Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Table of Contents
Title Page
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Copyright
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
LEFT FOR DEAD
STALK GISELE
Other Books by Gisele
HIS VENGEANCE
Shifters of Alaska
By:
GISELE ST.CLAIRE
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Wait before reading! This is the second book
in the series, and while each novel is a standalone
with an HEA, they are best read in order!
You can find the first novel here:
1. Bloodlines
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Copyright © 2018 by Gisele St.Claire
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Gisele St. Claire holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.
***
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Chapter 1
Shay was down on one knee folding the lids to the last box. She stood and leaned up against the counter, wiping the sweat away from her forehead and surveyed her work. It was sad that what had taken years to accumulate, had only taken a few hours to pack. True, she had sold all of her furniture and most of her belongings, only keeping the bare necessities. Well, that and a few mementos she couldn’t bear to part with. How things had changed so quickly in less than a year, she thought to herself. The sharp pang of despair stabbed at her heart and threatened to be her undoing, but she quickly tamped it down and locked that door. Today would be hard enough. She refused to dwell on the past.
A moment later she pushed herself off the counter and began to walk through the small house one last time to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything. The tiny house had been full of happy memories in the beginning. She could still remember the day they had bought the house and Kane had carried her over the threshold. Those had been happier times. They had been so young and in love and expecting their first child together.
She had been so full of hope and love for her new husband and the bundle of joy that she carried in her belly. Things hadn’t been all bad between them. She and Kane had been high school sweethearts— she a sophomore and he a senior. At a glance, it had looked like the perfect story book fantasy. She was the small town girl who fell in love with the popular and talented high school quarterback. Kane had been the town’s golden boy. Tall, athletic, with bright baby blue eyes, sun-streaked blonde hair, and the perfect golden tan. He had been going places, with college scouts all clamouring to have him play for them. He had already received a full ride scholarship from several schools.
Shay had thought she was the luckiest girl in the world when he had asked her out. He had been so gentle and kind, and patient. They had held hands during school and shared stolen kisses behind the bleachers every chance they got. Time with Kane had been limited because he was always at practice. And when he wasn’t at practice, his dad was forcing him to study old football films and run drills in their backyard until all hours of the night.
It was rare that they got time to see each other at all, let alone by themselves. When they did get the chance to be with each other just the two of them, they would park out on Old Montgomery Drive and just lay in the bed of his truck looking at the stars. They could talk about anything. In these brief moments alone, they had shared their innermost dreams and fears. She had been his biggest champion.
It was one of those rare occasions where they found themselves in the bed of his truck, one brisk fall night. Football season was almost over, and he would have to pick a college soon. It was then he had revealed to her just how much pressure he felt to the best, and how scared he was at failing everyone. His dad. His coach. The town. Her.
Overcome with emotion; he had wept softly in her arms. She had held him close, murmuring words of encouragement and letting him know that everything would be all right. She had stroked his hair and kissed him softly in comfort. But, those soft kisses had turned into more than just comfort, and the two had quickly found themselves in a situation, perhaps they had not been quite ready for. It was in the bed of his truck, under a pile of loose blankets that they had professed their undying love for each other and both lost their innocence. They had kissed and fumbled their way through the first time and lay holding each other close after.
Neither had thought about protection or what the consequences of their night together would mean. But, they found out three weeks later when Shay had been late. She had been so scared, but Kane had handled it remarkably well for an eighteen year old kid. He had driven her two hours away to Smith Falls so she could get a pregnancy test in a town where nobody knew them. He had held her when she had come out of the gas station bathroom crying when the test had turned out positive.
It had been the talk of the town when everyone finally found out Shay was pregnant with Kane’s baby. Kane’s father had been livid because they had been able to successfully hide the pregnancy for months. Shay never experienced morning sickness or any weight she gained. She was able to hide in bulky sweaters and coats throughout the winter. By the time, she was showing it was too late for an abortion.
Against his father’s judgement, Kane had pledged to marry Shay once they had both graduated. He had accepted a full ride scholarship to a smaller school closer to home. Despite the pressure from his coach and his father, Kane kept his promise. Shay and Kane had been married the weekend after they graduated in a small ceremony at the county courthouse. They had moved into their first home a month later, just two months before Ana was born. They had begun to build a life together. But, then it had all come crashing down about three years later.
