BlackCougarCurse

by Tess MacKall

  She looked away for a few moments. At first he thought she might be crying, but she wasn’t. When she faced him again, she appeared determined to keep going. Her eyes glowed with a mixture of sadness and anger.

  Jaw set, she asked, “What did you talk about?”

  “The fact that there was a line of storms moving in from the west the next day and that he should move his site.”

  “And he didn’t,” she stated in a dull tone.

  “No. Not then, well… He said he was waiting for someone and couldn’t leave until they showed.”

  “Who?”

  “Didn’t say.”

  Sam bent over and picked up his briefs and jeans. Although she watched him dress, she stayed quiet, obviously thinking on what he’d said so far.

  Threading his arms into his shirtsleeves he asked, “You okay?”

  “I’ve had a few months to get over the shock of him being gone, but to think someone may have killed him…”

  “I understand. Maybe we should let all of this rest for a bit. Would you like to get dressed? Not that I don’t like you just as you are.” He grinned. “But I’ll bring your clothes to you if you like.”

  She smiled, and he thought he saw the hint of a blush in her cheeks. A city gal blush? That was a first. But then Lucia wasn’t your ordinary run-of-the-mill city gal, was she? No. Her appearance here was fated. Their paths had to cross.

  “I’ll get your clothes.” He walked out into the small hallway.

  “Sam?” Her soft voice stopped him.

  “Yes?”

  “You’ll finish telling me when you get back, right?”

  “Everything I know. The story belongs to you, after all.”

  Sam walked into the laundry area. What the fuck am I doing? Stalling for time, that’s what I’m doing. I can’t tell her everything. She’d have the sheriff all over this mountain. But he couldn’t let her go anywhere either. And not just because he wanted her, because she was the one.

  The killer had returned and Sam had no doubt that Lucia’s arrival had something to do with that. What was the connection? Could it really all be about the cougar or was something else involved here?

  Returning to the bedroom with her clothes, he watched her from the doorway. She stood in front of the window, the sunlight splashing her luscious body, her aura a bright, clean white. What did that mean? Purity of thought? He didn’t recall Silver Hawk teaching him about a white aura.

  He set the basket on the bed.

  “So tell me the rest of it,” she said without turning.

  “That night I wasn’t far from where your father was camped. I heard loud voices.” His cougar had heard the voices, but that didn’t matter. He’d give her as much truth as he could. “I went to investigate. When I got close, I realized your father was arguing with someone. I headed toward the site and shouted out. Before I got there, the man he’d been arguing with had left. I watched your father take down his tent and pack up.”

  “What did he say about the man?”

  “Nothing. I didn’t ask either.”

  “Can you identify him?”

  God, yes he could identify him. He was the same guy Lucia had snapped a picture of, the one lurking in the forest. “No. It was dusk and from the trees too dark to really make out his face. It had already begun to rain.”

  “But the man left.”

  “Yes.”

  “So what makes you think someone killed my father?”

  “Your father was leaving the area. He’d packed up and was moving to higher ground. He knew the hillside was unstable. It had been raining all afternoon and the worst of the storms were closing in. Besides, he’d said he couldn’t leave until someone showed up to meet him, and I assumed it was the man he’d argued with.”

  She shook her head and left the window to come over and sit on the bed. “I don’t understand. None of that explains why you’d think someone killed him.”

  Sam looked down at her, very much aware of the effect what he said next would have. “It was hours later before the storms caused enough damage to trigger that mudslide. Your father would have set up another campsite on higher ground long before then. So why were his belongings found in the mudslide debris?”

  “He never left.” Her hushed voice echoed in Sam’s head.

  “No.”

  Kneeling in front of her, Sam took her hands in his. “I think that man came back. I think my shouting before I got to the campsite scared him off and once I’d left…”

  “He came back and killed my father.”

  “That’s what I think.”

  “But why?”

  “I don’t know, Lucia. I don’t even know why your father was here.”

