Goldie Lox And Her Trio Of Bears (Goldie Lox Prophecy Book 1)

by Amy Star

  The girl's hips swayed hypnotically, and Jillian found herself questioning her original assumptions about the nature of this business. A bare-breasted woman hung upside down, suspended by long, silk sheets that she rolled herself up in only to let herself fall, spinning her way down with the grace of a spider repelling from the ceiling.

  “It’s more like a burlesque theater than a strip club.” Conner rubbed the back of his neck. “I didn’t want to try to explain it before you saw it for yourself because you always seem to think I’m full of shit.”

  “And this is where you come to unwind?” Jillian looked back at the belly dancer on stage.

  “What? No!” He snorted and cracked up laughing. “When I first came to town, I saw a girl getting attacked by some creep. I helped her out, and she hooked me up with a job as a bouncer. That’s how I survived until I met the guys.”

  “Right this way, please.” A man in his mid-twenties wearing a generous amount of eye-shadow and teal button-up shirt approached them. “Your champagne room is ready.”

  “Thank you.” Jillian smiled, shaking her head as they followed their host up some stairs to a loft area that overlooked the stage. Sitting down on the red velvet sofa, Conner opened up the backpack and set up the laptop, knowing just where to find the nearest plug-in.

  “Mother fucker,” Conner grumbled, looking behind the sofa. “Alex always forgets to vacuum back here.”

  As the computer booted up, Jillian entered buttercup into the password field and connected to the Wi-Fi. She opened her email and began a new message to her father.

  Dear Dad,

  “Nice and informal.” Conner gave her two thumbs up.

  “Now, I need to clear the air a little bit but also let him know that I have documented proof of everything I’m accusing him of.” Jillian bit her lip.

  I’m sorry about the damage done to your office. I know I can’t replace your beloved fish, but I do have the hard drive of your computer backed up in its entirety. I’m happy to send that to you so that you don’t lose any essential records or e-mails. I will keep a copy handy, just in case your computer ever crashes again.

  “Nice.” Conner chuckled. “That could totally be written off as completely innocent at a glance.”

  “That’s what we’re going for.” Jillian continued. “But I also want to scare him a little bit.”

  I’m going to be moving into my own place. I’m not sure what I’m going to do for a job yet, but I was thinking about being a freelance journalist. My college English teacher said I was talented, but I’m not sure if it’s what I want to do with my life. Attached is a little article I wrote that I was thinking of submitting to a few local publications to see if anyone might be interested. I haven’t decided yet.

  “Damn,” Conner smirked. “You’re so sweet, even when you’re being savage.”

  “That’s politics.” She shrugged. “You have to figure out how to fuck people over in such a way that they thank you for it. I’m still my father’s daughter, after all. Now I need to remind him that he has an out.”

  If I don’t become a journalist, I was thinking of pursuing something in the environmental field. I’ve always enjoyed doing things that benefit the planet, and you have always been my biggest supporter. Speaking of which, I’m hoping that you can help me protect Hemlock Park. I know some people think it’s a lost cause. That’s the only reason I’m leaning toward a career in journalism.

  I could use your advice. I know you’re busy, but if you have time, I’d love to call you and have one of our father-daughter chats. Let me know what you think of the article. Love you lots!

  -Jillian Lox

  Possible Future Journalist,

  Passionate Environmentalist

  (AKA Peanut)

  Jillian checked it over for spelling errors and then hit send.

  “Now what?” Conner’s eyes darted from the screen back to her.

  “Now, we wait.” Jillian clicked her thumbnail between her teeth.

  “I didn’t know you bite your nails.” Conner took her hand and examined her fingers.

  “I actually haven’t in a really long time.” Jillian held up her nails all in a row. “I was an avid nail biter as a kid. It was one of the biggest things my mother used to yell at me about. She’d yell at me, and of course, that only made me want to do it more.”

  “Because it was how you dealt with anxiety?” Conner sat back against the soft cushions.

