by Mary Abshire
"Seventy percent would give him ownership," Ryan said loudly. "You can't give him the company."
My jaw hung open. I stared dumbfounded at Alan. "Why would Troy want the company?"
The corner of Alan's lips curled. "My company practically owns the trucking industry. Every year we have turned a sizeable profit."
"He wants it for money?" I asked.
Alan gave a nod. "He wants to ensure his family's future, as well as his pack's."
That greedy motherfucker. I should've known Gabe's Alpha would try to take advantage of Alan. With Alan's wealth, power, and stature, who wouldn't want it?
I crossed my arms under my breasts. "If he wants to ensure his family's future, he doesn't need seventy percent of the company."
"It's not all about money. Part of it is about ownership and power," Alan said.
The cloud in my head lifted with the understanding of Alan's words. Troy saw Alan as someone powerful, dominating, and in control—all of which Alan was. Alan treated his employees with care, respect, and adequate compensation to keep them happy. He asked, not demanded. He gave, not took. He worked his ass off every day of the year instead of lying around the house to be waited on hand and foot. I had a gut feeling Troy wanted what Alan had, but the two Alphas were complete opposites.
"I hope you told him no," I said.
A buzzing sound from the kitchen stole our attention. Ryan hurried toward the table. The phone silenced as he lifted it to his ear.
I veered my gaze back to Alan. "You told him to forget about it. Right?"
Beyond his confident green eyes, I saw a hint of dismay. "My options are limited. I owe Drake my life. If he wants me to protect you, I will protect you. And if that means handing over my company, then I must consider it."
I shook my head. "Don't do it. Drake would not want you to give up your company."
"It means nothing compared to your life," he said with a stern gaze.
No, the deal could not go through. There had to be a way to keep me safe without Alan losing his company. As soon as Drake returned home, we'd have to work on a resolution. "What did you tell Troy?"
"I told him I wanted time to consider. He wants me to call him in two days with an answer."
"That doesn't give us much time." I walked next to him, ambling toward the kitchen.
"If I agree, he will hand Gabe over. If I don't, the deal is off the table. Gabe walks around free, and we cannot touch him."
I clamped my jaw tight. Oh, how I despised Gabe with every drop of blood in my body. He’d kidnapped me, almost killed me, and now he walked around without fear of any repercussions. I wanted to kick his ass and soul straight to Hell.
Ryan set the phone next to his laptop. "Tom reported in. He said the passenger went inside a house and the car drove away. I told him to continue following the driver." Ryan's gaze lifted to Alan. "Do you want someone to keep an eye on the house?"
"Maybe for a bit, but not all night," Alan replied. "If nothing appears out of the ordinary, tell them to leave."
Ryan picked up his phone. As he stared at the black device, a headline on the laptop screen caught my attention.
"Plane crash?" I peered closer at the headline. Those two words sent my heart into overdrive.
Alan wedged between Ryan and me. He slid his finger over the keypad and clicked a button. The screen changed, revealing the full article.
"Plane crash from Chicago Midway. No survivors found." My heart drummed in my ears. Drake's plane flew out from Chicago Midway. I scanned through the article, searching for the airline, a flight number, and destination. My eyes enlarged when I saw the plane was from United. Once I found the time and destination of the flight, my breath stalled. I backed away, shaking with fright. No! This can't be real!
Alan quickly turned to me. "What was his flight number? Maybe more than one plane was heading to Anchorage."
Could there have been another flight? Yes, yes, of course more than one plane left for Alaska. So I hoped.
"I wrote it down in my notebook." I ran around the corner toward the office as fast as I could. I stopped at the desk, then flipped through the pages in search of those four numbers. Please, let it be another flight. Please!
I gasped. "No, no!" I raked my fingers through my hair and shook my head. "It can't be!"
I ran back into the kitchen, nearly knocking Ryan out of my way. I'd written United Flight 5729 leaving Chicago Midway. Out of panic, maybe I'd read the wrong digits on the screen.
I stopped in front of the laptop and studied the screen carefully, shaking and breathing heavily. United Flight 5729 crashed in Minnesota not even half an hour ago. I blinked several times, clearing my vision. The numbers read 5729.
