Never Die

by N. L. Hoffmann

  *

  I watched as a couple came into the restaurant, drunk as hell. They stumbled into one of the booths, laughing as they nearly knocked the silverware off the table. I shook my head, wondering how they could have been drinking all night. I could barely hold three beers down without crawling to my bed. Then again, I was a lightweight. Still, it seemed like people should be getting ready for work and not stumbling into a place of business, drunk off their ass.

  Betty was watching from the counter, a disapproving expression on her face. She slung a towel over her shoulder and turned around to go into the kitchen. She was used to handling drunks and drug users in her restaurant. I felt bad she had to deal with the assholes that always came in, destroying her property. This couple didn’t even look like they’d make it to ordering food. One had his face flat on the table, eyes closed. The other one was talking to someone on the phone, asking if they had the drugs. She wasn’t even trying to be quiet about it, which really gave me an idea of her condition.

  My stomach rumbled from being hungry. I already ordered my breakfast, which was enough to feed two grown boys. I was starving from skipping dinner, and then emptying my stomach when I saw those body parts. Briefly, I closed my eyes, seeing flashes of what was there by the barn. If I didn’t quit, I probably wouldn’t be able to eat my breakfast.

  When I finished eating, I would go see Lance. Hopefully he was there, considering it was nearly ten. He didn’t seem like the type to sit around for long. Rolling the straw’s paper between my fingers, I glanced down at my cell phone, wondering where Annie was. She never did come back to the motel. I was worried, since someone was out there murdering people. Maybe she was in danger. A good sister would have gotten Annie’s phone number.

  Disgusted with myself, I watched as Betty came over with my food. The smell filled my nostrils, making my stomach rumble in anticipation. “Thanks, Betty.”

  Betty slid into the booth seat across from me. “How’s Annie doing?” she asked.

  I poured some syrup on my pancakes and sausage. My mouth was salivating so much, I had to swallow my spit before responding. “Okay, I guess. She never came home last night. But she’s been on cloud nine since you bought her those fancy shoes.”

  “What fancy shoes?” Betty asked, confused. Her hairstyle hadn’t changed one bit over the years. It was whiter than I remembered it, but she still curled it away from her round face. I’d seen pictures of her before from when she was younger. She could have been a super model, but instead chose to marry someone local. After he died, she used the money he left her to open her restaurant. The woman had been alone ever since. Thinking about Luke and his behavior, I could totally relate.

  “These red-heeled ones. She said you bought her them,” I replied before shoving a fork full of pancakes in my mouth. I moaned with pleasure, gesturing to pile of deliciousness. “These are great.”

  Betty laughed. “Don’t talk with your mouth full, hon.” She stood up, getting ready to go back to work. “I’ve never bought that girl shoes. If I were you, I’d keep an eye on that one. She’s fifteen, and those teenagers are liars.” She winked at me, leaving so I could eat.

  Frowning, I cut into the pancakes. Why would Annie lie about the shoes? It was a strange thing to do. I didn’t know if I could handle taking care of a teenager. We barely knew each other three days, and the girl was already sneaking out, coming home late, and lying about where she gets things. Did I really have a choice, though? It wasn’t like I could leave the girl behind. Coming down to Luna Hill automatically made me responsible for her.

  “So, did you hear about the bodies?”

  I started choking on my food, slamming a hand to my chest to help it dislodge itself. Looking up, I watched as Annie took a seat across from me. She looked fresh from the shower, hair damp and makeup newly applied. “Yes, I heard about them,” I coughed.

  Annie took a piece of bacon from my plate. I splurged on my meal, asking for three kinds of meat, eggs, and pancakes. Part of me was annoyed that she dared touch any of it without my permission. I wanted to snap at her for it, but I took a deep breath while wondering what the hell was wrong with me. It wasn’t actually a big deal, but I felt possessive of it.

  “I wonder who did it. Do you know who was killed?” she asked curiously as she munched on the bacon.

  Shaking my head, I took a sip of my sweet tea. “No, I don’t know who did it, or who was murdered.”

