(Mis)fortune

Clotted potatoes stuck in my throat when I tried to swallow. I tried again, and they slowly slid down. My overladen plate of food mocked me. I didn’t want to eat. I wanted to go hide in my room, away from our dinner guests. I almost blanched just thinking the word guest. It didn’t at all describe the men sitting at the table with us.

Blake asked my stepfather, Richard, a question about their latest stock investment, and I dutifully looked up. Just as quickly, I looked back down at my plate like the meek little mouse Blake wanted me to be. I didn’t mind playing a meek part when sitting with these men. Blake didn’t give me any trouble, but the other ten men with him often did. Dinners went smoother if I kept my eyes on my plate.

Blake sat at one end of the table, and my stepfather sat at the opposite end. I, unfortunately, always took the middle seat on the side with five chairs. It gave me more room than if I sat on the other side. If given a real choice, I would have rather sat next to Richard.

The six men across from me stared at me through the entire meal. At every dinner, different men stared at me. How many business associates did Blake really have? These dinners had been happening since my mother died four years ago. Once a month, every month. I hated them. I felt like a freak on display. Hey, come on in! Have dinner with the freaky girl who predicts the market and makes us all rich. Don’t worry, she doesn’t bite. She’ll do exactly as I say.

I thought of my brothers, who slept in their beds, and forked another bite of potatoes into my mouth. Yep, I would do as Blake said. He’d made it painfully clear who he would punish if I didn’t.

One of the men across from me nudged my foot under the table. I didn’t look up. It would just play into whatever he planned. Probably some lewd gesture. For business associates, as Blake usually introduced them, they dressed more like mill workers, wearing torn, stained jeans and ragged shirts. They were sometimes unwashed, too. I didn’t judge them by their appearances, though. Their actions told me what I needed to know about them.

The man kicked me again, harder. I tucked my feet under my chair in an effort to avoid his long reach as Blake asked me a direct question.

“Michelle, my dear, are you trying to withhold your latest premonition?” He sipped his wine and watched me. Blake’s medium build and salt and pepper hair gave him a distinguished look that hid a very mean personality.

“You know I haven’t,” I said in a quiet, biddable voice as I met his gaze. If I tried keeping a premonition to myself, I got sick. First, it was just a niggling headache. However, the longer I held the information inside, the worse the ache grew until, finally, I broke down and started babbling the information with pain-filled tears.

“Sorry, Blake,” Richard said from down the table. “Michelle gave me the information yesterday. When I went in today, I just invested what we discussed last night. I didn’t think you wanted me to bother you with it.”

I lowered my gaze to my plate again. A puppet, that’s all I was. Just then, the man across the table kicked me again. The hard toe of his boot bruised my shin. I looked up, eyes blazing with hate, and whispered two words—they rhymed with “pluck you”—that sealed my fate.

In a blur, Blake shot from his chair, sailing toward me over the table. His hand curled around my throat and the momentum of his move carried me backward, lifting me up. My long skirt tore when it caught briefly on my tipping chair. Before I could blink, Blake slammed me against the wall. My feet no longer touched the ground.

My stunned mind couldn’t comprehend what had just happened. No one should be able to move that fast.

Barely breathing, I panicked and fought to pry away his hand, forgetting to be meek. He laughed and squeezed my neck a little harder. My eyes darted around the room looking for help. Behind him, Richard stood, but said nothing. No help. There never was for me.

I focused on Blake. The calculated look in Blake’s eyes reminded me of his expectation. Swearing at his “associate” hadn’t been a bright move. Still trying to wheeze in air, I stopped clawing at his hand and instead wrapped my hands around his forearm for support. His hold loosened, and I gasped. The air burned, but I didn’t stop pulling it in greedily.

All the men at the dinner table watched us, and the one who had kicked me, smirked.

“The time for niceties is at an end. We’ve amassed our fortune. It’s time for the next step. You will choose one of us and evolve your abilities as you were born to do.”

