritas. He whisked away the plates, and they ordered a fried ice cream to split. A few minutes later he returned with two spoons and their dessert.
“Anyway, I had a really good time this weekend,” Cari said around a mouthful of ice cream.
Jess arched an eyebrow. “How good? ‘I’m kinda into him’ good or ‘fuck me hard’ good?”
“That part was better than good,” Cari admitted.
Jess dug into the ice cream with her spoon. “So when do you see him again?”
“We’re going to the reunion together, but we didn’t really make any plans besides that. Hey, I wonder if Liam is going to the reunion?”
Jess gave her a what-the-fuck look, but before she could say anything, the waiter came back to ask if they needed anything else and then gave them the check.
“Never mind,” Cari said. “Anyway, he and I texted back and forth all day today.”
Cari worked at the local newspaper. The editor-in-chief had lost one of his journalists to retirement, and what started out as filling in had turned into a full-time gig. The timing couldn’t have been better. She’d really missed the column she used to write for City Life magazine. Her column was called Ask Cari Anything, but most of the questions readers sent in were about sex or cheating boyfriends. Honestly though, she couldn’t imagine writing relationship advice now. What the hell did she know about it?
Cari had lost a lot when she left Seth and her entire life behind, but it couldn’t be helped. Looking from the outside, someone might think that since she’d finally left an abusive relationship, the worst was over. No more hell. Truthfully, her journey had just begun. Cari had to walk away—and stay away—from what she believed was love. No matter how you looked at it, that meant heartbreak. Shattered hopes and dreams. And unbearable loneliness.
“I knew this would be the best thing for you, Car. I’m glad you let me talk you into having Mrs. Wilder hook you up.”
Cari laughed. “Me too. It’s been almost a year. I wasn’t sure I wanted to start dating again. I was a shadow of myself. This feeling that I wasn’t lovable and that maybe I deserved Seth kept repeating in my mind. Who would love me now if Seth didn’t? And the answer all along was me. No one else can love you if you don’t love yourself and set boundaries. I really like him, Jess, and even if I’m afraid of screwing up at least I know what red flags to watch for.”
Jess nodded. “You’ve come a long way. And our margarita Mondays are the perfect fix.”
“You know I love you.”
“Girly, don’t get mushy on me now,” Jess said playfully, but her shimmering eyes betrayed her. “I love you too, ya know.”
Cari talked about her weekend and what a gentleman he’d been, how he’d carried her bag, and cooked for her. Of course, the sex was good—no, it was unbearably good. He was incredible, and she couldn’t remember ever coming that many times in a row before.
She and Jess left the restaurant just as it was about to close, and hugged good-night. She drove home to her grandmother’s old house. On her doorstep she found a surprise. Laying on the doormat was a single long-stemmed red rose and a plain white envelope. Cari opened it and frowned automatically at the one-liner: I’ll be seeing you.
She shook her head to clear it. Poor Liam. He had no way of knowing it was a phrase her ex used all the time when he hung up the phone or ended a conversation. Stupid trigger. She swore under her breath. Maybe she didn’t know how to be happy. She was letting paranoia get the better of her. She should be over the moon that a really sweet guy left her a rose. But if it was just nerves, why did the sudden feeling of foreboding send her flying into the house and turning the deadbolt?
Chapter Eight
Liam paced in his driveway, waiting for Ky and David. Someone didn’t want him with Cari, and his first thought was that it was a rival clan. Maybe they were after the fishing creek again. A rival clan had gone after Ky’s girl just to get to him, all over territory. After Ky’s fiancé Nita had been kidnapped, Liam wasn’t going to leave any stone unturned. The moment he found his Jeep was trashed he’d called Ky.
He stared at his Jeep, struggling to keep his bear in check. Liam was seething. Honestly, he could give two shits about the damage, but threatening Cari took it to a whole other level.
The windows in his Jeep had been smashed, the tires were slashed, and someone had left a note under one of the windshield wipers:
Stay away from Cari.
Staring at the block handwriting threatening the woman he wanted to make his mate, even if she didn’t know it yet, made his bear territorial. No one threatened Cari without having the full weight of the Stone Clan come down on them. If anyone laid a hand on her, they wouldn’t just have Liam to deal with, although he’d sure as hell tear them a new one. She meant everything to him. Beyond beautiful, smart, funny—Cari was his world. Always had been, and always would be.
Ky and David pulled up in his driveway. Car doors slammed, and they made their way over to the Jeep.
“Fuck, man,” Ky said. “They really did a number on your Jeep.”
Liam had always slept like a bear; he practically went into hibernation. He hadn’t even heard anyone out here. Of course, it’d been windy as hell last night.
“Yeah, I came out here this morning and found it like this,” Liam said.