  “I don’t know.” Her eyebrows drew together. “Honestly, I think it was more like my one act of defiance. It was my way of taking control when my mother normally controlled everything I did. It embarrassed her for people to see my fingers whenever pictures were being taken or if we were meeting important people.”

  “She was embarrassed by your fingernails?” Conner shook his head. “Talk about first world problems.”

  “I know.” Jillian smiled, thinking back on how ridiculous it sounded. “I remember it was something that she’d get so upset, and no matter how much of that bitter stuff she put on my fingers, I’d just suck it off and bite my nails even shorter just to prove that she couldn’t stop me.”

  “Such a rebel.” Conner kissed her cheek. “Next, you’ll be getting tattoos and dying your hair pink.”

  The computer made a bloop sound as a message came through.

  Hey Peanut,

  I’m not mad about the office. Accidents happen. I’m just glad you’re okay. Your mother and I are very worried about you. Why don’t you come home, and we can talk this through like a family?

  -Dad

  She scowled at the screen and hit reply.

  Hey Dad,

  No can do on the home visit. I’m on the road at the moment. I hope you understand. When will you be free to chat by phone?

  -Jillian

  The two of them held their breath, staring at the screen for several seconds until the next message came in. This one was just his phone number.

  “Bingo.” Jillian clapped her hands together. “Where’s our dancer?”

  “Are my ears burning?” A petite brunette came up the stairs wearing a silk robe over her dancer getup. “I can’t believe it’s you!”

  “Hey, Sugar.” Conner stood up and walked over to hug the girl. “Sorry, I took so long. Cherry said you were with a girl and that you specifically didn’t want a dance, so I figured I’d throw something on. How the hell have you been?”

  “I’m good.” He nodded. “Staying out of trouble.”

  “Did you ever find that uncle you were looking for?” She sat down on the couch on the opposite side of Jillian.

  “Yeah.” He nodded. “Life has turned around for me. This is Jillian, by the way. Jillian, this is my buddy, Sugar. She got me a job here.”

  “Nice to meet you.” The girl held out her hand, and Jillian shook it.

  “Likewise.” She smiled but couldn’t stop wondering if the two of them had ever dated. Not that Jillian would have held it against him. The girl was pretty, and it would have been long before they met. It was more of a nagging curiosity.

  “Well, here’s my phone.” She handed her smartphone over to Jillian. “I’m going to step out and smoke a cigarette.”

  After Sugar was out of earshot, Jillian smiled at Conner.

  “We never dated.” He grinned back at her. “We never even kissed.”

  “This is all so bizarre to me.” She looked out the glass window at the stage. “Did you date any of the dancers here?”

  “Yes.” He put his hands in his pockets.

  “Sorry.” Jillian looked away. “It’s none of my business.”

  “I didn’t say that.” He sat back down next to her. “I’ll tell you anything you want to know. About growing up in Nebraska, about being a high school quarterback, about hitch-hiking around the country, and about anything else you want to know.”

  “I’d like that.” She glanced down at her laptop and back at him. “I’m going to call my father and play some hardball. Ideally, we want him
in our pocket. He needs to be more afraid of me than he is of DuPont. In fact, DuPont has just as much to lose by my outing my dad because he would get put away for some of this shit, too.”

  “I’m still not a hundred percent sure I understand why we don’t just expose them here and now.”

  “Because we need to think long term.” Jillian started dialing. “If we have a Congressman on our side, we can use that to our advantage. He will help us keep all the other greedy bastards that want to exploit the park at bay.”

  The phone rang once.

  Jillian knew that her relationship with her parents was never going to be the same after this conversation. As superficial as it felt on most levels, these were still the people who had been her family for the last twenty-four years.

  The phone rang a second time.

  Her heart sank, remembering dancing with her dad at the father-daughter school dance. She didn’t realize when she was little that most of his valiant parenting efforts were merely photo opportunities. Although, it couldn’t have all been for show, could it? Surely some part of him loved her like a father was supposed to love a daughter.