  Disappointed, she sat back in her seat. “Usually gossip spreads like wildfire around here. Seems to me no one wants to talk about it.”

  “It was gruesome, and no concern for a teenager,” I told her.

  “I can handle it. You know as well as anyone what kind of shit I’ve been through.”

  I blinked slowly, deciding how to approach her swearing. Maybe I was trying to get after her for too much, way too soon. Deciding to bring it up later, I smacked her hand when she tried to grab more bacon. “Get your own food.”

  Making a face, she rubbed her hand before waving to Betty. “Sharing is caring, Riley.”

  “Caring is telling your sister you’re taking off with a boy on the back of a motorcycle and probably won’t be home that night,” I pointed out.

  Annie rolled her eyes. “I didn’t want to get lectured.”

  Checking the time, I shoved my plate over to her. “Here, you can finish it. I have an errand to run.” When I stood up, I took some money out from my pocket and dropped it on the table, motioning to Betty that it was there. “Text me your number.”

  Nodding, Annie started to dig into the pancakes. When she saw that I wasn’t moving until she texted me the number, she sighed heavily and pulled out her phone. “No need to get excited,” she grumbled.

  As I was leaving, I heard her text come in. I would get her to behave, eventually. How long that would take, I had no idea. Hopefully, she didn’t cause me too much grief. I wasn’t looking forward to heart failure.

  Lance was fishing on a dock by his pond. I didn’t notice it there the last time I was at his house. It was large and beautiful, surrounded by the trees and wild flowers. He looked up when he heard my car pull into the driveway. A look of disapproval crossed his features, and he turned back around to continue his fishing.

  I noisily approached him, my hands tucked into my pockets as I looked around. There didn’t appear to be anyone else around, which meant this was the perfect opportunity to question him. He glanced over his shoulder at me as I took a seat next to him. “Good morning, Sunshine,” he said to me as he began to reel in his line.

  “How’s it going?” I asked, swinging my feet.

  He sighed, pulling his pole closer to him so he could place some more bait on his hook. “Fine, until you showed up. Luke threatened to cut my balls off if I didn’t send you away when you came around.”

  Shaking my head, it was my turn to sigh. “How could he even know I’d show up out here?”

  “He’s a cop. My brother knows all about investigating.” Lance pulled back his arm to swing out the pole. The reel made a winding noise as the bait flew out to the water with a plopping noise. “I’ve never been one to follow orders, though.” He grinned.

  Returning a smile, I put my hands behind me as I leaned back. “Have you learned anything else about that challenge?”

  Lance pursed his lips as he thought. “Nope. But I think it can happen at any moment, so you need to get out of here before you get caught up in something really dangerous.”

  “Shouldn’t you have protection or something?” I looked around again, only to confirm that no one else was around.

  “Enough of my people have died because of this. If they don’t kill me, then Luke will when he finds out you haven’t left town yet.” Lance jerked his pole when the bobber bounced in the water. He started to reel his line in.

  “Do you know who it is?” I asked, ignoring his warning about me leaving. Like him, I wasn’t one to follow orders, either.

  “Fuck!” He finished reeling the line
in, disappointed to find that the fish got off the hook. “Nope, could be anyone.” Climbing to his feet, he grabbed his tackle box and pole. “Go on and get out of here.”

  I felt like a stray dog that was being shooed away from someone’s home. I got to my feet and began to follow him. He spun around, dropping everything. His hand went around my throat, startling me so much that I yelped. When his eyes flashed red, fear consumed me as I felt my body go lax in submission.

  “Get the fuck off my property before I tear out your throat!” he snarled. “This is my business. You’ve been a nosy bitch from the moment you showed up in Luna Hill. I don’t need this shit right now.” He released me with a jerk, and then spun around to pick up his things.

  My hand went around my throat and I hissed in pain. He could have crushed my esophagus! I didn’t know what I was angrier about, being submissive, or him thinking he could treat me with such disrespect.