“Do you think it’s a rival clan?” David asked, running a hand through his thick beard in consideration.
Liam shook his head. “That was my first thought, but I don’t think a rival clan would leave a threat directed toward Cari.”
Liam handed the note over to Ky, and David huddled next to them to take a look.
“I wouldn’t put it past another clan to threaten Cari,” Ky said. “Remember what they did to Nita?”
“You don’t think they’d try to kidnap Cari too?” David asked.
“When she came over for our camping date Mrs. Wilder set up, someone was here,” Liam admitted. “I searched the property, but I lost the scent at the creek.”
If anything
happened to Cari, Liam didn’t know what he’d do. His bear edged toward the surface, and he barely restrained his rage.
“I’ll have Caleb keep an eye on Cari’s place, and put Oliver on guard here just in case another clan is trying to take over the fishing creek,” Ky said, and handed the note back to Liam.
Liam crumpled it in his fist. Holding onto it was like grasping a hot coal. Anger bubbled inside him as he looked at the damage. He wanted to fucking smash something. He kicked one of the flat tires.
“That’s not going to get you anywhere,” David said, the voice of wisdom.
“Yeah, but I’m sure it feels good.” Ky lightened the mood.
Liam grunted. “Thanks for coming over. I really appreciate it, man. I still don’t know if you’re right about it being a rival clan, though. I don’t know how to explain it, but my gut tells me this is about something else. This was personal.”
David stroked his beard. “Does Cari have any enemies?”
“I have no idea, but who could possibly want to hurt Cari?” Liam said, shrugging.
“Someone who clearly has no idea who they’re fucking with,” Ky growled. He scrubbed a hand over the back of his neck.
Liam grinned and clapped Ky on the shoulder. He was right about that. Someone messed with one of them, they messed with all of them. The Stone Clan was like family. If one of them was in trouble, the whole clan rallied behind them.
“We should search the property,” David said.
Ky nodded. “I’m sure they’re long gone by now, but we should secure the perimeter. Oliver can make sure it stays that way.”
Liam discarded his clothes, and Ky and David were doing the same. Fur sprouted from their skin, arms and legs became paws, and the three men dropped to all fours. Three bears took off in different directions, searching the property. Liam was grateful for the help—his rage was blinding when it came to Cari.
Running through the woods sniffing and searching burned off some of the adrenaline pumping through him. His bear tracked the scent to a set of footsteps that trailed from his driveway, through the woods, along the edge of his property, and out toward the road. He imagined they’d parked a car on the road and crept through the forest to his house. Had it been the same son of a bitch who’d been out there before? The thought of someone watching Cari from the woods drove his bear wild. Liam looked down the empty road and listened. Birds and creatures scurrying in the woods informed his bear that the threat was gone, just as Ky had suspected.
Liam headed back toward the house and shifted to his human form. Ky wasn’t far behind him, while David was already in his human form and carrying a bat.
David tossed it to Liam and started pulling on his clothes. “I found this in the woods. They probably used it to fuck up your Jeep.”
Liam grunted in agreement. It was hard to hold a conversation when you wanted to rip someone’s head off.
“Guess you’ll have to call for a tow to the garage,” Ky said.
Not to mention Liam had shit to do today. This was damned inconvenient. He was supposed to stop by Flower Bear Florist and order a corsage for the reunion this weekend. Call him old-fashioned, but he wanted to do something nice for Cari. She’d never been a girly-girl, but she’d always been a romantic, and she loved surprises. He used to hide funny notes all over the place when they were in high school: inside her locker, tucked into a can with the paint brushes used to paint the scenery in drama club. Liam loved how her face lit up when she’d find one. Maybe he’d stop by the newspaper just to reassure his bear that she was okay. Liam wasn’t going to worry her with what happened to his Jeep, at least not until he knew more.
“Ky, can you drop me off in town?” Liam asked.
“Yeah, sure,” Ky said. “You can borrow a car until the Jeep is fixed. I’ll have Oliver pick you up in town and drop you and the car off at your house when he comes over to patrol the property.”
“Thanks,” Liam said.
They all piled into his car and Ky dropped Liam off at the florist. After Liam ordered a corsage for Cari, he stopped at a deli and ordered some sandwiches. He figured he’d bring Cari some lunch. While he waited for the food, he arranged to have his Jeep towed to the garage. They told him it’d take a day or two to fix, so he’d have it in time for the reunion.
The newspaper was only a few blocks away, and he walked over to see if he could steal Cari for lunch. A bell rang when he opened the door, and Cari looked up from her computer and smiled. She pushed her glasses up to keep them from sliding down her nose. God, she was sexy.
“Hey beautiful, I brought you some lunch. Are you hungry?” he asked as he pulled up a chair by her desk.
