Too Far Gone (Adirondack Pack Book 1)

by K. C. Stewart

  “A rabbit,” her captor said amused.

  “Neanderthal,” she reminded him.

  “Actually, it’s Owen.”

  “Whatever.” This was not going well. Mira had taken off work, driven to this speck of a town in order to find and kill her sister, if she wasn’t dead already. It had been four weeks since she last heard from her. Four weeks of unanswered texts, calls and emails. She didn’t count, “I’ll call you later,” a response either. Thankfully her mother had gotten a little more out of her from time to time otherwise Mira would have been more worried than angry.

  “This is where you say your name, Rabbit,” Owen prompted with a squeeze.

  She sneered at him. “It’s Miranda, not Rabbit. Put me down.”

  “No,” he said easily. “Tyson this little Rabbit is here to kill your woman.”

  “Is she now?” He looked surprised but he sounded more amused.

  Bastards.

  The both of them.

  “Well bring her through. I’m sure Sadie would like to see her sister before she is killed.”

  “Your Sadie’s sister? Why didn’t you just say so?” Owen laughed. He began to walk with her, still held captive, into another room.

  “Are you going to put me down now that you know?”

  “Nope,” he said with a pop.

  She had never been carried by a man, in hostility or romantically. She was too round for that. The men she dated tended to be twigs. The women too for that matter. Mira was bisexual and recently single. It was part of the reason she was so mad at her sister and why she was there now. She had broken up with her girlfriend, Sophia, a few weeks earlier. It had been amicable but awkward. Neither of them had done anything wrong but it had taken signing a lease and moving in together for them to realize that they weren’t in love anymore. Thankfully it was a two bedroom apartment and they could each take a room. That is until Mira found out Sophie had been cheating on her for the past six months. Mira needed her sister but her sister was nowhere to be found.

  So, she packed a bag and left. She refused to be ignored, especially by her sister. Sadie had a hard time of it this past year, she wasn’t denying that, but so had the rest of them. So caught up in her own troubles, Sadie never stopped to see how the rest of them were faring, even after she just picked up and moved one day without even telling her or their mother where she was going. It had scared them shitless. For the first day they had thought she had been in trouble, kidnapped or worse. Then the text came that said she was safe but gone. Mira still hadn’t forgiven her for the fright she had given them or the apology that never came.

  So she was here to kill her sister for not being her sister when she needed her. For not caring about anyone but herself. For being selfish. For abandoning her.

  She heard Sadie before she saw her. Her sister’s laugh was a warming sound that left her bitter cold. She was happy. She was happy while the rest of them worried over her from afar. Not once had any of them been invited to see her and be put at ease. The man, Tyson, who they had been following went and wrapped an arm around her waist and whispered in her ear. Sadie cocked her head and said, “Miranda?” before turning to see her sister tucked like a football in Owen’s arms. “Mira, what are you doing here?” Shock at seeing her wasn’t enough to outweigh the oh so obvious unhappiness in her voice. Great, she wasn’t happy Mira had come. That just…well, it sucked.

  “Kicking your ass.” She crossed her arms as well as she could. So Sadie wasn’t thrilled to see her. Tough shit. She was there. Owen took one look at her face and laughed. She sent her glower up to him.

  “Owen put her down, please.”

  “Do I have too? She’s a nice little armful.” Little armful? She was going to kill him too.

  Mira felt the glare of someone beside her. She looked to find another woman bouncing her glare between her and Owen. Looked like she found the brute’s girlfriend. Goodie.

  “Down, Owen.” Sadie told him but she was laughing all the same.

  Instead of putting her on her feet like a normal person would, the Neanderthal dropped her, face first, into the couch and walked away. She bounced and scrambled to a sitting position.

  “Why are you here?” Sadie asked. “Is something wrong?”

  No hug or I’ve missed you. Not even a smile. God, she felt so unwanted at that moment. Like she was intruding, which technically she was, but that wasn’t the point. It had been months since they had seen each other and all Sadie could do was question her reason for showing up. Because being family wasn’t reason enough to see her? “Because you don’t pick up my calls.”

  “I’ve been busy.” As if that should explain it all.

  Mira looked at her, seeing Sadie for the first time since she disappeared. She looked good, healthy. She had gained back some of the weight she had lost after Peter. There was a glow about her that Mira hadn’t seen in over a year. So she was happy and healed. Something she hadn’t been able to achieve with her family. That just left the rest of them battered and broken.