My lungs felt heavy. My heart thumped fast, beating so hard my chest hurt. "No, it has to be a mistake."
Ryan stood next to me. He bumped my hip as he bent, then typed in the window browser. A new page appeared on the screen. At the top of the Fox News website, a breaking news alert appeared in big letters. Plane crash in Minnesota.
I wanted to die. My head throbbed as much as my heart, both aching fiercely. My lover couldn't possibly survive a plane crash.
Shaking my head in disbelief, I stepped back and bumped into a hard body. Arms encased me. "Jessie, you need to calm down," Alan said.
I couldn't think straight. Drake was gone forever. Dani was dead. Calm down? My life had no meaning. I gave up everything and ran away with Drake because I loved him and wanted to spend the rest of my days with him. We had plans. We were going to spend eternity together. He was everything I yearned for and so much more. How could I go on now? With him gone, I had nothing to live for.
"No!" I said behind clenched teeth. I wriggled in his arms. "I won't live without him. I won't!"
I twisted, but Alan's arms held me tight. I moaned and screamed. He urged me to calm down.
"Let me go!" I shouted.
Damn werewolf strength. Damn Alan. Damn every living creature. I didn't care anymore. I just wanted to die and be with Drake.
Tears streamed down my cheeks. I wanted to run, to escape, to be free from the arms holding me, free from all humanity, free from life, and free from pain. But I couldn't be free with a damn werewolf holding me. I leaned back against him and stopped struggling. Come on, give me a little slack. Just a little.
After a few seconds, his arms loosened. Slowly, I twisted my body around. When I recognized the chance for my freedom, I took it. I rammed my knee right into his prized jewels.
Groaning in pain and face turning red, Alan untied his arms from around me. I backed out of his reach as he bent forward. Ryan held a look of fright and incredulity on his face. Before he could react, I grabbed the laptop and swung it at his head. Under normal circumstances, he could've stopped me. He had the strength and quick reflexes. But I was his friend. He probably didn't believe I would hurt him, so he froze. When the corner of the laptop impacted with the side of his face, tearing flesh, he crumpled to the floor like a ton of bricks.
I dropped the laptop and dashed toward the stairs like a crazy fiend. Crazy? Fuck everyone. Fuck the world. Life could go to fucking Hell. I didn't care.
"Jessie," Alan said.
My name sounded garbled. Either Alan was still in pain or the heavy beat of my heart distorted my hearing. Regardless, I ignored him.
After climbing the steps, I reached the door and swung it open. I ran outside, heading for the street. Forget shoes. Forget the cold. My body was numb anyway, except for the pain in my head and heart. I ran as fast as I could, arms tight as a runner's and pushing my legs to move me like never before. My chest ached as I struggled to breathe. My feet thudded hard on the snow and ice. Still, I pushed myself to run as fast and far as I could.
Halfway through the neighborhood, I slid on a piece of ice. I flew through the air until I crashed on my knees. I screamed in pain and screamed at God for taking my beloved from me. Why would he do such a thing? Why? Drake was a good man. He didn’t kill people. He
helped them. He didn’t deserve to die again.
Crying, angry, and ignoring the pain in my legs, I pushed myself up. For the first time, I felt the cold of the snow in my palms and under my feet—so cold the numbness hurt and I felt…empty. Crisp air filled my lungs, scraping my insides and drying my throat. Tears froze on my face. God, just take me away from all of the heartache.
Back on my feet, I forgot about the pain and broke into a run again. I'd lost all will to live, to fight, to do anything. I wanted Drake. I wanted to be with him. And if I couldn't be with him on Earth, then why should I stay?
I reached a main road behind the neighborhood and paused for two cars to pass. Across the street, bright lights illuminated a gas station with a mini grocery store. Behind me, I heard barks. Once the last car passed, I dashed across the street, my bare feet slapping on the dark road.
The gas station appeared empty, with only a single car parked on the side. Odd, I thought for a brief second. Why weren't there other customers? I debated if I should keep running or check inside. I could run until my lungs collapsed or heart decided to quit. The idea seemed good to me. As I drew nearer to the mini-store, curiosity got the better of me. I veered off the road and into the lot.