  “To take pictures. He loved wildlife and was published in all kinds of magazines and books. He was sent here to take pictures of the cougar, that’s all.”

  “Maybe.”

  “Maybe? What are you saying? Is there something you’re not telling me, Sam?”

  Sam hung his head. He’d gone as far as he could. His cougar had been there that night, not him.

  And he couldn’t tell her that through his cougar’s eyes, he’d watched as her father had been bludgeoned to death.

  * * * * *

  Lucia stared at Sam, sensing that he knew more. The set of his jaw told her not to push him, though, and she clamped her mouth shut. He stood and tilted his head, silently asking whether she was okay, and she smiled. She was as okay as she could be under the circumstances, but a question nagged at her, one she didn’t want to acknowledge or contemplate. And could she hide the truth that prodded her now—or the truth as she saw it?

  She rose, picked up her clothes and moved toward the door.

  Sam cleared his throat. “I’ll go. You get dressed in here.” He walked to her, trailed the backs of his fingers down her cheek, then left the room.

  Lucia’s stomach rolled over. God, how did he make her feel like this, a giddy schoolgirl in love with her first crush? Was this what people meant when they talked of love at first sight? She’d always said it didn’t exist, but now? With a sigh, she dressed, sitting on the bed to pull on her socks. That question returned, and she allowed it to bloom and spread into more queries that swirled in her head until she covered her face with her hands and inhaled deeply, then blew out through pursed lips.

  Did Jacob have anything to do with this? If he did, what role did he play? Just a middleman who found a photographer? A middleman prepared to sleep with me to get what he wanted. And what did his boss have in mind once he had proof the cougar existed? Sam had mentioned the cougar didn’t deserve to be caught and caged. Had he heard word this was someone’s intention? And Jacob’s boss—who was he? Jacob had never really said what he did for a living, being vague to the point of telling her nothing except that he worked in an office. His words the last day she’d seen him had been the first time he’d offered information regarding his employment. Why hadn’t she pushed him to tell her after the first time she’d asked and he’d been vague? Wasn’t that what couples did, share their lives with one another, discuss their day at work and how it had gone?

  Christ, he was an asshole.

  She smiled wryly, smoothing her hands down her face then dropping them in her lap. He hadn’t wanted her like she’d thought, and she was ready to accept that now, without feeling hurt and used. If she dwelled on his reasons for being with her, she’d end up bitter, and damn it, she was too young for that. Too young to allow her first relationship to taint the ones that followed. To taint the one with Sam.

  Had her father been murdered by the man he’d met up with? Why had he met him? And what the hell had he been killed for?

  The questions came thick and fast, too many for her to process, and she took a deep breath again to steady herself for sifting through them. As she mulled things over, she wondered if her father had told Jacob he’d taken a picture of the cougar. Did Jacob’s boss send the man to retrieve the photos? And had he managed that task before he— She s
wallowed down bile, the image of the moon-faced figure she’d seen in the trees filling her mind.

  Was that man now following her?

  Oh God, no. No. If he didn’t get the film… Shit, he might think I have it!

  Lucia sprang from the bed, her knees weak and her heart thudding hard and fast. She lurched toward the door, wrenching it open and stumbling into the hallway. Praying she wasn’t right, praying Sam would think her reasoning insane when she told him her fears, she ran to the kitchen. He turned from where he was making coffee, and his eyebrows drew together. Lucia clutched the doorframe, the need to tell him her thoughts prevented by her rasping breaths.

  “Lucia? What’s wrong?”

  She gasped, flapping her hand to tell him to give her a minute.

  “Have you seen him again? Outside?” He glanced out the window at the mountain then moved toward her, grasping her shoulders. “Tell me!”

  “I…I think I’ve worked out…what’s been going on.” She closed her eyes, willing her heart to slow, her breaths to even out.

  Sam stared at her, questions in his eyes. “Sit down. Talk to me.”

