The Finder (Wolves of the Northwoods Book 1)

by A J Manney

  She walked back towards their table. She felt Garrett’s eyes on her as she walked; she tried to focus on not spilling. She put the coffees and cinnamon rolls down. “Thank you,” she said, looking at Garrett for a moment. Then she turned to walk away. A hand enclosed around her wrist, stopping her.

  “Are you okay?” she heard him ask. She looked at him and noticed his eyes were still angry.

  “I’m okay,” she said. He searched her eyes and appeared happy with her answer.

  He let her hand go, and Emma walked back up front. Several customers came in, and she got back to work. A little while later, Kyle and Levi showed up, and Garrett and Max left. Emma couldn’t help but feel disappointed when Garrett left without saying anything to her.

  __________

  The next few days passed without Emma hearing from or seeing Garrett. She had no way of knowing if he was out of town or just busy, and she didn’t feel like she could ask. On Friday afternoon, things had finally slowed down; and Emma was getting to finish her shift for the day. Two customers came in, and Emma waited to get their order. When they came close, Emma opened her mouth to ask what she could get for them; but she snapped it shut when she saw the gun pointed at her. “Just come with us willingly and nobody gets hurt,” the man said quietly.

  Emma stood perfectly still, her heart slamming in her chest. Emma willed Helen to stay in the back, but she came walking out from the back at that moment. Her eyes widened and she dropped the cups she held in her hands. Her startled eyes met Emma’s. Emma tried to send calming vibes to her with her eyes. She wasn’t sure how they were going to get out of this, but she knew she had to figure something out. What she didn’t take into account were Kyle and Levi. In the midst of her terror, she had completely forgotten about them.

  One moment Emma was standing behind the counter, the next she was slammed into the floor. She screamed at the sudden shock of it. The weight lifted off her. “Stay here,” she heard. She caught sight of Kyle as he vaulted back over the counter. Emma sat up and huddled under the counter. Helen was a few feet away from her doing the same thing.

  There were sounds of a scuffle. Then there was a loud explosion that Emma knew with certainty was the gun going off. The glass window shattered. Emma put her hands over her ears, blocking out the sounds. She screamed when she felt someone’s hands on her knees. Her eyes popped open, and she saw Kyle in front of her. “Are you okay?” he asked.

  Emma just stared at him. Her ears were ringing, and she couldn’t focus. He had blood all over him. Her face paled. “You, you’ve been shot,” she said in horror.

  He glanced down. “It’s not my blood. Are you hurt anywhere?” he asked, his eyes skimming over her.

  Emma shook her head. “Good. We’ve got to get this cleaned up. Just stay here; you don’t need to see this. You too, Helen,” he said. He looked at Helen. “Are you okay too?” Helen just nodded. He stood up and walked around the counter. A moment later, Emma heard him cuss. She wasn’t sure why. Then she heard the door open.

  “Hands in the air where I can see them,” she heard an oddly familiar voice bark out. “Down on your knees.” Horror hit Emma when she realized Kevin was yelling at Kyle and Levi. She quickly stood up and squeaked when three officers’ guns swung in her direction, Kevin’s included.

  “Get down, Emma,” Kyle barked at her.

  Kevin turned his gun back on the other guys. “What happened?” he demanded.

  Scared to death that Kevin was going to shoot and possibly kill Kyle and Levi, Emma grabbed the counter to keep her balance. “They saved me,” she said, breathlessly. “Two guys came into the shop. One had a gun and told me to come with them. Kevin and Levi stopped them,” she said.

  She watched as two of the officers cuffed Levi and Kyle and began escorting them towards the front door. “Wait,” she called out. “What are you doing?” she asked Kevin. “They didn’t do anything. I told you, they saved us.”

  “Doesn’t matter. A gun was discharged, and two people are dead. Self-defense or not, I have to take them down to the station,” he said.

  Emma looked at the guys helplessly. They had only been protecting her and Helen. Kyle’s eyes met hers. “Emma, Garrett’s on his way. Don't leave until he gets here. Just go in the back room.” He tried to say something else, but the officer yanked him towards the door.

