EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING ®
www.evernightpublishing.com
Copyright© 2017 Jacey Holbrand
ISBN: 978-1-77339-313-1
Cover Artist: Jay Aheer
Editor: CA Clauson
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
DEDICATION
To my partner: As always, thank you for believing in me. Love you, babe!
To my friend and a wonderful author in her own right, Elizabeth Monvey. Thank you for your friendship and your valuable advice.
And last but not least, to my editor, Carrie, thank you for helping to polish this story.
You all rock!
POSSESSED BY HIM
Helldorado Mongrels MC
Jacey Holbrand
Copyright © 2017
Chapter One
Present day…
Cameron Russell stared at the receding view of the Las Vegas strip in the side mirror of the rental four-by-four truck his older brother drove. Ever since Jarrod told him he’d booked them a bro weekend in Vegas a few weeks ago, he’d anticipated days of sun and scoping out hot men in tight swim trunks at the pool. He’d also looked forward to sexy nights of fun at the clubs.
But the two of them weren’t lounging poolside. Going bar hopping had become a distant notion as well with each mile they traveled away from the city.
He shifted in his seat to face his brother. Sometimes looking at him was like looking in a mirror. They both had dark blond hair, their eyes were blue-gray—though his own were more blue than gray—and they almost matched each other in height.
When Jarrod didn’t sneak a peek his way, Cameron cleared his throat. “Dude, when you said you were taking me to the canyon, I thought you meant Canyon Ranch. You know, morning in the fitness center beefing up, afternoon in the spa getting buffed, then some time in a sauna. I also figured we’d club the night away. Why are we driving so far from the city?”
“Beefing up? Cam, you’re already fitter than most men.” Jarrod, continuing to keep his focus on the road, lifted the corner of his mouth in a grin. “Hey, there’s an idea. Now that you’re out of the service you can become a fitness model.”
A snort of derision escaped Cameron. Not that he had anything against guys in that profession. He’d dated a few. Modeling just wasn’t the direction he wanted to take his life. He hadn’t mentioned his idea to anyone, but he’d seriously considered becoming a wildlife biologist. His thought about such a career was that it’d help him get over his fear of certain members of the animal kingdom. “Don’t change the subject. What gives?”
“I meant for you to misunderstand me.” Again, Jarrod’s gaze never once flicked Cameron’s way.
His brother’s simple statement and steadfast attention to his driving bothered him for some reason. Cameron combed his fingers through his hair, wishing he’d used a bit more gel so the loose curls would fall back and stay in place even with the disruption to his hairstyle. Now he’d be messing with his hair until they arrived at their destination and had a chance to fix it. Could the morning get any worse? “Come on, Rod. You might be my older brother, but I am bigger than you and can take you down. So spill.”
“You’re only taller by an inch. And you might have military training, but remember I’m a black belt. I’m almost as fit as you, too.”
“Jarrod.” Cameron strung out the name and emitted an irritated grumble.
“Fine.” Rod sighed, then tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, seeming to gather his thoughts.
The only sounds left were the tires on the road creating a thumping rhythm and the hum of the vehicle which made the break in the conversation palpable. With each passing second, Cameron’s chest tightened and his pulse raced.
His anxiousness was made worse upon hearing the oncoming rumble of motorcycles. The ebony mass on the other side of the road grew closer, and soon a group of bikers donned in jeans and leather roared by. One of the riders, sporting dark wraparound sunglasses, his black hair sticking out from beneath his half helmet and flapping in the breeze, looked their way. Cameron had the distinct feeling the rider focused on him for the brief seconds as he whizzed by.
The bikers looked huge, like football or hockey players dressed in full gear. None of them seemed to be on the small or thin side. He didn’t have any warm and fuzzy feelings regarding the group. In fact, his instincts screamed they were up to no good. Then again, ever since his car accident when a bike had cut him off, motorcycles tended to rattle him pretty easily.
After the sound of the bikes faded, Jarrod spoke, “We’re going back to the place mom and dad took us all those years ago. Going to face our fears. I fed you the information about the trip the way I did so you’d assume we’d be going to the spa and not somewhere else. If I told you the truth, you wouldn’t have come.”
Yep, the day could get worse. Cameron scraped his palm over his five-o-clock-shadowed chin. “Damn straight I wouldn’t have. You know I had nightmares about the canyon for months after that trip.”
“And that’s why we need to go back.” Jarrod tossed him a quick, narrowed-eye glare. His older-brother expression that stated, I’m right. Don’t argue with me. “As adults, we’ll see the area in a different light. It won’t have its scary hold over us anymore.”
Different light. Wouldn’t that be nice? No more thoughts about those hellish wolves. The red eyes in the mine. A cold, spider-like creeping sensation trickled down his spine. No more scary hold. Sounds too good to be true. “So we’re going for the day and then heading back to the hotel. Right? That’s why we left at the butt crack of dawn?”
“Not exactly.”
