by Jenny Brex
Denver told them that they didn’t know a thing and hoped they caught him before he could commit another crime.
Out at the truck, Lily looked at Denver. “Holy shit. My heart is beating so fast.”
“It’s okay.” He squeezed her hand. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I just lied to an officer of the law,” she said, color draining from her face.
Denver pushed his fingers through Lily’s dark hair. “It’s behind us, now.”
She rolled her head back and sighed. “Yeah, I guess. The thing is, I’ll always know.”
Denver started the truck. There were no easy answers. He did what he had to do. He needed to protect her. He needed to make sure the monster never hurt another innocent person. Shit, but at what cost? Maybe he’d gone too far. They didn’t speak on the drive back home.
When they pulled up to his cabin, Lily hopped out of the truck. “Now we just have to get through my mother’s visit. I wish Ian could come with her. At least I got his number and got to talk to him, so there’s that, but I miss him. It’s weird. We’re complete strangers after so many years.”
Denver suggested shopping for some stuff when they got to town. “I know we got you a few things, but when we head to Fairbanks you might be able to find a few more items you need.”
“I have enough. I don’t need things if I have you.”
“Extra clothes will come in handy. Don’t get me wrong, I love to see you naked, but it gets even colder in the winter, and you don’t have a built in fur coat like I do,” he teased.
“How far away is Fairbanks?” she asked.
“It’s not quite twelve hours. And, that’s if all the roads are passable. I think we should be okay, it’s been a milder year and those few extra degrees might work in our favor. When we get there, we’ll finish taking care of your identification cards. Then we need to teach you how to drive.”
“I don’t know if I’m ready.”
“It’s important. Being out this far, it’s a skill you’ll want.”
She agreed. “Fine, but not yet. Soon.”
“Let’s get through the visit first.”
“Yeah. It’s going to be weird seeing her after so long. You realize she’ll want to drag me home, right? And then she’ll try to convince me I couldn’t possibly love a man I’ve only known for such a short time. Prepare yourself.”
“It’ll be okay. When she sees that you’re safe and that you’re smiling, it will take a lot of the weight off of her shoulders. She’s been through a lot, too. Remember, she lost her daughter, didn’t know if you were alive, and lost her husband recently. She’s dealing with her own emotions.”
“You’re right. There was more than one victim. My family went through their own version of hell. I sometimes forget about that. Thank you for the gentle reminder.” She rubbed his arm as they walked inside.
“I need to make a run later this week. When does your mother get in? I’ve got a quick job to handle.”
“What kind of job?”
“Would you laugh if I said fishing as a bear? It’s faster and easier that way. I want to get a big batch in for a couple of families who pay me to stock their freezer. With the rivers freezing up soon, a good supply of protein is important. There’s always hunting, but getting the fish and freezing them now is easier.”
“Can I watch?”
Denver laughed. “This isn’t a picnic, and if you’re there I’ll only think about sexing you up the entire time. You can stay here and plan out what you’re going to tell your mother.”
“No fair. Your job sounds more fun.”
“I also need to run a few errands. I should do that now. I shouldn’t be too long. Let me handle those before I forget.”
“Hurry back.”
He gave her a quick kiss and headed to his truck.
***
King waited for Denver to pull away, and then pounded at the door. He had exactly one shot at this. Without Denver jumping in to protect her, he’d finally be alone with the girl.
Chapter 17
Lily hummed and dusted the bookshelf. She figured if she was there, she might as well do some cleaning up. The entire idea of this now becoming her home felt huge. It happened so fast. He wanted her to stay. She wanted to stay. Sure, on paper it didn’t make sense that so little time had passed, but explain that to her heart. It beat strong for the man who’d saved her, taken her in, and helped her breathe once again.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Lily jumped. The knock startled her. Denver had just left. If it was him, he’d have come inside. She didn’t like not knowing who was behind the door, but figured it was probably that friend Jake that stopped by last time.
Lily opened the door to find a beast of a man towering over her. Her heart lodged in her throat. She wished she hadn’t opened the door. She had no way to stop him from entering. He was massive. She croaked out a few words. “Can I help you? Are you Denver’s friend, Jake?”
He reached over her head and pushed the door open wider. “I’m King.”
“Denver’s friend? I think I’ve heard the name. You just missed him. He left a few minutes ago,” she said, trying to hide her discomfort.
“I know,” the large man said, stepping into the doorway.
Lily cocked her head. She didn’t like this one bit. “What do you mean, you know?”
“I saw him pull away.” He pushed the door again and took another step inside.
Lily swallowed hard. Goose bumps ran up her arm. Her breathing grew deeper, more ragged as she tried to find a way out of the scenario. “Right, well, you should go. He’ll be back later.”
“Not yet,” King answered.
Lily wanted to ball up her courage and throw it at him, but fear crept up her spine faster than she could keep up with. Her voice trembled. She didn’t feel safe. “I have a gun. You need to go.”
King pointed to the shelf. “It’s over there. Do you want me to wait here while you get it?”
She stomped her foot. “What do you want? And why are you trying to scare me?”