  Soon they were gone, and Emma felt desperately afraid again, even though Kevin and a few other officers were still there. Kevin moved towards her. “Why don’t you go in the back room? I’ll wait to get your statement until the guys get here and get this cleaned up.”

  “Thank you,” Emma mumbled and headed for the back room. She didn’t get that far. She collapsed down to the floor where she had sat before. She felt numb. Her ears were still ringing, and she felt sick to her stomach.

  It was quiet for a while before Emma heard a commotion out front. Garrett had arrived.

  Chapter 24

  Emma couldn’t hear anything at first, then she heard Garrett’s angry voice. “I will kill everybody in this shop if you don’t let me get to her.” She heard somebody say something but she didn't know what. Then she heard Garrett again. “Try me.” She felt like she should stand up and say something so he didn’t get arrested or shot, but her legs felt like jello.

  A moment later, Garrett was in front of her. His eyes scanned her body, searching for injuries. “Are you okay?” he asked in a low, furious tone. Emma simply nodded. “Let’s get you out of here,” he said. He put his hand on her elbows and pulled her to her feet. She swayed but managed to steady herself. He kept his hold on one elbow and led her around the corner. “Don’t look,” he said.

  But it was too late. Her eyes took in the sight of the two men. Their eyes were open, staring lifelessly at the ceiling. One had a hole in his chest; the other had his neck turned at an angle that was all wrong. There was blood everywhere. Nausea rose in Emma’s stomach at the same time her legs went weak. She emptied her stomach onto the floor. Garrett pulled her along. She threw up a second time. By now, her legs were no longer holding her up, and Garrett was dragging her across the shop. Nobody stopped them as they left.

  Max opened the door for them when they got to the front door, and Garret led her outside right to the waiting car. He opened the door and placed her inside. Emma put her head against the seat and closed her eyes. She heard Garrett say something to Max, who was now in the driver’s seat. Then he was gone. Emma closed her eyes, willing the images to clear from her mind so her stomach would calm down.

  “Are you okay?” Max’s gruff voice asked.

  “Yes,” she whispered but the word sounded garbled even to her own ears.

  Just a few minutes later, Garrett opened the passenger seat door and slid in. “Let’s go,” he said to Max. “Helen’s okay.” He turned to face her. She was aware that he was talking to her, but she couldn’t focus on what he was saying.

  “She’s in shock,” she heard one of them say; she wasn’t even sure which one.

  Emma tried to just block out all sounds. Her ears were still ringing and her stomach rolling. Eventually, the car came to a stop. She opened her eyes when her door opened. Garrett leaned over her and unbuckled her. The next thing she knew, he was lifting her out of the car. She protested, but he didn’t acknowledge her. He carried her inside. “Is she okay?” Emma heard Madison ask.

  “She’s in shock. I think she’s okay, but I need you to check to be sure,” Garrett said. “Kyle informed you what went down?”

  Emma didn’t hear Madison’s response. “I need you to stay here and be with Emma,” Garrett said. “Max and I will head to the police station and sort out this mess. I’ll make sure the guys get home tonight.”

  Madison said a few more words that Emma didn’t catch. Emma’s stomach was rolling again. She felt like she was going to be sick again. She stood up and shakily made her way to the bathroom. She leaned over the toilet for a few minutes, but when nothing else came up, she decided to brush her teeth. She
splashed cold water on her face and brushed her teeth. The minty taste helped to soothe her stomach. When she came out of the bathroom, Garrett stood in the hallway on the phone. “Yeah,” he said and hung up his phone. He walked over to Emma. “I have to go. Another of my guys is going to come stay with you and Madison. He’ll make sure you’re safe.” Emma nodded but didn’t meet his eyes. He put a finger under her chin and lifted it. He looked deep into her eyes, searching for what she didn’t know.

  “I’m good,” Emma said.

  “It’s okay to not be strong all the time,” he said in a quiet voice. “Get some rest and eat something. That will help.” A moment later, he was gone. Max followed him out the door. Emma sighed and went down the steps.