I barely heard his words. His teeth claimed my attention. As he spoke, they grew. Elongating. Already panicked because of the hand at my throat, my racing heart kicked into overdrive at the sight of his canines. His face changed slightly, his jaw expanding to accommodate his teeth.

He can’t be human. What is he?

He tightened his grip with his next words.

“You will allow each male here, and every male I bring from this night forward, to scent you. If we decide you are his Mate, you will bite him and establish your Claim.”

His hold loosened. Still gasping for air, I didn’t immediately register that my feet again touched the ground. Bite one of them? He dropped his hand and moved away from me, but his piercing gaze continued to hold me in place.

“Frank, since she offended you, you can go first.”

Frank quickly leapt over the table, his teeth also abnormally long and pointy. Swaggering toward me, he leaned in close and licked my neck. A shiver of revulsion ran through me.

“You’re mine,” he whispered before he moved to allow the next man close to me.

I turned my face from them and pressed myself against the wall. Despairing, I closed my eyes. Tears fell from their scrunched corners. I couldn’t escape.

After the last man leaned in close to my neck and inhaled deeply, Blake commanded me to leave. I fled to my room and locked the door behind me.

When I woke, I found a manila envelope shoved under my bedroom door. A Post-it decorated the front of it. I easily read Richard’s scrawl.

Run as fast as you can. Everything is in your name.

I gazed at those words with a growing feeling of dread. Somewhere in the house, a phone rang. I quickly stashed the envelope in my pillowcase without looking at the contents and started to make my bed. Before I finished, a key rattled and the door swung open.

David eyed me as I stood next to the bed, tugging the quilt into place. I still wore my pajamas.

Since Blake needed Richard in the office and didn’t trust me home alone, he’d brought in David as my keeper. Well paid, David did as Blake said. I wondered if David knew about Blake’s teeth.

“You’re not supposed to be in here until I knock,” I said, repeating Blake’s rule.

“Today’s an exception. Blake’s on the phone.” David held out a cell phone.

I stared at him a moment before I approached to take it. What game did they play now?

“Yes?” I said, putting the phone up to my ear.

“Richard’s dead. This changes nothing. We’ll be back tonight.” The line went dead. Richard’s scrawled message ran through my head.

David walked further into my room, a suspicious look on his face. He moved past me and pulled back the quilt.

I looked at my shelf where my softball participation trophy from middle school sat. When he lifted my pillow, I quietly lifted the trophy.

I could hear my brothers’ muffled voices on the other side of the wall, still locked in their own room, waiting.

David never heard the envelope crinkle.

In just over forty-eight hours, the spark of hope, ignited by the escape from my bleak life, grew dim. I had no idea what I was doing or where I was going as I pulled into the almost empty parking lot of a small town diner.

Parking, I glanced at the mirror and cringed at my reflection. Naturally olive-skinned—thanks to my mom—I would never look pale, but I did appear ashen. My light blue and brown-flecked eyes looked bloodshot and glassy from lack of sleep. My long, warm brown hair that I’d pulled back into a ponytail, needed to be washed and brushed.

I shifted my attention to the passengers I also saw in the mirror.

Liam and Aden stared at me from the backseat of my mom’s car. The means of our escape. I was thankful Richard had held onto it after she passed away, letting it sleep peacefully under a dust cover in the third spot in the garage.

My brothers’ solemn faces hadn’t changed since we’d left. They were taking their cues from me. Barely holding myself together, I leaned my head against the steering wheel.

David’s knees buckled, and he tipped forward as he crumpled. My broken trophy fell from my hand. The top half of David’s body landed heavily on my mattress. With my heart seizing in my chest, I grabbed the envelope from the pillowcase and quickly broke the seal to look inside. Keys, cash, and a few important documents fell to my bed when I shook out the contents. Nothing else from Richard to explain what I needed to do to escape.

The keys I recognized from my mom’s car. But how did I drive it? Since I hit fifteen, I’d been locked in Richard’s house. A secured house. I didn’t know how to disarm the alarm. As soon as I opened the door to the garage, it would go off.

