Mountain Man Daddy

by Kara Kelley

  “I’ve been watching you two, and his discipline didn’t make you well-mannered enough for my liking, Miss Trent. I should have left you in his care a little longer.” He shook his head. “I don’t have the taste for disciplining in such mild ways, love. I favor more blood.” He chuckled, glancing at her over his shoulder as he dragged her on. “Let’s not speak of unpleasant things right now though. You’re a smart girl, my dear. You’re exactly right. I’m the killer he never caught.”

  Avery shivered. Not only had this murdering psychopath been watching them, but he’d already turned Mike’s life inside out once before.

  * * *

  Mike stared at the dark-haired man holding the gun in front of him. The man quite obviously wasn’t used to holding a revolver and with his stance, Mike could take him down in one move. Mike wasn’t worried about him. He only wanted to find Avery. His heart raced in fear and concern for her. He was only biding his time to find out who he was and if he was responsible for Avery being missing. Was this one of the men who had killed Alex? And if he was, had he taken her? He’d gone inside to find her missing after talking with two New Brunswick conservation officers about the cougar, but when he ran out to look for her, he’d run straight into the dark-haired douche holding a gun.

  “Where is she?”

  Mike’s brow quirked. He’d like to know the answer to that same question.

  “Who?” Mike asked, playing dumb.

  “Don’t lie to me. I know you know where she is. I know Avery’s been staying here.” He paused and looked Mike in the eye. Mike’s heart pounded faster. If he didn’t have Avery, who did? “Oh, the girl from the accident?” Mike pulled his work gloves out of his pocket and threw them on the chopping block. The guy’s eyes followed nervously.

  “Move back. You’re too close to that ax.”

  Mike stepped to the side but stayed focused on the gunman.

  “She left. I have no clue where she went. I’m a loner if you can’t tell, and people don’t tend to stick around long. I’m a bit of a dick.”

  “You’re lying, Mike.” Mike’s heart stopped at the use of his name. How the fuck?

  Mike snapped his fingers, distracting the gunman, did a leg sweep, and snatched the gun out of his hand before the man even thumped against the ground. He started to rise, and Mike put his booted foot on the man’s chest and shoved the gun into his jeans.

  “Who the fuck are you?”

  The guy moaned, and Mike asked again, stepping harder on his chest.

  “Who?” he demanded.

  “Alex. Alex Donovan!” He coughed and held up his hands. Mike narrowed his eyes. What the hell? Avery’s husband was supposed to be dead. What was going on?

  “I came for my wife, Avery Trent.” He looked around. “If you think you can keep her hidden and happy in this mountain shack, you’re wrong. That girl’s used to a different standard of living.”

  “But you’re supposed to be dead, Alex—or should I say, Peter?” Mike crossed his thick arms calmly despite his racing mind and heart. He kept enough pressure on Alex’s chest that he couldn’t get up. Where was his Avery?

  “It was a scam, but I had no choice this time.” Fear was evident with the way sweat beaded on Alex’s upper lip and forehead. His eyes widened. “They would have killed me if I didn’t tell them about her trust fund.” Mike bared his teeth. He wanted to step on the guy’s face. “Explain, asshole, before I put a boot print on the inside of the back of your skull.” He lifted his booted foot and hovered it over Alex’s face.

  “Okay, Jesus, okay!” Alex scooted back, and Mike lowered his foot. “I’ve got a gambling problem. I emptied our accounts on a big poker game. I went all in on what I thought was a sure thing. I lost, but when I explained that Avery’s multi-million-dollar trust fund was coming through in a few months, they let me play on. I lost it all.” His throat worked as he swallowed hard.

  “You’re a worthless piece of shit.”

  “But she left me, so I had to get creative. I came up with a scam. They pretended to kill me so she’d believe they were willing to do anything to get the money, but she ran.” He blew out. “She was never supposed to run.”

  “And?” He raised his foot again.

  “No one was supposed to get hurt, but they’ve been killing people. Anyone she had anything to do with.” He rubbed his face with his hands. “I knew they’d kill us, too. I was stupid. I made a mistake, but I know she loves me and will take me back. I just want to get my wife so we can go somewhere far away, luxuriously sunny, and stay hidden for the rest of our lives.”

  Mike’s eyes narrowed. Avery was his, and it took every ounce of willpower he had not to stomp his boot down.

  “How’d you find her?” he growled, his lips drawing back to bare his teeth and he set his foot back on Alex’s chest.

  “She always wanted to see the east coast again, so I figured she’d head this way. I called Avery’s friend Becca and explained that Avery was in trouble. She reluctantly told me Avery had her cell phone, so I tracked it.”

