Her Beast_A Dark Romance

by Nicole Casey

  Exasperated, he looked up at me as if I had interrupted some earth shattering experience and grunted.

  “Yeah?”

  It was hard to believe Stephen was my age.

  He reeked of entitlement although how the son of a general store owner could feel so superior to other people was beyond me.

  “Cane’s not around today?”

  He scowled at me as if I had asked the dumbest question imaginable and I wanted to reach across the counter and grab him by the collar, forcing the answers I required from his too-thin lips.

  “It’s Sunday,” he replied in a tone which suggested I was an idiot. “There’s church today.”

  Church. Of course.

  Stephen didn’t strike me as the religious type.

  He didn’t strike me as any type. He was mundane, nondescript.

  He would have made good mountain folk; no one would notice when he dropped dead either.

  “I have some questions for you,” I told him flatly, waiting for him to reluctantly put the tablet on the counter as he realized I wasn’t done asking what I needed to know.

  He eyed me in expectant annoyance.

  “There is a man named Rudolph – Randolph who was here looking for his step-sister. Do you know him?”

  I thought I saw a spark of interest in his eyes but he shrugged.

  “Yeah,” Stephen replied simply. “What about him?”

  “Where do they live?”

  A sardonic smirk formed on his lips and he nodded.

  “But you can’t go over there,” he informed me. “Their compound is completely blocked off. No one even knows how many of them live there.”

  My brow furrowed and a spark of apprehension shot through my body.

  “How many of who?” I demanded.

  Stephen eyed me contemptuously.

  “You really do live under a rock, don’t you, Jackson,” he snickered.

  This time I didn’t hold back, springing across the scarred countertop to snatch the lapels of his plaid button-down in my huge hands.

  Panic colored his face and he opened his mouth to protest.

  “I don’t have a lot of time, Stephen,” I growled sinisterly. “Who are they and where do they live?”

  “Okay! Alright, let go of me!” Stephen squealed like the little pig he was. “I’ll tell you, Jesus!”

  You don’t have to call me Jesus when we’re alone, I thought sarcastically.

  I slowly released him, my gaze still boring into him.

  “They’re just another one of the polygamist colonies in these parts, Jackson. They live off Route 14, just on the edge of Dixie National Forest.”

  I studied his face, my mind whirling at what I had learned.

  Eloise had grown up with people like that? Or had she found her way there as an adult?

  I didn’t know much about the woman safe in my bed but I could be certain that she was running away.

  There was no way she had been brought there by choice.

  “Does Rudol – Randolph run the colony?” I demanded, trying to understand who she was running from.

  Stephen leered but seemed to think better of it after reading the expression on my face.

  “No,” he replied slowly. “He’s just one of the errand boys. The place is run by Denton Crowe but he doesn’t show himself much. That’s why he keeps the men around. There’s no other need for them if you know what I mean.”

  Stephen snorted at his twisted jibe and I felt my blood run cold.

  I let the information sink in, my heart beginning to pound at the thought of Eloise being brainwashed by some fanatical cult leader.

  I was removed from the world, yes, but not so far removed that I didn’t know what happened in places like that.

  After all, I still had the internet.

  And Netflix.

  Slowly, I turned away from Stephen who seemed visibly relieved that my attention had shifted elsewhere.

  I shuffled down the aisles and not a moment too soon as other patrons began to enter the store.

  I picked up a box of tea for Eloise and a toothbrush as well as some other toiletries she might. I tried to find her an outfit but everything Cane carried was far too large for her slender form. I would take her shopping for proper clothes later.

  Meanwhile, my mind raced.

  Should I go to the colony and see what was going on there or would that only cause problems for Eloise?

  Stephen said I would not be granted entry but minimally I could see where she had come from.

  It dawned on me that she had run far the night she had left, making it to my part of Black Mountain from the edge of the forest.

  She had been desperate to get away.

  What had Denton Crowe done to her? What was he doing to the other women inside the camp?

  I remembered that Eloise had mentioned her sister and a jolt of anger coursed through me.

  If Eloise was being kept there against her will, maybe Jillian had been too.

  There was only one way to find out what was going on if Eloise wouldn’t talk to me.

  I had to go there myself.

  I drove up and down Route 14 three times before I finally found what I assumed was the polygamist camp.

  High chain-linked fences secured a barren block of land and it wasn’t until I pulled my powder blue truck aside that I realized that beyond the field were buildings beyond.

  It was meticulously hidden, the community and as I approached the locked gate, I noted the barbed wire atop the fence.

  Anger flooded me.

  It wasn’t designed to keep people out; it was meant to keep those inside locked away.

  How had Eloise managed to escape?

  I paced the perimeter, hoping to catch a glimpse of someone, anyone who could give me some answers.

  Who were these people? What was happening inside?

  I’m not sure how long I walked along the line, craning my neck, trying to understand what I was seeing but eventually, I heard the rumble of a vehicle approaching and I whirled to see a beat-up Chevy arriving.

  Inside, two men stared at me balefully.