Run as fast as you can…

I inhaled a shaky breath. We’d done it. We’d run. But where were we going? I lifted my head and smiled tremulously at my brothers. Neither smiled back.

Liam looked a lot like Richard, with sandy blonde hair, light blue eyes, and a stubborn chin. At five, he could negotiate a deal like a pro when David wasn’t in the immediate area to intimidate him. Most of his deals involved a later bedtime or more dessert. Aden, at four, had my mom’s coloring and looked more like me with medium brown hair, deep blue eyes, and a dimple. When given the chance, they both had a smile that could light a room. I wondered if they would ever smile again after the scare I’d given them.

Initially, my driving had almost killed us. I didn’t know how I’d managed not being pulled over. Since squealing out of the garage in a cloud of blue smoke, I’d tried keeping a low profile, sticking to the back roads, and stopping only when absolutely necessary.

I twisted in my seat. Empty snack bags littered the seat between the two. “Are you guys hungry for some real food?”

Liam looked out the window at the red and white paint-faded diner across the blacktop expanse. Large windows dominated the front of the squat building, allowing the diners to look out.

“Is it safe?” Liam asked.

“I hope so, buddy. I need a break. My eyes keep closing on me.”

He nodded and reached over to unbuckle his brother. I let him help Aden while I fumbled with my own seatbelt. I would never again take a good night’s sleep for granted. My head felt fuzzy, and my ears rang. I got out of the car and stood for a moment, waiting for a wave of dizziness to pass.

When I opened the back door, they spilled out of the car in a rush. They ran around chasing each other in the open parking spot next to ours. I let them. I’d parked us in one of the furthest places from the door. Two parking spots away, a motorcycle sat parked in the otherwise empty part of the lot.

I leaned against the closed driver side door and watched them have their fun while I let the fresh summer air clear my head. After a few minutes, I pushed away from the door and had to pause until another wave of vertigo passed. I eyed our destination. It suddenly seemed like a long walk. With a sigh, I herded them toward the diner.

As we neared, I noticed a man. He sat in one of the booths against the large, front windows. Dressed in faded denims and a t-shirt, something about him caught my eye.

He had cropped his dark hair so short I could see his scalp on the side of his head. A five o’clock shadow covered his strong jaw and upper lip, making him look a little scruffy despite the haircut. He had nice ears—why did I notice that?—and my stomach did a tiny flip just staring at his profile. I rolled my eyes at myself.

How could I stand in a parking lot window-shopping a cute guy while on the run from some fanged monster who had kept me locked up for four years? I needed to get a grip on life. Sleep deprivation had robbed me of common sense. Yet, I didn’t look away.

The man sat slightly bent over his plate, eating a hearty breakfast. It was just after three in the afternoon. His long legs folded under the table with just barely enough room, and his t-shirt hugged his biceps as he reached for his drink. A black leather jacket lay on the seat next to him and matched the sturdy black work boots he wore. Then I saw the helmet set on the table near his coffee. The owner of the motorcycle.

When we were within a few feet of his window, he glanced up and froze when our gazes locked. The fork he held remained suspended in the air part way to his mouth. My stomach started going crazy doing little flips, and my heart stuttered out an odd pattern before returning to normal.

It was a moment more before he moved again and brought the fork the rest of the way to his mouth. He finished chewing and lifted the coffee to his lips, not once looking away. I forgot to breathe as he studied me with an unnerving intensity. It vaguely reminded me of how Frank watched me at dinner, minus the creepiness…and the kicking. The man held me spellbound. I couldn’t look away.

If not for the boys holding my hands, I would have stopped to stare some more. As it was, they continued to pull me forward past the window. When our eye contact was broken, so was this man’s hold on me.