Cameron’s stomach clenched at the two flat words that came out of his brother’s mouth. He righted himself in the passenger seat. Brown hillsides, dark gray pavement and sandy, rocky ground spattered with pale gray-green vegetation whizzed by causing a sense of vertigo. He shook his head to clear it and to deny what he knew Jarrod would say next. “Oh, my God. No. Please tell me we’re not staying there.”
“Yeah, we are. I booked us a camping trip.” Jarrod’s taut voice filled the cab.
He wanted to vomit. “Shit, Jarrod. Why? After all this time. Why now?”
Jarrod shrugged. “I can’t say really. I’ve just been feeling a pull, like I was being called back—” He clamped his mouth shut.
Cameron watched his brother out of the corner of his eye. The muscle over Jarrod’s jaw twitched. Interesting. Seemed his brother also continued to process stuff about that time in their teens. That or he was keeping something else from him.
He couldn’t press for information though. Even as a child, Jarrod happened to be one of the most private people he knew, didn’t like to share his thoughts and feelings, and he’d kept what’d happened to him close to his chest. Cameron understood Jarrod’s remaining mum. Being scared shitless and admitting to such wasn’t something for a guy to be proud of.
The eerie sounds of howls and yips of that bizarre night played in Cameron’s mind. He shivered. Around fifteen years had passed and thinking about that trip and their escapade still gave him the creeps. If he never went back to the canyon, it’d be too soon.
Except there was that one good thing that’d happened. Seeing the man. The one who had been infiltrating Cameron’s imagination and thoughts for almost two decades now.
; Jarrod cleared his throat. “So, seeing that I’m on the cusp of thirty and you’re not too far behind, I figured I’d better get us out here before life takes over again, and we never get the chance. Who knows? Maybe we’ll find some of the innocent sparks we once had as kids. Remember a thing or two about ourselves … who we were before the … you know.”
Seems too soon is coming now rather than later. “I can’t say I’m happy about this, bro.” He believed his gruff voice to be a perfect match for the anger he held in check.
“Didn’t think you would be.” Jarrod tweaked the thermostat and a gust of warmth blasted into the truck’s cabin. “Man, you used to be adventurous. Thought you still were since you’d joined the military.”
“Yeah, when I enlisted and in the first few years. The last two years, I sat behind a console testing and flying remote control drones. Not much action there. Guess I’ve grown cautious in my old age.”
Jarrod snorted and didn’t say anything further, ending the conversation.
The rest of the drive occurred in silence, which was fine with Cameron. No telling what kind of argument would ensue if he opened his mouth and let his ire out via some heated words. He hated being mad at his brother, but Jarrod’s deception stung him pretty deep. A call or pull to go back or not, his brother should have been more up front with him.
In an attempt to soothe his mental wound, Cameron stared out the side window, letting himself become mesmerized by the monotonous scenery zipping by them. Miles later, Jarrod turned off the main route. The desolate hills, bathed in early morning sunlight, closed in, funneling the road to their specific destination. Like the desert wanted to lure hapless victims into the gaping maw of the canyon.
He hadn’t felt that way about this place as a kid when his family had first arrived, but now? Another chill slithered down his back.
Distant memories came to the front of his mind, grew sharp in their clarity.
Mom, before grays took over her brown hair. Dad, before the wrinkles, weight gain and heart disease set in. Me and Jarrod, excited about the adventure we were all on in the Southwest. Sight-seeing in historic locations. Touring some ghost towns. Canoeing the Colorado. Camping under the stars. Perfect for rambunctious teenaged boys.
And the trip had been wonderful.
That was until their last guided hike and that one mine the tour guide had pointed out.
The man had said it was off limits, then followed with tales of ghosts and hell hounds. The stories and the allure of the place being forbidden triggered a sense of curiosity in Jarrod and him. It was like telling someone on a high perch not to look down, or a mother telling a child not to touch the stove because it was hot. Of course instructing us not to do something only made us want to do it more. So, what did the two of them do? They’d made plans to go explore the mine when they had the opportunity to sneak away.
We were such stupid kids…
Chapter Two
About fifteen years ago…
The last evening of the camping trip, the adults in the tour group had settled the children into their respective tents around eight thirty. He and Jarrod thought because they were the oldest of the kids they’d be able to stay up, hang out at the campfire some more. But no. All the parents said they needed some adult time.
Several minutes after their mother and father relaxed by the campfire with the others, Jarrod grabbed a flashlight—his signal it was time to go. Cameron shoved a few more snacks and two water bottles into his backpack and followed his brother out of the shelter.
The cool desert night cloaked them. He and Jarrod appeared as one of many dark shadows against the arid landscape when moonlight slipped out from behind a thin layer of high clouds now and then. On silent feet, he trailed his brother away from their tent and the watchful eyes of their parents. After they rounded a large rock outcrop, Jarrod switched on the flashlight and held up a fist. Cameron stopped short behind and peered around him.
Down at the bottom of a short incline sat a man beside a small campfire and a travel trailer attached to the hitch of a pickup truck.
“Hunker down for a moment,” Jarrod whispered. “Let’s get the lay of the land.”