  The phone rang a third time.

  He always let the phone ring three times when he was negotiating a business deal. And that was all this was. A concerned father would have picked up the phone on the first ring. This wasn’t about her safety; it was a game of chess. In the last week, three complete strangers had shown her more love and affection than her parents had given her in her entire life. This was an opportunity to create a family of her own, and second-guessing herself was not an option.

  The receiver clicked twice, telling Jillian that the conversation was being recorded.

  “Are you all right, peanut?” her father asked.

  “Yeah.” She smiled out of habit, knowing that smiles always carried through in your voice. “I’m just out and about, stretching my legs.”

  “You know I didn’t mean what I said last night.” He spoke in a low and serious tone.

  “Don’t even worry about it, Daddy.” She looked at Conner. “I know you were just upset.”

  “I wish you would come home.” Her father sighed. “I can’t help but think that you might have gotten mixed up with some dangerous people.”

  He went right for the jugular. Jillian remembered how he had accused her of associating with radical environmentalist groups that had been sending him death threats over DuPont’s drilling plan.

  “The people that you’re mixed up are the dangerous ones.” She made a conscious effort to relax her jaw.

  “The state of my office says otherwise.” He shuffled the phone from one ear to the other. “It looks like a bomb went off in here.”

  “There was no bomb,” she assured him. “That was just me not wanting to spend my life in a padded room. Did you read my article?”

  “I did.” He cleared his throat. “It was very well written. But it had a negative vibe. I feel like there’s enough of that floating around the internet these days, don’t you?”

  “Totally.” She bounced her knee. “We should be spreading positivity and environmental awareness instead of talking about all the mistakes people have made in the past. But, on the other hand, those who refuse to acknowledge their mistakes are doomed to repeat them.”

  “I hear what you’re saying.” His tone became more defeated with every response. “I know I haven’t always said or done the right thing. But…” James Lox’s politician persona cracked, and for a moment, it almost seemed like a real person was shining through from underneath. “I’m proud of you for standing up for what you think is right.”

  “That means a lot, Dad.” Her voice became scratchy as she fought back the tears. “I love you.”

  “I love you too, peanut.” His public-speaking voice turned back on, and Jillian’s eyes closed as she realized she was once again speaking to the political machine. “So, what is it that I can do to show my support? And also, when can you get my important papers back to me?”

  “It would mean a lot if you can just watch out for Hemlock Park.” She straightened up. “Any time something comes across your desk, take a second to think about what’s good for the planet before you sign your name to something. I’ll mail you copies of all the stuff you need and hang onto the hard copies… just in case you lose yours.”

  “You take care of yourself, peanut.” His tone made her feel unsure of something. “It’s a dangerous world out there.”

  Was he warning her that DuPont might come after her himself? Or was he informing her that she was now on his shitlist? Not that it mattered in the long run. She would always have a target on her back after this. The only thing that made her feel better was the fact that she’d have three bear shifters protecting her, come what may. And that made her feel sorry for anyone DuPont or her father might send after her.

  On the way out of the club, Cherry held up a folded piece of paper and tucked it into Jillian’s pocket.

  “If you ever get tired of playing with the boy scout, you can always give me a call.” Her fake eyelashes and dark eyeliner only made it more evident that she was undressing Jillian with her eyes.

  Jillian forced a thin smile before requesting a thousand dollars cash back on her bank card. Cherry agreed but stated that there would be a ten percent fee added on for convenience.

  Cash in hand, Conner and Jillian flagged down a taxi. He opened the door for her, and she slid over.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  “Can you take us to Hemlock Park?” Conner closed the door behind him.

  “Kid, that’s like a hundred miles.” The driver curled his lip back as his greasy whiskered face glared at them through the mirror.

  “We can afford it,” Conner assured him.

  “Five hundred bucks.” The cabby turned around. “Cash, upfront.”