What had just happened? The way he looked at me, the way my stomach flipped, and my hands started to sweat…these weird reactions confused me. Did I subconsciously recognize him? Could he be one of the many men Blake had brought over to the house? The thought scared me, and I tried to remember all their faces. I couldn’t recall his face, but there’d been so many. Yet, I didn’t even consider turning around and going back to the car. I would kill us for sure if I didn’t take a break. Besides, there was a very real possibility that my exhausted mind had devolved to a state of cluelessness that meant…I couldn’t even think what it meant.

The bell above the door rang as we walked in, and I glanced toward the man. He didn’t turn to look. My fears eased a bit. If he knew me, he’d have turned to look, right? I gazed out the windows and scanned the parking lot again. Nothing out there.

I looked down at the boys. Both watched me. I gave their warm little hands a gentle squeeze of reassurance then viewed the diner.

The inside of the place appeared clean and smelled wonderful, like grilled meat. Booths lined the front of the building by the windows as well as the right exterior wall. Scattered tables took up the rest of the open room. Two kitchen doors occupied the left wall, which divided the dining area from the kitchen. A large opening in the section of wall between the two doors gave the cooks a counter to pass the completed orders to the waitress.

The waitress passed us on her way to refill some of the patrons’ coffee and told us we could sit anywhere.

Tugging the boys forward, I passed the man in the booth and chose a spot near the bathrooms at the back. A strategically sound location. I could see everyone inside as well as the door. I let the boys slide in first. It probably looked weird with all of us sitting on one side, but it felt safer. Anyone walking up to the table would need to go through me to get to them. However, I doubted I’d put up much of a fight in my current state.

“Mimi,” Liam said, calling me by the pet name they’d made up for me. If he and Aden had their way, they’d call me mom, having never known our mother. He had to tap my arm to break into my thoughts. I’d been staring at the placemat, not paying attention, and hadn’t noticed the waitress standing next to us.

I looked up at her. “I’m sorry. What did you say?” I attempted to return her smile.

She gave me an overly patient look. “Can I get you anything to drink?”

“Yes, apple juice for all of us if you have it. And can I get the special and an order of french fries?” I didn’t want to wait to order. We needed to eat then keep running.

She asked if we wanted anything else, and I tiredly shook my head. She offered the boys some crayons before she left. Liam thanked her politely and turned over their placemats. They took turns drawing shapes while we waited.

I didn’t know what to do next. The need to keep running had kept me awake so far, but I would soon need real sleep or I would risk running us off the road. Where could we go that we would be safe? The image of Blake’s teeth popped into my head, and I doubted anywhere would be safe enough.

Propping my chin in my hands, I aimlessly looked around. My eyes found their way to the man in the booth. He had finished his meal and sat sipping his coffee, not looking at anything particular. The waitress grabbed his empty plate on her way past.

My attention started to drift, and before I could prevent it, my eyes closed. It took three attempts to open them again, and when they did, I struggled to focus. Safe from Blake or not, we might not be able to leave the parking lot when we finished eating. I blinked to clear my vision and saw the man glance my way. I sat straighter and rubbed my eyes.

When I glanced back at the man, he again looked out the window while he sipped his coffee. His bill lay on his table, and I hoped he’d leave soon. Even though I felt certain I’d never seen him before, something about him made me very aware of him. Maybe just the fact that he’d caught me dozing. I really didn’t want any witnesses when I face-planted my meatloaf.

The waitress brought our drinks, and I took a big gulp for something to do. I leaned back in the booth and saw the man watching again so I arched a brow at him. If he wasn’t after me, what was his deal? Didn’t his mother teach him it wasn’t nice to stare?

He had the nerve to grin at me. My stomach did a weird flip again. I frowned and looked away then started asking the boys about what they’d drawn.

The man’s smile hadn’t been a leer or even a smile-because-she-looks-crazy type of smile. It had been a kind, hi-how-are-you smile…with a dimple. So, what was up with the stomach flip? Sure, he looked attractive. But hadn’t I learned not to react to how someone looked?

After a few minutes, the waitress came back with our meal and extra plates. I divided the special between the three of us and placed the french fries so they could share. Hot mashed potatoes were a nice change from chips, but reminded me of the last dinner with Blake and his men. I shuddered and took a bite of the meatloaf instead.