  Chapter Thirteen

  I decided to stay in for the rest of the day, buying some snacks and alcohol from the store. What better things existed to drown out your sorrows with while watching cop shows? It sounded like a good plan to me. It also gave me time to think about why I was actually staying in town. Obviously, the real Mary didn’t actually hire me. So, there wasn’t a single reason to stay. Chasing Luke wasn’t a good enough excuse. I was a strong and independent woman. My kind didn’t chase men, especially when they made it clear that they didn’t want anything to do me.

  Sighing, I kicked off my shoes after grabbing the remote to turn on the TV. It was a little too loud, so I turned it down before flipping through the channels. I was coming close to the end of my week at the motel, which was another good reason to leave. Since Mary was a fake, the money she gave me was free and clear of any debt owed. There wasn’t a job to complete. Pleased, I grabbed a beer and my sub sandwich, heading to my bed.

  Annie was gone again, and I had no idea where she went. The girl was going to be difficult, for sure. I shook my head in disapproval as I took a seat on the bed. I carefully unwrapped my sub, picking up the pieces of tomato that dropped to the sides and tossing it in my mouth. My stomach rumbled, upset that I let it go too long since breakfast. Taking a huge bite, I moaned with pleasure. Fresh sandwiches were always the best. I was a carbohydrate addict. Bread and noodles were the things I craved the most. I could definitely eat pasta for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

  Amazingly, my throat healed pretty quickly, the bruise disappearing within fifteen minutes of contact. Never in my life had I healed so fast. Of course, it had to be the werewolf part of me. What other benefits were there to being a supernatural creature? The possibilities excited me, but it wasn’t like I could ask Luke or Lance. Both of them were grouchy all the time, now more than ever.

  I got so involved in watching the TV show that I didn’t realize I had a text message until an hour after I received it. Figuring it was probably Alex, I shoved a few chips in my mouth and opened the message.

  Find the girl, or your buddy Alex will find out what it’s like to be ripped apart by a wolf.

  Grabbing for my beer, I started choking on the chips, eyes watering. I dropped the phone realizing it was the same number fake Mary gave me. No matter how fake she was, apparently finishing up the job was non-negotiable. For the sake of Alex, I had to find this girl. Who was more important? My best friend or a little girl who was no more than seven years old?

  Snatching up the phone, I clicked for Alex’s number and waited as it rung. It was two rings later that he picked up, laughing before saying, “Hello?” At least he sounded okay.

  For now.

  “Alex—”

  “Hey, baby girl, what’s up?” Alex sounded so cheerful that it was hard to believe danger was lurking nearby.

  “Look, I got a text message from that Mary lady—”

  “I thought you said it wasn’t the real her?” he interrupted, smacking his lips, eating something.

  “It isn’t, but listen. She texted me saying that I had to find the girl or you would die.” There was no way I could tell him about the involvement of werewolves. I didn’t even know they were real until I became one. Alex would think I was crazy, and would likely place me in a hospital for the insane.

  Alex let out a large burp. “You don’t have to worry about me, Riley. I can take care of myself. Though, you might want to find the girl to offer her some protection. I can be there in about six hours.”

  “Honestly, I think her father is probably the best protection she could have. What could I possibly do to help?” I was just an inexperienced wolf with some self-defense classes under my belt and a license to carry a firearm.

  “True. That’s why you need me.”

  I could have used his help, but he was no match for werewolves. They would hunt his sniper-ass out within minutes. Mental images of him being torn apart assaulted my imagination, making me shake my head in refusal. “No, I can handle it, Alex.”

  “I don’t know, Riley. This sounds like something the police should be taking care of. You should just come back home and let this situation figure itself out. You were brought there under false pretenses. It isn’t your job to protect that town.”

  What he was saying made a lot of sense, but after being with Luke the last couple of days, I didn’t know if I could leave him alone. Things could go south with Lance, and Luke would be all alone. Didn’t duels typically end up in death? My heart began to beat faster just thinking about the possible outcomes. Lance could be killed. Or Luke. Then it dawned on me. He could have easily been one of the dead wolves that were torn apart in the night.