  He pressed her into a chair, kissed the top of her head and went back to making the coffee. Sam kept his back to her, shoulders rigid, and she wondered if anger prompted his arm muscles to bunch or whether it was apprehension. Lucia related her fears, the words coming out in a mad rush, and she finished, accepting the cup of coffee Sam placed before her.

  He sat beside her, leaving his cup untouched, and squeezed her thigh. “What if you’re right? How do you feel about someone hunting the cougar?”

  “I…” How did she feel? Wasn’t she hunting it in a way? “The thought of it being caught, sold, caged… It isn’t right.” She stared at her cup. “It would be cruel, wouldn’t it? Taking it away from everything it’s ever known.” A sigh escaped her. “All I wanted was its picture. For me. Just so I’d got one. For my father. His memory. I didn’t plan on telling anyone I’d seen the cougar—if I ever do—just…”

  She looked at him and his features softened, his eyes kind and moist.

  “If I’m right, isn’t there anything we can do to stop them? Isn’t the cougar protected in some way?”

  “The law doesn’t matter to the men who hunt the cougar. These men need to be told to back the hell off in a language they understand.” His jaw muscles spasmed and he tapped his fingertips on the table. “And if this Jacob has anything to do with it, I don’t want you blaming yourself. You couldn’t have known the man he worked for had sent someone to trail your father. And it makes sense, that man being here. I’ve been wondering why he showed up here and now I know. He followed you.”

  Despite suspecting the same thing herself, Lucia gasped. Fear brought goose bumps to her arms, and she rubbed her skin. “He thinks I know something, doesn’t he? Thinks I have my father’s camera. His pictures.”

  Sam nodded. “Possibly, though I imagine they’ve dug around in your father’s resting place in search of his camera. And if they think you have more pictures, they won’t rest until they have them, I’m certain of that.” He sighed. “You’ll stay with me at all times, understand?” He curled his fingers around her hand, his thumb stroking her knuckles.

  “I will.”

  “Good. I can’t risk— You mustn’t— You not hungry?”

  “Sorry, no.”

  “Me neither.” Scraping his chair back, he held out his hand. “Come on. It’s time to go.”

  Chapter Five

  Outside, the sun warmed Lucia’s face, but within seconds the wind snatched that warmth away, tousling her hair and sending it in all directions. She shoved her hair inside her coat and zipped up, dipping her chin inside the turtleneck collar. Sam walked beside her, hands in coat pockets, head moving left and right as they walked away from his cabin toward the trees.

  “How will we get over that ravine?” she asked. “I don’t know how we managed it before but—”

  “It tapers, solid land at either end. We only had to jump before because running around it would have taken too much time.” He paused, smiling at her, then asked, “You sure you’re up for this?”

  Lucia nodded, though her stomach contracted at the thought of what she might find. Not only items belonging to her father, but maybe his body if she dug… No, she didn’t have the tools, and would she really unearth him if given the chance?

  “He’ll be buried too deep for you to get him out, you know.” Sam sighed. “I realize that’s your ideal, giving him a proper burial, but if we got someone up here to dig him up, we risk another mudslide, and one day I have a feeling that whole damn mountain is going to come tumbling down. All it’d take is a small earthquake and shit, down it’ll come. It’s unstable. I’m not even happy about taking you there now.”

  Lucia frowned. Had he read her mind? She shook the thought out of her head, feeling foolish for even entertaining such a notion. “I’m really grateful. I just want…want to go there. To the last place he was. Is.”

  “I understand.”

  They entered the trees, their journey hampered by mulch and boggy ground. Dappled sunlight lit the tree trunks and forest floor and a dove gave a mournful cry, the sound sending a jagged shiver up Lucia’s spine. Sam strode ahead, navigating their path with ease. Lucia stumbled frequently and cursed herself for being so clumsy. She’d never get used to living in a place like this. Or could she?