“What’s in the bag?” she asked.
Liam grinned. “Italian cold cuts and salt-and-vinegar potato chips.”
Those were her favorite chips. Liam wondered if she still liked them.
“Mmmm, I love salt and vinegar,” Cari said with a smile. “Thanks for bringing me lunch. I was just about to order something. This is perfect.”
She had a funny expression he couldn’t really read, and gratitude in her voice like he’d done something worthy of a gold medal.
“And thank you for the flower. I wanted to thank you in person. Maybe follow it up with a more personal thank you,” Cari said, her sexy voice implying naughty intentions.
“What flower?” Liam asked, his bear already going into protective mode.
Her smile faded. “The one you left on my doorstep.”
“When?”
Cari fidgeted in her computer chair. “Two nights ago. It was there Monday night when I got home from dinner with Jess.”
“It wasn’t me,” Liam said, his face hard.
Her intake of breath was audible. Cari opened her desk drawer, pulled out a folded piece of paper, and handed it over. “This note was with the rose.”
Liam unfolded it. It read, ‘I’ll be seeing you,’ in the same handwriting as the note left on his windshield. He hadn’t wanted to tell her, but there was no way around it now. Liam needed to protect her at all costs. But before he could get a word out, Cari cut in.
“There’s something I need to tell you,” Cari whispered.
He looked up from the paper. Cari was staring at the floor, unable to meet his eyes. Her voice was so small, it broke his heart. Liam pulled his chair directly in front of hers. She was shaking. He’d never seen her like this, and he hated it. His bear wanted to destroy whatever had her so scared. Liam ignored the beast and focused on Cari. His massive hands curled around her arms, holding her steady.
“What is it, Cari?” Liam asked.
Cari took a deep breath, like it was taking a lot of effort to tell him what was bothering her.
“There was someone I met while I was in college,” Cari said. “We were together for a long time. We lived together.”
Liam didn’t like where this was going. If that asshole had hurt Cari, there’d be hell to pay. Cari had never been weak, not by a long shot. The woman he’d grown up with wasn’t a meek, quiet woman who didn’t speak up for herself. She’d been fun-loving, outspoken, and didn’t have any trouble standing up to anyone. Liam always loved that about her. He hated how she sat now, her body rigid and her face taut. He squeezed her arms gently.
“I stayed in the relationship a lot longer than I should have. He said and did things that weren’t right. I guess after a while I just got numb to it, and my thinking was pretty messed up,” Cari said softly.
Liam had to know. “Did he hit you?”
He didn’t believe the old adage that ‘real men’ don’t hit. That stupid gender stereotype only made it worse. Liam had grown up in a home where his father helped his mother with stuff around the house. They did everything together, without prescribed roles or expectations. He’d loved that about his parents.
He guessed he was lucky he’d never learned traditional, stereotypical notions about masculinity. He’d seen it in action, though—he’d been in his fair share of bar brawls and
fights with shifters in rival clans who thought macho displays meant starting drunken fights or grabbing a girlfriend too roughly. He didn’t believe women were weak and couldn’t defend themselves, either. Most of the Stone Clan women could knock the men on their asses.
Not that they would ever need to, because bear shifters were natural-born cuddly bears to their mates. A rival clan trying to stake a claim to what belonged to them was another matter entirely. There were scuffles with other shifters for sure, but no one in the Stone Clan ever had to prove themselves when it came to their mates. That was the cost of worrying about being a ‘real man.’ Controlling, clingy, and insecure conduct was sure to chase a woman away. The man least likely to hit or abuse a woman was someone who didn’t give a fuck if he was a ‘real man’ or not.
Cari wouldn’t answer him, and it was killing him.
“Cari, look at me. Did he hit you?” Liam gently lifted her chin.
“Yes,” she whispered.
“Do you think he’d come after you?” Liam asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe.”
“Cari, someone trashed my Jeep. They left a note just like this one on my windshield. I’d like you to stay with me or Jess until we have this figured out,” Liam said, rubbing her arms and giving them a squeeze. “It’s just a precaution, but it would make me feel better if you weren’t alone right now.”
She nodded. “I know you’re right, but I don’t want to put Jess at risk. I don’t want to put you in danger, either.”
“You let me worry about that. You don’t get to decide what I can handle,” Liam said.
“I need to deal with this,” Cari said, lifting her chin.
“You’re right, but you don’t need to do it alone. I’m here for you. The whole clan is here for you. I don’t care where you stay, but it’s going to be somewhere safe.”
Cari searched his eyes. “I’ll stay with you. It’s better than putting this on Jess.”
Liam folded her into his arms. He didn’t want to let go. He was furious that asshole had hurt her, but he wouldn’t let Cari see his anger. She’d seen enough.