  Making my decision to stay, I wrapped up my leftover sub and walked over to the fridge to put it away for later. “I’ll be okay. I can’t leave that little girl here to fend for herself.”

  “She has her dad,” Alex reminded me.

  “Yeah, but someone wants him dead.”

  “What? What else aren’t you telling me?” he demanded.

  I didn’t even know if telling him about the bodies would be a good idea. He would probably be on his way down before we even got off the phone. “Nothing,” I lied. “That’s everything.”

  He was silent for a few seconds, probably debating if I was telling the truth. “Promise to call me if anything more happens, Riley.”

  “Alex, you need to watch out for yourself. These people could be serious, and God knows I don’t want your dominatrix coming after me if something happens to you.”

  “Whatever, Riley.”

  “Hell, I don’t think I can handle one of those ball gags.”

  “Riley! Shit, stop talking about it. Is there anyone around you?”

  “I’m just at the bar. A few people could probably hear me.”

  “You have got to me kidding me.” He sounded genuinely worried that outsiders now knew his secrets.

  Peering into the mirror, I checked my teeth for lettuce. “Just kidding.”

  “You’re going to give me a heart attack.”

  I looked down at my phone, glancing through the picture gallery. I found that one I was looking for and texted it to him. A few seconds later, he was swearing up a storm. “You took pictures of the pictures? Are you fucking kidding me? What if you lose your phone? This can’t get out! What if they get posted on the Internet? What if my brothers see this?”

  When he said brothers, he meant his Marine pals. I was half tempted to send a mass message, or put it on his social media page just for laughs. But, I didn’t have the heart to console a crying man. “I just wanted to let you know I had these, for blackmailing purposes.”

  After we hung up, I cleaned up my mess and then went to the bathroom so I could change into my pajamas. My pajamas were actually men’s boxer shorts and a white tank top. I didn’t plan on leaving the motel for the rest of the night. The next morning, I would watch Hank and his coworkers. Maybe then I could follow one of them to locate the girl, Jenny.

  Then I thought about it some more. What if the imposter didn’t like the
idea of me waiting? Maybe they wanted results right away—and would follow through on their threats? My thoughts began to run rampant the more I sat there debating on the best move. Sighing loudly, I went back into the bathroom to change into my clothes again. I had no choice but to watch Hank now. Losing Alex wasn’t an option, but losing the girl wasn’t, either. My new job in Luna Hill was now to protect Jenny. She was my number one priority. Luke’s feelings would have to be put on the back burner.

  I couldn’t help but chuckle as I thought about his reaction when he found out I was still nosing around. If he ever got wind that I was stalking his deputies, he’d flip out. Luke would probably come unglued, and running away from him wouldn’t be an option for long. The man would probably kill me himself.

  Looking around, I thought about leaving Annie a note that I might be back late, and if she left again to at least tell me where she was going. Only, when I went to her nightstand to check through the drawers, I found a picture of the woman that we both got our looks from. Our mother was younger in the picture, but it was definitely her. Part of me wished I could have experienced the real relationship of a mother and a daughter. I never did know why she chose the life of a whore. Why hadn’t she left town before her life went to hell? The only thing I did know was that she became pregnant with me when she was sixteen, and that was before she chose to work for Lance’s father.

  Digging around some more, I found a bible, and then a wooden box that was locked. It was probably Annie’s. My fingers felt around the drawer for a key, but then I stopped myself. I had to trust the girl, right? Nosing around in her stuff would only make her angry, and then I would have to deal with an even more difficult teenager.

  Reluctantly, I placed the box and picture back in the drawer. There wasn’t a pad of paper anywhere. Grabbing my bag, I dug around for my notebook. When I found it, I scribbled down a note and then snatched my gun off the dresser. It was probably going to be a long night. I didn’t even know what I’d do when I found Jenny. Not only did I need to figure that part out, but I also needed to devise a plan to get her out of the location without raising any flags with the deputy on guard duty.