I stopped fast at the double glass doors and swung one open. A dynamic wave of heated energy crushed into me when I stepped inside. What the fuck? I swiveled my head in both directions. No one was around. No sounds alerted me to a living presence. Yet, energy swirled around me. Someone was here.
Breathing fast, I walked past the food aisle, heading toward the back of the store. Again, I heard only silence. I turned the corner, walked to the cold section, then stopped at the end of an aisle. Something felt very wrong.
I stepped closer to the glass doors of the refrigerated section. Maybe someone was on the other side. Maybe that someone was hurt. The owner wouldn't just up and leave their store. I peered through the glass, searching the darkness behind the bottles. There had to be a way to the back. Turning to find the entry point, I caught a glimpse of movement. I paused, squinting my eyes to get a clearer vision. Something moved behind the bottles.
Before my next breath, a razor-sharp metal object sliced into my back. Pain consumed me. I stood frozen in time as warm blood spilled out of my chest and back, warming my body while bubbling up my throat. The metallic taste flowed onto my tongue and I coughed, spitting it in the air and down my chin. In one swift jerk, the cold blade broke free from my body. As I fell to my knees and then flat onto the floor, I realized someone had just stabbed me.
Lying on my stomach with my head sideways, more blood oozed from my mouth. I started choking. Soft footsteps tapped on the floor behind me. I didn't dare move, not that I could or wanted to. I was done fighting. I had no reason to fight death anymore. Come and get me.
Within seconds, a dark fog closed in around me, threatening to swallow me. I wouldn't resist it. Goodbye pain. Goodbye life. Goodbye worries.
I'm coming, Drake.
Chapter Twenty
I was weightless, floating in a sea of darkness—not quite falling, more like drifting. My arms moved. At least I thought they were moving. Emptiness surrounded me. A deep coldness reached my soul and I shivered. Lost. I felt lost and alone.
Where do you want to go? asked a voice I'd heard before. The deep tone, frightening yet soothing to the ear, was one I had hoped to avoid.
"I want to be with Drake," I said. And somewhere warm. The freezing temperature numbed my limbs and made my body ache.
A fierce pain jabbed at my gut and tugged me. My body drifted backwards as if something was swallowing me into a deep, dark well. I flung out my arms, trying to reach or grab hold of something. Air slipped through my fingers. Or maybe I was slipping through air. Then, a burning flame ignited in my heart. With each breath, the pain intensified. I closed my eyes and screamed. Why did I feel such searing misery? I was dead. Wasn't I? But if I was dead, why did I continue to breathe?
Slowly, the ache lessened. My body felt hot and wet, as if I'd sweated out an intense fever. Warm air brushed over my skin, keeping my temperature elevated. I breathed in the scent of fresh air mixed with salt. Waves lapped and water touched my feet.
I opened my eyes to a blue sky above me, cloudless and bright. Blinking, I sat up. A rolling wave of water crashed into my feet again. Light brown sand lay underneath me. I looked at my body and found a string bikini covered my privates, though not very well. The small cloth over my breasts wasn't nearly big enough to hide them.
"Who selected this outfit?" I asked with a chuckle.
Head swiveling, I searched for signs of life. The beach was empty. Was I on an island? How did I get here? Was this Heaven? If so, where was Drake? And why had I heard the devil's voice earlier?
I rose and dusted the sand off me. Why would I be alone on a beach in a bikini? Someone else had to be here, yet neither direction held the promise of life. I refused to sit and wait. Eyes squeezed into slits, I chose a direction and trudged through the sand.
The sound of the waves hitting the beach had a soothing effect on my soul. I walked and walked near the water, hoping Drake was here somewhere, waiting for me. The bright sun bronzed my skin nicely. Hearing soft whispers, I stopped and spun around.
I held a hand above my eyes while I searched for the source of the sound I'd heard. There was no one and nothing else on the beach besides me. I turned back around and spotted a shack in the distance ahead. I blinked my eyes to see if I was imagining the hut. Since it never moved, I assumed it was real, as real as I was anyway.
I walked toward the shack. How did it just appear from nowhere? I knew without any doubt the damn thing hadn't been there seconds ago.