  One was Rud – Randolph. Why could I not stop associating him with the red-nosed reindeer?

  “Hello, friend,” Randolph called to me, rolling down the window to the driver’s side. “Are you lost?”

  I smiled coldly.

  “No,” I replied. “Just admiring your community. Could I come inside?”

  The both seemed taken aback by my blunt question.

  “I’m afraid that some of our members don’t take well to strangers,” the other man replied quickly.

  I had been expecting an answer like that but it didn’t stop me from continuing my line of questioning.

  “What if I wanted to join your community?” I insisted. “How would I know unless I saw what it was like?”

  “You were at Cane’s yesterday, weren’t you?” Randolph asked suddenly and I instantly regretted pushing my hand.

  I offered him a blank stare but acting was not my strong suit. I didn’t have nearly enough experience to hone my talents.

  “Were you there?” I asked innocently. “I don’t remember seeing you.”

  The men exchanged a look and Randolph slipped out of the truck toward me.

  He was at least six inches shorter and no match for my physique but I still did not want to get into an altercation with him.

  “We’re looking for my sister,” he told me quietly. “Do you happen to know where she is?”

  I scoffed but my eyes darted away from his face.

  “I have no idea who you are, buddy,” I replied, hoping my voice mimicked the bravado was I was trying to conjure. “So I can’t imagine why I would know your sister.”

  “Her name is Eloise Danzer,” Randolph explained. There was something in his tone which told me I had done a very bad thing by showing up there.

  What the fuck was I thinking? Acting so rashly was not like me. I should have thought the plan through mor
e thoroughly before showing my face there.

  Eloise had done something to me by avoiding my questions, the desire I had to learn about her consuming me blindly.

  But now it was time to go.

  I shrugged, turning away toward my truck.

  “Sorry,” I replied. “Don’t know her.”

  To my surprise, Randolph reached out and grabbed my arm.

  “If you see her, please let us know. We’re very worried about her. She is to be married soon and I fear she has cold feet. She’ll come around but I just want to ensure she doesn’t hurt herself before she comes to her senses. As I’m sure you know, it can be dangerous in these parts.”

  My blood sprouted ice chips at the words and I gaped at him despite my resolve to act cool.

  “Married?” I choked. “To who?”

  Randolph’s eyes sparkled and I wished I could take back the words.

  It was obvious now that I knew who she was.

  What the fuck was I thinking?

  I wished I could stop asking myself the same idiotic question over and over.

  “Our leader, Sir,” he replied smoothly. “He is a very powerful man who would not take kindly to having his wife being kidnapped.”

  I snorted.

  Eloise ran from you! I wanted to scream but I held my tongue for the first time, wrenching my arm from Randolph’s.

  “If you see her, you will let us know, won’t you?” Randolph called. “Sir can be a very good friend but he makes a fearsome enemy.”

  It took me a minute to understand that they called their leader “Sir.”

  I didn’t respond even though I wanted to tell them that “Sir” was a fucking stupid name for their fearsome leader.

  No, I had nothing else to discuss with this man.

  I had to get away from the property before I made things even worse for Eloise.

  What would they do if they learned where she was?

  I had to get back to her and find out.

  She had no choice now but to give me the answers I needed now if she wanted me to keep her safe.

  Because I had a bad feeling that we were both about to be in a world of trouble.

  I raced up Route 14 toward the unmanned back roads leading to Black Mountain, my eyes trained on the rear-view mirror but from what I could see, I had not been followed.

  That didn’t mean that Randolph or Denton Crowe or whomever else could not find me if they only asked.

  I was an elusive fixture in Iron County but I was not hard to find if someone was looking.

  Through the winding mountain lanes, I drove as cautiously as I could, each mile seeming to take an hour even though I knew logically I was making decent time.

  I exhaled as I landed on my remote pathway, steering the truck up toward my cabin.

  The afternoon sun was flittering through the trees and I suddenly realized how long I had been gone.

  Eloise must be in a panic, I thought, gritting my teeth but I was almost home. I would feel much better when I was at her side, even though my breaths were coming slightly easier as I drew closer to her.

  But my relief was short-lived and as I pulled up to the house, I saw a dark red sedan parked at the door.

  Someone had beat me there.

  I had led trouble right to Eloise.

  8

  Eloise

  I knew that Harding hadn’t abandoned me but I couldn’t help but feel that way as I pattered around the cabin, looking for some clue as to where he had gone.

  The dogs stayed close to my heels and I found myself relaxing around them even though the memory of how they had hunted me in the dark was not far from my mind.

  I decided to busy myself in the kitchen, making coffee and breakfast, hoping he would come home soon.

  But as the morning sun melted into the noon light, it became obvious I was on my own and I ate the cold eggs and grits I had made with so much care alone.

  I didn’t taste anything except disappointment as I sat staring blankly out the window, wondering where he could have gone.

  Why didn’t he wake me or at least leave me a note? I asked myself forlornly. Did his disappearing have anything to do with helping me escape? Or maybe he had just had enough of me being in his space and he needed to be away from me for a while.

  The latter seemed to make the most sense even though it made my heart hurt to think about it.

  I couldn’t deny that the attraction I had for Harding was growing, the feelings overwhelming me as I tried to understand them.

  Harding could not want someone like me, a babe lost in the woods without any experience outside the camp.

  How old had Jillian and I been when she brought us there? Seven? Eight?

  I could barely remember life before Sir and the Community but I knew we hadn’t been born in Utah.

  I remembered another place, somewhere it was warm all year round and lots of sand.

  Mother had always told us our father had abandoned us but the older I got, the more I realized that it was much more likely that she had kidnapped us and stolen us away from him to live with Sir and the Community.

  In my mind’s eye, I recalled a bear of a man with a booming laugh and strong arms but those memories were fleeting.

  Sighing, I turned away from the window, flopping onto the sofa where Harding had spent the night.

  Instinctively, I pressed my face to the pillow on the armrest, inhaling the scent of his pheromones.

  A tingle slithered through my body and I wrapped my arms around the cushion, pulling it toward me as if it was his huge frame.

  I closed my eyes, the look in his stunning green eyes flooding my mind and wet rushed my thighs instantly.

  Did I want him so desperately because he had saved me or because there was a true connection between us?

  Did it matter?

  The sound of a car on the dirt road made me jerk up and I guiltily cast the pillow aside, watching as a dark red sedan stopped outside the cabin.

  Clayton and Rufus started their chorus of protective howls, tightening my already taut nerves.

  I tried to shush them unsuccessfully but they were already at the door, growling and jumping.

  I paled, realizing that it wasn’t Harding and my breath grew short as I jumped from the sofa, looking for a place to hide.

  I didn’t recognize the vehicle but that didn’t mean it didn’t belong to Sir. Maybe it was someone from town? One of his friends?

  A dozen horrific thoughts crossed my mind.

  Had Harding told them where to find me? Is that why he had abruptly disappeared? Had something happened to Harding? Had –

  My eyes narrowed as an attractive man stepped from the driver’s seat, his eyes scanning the exterior of the property, a slightly perplexed look on his face.

  He was dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a thin cotton shirt and I didn’t know his face.

  Nothing about him indicated he was a friend of the community but my mind was still not settled as he casually bounded up the porch and knocked on the door.

  “Harding? You in there?”

  I exhaled in a whoosh of hot air, my knees growing weak as I fell against the wall in the entranceway.

  He was a friend of Harding’s. Of course.

  I didn’t move, not wanting to explain who I was but the man was unrelenting.

  “I can see you moving around in there!” he called. “I’m here to help! Just let me in. I’m already here.”

  I bit my lower lip and reluctantly moved toward the door.

  If Harding had been expecting his friend and I ignored him, he might be upset. I needed to at least tell the blonde man that Harding wasn’t there.

  I opened the door as he raised his fist to knock again and he gaped at me in shock.

  “You’re not Harding,” he choked.

  I shook my head.

  “I guess he’s out in his truck then,” the man continued and I could almost see the wheels turning in his head.

  I nodded, not trusting my
voice.

  He smiled suddenly.

  “I’m Aaron,” he offered. “I work with Harding.”

  “Eloise,” I whispered. “I…”

  I trailed off, not sure how to introduce myself so I just left the sentence unfinished.

  “Well,” Aaron said, his blue eyes glittering mischievously. “Since he’s not here to say no, why don’t I just get working on that extension he’s been agonizing over for months. We can surprise him by getting a head start.”

  I stared at him uncertainly.

  It sounded like a nice thing to do for Harding but would he be angry I had let this stranger into the house?

  I studied Aaron’s impish face and saw nothing threatening in his expression.

  He only wants to help, I reasoned and I nodded before I could change my mind, stepping aside to let him inside.

  “Oh, I like you!” he declared. “You might be just what he needs to loosen up finally.”

  Aaron chuckled and made his way toward the half-built second floor as I watched him go.

  “Do you want a coffee?” I called after him and he bobbed his head over his shoulder.

  “Oh, that would be perfect. I worked the day shift today,” he explained. “I came right after work though so we wouldn’t waste any daylight.”

  Aaron disappeared and I turned toward the kitchen, reaching for the coffee pot.

  That was kind of him, I thought. Why would Harding refuse such a generous offer?

  I poured a cup of coffee and climbed the stairs toward him.

  Aaron had already picked up a hammer and begun putting planks up to support the beams.

  “So how long have you been seeing Harding?” he asked conversationally as I set the cup down on the plywood floor.

  The question caused me to blush furiously.

  I didn’t know how to answer the question and I stared at the ground as if I might find the answer there.

  I was saved from having to answer as another noise outside caught my attention and the dogs barked.

  But I could hear the difference in their pitch and I knew even before I reached the main floor that Harding was finally home.

  “Eloise!” he called, the stress in his voice reaching my ears as he burst through the front door. “Eloise, are you – ”