  Madison came towards her and gave her a hug. “You okay?” she asked, then grimaced. “Of course, you’re not okay. That was a dumb thing to ask. Can I get anything for you?”

  Emma shook her head. They both took a seat on the couch. “Have you heard from Kyle?” Emma asked.

  “Not since he first told me what happened. I’m so sorry that happened, Emma. That must have been terrifying,” she said in sympathy.

  “It’s not something I would ever want to be a part of again; that’s for sure,” Emma said.

  A knock sounded at the door, and Madison went to get it. Madison returned with a man behind her. “Emma, this is Wyatt.” Emma looked at the man. Like all the other guys she had met, he was just as tall and handsome. He wasn’t as bulky as Max or Garrett, but he had muscles just the same.

  “Nice to meet you, Emma,” he said in a kind voice. He put out his hand. Without thinking, Emma put her small hand in his large one. A bright light exploded behind her eyelids, and she yanked her hand back. Wyatt looked down at her in confusion. Emma didn’t have an answer for him. She was just as confused as he was. She had no idea what was going on or what to do to stop it.

  “I’m going to work on dinner,” Madison said.

  “I’ll help,” Emma said as she stood up.

  “You don’t have to. You can rest,” Madison said in concern.

  “I need something to focus on,” Emma said.

  “All right. Then let’s get to work. We’re making fajitas tonight,” Madison said as she began pulling pans and ingredients out. “You start on the peppers and onions,” she said, handing Emma a bag of peppers and a bag of onions. “I’m letting you off tonight because of the day you had, but tomorrow, it’s back to working out.”

  Emma nodded. She was grateful for the break. Madison turned on some music, and they got to work. Emma was glad she didn’t have to talk.

  They had just finished when the door opened and Kyle, Levi, Max, Liam, and Garrett walked in. “Perfect timing,” Madison said as she walked towards them. Kyle opened his arms and she stepped into them.

  “It smells good in here,” Liam said. He snatched a pepper off the tray. Emma smacked his hand.

  “No snitching,” she said.

  “Hey,” he complained.

  Emma smiled at him. Garrett came into the kitchen and pushed Liam out of the way with a grunt. He stopped in front of Emma. “You doing okay?” he asked quietly.

  Emma nodded and stepped around him to take the guacamole she had made to the table. She didn’t really feel like talking about it. “Are you staying for dinner, Garrett?” Madison asked as she set the table. Emma looked at Garrett to see what his answer would be.

  He hesitated for a moment. His eyes caught hers, and Emma quickly looked away. “I’m staying,” he said a moment later. The guys helped bring everything to the table, and everybody sat down. It was a little crowded, but they made it work.

  Emma ended up being squashed between Liam and Garrett. Everybody started passing dishes around. It got quiet as everybody started eating. Emma couldn’t believe how fast they plowed through the food. These guys sure knew how to put it away. Emma heard her ringtone and stood up to go answer it. She had left it in the kitchen. She saw Kevin’s name and debated about whether to answer it or not. She finally decided to, knowing it could be about the events of the day.

  “Hey, Kevin,” she said.

  “Emma, I just wanted to call and check on you. How are you doing?” he asked.

  “I’m okay,” Emma said quietly as she began walking towards the stairs so she could go to her room.

  “I know that was a lot today. You’re probably not used to being in that kind of situation. If you need anyone to talk to, I just want you to know I’m here. You can call anytime,” he said.

  Emma walked into her room and moved to close the door behind her. She was startled when a hand caught the door, and the door opened again. Garrett stepped inside and closed the door behind him. Emma just stared at him. She had no idea what he was doing in here. He put his hand out, but she didn’t know what that meant.

  “Emma?” she heard Kevin ask again.

  “Oh, sorry. What did you say?” she asked lamely, still staring at the huge man in her room.

  “I just said I really enjoyed the other night, before we got interrupted. I was wondering when it would work for us to go out again, especially since we didn’t really get to finish the last date,” he said.

  “Oh, um,” Emma swallowed.

  In two strides, Garrett was in front of her. He put his hand out and Emma looked at him in confusion. “Give me the phone,” he said in a low voice.