Drawing closer, I spotted a tall man with long brown hair standing at the bar. He wore only Bermuda shorts. The light color of his skin made me wonder if it was Drake. Peering closer, I noticed his frame matched Drake's build. My heart accelerated.
I quickened my pace, keeping an eye on the man at the bar. If he and the shack could magically appear, how quickly could it disappear? As I approached, the man slid a tall glass to the empty space at his side as if he was expecting company. Was he waiting for me?
"Drake?" I sprinted toward the man. Maybe I had died and arrived in Heaven with Drake. Oh, what a blessing.
I was a few feet from him when he turned around. My heart leaped with joy when I saw his face. I'd made it to Heaven.
"Drake." I pressed my body to his and my face near his neck. "I thought I'd lost you. I thought I'd never see you again." Oh, how I wanted to love him, hug him, squeeze him, kiss him, and feel every bit of him. My man. My lover. My all. Everything would be all right. We were together.
"There, there," he said, wrapping his arms around me. "You're home now."
Home. Yes. In Heaven. And together.
Tears rolled down from my eyes. Happiness filled me. I never wanted to be without him again. Ever. Inhaling, I grazed my nose along his neck. The strong scent of burnt wood and rot singed my nostrils. Holy fucking shit! Immediately, I braced my hands on his chest and pushed myself away from him. Anger, pure and hot, surged through every pore in my body. Drake's personal perfume was of rosemary cedar wood. I'd committed it to memory. Burning scents belonged to demons.
"Who the fuck are you, and where's Drake?"
The man laughed at me. "My dear child, you never cease to amaze me." He slid the tall glass on the counter closer to me. "Please, relax and have a drink."
He called me a child and offered me a drink. Drake never called me a child, but the stranger looked like him. Even his voice sounded similar to Drake's, but I knew with my heart that the imposter was not my lover.
I took another step back from him while I crossed my arms over my breasts. I hated being so exposed to a stranger. "Where is Drake?" Hostility thickened my voice.
"You said you wanted him and to be somewhere warm. I give you what I have."
"You're not Drake!"
"Would you like me to be someone else?
"
Before I could bat a lash, his physical appearance changed. Long hair became short and lighter in color. Shoulders and chest expanded while muscles enlarged. A snake tattoo emerged on one arm. I recognized Jeremy's image instantly.
"Would you prefer me in this form? I, myself, think the demon has a perfect body." His eyes dipped down and he lifted the waistband from his shorts. "He has a perfect package as well." An arrogant smile splayed across his face. He looked up. "You should let me use it with you. I know it would please you."
Hatred boiled from my head to my toes. The nerve of him. I fought the urge to throw a punch at his face. Who did he think…
I swallowed hard. Oh, no. Oh no-no-no. I wasn't in Heaven. Couldn't be. That meant I was somewhere else and it wasn't Earth.
"Smart girl. I knew you would catch on." He sat on a stool behind him.
All hope drained out of me. The sun beating on my flesh felt hotter than fire. Taking a wild guess, I was in the damned underworld, at least one version of it.
"You should have heeded my warning months ago," he said.
I shook my head, wanting to believe I was dreaming. Yet, deep down, I knew the truth. I was in Hell and Drake was in Heaven, without me. Tears swelled in my eyes. I turned to gaze at the sea as the salty fluid dribbled down my cheeks. Since the day I'd met Drake, he had tried to convince me my good deeds would lead me to Heaven with him. I had believed him. After all, I never hurt anyone. I never killed. I didn't cheat or lie. I lived by the rules. But none of that mattered. Good deeds amounted to nothing compared to the demon blood in my veins. I had been a fool to believe I could go to Heaven with Drake.
"Yes, you were a fool to believe him. We are tied together and nothing can sever that connection," the devil said.
I wiped the tears from cheeks. Damned from birth. Damned for eternity. What's a girl to do? Cry about it forever? What good would it do? I was stuck, and crying wouldn't help me. I inhaled a shaky breath and slowly turned to face him. "What do you want?"
His eyes grazed from my lips, down my chest, and past my navel. "You are one beautiful woman. Your mother would be proud."