But, Shay did not want to dwell on the negative. Not today. Instead, she chose to take in every detail, every smell as if to root it in her mind so she would never forget all the happier memories that it held. Her small hand trailed the walls slowly as she passed through the living room and into the narrow hallway which led past the only bathroom in the house and the two tiny bedrooms. There were faint shadows on the wall, where family pictures had once hung.
She continued down the hall and stopped at the doorway to Ana’s bedroom. It was a small eight by ten room, barely big enough for a bed and a dresser. But it had a charming bay window that Ana had used as her special reading nook. They had lost themselves for hours in books of far off la
nds and princesses and fairies. Ana had loved to read, and Shay had nurtured that love with an endless supply of books.
She took in a deep breath as her light blue eyes threatened to well-up with emotion. Blinking the tears away, she scanned the pale yellow walls one last time, stopping short at the hand painted flowers that were scattered all over the walls. Feeling another lump rise in her throat, she closed her eyes and exhaled deeply, letting her mind wander to the past.
“Mommy, Mommy. Look at the flower I just did. What do ya think?” Ana beamed up at her with purple and pink paint all over her smiling face.
“Oh, my goodness honey. It’s so beautiful.” Shay said walking over to the flower her daughter had just painted on the wall. “Just like you, princess.” She said bending down and giving Ana a peck on the top of her golden blonde head. “How about we finish the rest of your room together. We have two more spaces left on this wall, and we’re done.”
Ana pointed and said, “You take that space, and I’ll take this space. Ok, mommy?”
“Sounds good sweetie.”
With her eyes still closed, Shay could feel a single solitary tear escape and roll down her cheek and then a gentle hand on her shoulder from behind that forced her to tuck her memories away.
“Hey, are you ok?” The hand squeezed gently before releasing her.
“Yeah. I just wanted to take one last look to see if I left anything behind.” Shay said turning around with tears in her eyes.
“It’s going to get better, you know,” Dee said wiping away a tear from her best friend’s cheek. “I promise.”
“Maybe.” Shay still had a suffocating feeling that had taken occupancy in her chest for a long time now, and she didn't know how to get rid of it or if it would ever leave her. She doubted it. A part of her had died three months ago, and she knew nothing would ever fill that void again.
“This is the right thing to do. Don’t look at it as leaving the memories behind. You're not. You are moving on Shay, and this is the best thing for you right now. Trust me.” Dee said wrapping her arm around her best friend's waist and leading her away from Ana’s room.
“I know.” She said but without the same conviction that Dee felt. Seeing Dee’s skepticism, she decided to change the subject. “How long is the drive again?”
“About four hours if we stop for supper. I just packed the last box in the truck, so we are good to go.”
Dee headed for the front door with Shay in tow. Shay took one last look around the home she had known for the last eight years before she closed and locked the door for the very last time. It helped that she had her childhood best friend by her side as she closed this chapter in her life. It didn’t hurt that Dee was going to be there to help her start the new one as well. Finally, both women jumped in the truck, and then Dee asked, “You ready honey?”
“I’m ready. Let’s go.” Shay replied as they started to drive down the main road that led out of town. The truth was, she actually was ready to move on.
Shay Dawson had lived in Riverside her entire 27 years. She loved it there. The small picturesque town was wrapped in so much nature; from the expansive forestry with acres upon acres of spruce and pine forests to the dozens of creeks, rivers, and large bodies of water that were perfect for fishing, boating, or the occasional lazy float trip. Not to mention the abundance and variety of beautiful wildlife. Shay loved the outdoors and spent as much time as possible in it.
The town itself was breath-taking with its quaint shops full of antiques, artisan jewellery, and the old time soda shop that served the best homemade shakes and malts and its two traffic lights, and early 19th century homes with their wrap around porches. It was something you would see out of a brochure, complete with the small town people where everyone knew everyone, including their business.
With all small towns, it had its share of issues, one being the gossip. And the people of Riverside were known to gossip about anything and everything.
Shay had found herself at the wrong end of the gossip on more than one occasion. The first time being when everyone had found out she was pregnant with Kane Monroe’s baby. The second time had been when she had divorced Kane after just five years of marriage. Although, this last time had been by far the most painful and most difficult to ignore.
She had been the town topic for the last eleven months when her daughter had gone missing. There was no place she could go to get away from it, except when she found solace on her runs in the woods. There she could find a bit of peace from the gossipers. But, it was there as soon as she came back into town. She could always see her neighbours stare and gawk at her or whisper; and none too quietly, when she walked by. Shay knew what they thought about her, and what they said behind her back, but she mostly just ignored it. Every once in a while, when her nerves were a bit too raw, she would stare the gawkers down until they had the sense enough to be embarrassed and turn red and walk away.