“Are you afraid of big bad wolves? No worries, I’m not a wolf,” he said.
“It’s time for you to leave. Get out,” she demanded.
He walked past her and sat on the sofa. “We need to talk.”
“I’ll get the gun,” she threatened.
He let out a wicked growl, shaking the room. “You’ll sit your ass down and talk to me. Do you understand?”
Lily shook with fear. Tears welled up in her eyes. “Please don’t hurt me,” she begged.
“Hurt you? What the fuck are you talking about? I want to talk. What part of talking is hurting you?”
Lily trembled. “What do you want?”
“Sit down.”
Lily sat on the very edge of the sofa as far away from him as she could.
“I need you to leave town.”
She was confused. “What?”
King continued. “You’re not what he needs. He’s not thinking straight. He gets delusional and has issues. Jake told me you were still here. I was told you were leaving. And yet here you are.”
Lily swallowed hard. “We’re going to get married. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Like hell you are. Denver’s not going to marry you. In fact, I’m here to ship you out, so get your stuff.”
“I don’t know who you are other than his supposed friend, but what kind of friend pulls a stunt like this behind his back? You’re big, mean, and scary. I don’t appreciate you trying to strong arm me like this. It’s time for you to leave.”
“I’m not going without you. We can do this the hard way or the easy way.” He shook his head and softened his tone. “Shit, I didn’t want to have to tell you this. It’s not your business. For Denver’s sake, he’s not a healthy man. He has some…issues. I try to look out for him, but-”
A deep growl came from the doorway. “Issues? You fucker. What are you up to? I could smell your lazy ass when I got into my truc
k.”
King started to laugh. “Brother, how are you?”
“Don’t brother me. What’s this nonsense you’re trying to pull?”
“Does she know? Were you honest with her?” King dared him to tell the truth.
“Fuck you. Get out of my house,” Denver spat.
“Secrets have a way of coming out.” King stood. “Either you tell her or I will. You’re not ready for this. You know it, and so do I. I’ve got your back whether you like it or not.”
Lily ran to Denver’s side. “Please make him leave; he scares me.”
“You heard the girl. You and I have history, but it gives you no right to come into my home and start messing with Lily’s head.” Denver scowled and waited for King to step outside.
King looked as his old friend. “You can’t hide it forever, man.”
Denver glanced to the side, then down. “Don’t do this.”
King placed his hand on Denver’s shoulder, then repeated. “Don’t kid yourself. You can’t hide it forever.”
***
Denver closed the door behind King and walked over to the kitchen window. He stared out, trying to find the answers he needed.
Lily clung to his side. “What’s going on? What was that about? Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m sorry about that. He can come on a little strong, but he’s a good guy underneath it all.”
“I’ll respect your opinion, but I have my own at the moment,” she said.
Denver let out a deep sigh and then turned to his new live-in lover. “He’s convinced I have a problem. I think it’s more coincidence than anything, but he told me if it happened again…anyway, we should talk.”
Lily let go of him and moved over to the sofa. “About what?”
“King and Jake are convinced I have a complex. Jake won’t press me on it, but King is stubborn and tough. He refuses to back down. I know sometimes it’s for my own good, but other times not so much. We watch out for each other. We have to. Trust is a difficult nut to crack in this area.”
“A complex?” She turned and sat sideways, facing the spot where she expected he’d sit. She patted the sofa cushion.
He hesitated and then sat down. “Lily, I know myself better than they do. I know what I want. He’s being overprotective, like a big brother. Only he can’t see that I don’t need him stepping in here.”
“What was he talking about? This complex, thing?” she nudged.
“They’re convinced I have a rescue syndrome, like a knight in shining armor. That I have the need to rescue and fix somebody, then once their better, things fall apart. I can see how they’d think that, but it’s not true.”
“So they think that I’m your latest rescue? Tell me about the others.”
“Marianne broke her ankle. I was in town, she fell, I happened to be the one that was nearby. I helped her get to the doctor and saw she’d have a rough time living alone. I offered to stick around. Anyway, things didn’t work out. Turns out her male best friend got insanely jealous and finally admitted his feelings to her and I was out of the picture.”
“Oh, I’m sorry you got hurt, but I’m glad it didn’t work out or I wouldn’t have you in my life. I can’t imagine one girl falling would make them this concerned.”
“Then there was Karen. Karen’s car went off the road into a ditch. She was trapped in her car for a while by the time I’d come along. Anyway, I took her back to my place until she could get her car free. Hypothermia was setting in. One thing led to another, and we ended up in a short relationship.”
“Wait, what happened?” she asked.
“I grew bored. Honestly, I don’t think we had much in common. Just because I met her that way, they include her in this complex they swear I have. Coincidence, again.”
“Are there more?” She saw the pattern, not wanting to.
“Jackie was a hunter. Not a good one, but she tried. Anyway, she broke her leg…right, this is stupid. Listen, it’s not like I live in a crowded place. When I meet someone, sometimes it’s a rare treat. I’ve been lonely. So, they were weird circumstances.”
“What happened with Jackie?” she asked.