Cameron knelt next to his brother, not taking his eyes off the man just yards away. The play of the firelight on the man’s face accentuated his cheekbones and jaw, made some of his shoulder length, platinum blonde hair appear like a brilliant red-gold, desert sunset. The man stretched out an arm and poked the fire with a long stick. Flames leapt and danced. Sparks rocketed toward the sky. He sat back and smoothed his hair away from his face. The actions made his shirt stretch against his body, briefly showing spots of well-defined muscle definition.
A slight gust of air swept up the hill, carrying with it the scent of the stranger’s campfire and something else. Cameron inhaled a long breath through his nose. Apple cider, pumpkin pie and pine trees. His favorite smells. They reminded him of the holidays at the end of the year. He loved when he could be with his immediate and extended family, people who made him feel comfortable and super happy. But there weren’t any pine trees around. And the man didn’t look to have any drinks or sweets lying about.
Mesmerized by the guy’s movements, Cameron stayed rooted to his spot, fighting the fluttering in his stomach, hyper-aware how his heart banged against his chest. He had a deep sense he knew the man, like really knew him, from his stubbornness and wanting things to be in a certain order to his humor, intelligence and kindness towards others and animals. Cameron couldn’t help feeling like they were connected somehow in all physical, mental and spiritual aspects.
Yet, he’d never seen him before in his life.
Mustering his will, Cameron finally managed to move his hand and tug on his brother’s jacket. “Jarrod, my stomach’s bothering me. It feels like my heart’s competing in a horse race, too. Maybe we should go back?”
“Quit being a baby. We’re not going back. Tonight’s our last chance to go check out that mine. You’re just excited about our adventure.”
Cameron didn’t think his brother was right. He believed the sensations in his body were caused by the sexy man at the fire, but he nodded anyway. They didn’t need to fight and be caught and grounded before they had some fun.
The man stood, giving Cameron an idea of his height, and stepped into the trailer camper.
“Come on. Now’s our chance to slip by.” Jarrod took off at a quick pace, keeping low and close to the shadows of a trail leading up the hill.
With longing, he looked once more at the place where the guy had been sitting. His heart no longer seemed to be racing but shrinking. Cameron frowned. He would have liked to have one more glimpse of the man, but he also realized his desire was for more than that. Cameron wanted to stay with him.
From a dark spot up the hill came his brother’s harsh whisper of his name. He crouched-ran to catch up to him.
“Do you know where you’re going, Jarrod?”
“Yeah. You know I have a great memory.”
Try as he might to be silent and tread cautiously, Cameron’s roaming thoughts about the guy at the campfire made him lose focus, and his feet slid on the rocky ground. Pebbles dislodged from their spots bounced and skidded on the dry land. The scraping of his footfalls and the loose gravel echoed louder than normal in the still night of the canyon.
“Dude, you wanna wake the dead or what?” Jarrod stopped and shined the light in Cameron’s face.
He held up a hand to block the brightness. “Sorry, Jarrod. I’ll be more careful.”
Jarrod bobbed his head once then swung the light back in the direction they needed to head.
Cameron blinked several times to refocus his vision to be able to see in the dark after being momentarily blinded by the flashlight. He loved his brother, but, using a phrase their father liked to say about their grandfather, “there were times he could be an ornery bastard.”
Forget the adventure, the search for ghosts and checking out a piece of the past regarding some cur
se. Forget about rattling some chain at a mine and seeing if some spectral canines showed up. So what if he was scared of the dark, what lay ahead, and acting like a sniveling baby. He wanted to run back to camp.
Glancing over his shoulder, he tried to gain his bearings. All that stretched out before him was hidden in the dark, save for the outline of the mountains jutting up to the sky in sharp jagged edges. Without the flashlight, or the knowledge of which trail to take if he encountered more than one, he wouldn’t be able to find his way back. And getting lost in the desert at night wasn’t something he wanted to do.
If he bothered Jarrod again about wanting to return to camp, no doubt his brother would call him a scaredy-cat or maybe something worse, and Jarrod would blame him for ruining his fun. He didn’t like or want that either.
Frightened to stay. Too scared to turn tail and run. Afraid of pissing off his brother. Maybe he was a big baby.
Jarrod came to a halt and held up his hand. “Did you hear that?”
Cameron cocked his head and listened. “I don’t hear anything. What did you hear?”
“I could have sworn I heard a chain rattle. Just like the tour guide described. We must be getting close.”
“I don’t know about this, Rod. What if an animal has made the mine its home and doesn’t like company?”
“There won’t be any animals in there. Don’t you remember what the guy said? There’re only ghosts around and in the mine.”
“Ghosts. Great.” Cameron jammed his hands into his arm pits. “I don’t know what’s worse. Real or spirit wildlife.”
“Come on, Cam. We’ll be fine. I got your back.”
Treading along the terrain as carefully as he could, Cameron prepared to flee the area—regardless of not knowing the route—should any yellow-green eyes appear in the flashlight’s beam.
Possessed by Him Page 1