  Emma was so startled that she just gave him the phone. With his eyes on hers, Garrett put the phone up to his ear. “I guess I wasn’t clear enough the other night,” he said, his voice cold. Emma took a step back. “Emma’s not going out with you for dinner again. She’s not interested. You need to back off and stop calling her,” he ground out. “And stop going to the coffee shop to see her. She’s off-limits.” Garrett pulled the phone away from his ear and hung up. He held the phone out to Emma, but she didn’t take it. She just stared at him.

  “What in the world, Garrett?” she finally found her voice. He crossed his arms again and stared at her, but Emma wasn’t going to be intimidated by this powerful man. She stared right back at him. She had no idea why he was angry with her. She hadn’t done anything. “Why would you say all that to Kevin?”

  “Did you want to go on a date with him?” he asked.

  “That doesn’t matter. It was my choice,” she said.

  “You can’t go out on a date with him, because you’re going out on a date with me,” he said, ignoring what she said.

  Emma stared at him, open-mouthed. “No, I’m not,” she said, utterly confused.

  “Yes, you are,” he shot right back.

  “You never asked me,” she said, still confused.

  “Yes, I did,” he responded.

  “When?” Emma asked in desperation. She would have remembered if Garrett asked her on a date!

  “Just a moment ago,” he said, acting as if she was crazy.

  “That wasn’t asking, Garrett; that was demanding,” she said.

  Garrett huffed at her. “Fine. Will you go on a date with me?” he asked.

  “No,” Emma said.

  “Emma,” he warned as he took a step closer to her. Emma stepped back again. “Don’t push me,” he said in a low voice.

  Emma continued backing slowly away from him, but he kept advancing. “Don’t come any closer,” she said, her voice not as strong as she wanted it to be. Emma hit the wall and had nowhere to go.

  Garrett moved so close, their bodies were almost touching. “I wanted to give you time to adjust to this, but he’s not letting that happen. So, understand this, no more dates with any other guys but me.” He put his hand under her hair and palmed the back of her neck. Then he bent towards her, putting his head against hers.

  Emma didn’t breathe; she didn’t move a muscle. She couldn’t even if she wanted to. A moment later, the moment was over. Garrett stepped back, putting distance between the two of them. “I’ll be here tomorrow night at seven to pick you up. Be ready,” he said before turning and walking towards the door. He left he
r room, closing the door behind him.

  Emma slid down the wall, her shaky legs no longer able to hold her. She stared at the spot Garrett had just vacated. She was in so much trouble.

  Chapter 25

  The next morning, Emma slept in because Helen had called and said the shop wouldn’t be open today. They were getting a new window installed and getting the shop professionally cleaned so they could hopefully open back up tomorrow. That left the whole day open for Emma. She ended up getting up around six; that’s as long as her body would allow her to sleep. She decided to make a big breakfast for everybody in the house. It was the least she could do as they were all catering to her right now.

  She pulled all the ingredients out to make cinnamon rolls. Once the dough was rising by the oven, she searched through the fridge to see what else she could find. She gathered ingredients and piled them high on the counter. Soon she had an oversized pan ready to go with eggs, ham, cheese, and grilled onions ready to go in the oven for a large baked omelet. She thought about making one on the stovetop, but she knew how much food these guys could put away. Then she made two pounds of bacon, two packs of link sausages, and two skillets of fried potatoes. Hopefully that would be enough for these guys. She got a pot of coffee going as well.

  Liam was the first one down. He sniffed the air and a big smile came over his face. “I knew staying here was the right decision last night.” He came into the kitchen and started picking at the food. Emma picked up a spatula, but he saw it and evaded her. He grabbed a cinnamon roll but spun away before she could hit him. He took a bite and closed his eyes. “These are so good.”

  Levi came down a few minutes later, followed by Kyle. Kyle said good morning to her; Levi just kind of mumbled at her, causing Emma to grin. “Should we wait for Madison?” Emma asked.

  Kyle grinned. “Not unless we want to wait until ten,” he said.

  “I heard that,” a disheveled Madison said from the stairs. She walked down the stairs, stopping to glare at her husband. He grinned and stood up from the table.