“I didn’t trust her enough to tell her I was a shifter. I broke it off. They swear it’s because she was healed, and it didn’t feed my need to be her rescuer anymore.”
“So they think the fact that you saved me drew you into this relationship? Once I’m healed, you’ll grow bored. You’ll need to get your fix and rescue somebody else to fill some kind of emptiness, a void inside of you?” Lily was putting pieces of the puzzle together.
“Something like that. They’re wrong. I love you. I couldn’t have known I’d react so strongly to you. There’s something between us. You feel it, too. It can’t be wrong.”
Lily thought about what he said. “This void, why do they think you need to rescue people?”
Denver got up and paced. His hands balled into fists and his shoulders stiffened.
“Denver?” Lily prodded.
“They think it’s because of my sister,” he finally answered.
She was surprised. She didn’t even know he had a sister. It never came up. “You have a sister?”
“Had a sister. I was responsible for her death,” he said. “We were young. It was an accident. I got onto my father’s tractor. I was just little boy, and wanted to drive it like he did. I didn’t know how. My sister was playing outside, had gotten behind it. I don’t even know how it happened, but the tractor rolled back and crushed her.”
“Oh my god,” Lily whispered. “I’m so sorry.”
He wiped a tear from his cheek.
Everything clicked into place. “So you’re trying to save your sister over and over again. Holy shit.”
“It’s not like that,” he argued.
“No?”
He shrugged.
“And this,” she said, gesturing between the two of them, “will grow old. You dive in head first, overwhelmed by the good feelings, then when you aren’t the savior anymore, the hero, you’re left with the void again. I’m going to get hurt, aren’t I?” Lily wrapped her arms around herself in a hug.
“That’s not true. I’ll always need you. I knew it the moment I found you-”
“Broken and bleeding on the forest floor. If you’d found me shopping in the grocery store, you wouldn’t feel the same way.” She was numb. Lily closed her eyes. She was enveloped in a cloud of grey.
“Lily, don’t do this. You’re only thinking this way because of what he said.”
“Your history says enough,” she whispered. She was desperate to believe it was a lie. That he loved her for who she was. And yet, she loved him – like a hero.
“Don’t think of it that way.” His shoulders fell. This wasn’t what he wanted. He needed Lily, but now she was convinced it was for all the wrong reasons.
“How else am I supposed to think of it? You’ll grow bored, and move on again like you always do. I was foolish to jump in so quickly. It’s not your fault. I’ve been living in some cabin in the woods. To have somebody care about me, to tell me they love me, to hold me close…maybe I misplaced my own feelings. I don’t know. I’ve not really done relationships. Remember, I was only a kid when he took me.” Lily got up and went toward the bedroom.
Denver followed. “Lily, I know what love is. This is love. This isn’t some mixed up case of me saving my sister over and over again. Yes, I met you in a strange circumstance where I saved you, but it’s not the same thing. Sure, it looks like it, all dressed up with the same details, but it’s not. How can I convince you this is different?”
It was too late. She could barely speak. “You can’t.”
He watched as she curled into a ball on the side of the bed, her knees tucked into her chest. She coped like she’d coped in the past, by turning off her emotions. There wasn’t a tear. Not a plea. Just simple resignation.
Chapter 18
Lily didn’t have a bag to pack, but had acquired a few things over the p
ast few weeks. King was coming to pick her up. He’d bring her to Fairbanks. She’d see her mother, work out her identification issues, and fly home to Virginia. Denver begged her to let him driver her there, but she wouldn’t allow it. He’d only convince her to stay. Empty promises that he couldn’t help making. He thought he was in love. He was only filling a void.
She desperately wanted to believe him, believe this would be different. Only, she couldn’t afford to be crushed and left alone when she had nowhere to live, no job, no nothing. It was safer going home and starting over. It tore her heart out walking away. While it felt like love on her end, his was now a tangle of questions.
“Lily, don’t leave like this. It’s a mistake. I know what I feel,” he said.
“Right, but you feel that now. What happens later? Your pattern speaks for itself. I so want to believe you, Denver, I do. More than you know, but I can’t risk my life on you trying to fill a temporary void. You, me, I love what we’ve enjoyed, but I have too much to lose – including my mind. I still have to work through the last ten years.” She looked down. Gazing into his eyes only made her want him more. She had to be strong.
“Don’t go. We can start a life together. We’ll get married. We talked about this,” he said.
“I need to go see my family, go home, figure out life. I hope you understand.” Her heart shattered like glass into tiny shards on the floor. She didn’t want to go, and yet she knew she had to. She’d lived in a time warp, trapped in a cabin, and wanted to live again. She couldn’t risk her fragile state on him changing his mind when he grew bored or wasn’t her hero any longer and was simply the guy she met. Lily closed her eyes and drew a deep breath. “It’s time for me to go.”
King showed up not long after. This time he was gentler, kinder, softer. He apologized for how they’d first met. Denver was like a brother to him. It was heartbreaking to come forward, but knew she had a right to know, and knew Denver was moving too fast. It was for the best.