The boys dug into their food, and I felt a pang of guilt. I’d been caring for them for four years. Crying babies, diapers, throw-up, you name it. In the beginning, Richard had helped, but Blake made the rules and didn’t want Richard near me. In reality, Blake had wanted me to bond with the boys so he had power over me. Yet, he never allowed me to care for them without supervision. David watched everything and controlled our time together.

I brushed Aden’s hair back tenderly. I loved them so much…even at their most annoying. I just wanted them to be safe.

We’d made it over forty-eight hours without any Blake sightings. That had to mean something.

The few other customers who’d been sitting when we entered slowly trickled out as we ate. Eventually, only the man remained. The boys finished their meals and nibbled on the fries while they continued to draw.

I forced myself to keep eating, diligently working my way through the small piles of food on my plate. I needed the nourishment as much as I needed sleep. Eating while I drove hadn’t worked well for me. Split concentration had almost landed us in the ditch. I just hoped after this break I wouldn’t confuse the pedals again as I had in the beginning.

My continued to struggle to keep my eyes open—they felt hot and gritty—eventually made me set my fork aside. I stood and let the boys out to use the ladies’ room behind us. My legs felt weak and achy so I leaned against the back of the bench seat.

The waitress spotted me beside the booth and came over with the bill. I handed her the cash and told her to keep the change. She smiled her thanks and walked away. Before I could move, the room started to tilt. I held onto the back of the booth, waited for it to pass, then went to check on the boys.

When we walked out of the bathroom, the man’s booth sat empty. I felt slightly relieved…and maybe a little disappointed, too.

We stepped into the afternoon sun, and I noted that the parking lot had cleared since we’d arrived. Not paying attention, I staggered a little when we stepped down from the curbed sidewalk that surrounded the diner. I looked around to see if anyone had noticed.

The man stood near his bike, searching in the panniers. His lingering presence should have made me nervous, but I was too tired to care. If he left before we reached the car, I’d take it as a sign I should nap in the parking lot.

Between walking, wishing for sleep, and the motorcycle man, I didn’t notice the vehicle parked on the far side of my own. When I recognized David’s vehicle, I faltered and my stomach sank. Beside me, Aden whimpered, and I gave both their hands a reassuring squeeze. We all knew what David’s presence meant.

My tired, strained eyes darted around the parking area, trying to locate David. He didn’t let me look too long. With a mocking smile, he stepped from behind his SUV. Dressed in his usual khaki pants and dark V-neck sweater, he looked fresh and ready to drag me kicking and screaming back to my prison. He looked me over, unconcerned that I’d stopped walking and stood several feet away.

Suddenly, I didn’t feel so tired.

“Michelle, you look terrible,” David said in a patronizing tone. “In fact, I’d have to say you look like hell. Not surprising since you’ve only been sitting still a few minutes at a time.” His smug look evaporated, leaving impatience. “I’ve followed you long enough. It’s time to come home.”

Followed? I stared at him blankly. I’d been checking my mirrors and staying to the back roads. I never planned where I was going to turn until I turned. I would have seen him.

David laughed at my expression. “Good thing Blake knew Richard arranged for you to have this,” he patted the car. “You might have disappeared without a trace otherwise.”

I stared at the car for a moment before I understood. Angry, I swallowed hard and met his eyes again.

“How’s your head?” I asked, refusing to acknowledge the fact that our escape had been a lie. “You went down pretty hard.”

He narrowed his eyes at me, but I didn’t cower. That part of my life was behind me. We were in a moderately populated area. If I screamed, someone would notice. If I sent Liam running back into the diner to call the police, David would be in trouble. He had no hold over my brothers or me, and thanks to Richard, I had our birth certificates to prove it. I only needed to keep him away from the boys until help arrived. If he got one of them, he’d have the advantage he needed to force my compliance.

“Walk away, David.”

He stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked down at his shoes briefly before meeting my eyes again.

“You know I can’t.”

His look held no apology, only determination and, perhaps, a bit of fear.

So he did know about Blake. Then, we both knew he couldn’t walk away.

He took a step forward, and I nudged the boys behind me. David looked deceptively calm as I stood my ground. He took another step toward me, and I could see the promise in his eyes.

I opened my mouth to tell Liam to run for help, but David paused. His attention shifted as he looked past me.

“This man have any legal rights to these kids?” a smooth baritone said from somewhere behind me.

I didn’t turn to look at the speaker. I knew who it was because I hadn’t heard the motorcycle leave yet. I hadn’t expected his help, though.

“None,” I said, keeping my eyes on David. “Their father recently passed away. This man is no relation to me or my stepfather.” I listened to the faint scrape of the man’s boots on the blacktop as he came closer.

The man’s calm voice held no a trace of anger or threat when he spoke.

“Then you and your partner should walk away like she said.”

The word partner made my stomach sink, and I risked looking away from David. Another man had been making his way around the other side of the car, obviously trying to circle behind us. I felt a surge of relief that it wasn’t Blake, himself.

David didn’t look very concerned that someone wanted to help me. In fact, he smiled, and I understood why. Both David and his partner had bulk—not the fluffy kind—compared to the motorcycle man’s lean, muscled build.

“Two to one. Better for your health to move along,” David said using a tone that usually meant punishment. Lockdown for me. And for my brothers, a cuff upside the head and then a lockdown.

The man behind me gave a low chuckle. “I’m not too worried about it.”

I was. The boys each clutched one of my legs and peeked around me. I reached back with both hands and hid their faces in my shirt as David pulled a gun from behind him. A small sound of terror escaped me as the barrel swung toward the man. Then David’s partner moved toward us, walking right into David’s line of fire.

From the corner of my eye, I saw motorcycle man dive for David’s partner. He hit the guy hard and brought him to the ground. David grunted and swung the gun in motorcycle man’s direction. I shuffled back a step. David caught my movement and glanced at me as motorcycle man’s elbow drew back then shot forward, lightning fast. A sickening crunch sounded.

Motorcycle man ducked around the front of the vehicle, leaving me alone to face David. I couldn’t blame him for running.

Flushed with anger, David glanced at me then cautiously backed up a step. He glanced around the side of his SUV, and I understood he thought the man wasn’t gone. After a moment, David quietly rounded the back of his vehicle. The loud thud I heard made me jump. Then, there was silence. I started backing up again, too afraid to hope.

A scuff of noise drew my attention. The man with the smooth voice and friendly smile emerged from behind the SUV. He looked completely unharmed. His eyes swept over us, and he gave me the faintest smile.

My throat tightened with the need to cry as I stood there shaking with relief. My stomach started doing those crazy dips and flips again, but I didn’t care. I loosened the death grip I had on the boys’ heads.

“Thank you,” I managed to whisper, not taking my eyes from him. His face held my attention. He felt so familiar. I wished I knew why.

He studied me closely with a slightly troubled expression. I could guess at what he saw.

“You’re tired. Can you drive for a few miles?”

Could I? I didn’t have a choice. We needed to keep running. So I nodded.

“I’ll follow you to make sure these two don’t.”

Gratitude swamped me.

“Need help getting your kids in?” he said as he looked down at Aden and Liam.

My kids? I didn’t correct him. Physically, I looked older than my nineteen years. The last several years had matured me.

“No, but thanks.”

He stayed close as I opened the back door for the boys. I made Liam crawl through first with an order not to look out the window. They both listened immediately, wide-eyed and quiet.

Once the boys were in, the man held my door for me. He leaned on the frame, watching me as I buckled. Worry lined his face.

“Just drive south,” he said. “I’ll be right behind you.”

I nodded, and his eyes glided over my face in another close study before he closed the door. He’d most likely been trying to figure out how long I would be able to drive. I honestly wasn’t sure.