It only made her feel better for a brief moment before it would fade too. She couldn’t escape what had happened or the town’s opinion. Everyone had always thought that her ex-husband had been responsible; after all, he was a drunk and had been abusive, so he did fit the profile.
She didn’t know how much more she could take. So, when her best friend had come to visit her two months ago, Shay had finally agreed to pack up and move to Greyson Falls with her. She had visited Dee a few times last year, and they had spent a weekend exploring the town. Shay had enjoyed the visit and the town. So when Dee had suggested she pack up and move, she didn’t hesitate. The town was perfectly suited for her. It was smaller than Riverside, but still had the same appeal with its abundance of nature trails, wildlife, and forest, lakes, and rivers. However, being four hours north of Riverside, it was far enough away that the townspeople wouldn’t know her or the scandal that had surrounded her life for the last year. It seemed like the perfect place to start fresh and move on with her life.
In preparation for her move, Dee had set her up with a cozy, little cottage just on the outskirts of the town which suited Shay just fine. She didn’t really want to be in the center of town, instead, preferring to be a bit isolated. It would give her time to heal.
Although she had yet to lay eyes on the cottage, she could picture it in her mind from the description Dee had given her. Apparently, it was owned by the Avery’s, having been passed down from generation to generation. However, it had been vacant for almost five years. Shay had been worried that they might not want to rent it out if it had been in their family for that long, but Dee had assured her it was fine. Asserting that they were looking forward to having someone in the place that would take care of it.
Having been vacant for years, Shay knew that there was some work that needed to be done. She imagined that it would need a good scrub from floor to ceiling and maybe some minor repairs. She hoped it wasn’t anything too major, although money wouldn’t be an issue if there was a larger repair required. Shay had already secured a part-time job at the small hospital in town as an ER nurse. She would start at the end of summer. Although, with her inheritance, she didn’t have to work if she didn’t want to.
“Hey, you want something to drink? I’m going to fill up before we get on the highway.” Dee said pulling into a gas station, careful not to hit the curb as she lined the truck and trailer up with the gas pumps.
“Yeah, I could use something for the long trip. I’ll go in while you gas up.” Shay offered as she climbed out of the truck and headed inside the store.
“Grab me a Pepsi babe!” Dee yelled at her from across the parking lot.
Shay laughed but kept walking. She waved her hand in the air to acknowledge that she’d heard the request. She grabbed two Pepsi’s from the cooler and walked up the aisle to the cashier. She placed them on the counter and tucked a long brown strand of hair behind her ear while she waited to be rung up.
“Is that everything?” The young male clerk asked while chewing loudly on a piece of gum.
“That’ll be four, seventy-nine ma’am.”
Shay passed him a five dollar bill and told him to keep the change. She grabbed the sodas and started to walk out the door when she glanced at a man out of the corner of her eye. She instantly regretted it as recognition slammed into her. She tried to make a quick exit, but in her haste, she pulled when she should have pushed. Before she could open the door to leave, a voice from the past came from right behind her.
“Shay?”
Shit. With her hand still on the door, she turned and looked at Shawn who was now standing directly in front of her. She followed his eyes to Dee and the truck. Shit! Shit! Shit!
“Shawn.” She said flatly.
His eyes bounced back and forth from her to the truck and back again. “Where are you off too? Is that Dee outside? With a U-Haul?” His tone accusatory.
“I’m kind of in a hurry Shawn.” She said turning to open the door.
“Hey.” He said grabbing her arm roughly. “You plan on leaving town without telling anyone?”
Shay looked down at her arm and then back up at Shawn feeling the rage pass through her. “Are you serious? Let go of my arm now Shawn.” She hissed through clenched teeth as she tried to wrench her arm away, but his grip was like a vice. She looked to the clerk for help, but he had his back turned.
He stepped closer, so they were only inches between them. “Where are you going, Shay?” His voice was like ice and dripping with malice. She was about to respond when she almost fell through the door when Dee opened it and walked in.
At Shawn’s momentary distraction, Shay took the opportunity to yank her arm free. It only took milliseconds for Dee to assess the situation. “Hey, asshole. Don’t you think you should be on your way before we call the cops?”
Shawn stood straight, trying to use his size to intimidate both women as his cold, menacing brown eyes landed on her friend. “Fuck off Dee. This is none of your business.”
His Vengeance Page 1