  I imagine if I had to I would. I’d adapt. She scoffed at herself. I doubt very much the opportunity will arise. Yes, we’ve got things to discuss about us, but… No, Sam’s not going to want me hanging around for long. He’s such a loner. Having someone in his life permanently doesn’t seem to figure in his plans. She shrugged and looked ahead, smiling as his hair swayed with his movements. The urge to touch it grabbed her and she walked faster to keep up, not wanting to be too far away from him for long. Where did that feeling come from?

  She frowned. Was she latching on to Sam because her emotions were screwed? Did what she feel only exist because of her circumstances? She didn’t know, but if there was a chance of having a full-on relationship with him, she wasn’t about to say no. He was so…different. Lucia studied him. His head darted side to side, as though he constantly scanned their surroundings for danger. He looked as if he could spring at anything that came their way, his body taut and waiting, his mind alert. Despite her fear regarding the man she’d seen earlier, she didn’t feel as afraid as she would have if Sam wasn’t here. Hell, the only other person she’d have felt this safe with was her father and he—

  Lucia swallowed, refusing to complete the thought. She had enough emotion inside her right now to fill the upcoming ravine. It wouldn’t do to let any out before they’d arrived where her father had died. If she did, she feared she wouldn’t be able to continue walking, and she had to see her father’s resting place. Say a few words for him. Do something to acknowledge the fact he had lived, give thanks for his presence in her life. With the lack of a body and funeral, she’d missed out on the acceptance part of the grieving process. This journey, though hard, would give her some measure of peace and hopefully the strength to move on.

  Sam broke through the tree line and stopped. Lucia shifted her thoughts from morbidity and quickened her pace until she stood by his side. Is something wrong? He stared ahead, hand raised to his brow to shield his eyes. The breadth of the ravine gaped, a startling sight. No way could they have leaped across it before, but they had. She opened her mouth to question how, but Sam held up his free hand. Is he listening for something? He lifted his chin and inhaled, head tilted.

  “Someone is close by,” he said, eyes narrowing. “Stay beside me. And we jumped over the narrow end, in case you’re wondering.” He smiled and took her hand. “Come. I’ll show you.”

  Speechless with fear, Lucia took comfort from his firm grip. They walked in silence and Lucia marveled that it wasn’t awkward. She didn’t feel the need to speak, not like when she was with Jacob. His silences had been harsh
, as though she’d done something wrong or he didn’t want to be with her. She saw that now, and despite knowing he wasn’t good for her, didn’t love her, it still stung. He’d manipulated her, used her for his own ends. A tinge of anger pushed some of the fear away. She hadn’t deserved to be treated like that, and if Jacob could sleep at night without feeling guilty, she was better off without him.

  The ravine gap had tapered to a five-foot span as they’d walked and she looked at it with a critical eye. Yes, they could have jumped that. The speed Sam was running could have possibly given him enough momentum to leap across, though the thought of her weight over his shoulder had her questioning it yet again. The forest looked the same the whole way along, so she didn’t have any landmarks to pinpoint exactly where they had crossed. She sighed, telling herself it didn’t matter how or where they’d got across, only that they had. If they hadn’t, well…

  She shuddered and Sam squeezed her hand.

  “See the solid ground over there?” Sam pointed ahead a short distance.

  Lucia nodded, relieved when they walked over to the other side. There, she glanced backward, an itch tickling her to stare down into that deep, dark place. She ignored it, knowing she’d freak out if she looked, and continued walking without conversation, sensing Sam enjoyed the peace. He appeared to soak up everything around them, from the magnificent scenery to the smells and weather. Lucia breathed out, drawing from his serenity and infusing herself with it. City life was all well and good, but out here, in the beauty of this place, she had time to think, really think, or not to think at all.

  “We are here,” Sam said.

  Lucia stared ahead. How could she have camped so close with no thought to the dangers involved? Everything had changed upon meeting Sam. New purpose burned inside her now, the need to seek out her father’s killer growing brighter by the second.

  Sam stopped abruptly, holding her hand tighter and glancing all around. Fear returned, keener now, its edges sharp and spiky.

  “What is it?” Lucia looked around, her heart thumping. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary.