Who were these people anyway, super-villains with advanced mind reading capabilities?
She barely escaped that night. Grabbing what she could, she booked ass out of town and never returned. She learned quickly not to use her credit cards when all of a sudden she found herself detained by some county cop itching to make his first arrest. He was easy to slip past, but after that, she knew she was a wanted fugitive. Yep, her luck had flown the coop and was heading south for the winter. What she needed was a change of scenery and a chance to figure everything out. What she needed a bit of luck.
An orange glow flickered on her dash.
So much for luck.
The gas light was on. Looking through the snow tunnel out her windshield, she prayed the town was up ahead. She knew from experience that once the gas light came on she had two miles to get to the nearest gas station. After that, she was up a creek without a paddle. Traveling in silence, she listened to the howling winds as the snow continued to fall. The darkness just accentuated the fact that she was alone. She couldn’t even see the bare trees or the mountains she knew sat in the distance. Alone, scared, and unsure what to do next, she kept moving because the alternative was something she refused to think about.
She slowly drove past another sign and literally felt like crying. The town was still over twenty miles away. Pulling the car over to the side of the road, she put it in park. That was when the engine coughed and then fell silent.
She was out of gas.
Taking the keys out of the ignition, she leaned her head back and felt like crying. She couldn’t do this anymore. She just wanted to go home to her own house and lay in her own bed. She was too tired of running, and she’d only been doing it for two weeks. How much more could she take? She didn’t know the answer to that, but in the dead of winter, she knew she couldn’t run much further. The weather wouldn’t allow her. For the time being, she was going to be stuck in this small town. She hoped that the residents weren’t too nosey and minded their own business, because the last thing she needed was people getting all up in her business.
Unbuckling her seatbelt, she got out of her car.
With no other choice, she decided tonight she would put herself in God’s hands. She had never been an avid churchgoer, hell, she didn’t honestly know if she even believed, but with no other options before her, she needed to believe in something, anything that could give her the strength to keep going.
Gathering what items she could, she found a tattered old blanket and wrapped herself in it. The snow was falling in earnest now, and she knew she would be frozen solid by the time she found shelter. She didn’t bother locking her car because the only thing in there was a small duffle with what clothes she was able to gather before she left home.
Trudging through the calf-high snow, her feet were instantly numb thanks to the sneakers she wore. In the chaos of leaving, she forgot to pack a pair of boots. She hadn’t felt her toes since the heater went out in her little car two days ago.
Ignoring the pain, she continued on.
* * * *
“Damn it, Richard, I can’t do that!”
“Sure you can, Rev. All you have to do is just say the words this Sunday. Here, I even made it easy on you. I wrote down exactly what you need to say,” Richard Masterson said, handing the reverend of Treasure Cove, Bram Prescott, a small index card.
Nobody in Treasure Cove knew exactly what Richard and his brothers did for a living, and he was thankful for that. What they did know was only speculation, but most of it was just gossip, and Richard preferred it that way. Oh, they still took the occasional investigative case every now and then, but that was not what they really did. Everything was working perfectly, that was until “Reverend” Bram Prescott showed up in town. Out of everyone in Richard’s past, Bram was the last person he really wanted to see. Bram knew every little deep dark secret about the Masterson brothers, and to make matters worse, they were cousins.
“No, absolutely not. We are not seven anymore, Dick. Go find someone else to do your dirty work for you,” Bram said with an air of finality.
“I told you Butthole wouldn’t do it. You owe me one hundred dollars, bro. Pay up.”
Richard grinned at his brother, Duke. “Oh brother of little faith. What you don’t seem to understand is that Bram will do what we ask, because if he doesn’t, I won’t show up to a certain someone’s parole hearing in three months. We all know it would break Aunt Cathy’s heart if her bouncing baby boy Grayson didn’t make parole in time for his birthday come springtime.”
“That’s blackmail! Besides, you promised my mom you would lend a helping hand,” Bram retorted.
“And I will, just as long as you say what’s on that card this Sunday,” Richard said.
“First off, that’s blackmail! Richard, please understand. I cannot use the church to advertise your agenda. One, it’s just unethical, two it’s morally wrong, and three if you make me do it, I will call Aunt Rose.”
“Hey! No bringing the moms into this. We are not five anymore,” Nelson Masterson said, getting to his feet.
“Richard brought the moms into it first!” Bram shouted at his cousin.
“Oh that was real mature, Bram. Are you gonna cry next?” Jake Masterson said, shaking his head in disgust.
“Fuck off, Jake,” Bram cursed.
“Damn, cuz, and you preach the word of God on Sundays with that mouth. Wow, the preachership has lost more morality than I thought,” Levi Masterson commented, entering the conversation.
Before Bram could answer with a quick comeback, Richard held up his hand. “This isn’t going to get us anywhere. Besides, Bram is outnumbered. It isn’t right, brothers. It would be wrong, with the five of us and only one of him. Both of our moms would whip all of our asses with a switch if we ever tag teamed him. We’re just gonna have to wait until Grayson is released from prison.”
“Think again, asshole.” Bram grinned. “Zander, Dew, and Ember will be here next month.”
“Fuck!” Duke grumbled.
“Whelp, there goes the neighborhood,” Jake said, throwing his hands in the air.
“How quick can we sell out and find a new place?” Nelson asked, looking at Richard, who rolled his eyes.
“I’m calling Mom!” Levi said, reaching for his phone. All of the brothers and Bram grabbed for the youngest. Nelson, the closest to Levi, snatched the phone out of his twin’s hands. “Are you crazy!”
“What?” Levi asked as his four angry brothers and one furious cousin looked at him.
“We are not calling the moms!” all five of them said at once.
Running his hands through his hair, Bram gave in. “Fine, I will mention the fact that you guys want to host a get-together, but that’s it! I will not promote your unsavory business venture. You guys are just going to have to figure out a way to integrate yourselves into the community. For starters, it would help if you came to town more often, instead of being such recluses. Seriously, visit Macie’s Diner more often. Come to some of the town’s functions, and for fuck’s sake, get to know your damn neighbors. The people here are very friendly. If you want to promote your business, they are your best bet. In addition, you’ll need to talk with Micah O’Brian and Daniel Meyer. They own a small security firm. They could help spread the word. That’s all I can do.”
“We’ll take it,” Richard said, shaking Bram’s hand. Just then, the church doors blew open. They all turned as snow floated into the small church.
The room grew colder. The wind howled. The night looked ominous.
“We better get home. This storm looks like it’s just getting started. Call if you need anything, Bram,” Richard said, buttoning up his coat.
“I will. You guys be careful getting home. Call when you get home safely,” Bram sincerely said, walking them toward the front doors.
Bram Prescott watched five of his best friends run for the large red dually pickup truck. Looking out into the blistering blizzard, he sent up a quick prayer that his cou
sins made it home safely.
THE END
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rebecca Joyce is your typical housewife and mother. The daughter of a retired military service member, Rebecca tries to incorporate the sights, smells, and adventures of her travels, but mainly she writes of the buff, gorgeous men she drooled after in her teen years! There is just somethin’ about a man in uniform…WOW!
Growing up in the military, Rebecca Joyce, along with her family, moved from state to state, enjoying the never-ending game of “where are we moving to next?”…which happened every two to three years! After high school, Rebecca met and married her own military service member and now devotes her time to her husband and children.
Her “spawns,” as she lovingly calls them, demand and expect a lot of her attention. When she is not catering to the whims of her family, Rebecca spends her quiet time reading or writing.
As an avid reader from an early age, Rebecca decided to try her hand at writing while her husband was away on a deployment to pass the time. Since then, she finds time in her hectic day to scribble her hopes, wishes, and dreams.
Though her real life sometimes interferes with her imaginative life, Rebecca tries to balance each with wit, sarcasm, and humor…“Screwing up takes practice…I think I’m well rehearsed!”
Rebecca Joyce currently lives in the United States with her husband of nineteen years and their three children.
For all titles by Rebecca Joyce, please visit
www.bookstrand.com/rebecca-joyce
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
A Christmas Treasure [The Men of Treasure Cove 9] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 15