  “Obviously,” she said glance in everyone else’s direction. Sadie had been busy moving on with her life. One that didn’t involve the people from her old one, the people who knew her before. Here she had friends and a guy who obviously loved her if his looks of adoration meant anything. It didn’t look like, or feel like for that matter, that she needed anyone else. “Whatever. I’m out. I came to see that you were alive and I have. I’ll let you get back on with your new life.”

  Mira turned from her sister. No one said anything to her until she got to the door. Sadie didn’t try to stop her from leaving which just about said everything that needed to be said, didn’t it? As she opened the door, telling her tears that they better hold themselves together, she found the brute had followed her. “Little Rabbit,” he began but her snarl had cut him off. The rabbit shit was annoying.

  “Cute,” he said amused. “May I ask where you are staying in town?”

  “No.” Mira wasn’t sure she was staying. Sadie was obviously fine to let her go. It didn’t seem she had any place in her world anymore. Mira didn’t have a place in anyone’s world. What was she going to do now? She couldn’t go home to the apartment she shared with Sophia. She just couldn’t go back there. Mom was always an option but…it was mom. That seemed like a last resort. So yeah, nowhere to go.

  “I see. May I suggest the Wick? They have a few rooms above the restaurant that they rent out. I know the owner and would be happy to call and secure you one for as long as you need.”

  “Did you not just see what happened in there? She doesn’t want me here. What makes you think I’m going to stick around?”

  His smile was a panty dropper. “You don’t strike me as one who gives up easily.”

  She wasn’t but Mira was tired of chasing and worrying over Sadie. It was time she worried about herself. “Thank you but no.”

  “The offer stands. You can find me at the veterinary clinic on Third Street if you need me.”

  “What makes you think I’ll need you?”

  Owen smirked and crowded her against the door. He bent his body down so he could whisper in her ear. “Just wishful thinking, Rabbit.” The door behind her gave way and she stumbled back a step. His hands, which had been suspiciously hovering near her waist, grabbed and steadied her. “See, like that. You never know when a door will mysteriously open and threaten to drop you on your ass.”

  “You did that on purpose,” she huffed.

  “Prove it,” he said with his hands still on her waist and sinking a little low in the back. Any further and he’d be cupping her butt.

  Given the chance, Mira knew she would have responded with something witty, endearing and just a bit flirty. However, Sadie ruined that chance.

  “Owen, is she gone—oh, hey.”

  “I’m trying,” she snapped. One rejection was enough for the day. She forcibly removed Owen’s grabby hands and stepped out of reach.

  �
��The offer stands,” he reminded her.

  “You’re crazy,” she told him with the utmost seriousness.

  “Nah,” he said with a smile. “Just seen a pretty face is all.”

  Mira stared opened mouthed at him. She didn’t know if that was line to get into her size 12 pants or if he really just said shit like that. “Right. Well, bye.”

  She jogged down the porch steps to her car, a beat up jeep named Trixie that had been with her since high school. Like always, it took her a few tries before it started up. Trixie was spunky thing that did what she wanted when she wanted. Mira could see the four of them watching from the house. Owen being the only one smiling at her. Seriously, what was with that guy? Strangers typically didn’t hold her, grab her or just plain touch her when they first met. Let alone look at her like she was the gooey toasted marshmallow in a s’more. It was…well, it was exciting if she was being honest. Guys usually treated her like their kid sister. It’s why she started dating girls too. They at least looked at her as a sexual being and not an asexual younger family member. Then again, girls were bitches and the games got old after a while.

  If Mira had to choose which sex she liked to be with more she would probably pick men but women were easier for her to date. They weren’t as intimidating as men could be. At least to her. Men were always so much taller than her and overwhelming with their broadness. It’s why she stuck to the nerdy gamer type with guys. They were safe.

  Owen was everything she stayed away from in a man. But as she swung Trixie around the driveway and started down the road she caught that big brute in her mirror. Everyone else had abandoned the windows, probably to go talk about her, but Owen remained on the porch. His arms crossed easily over his chest with one shoulder leaning against the door frame. Mira knew that this was not going to be the last she saw of this man. She sighed. And damned if she could figure out how she felt about that.

  About the Author

  K.C. Stewart is the self published author of the Hailey Holloway series and most recently, the Adirondack Pack series. All her life she had fantasized and day dreamed on a regular basis but it wasn’t until she began writing flash fiction and that she made those fantasies a reality. Now she has graduated to novels but still dabbles in the occasional flash fiction and short story. Because of her love for reading and the written word, K.C. is currently continuing her education at Clarion University for Library Science. When she isn’t taking photographs, studying or writing, she is supporting a very real gummy bear habit. Currently, she lives with her boyfriend, german shepherd and cats in central Pennsylvania.