  “Fuck that noise.” Conner scoffed. “Cash? We both know you’re only going to run the meter every so often so that you don’t have to split the full take with your boss. Two-fifty, half up front and half when you drop us off.”

  “Make it three, and you got yourself a ride.” The guy had already started pulling away from the curb.

  “Fine.” Jillian pulled out the money and handed it to the guy. It had been way too long of a night to argue with this clown over fifty bucks. Conner held out his hand, and Jillian laced her fingers through it, leaning her head on his shoulder.

  “What a night.” She yawned. “I have never been so tired in my life.”

  “You were amazing.” Conner kissed the top of her head. “I can’t believe your father didn’t ask more questions about what happened to his office. I mean, I’m pretty sure at least a couple of those guys outside saw me.”

  “I don’t think they knew what they were looking at.” She closed her eyes. “It took me days of being around you guys to accept that what was happening was real. They probably think it was a smoke bomb filled with hallucinogenic gas or something.”

  “Yeah.” Conner didn’t sound convinced. “You’re probably right. The guys are going to be blown away when we tell them everything.”

  Jillian’s eyes popped open.

  “Are we going to tell them… everything that happened last night?” Jillian shifted in her seat.

  “I…” Conner bit his lip. “I won’t say anything if you feel weird about it. I felt you staring daggers at me in the club. If you have any regrets, we can pretend it never happened.”

  “I honestly don’t know how I feel about any of it.” She sat up and leaned the other way. “I’m honestly just happy we made it out alive, and Hemlock is safe for the time being. We can talk about us after we’ve had some rest.

  Conner managed to talk the cab driver into taking them to the parking lot near the campground. Once they paid him and had walked far enough into the woods that they were sure no one was anywhere close by, Conner shifted into his bear form. He laid down so that Jillian could climb on. His broad body wasn’t made for riding, but once she got situated, laying
on her stomach felt a little bit more stable.

  The texture of his fur against her skin made her remember when she was suffering from the snake bite. He carried her across the lake to the circle just like this.

  After nodding off and almost falling a couple of times, Jillian opted to walk. Conner stayed in bear form, and she wasn’t sure if it was to avoid talking about what had happened between them or just that he enjoyed being a bear sometimes.

  They stopped to rest every couple of hours, and Jillian licked her parched lips. They hadn’t passed the river yet, and they hadn’t had anything to drink since the night before. The sky darkened, and finally, Jillian sat down on a fallen tree and pulled off her shoes and socks, revealing water-blisters on the ball and heel of both feet.

  “I’m sorry, Conner, but I just can’t go any farther tonight.” She rubbed her eyes. “I can’t even keep my eyes open.”

  He snorted, lying down on the ground beside her. She abandoned her tree seat and leaned against his side, sliding down to the ground. She exhaled, snuggling into his side, and closed her eyes. The stress of the day came crashing down as she drifted. Her dreams were a chaotic blur, but she vaguely remembered talking to Eden, the vampire.

  When she opened them again, it was morning, and the details of her dreams melted away. She was unsure if any of it had been important. She forgot about it entirely as she realized Conner’s human arms were curled around her. She patted the back of his hand, feeling only a little awkward that she was lying in the middle of New York’s biggest wilderness being spooned by a naked man.

  He stirred, pulling her closer, and she tried not to notice his stiffening member pressing against her backside. He let out a soft growl in his dozy delirium and released her, rolling over. Jillian grabbed his hoodie from the backpack and draped it over his middle, not wanting him to be embarrassed when he finally woke up. Staring up at the orange leaves, she took a deep breath of forest air.

  This was her home now, and it felt good to know that she had done her duty to protect it. A chill came over her as a gust of wind blew a flurry of leaves down from the canopy. It was as if the spirits were reminding her that the clock was ticking. She thought about how they could only see possible futures. When accounting for all the variables involved with making a baby, even after she chose who she was going to be with, the slightest little thing could change everything.