  “There’s more. Spill, asshole.” The tone of Mike’s voice was even foreign to him. He sounded savage.

  “Okay, okay! Can I get off the ground?”

  “No.”

  “Jesus, man, I’m sorry. Just let me up.” Alex sounded remorseful, but Mike didn’t trust him.

  “Talk, asshole.” He put pressure on his chest again, making his eyes bulge.

  “We were on her trail, but we lost her after the last place she got gas. She must have turned off the phone. When I realized the guys weren’t going to let either of us walk away, I gave them the slip. I was hoping I could find her first and save us both. I was sitting in a hotel in Quebec checking the phone again, and I got a hit. I came straight here and I found the Jeep, so I got a hotel and came back the next day to look around. That’s when Prescott found me.”

  Prescott? Fear froze his blood. He stepped back and shoveled a hand through his hair. Sweat broke out all over, and his heart slammed against his ribs. He had to have heard wrong. “What the fuck did you just say?”

  Alex paused, probably noticing the change in Mike’s demeanor. “Prescott said he knew where Avery was and pointed out the cabin.”

  “And you didn’t think that was at all suspicious, you moron?”

  “Of course I did.” He tried to sit up on his elbows, but Mike knocked him back with his boot. “I asked why he’d told me, and Mr. Prescott said he needed me to distract you for a bit, and if I did what he wanted, he’d hand her over to me.” Mike stepped back, grabbing the ax and let Alex sit up and lean against the chopping log.

  “Have you been screwing my wife, Mike?”

  “Since Alex Donovan is a fake identity, you’re not legally married, douchebag, and you’ve got the damn brain of a frozen pea.” Mike slammed the ax into the block hard, knowing the pipsqueak would never be able to pull it out. “You’ve just killed her, and even if you don’t care about her life, you’ll never get the trust fund now.”

  “What?” Alex questioned, scrambling up onto all fours. Mike started back toward the cabin. “What do you mean?” Mike turned back. “What happened to the other two in on the scam?”

  “I have no clue where they are. Probably trying to find me.”

  “Two conservation officers were here just before you. They showed me pictures of two bodies found down by the river last night. A bald one with a snake tattoo and a black-haired guy with a scar on his cheek. Sound familiar? They were left wounded and tied to a tree. They made a nice meal for the wild cougar in the area.”

  Alex swore and lowered his head into his hands before looking back at Mike expectantly.

  “Prescott used you as a distraction, but he never leaves witnesses.”

  “What the hell do I do now?”

  “My suggestion is to get your ass to the police station and beg them to lock you up and throw away the key because that’s the only way you’ll survive this.” Mike turned and walked away. “And Alex, if I catc
h you on my mountain again, you’ll be leaving with broken bones.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  In the cabin, he collected his thoughts. Pacing, he knew he couldn’t rush off without a plan. Prescott was smart, and this wasn’t about Avery, it was about him. His skin was crawling, and anger rippled under it. What the hell did he want? Why was he here?

  He picked up the deck of cards on the table and threw them. They flew, fluttering around before falling across the floor.

  Someone pounding on his door made his reflexes kick in, and he grabbed the gun out of his waistband and aimed it at the door.

  “Come in.”

  “He wants to talk to you.” The muffled voice from behind the door was Alex’s. Alex pushed the door open, raised one hand, and reached the cell toward Mike with the other. Mike looked at it, biding his time, his thoughts erratic, and then he grabbed it. His stomach clenched as it had all those years before. It was a phone call just like this that had started everything. Prescott had called and asked for him by name, and every time he called after that there was another girl, another race against the clock to find her, and another family that had to be told. He wouldn’t fail again. His beautiful little girl would not become another of Prescott’s victims. He’d die before he let that happen.

  “Prescott,” he said, barely containing his anger and fear. It wasn’t the way their conversations usually went. Mike had always been patient in the past. “Where’s Avery?”

  “Hello, Michael. How are you this fine day?”

  “Where the hell is she?”

  “Now is that any way to speak with me, Michael?”

  “No, but the things I want to say will only hurt Avery.” Prescott made a tsking sound. “You’re certainly right, Michael.” And to prove his point, Avery screamed in the background. Mike hollered in anguish at her pain. His whole body shook with rage and terror. “Stop! Okay, okay! I’m fine, Henry. How are you?”

  “That’s better. I’m wonderful, Michael.”

  “What have you done with her? She has nothing to do with me or you, so let her go back to her old life with her husband.”

  “Nonsense, she loves you, Michael, not that ninny. I can see it in her eyes. This one’s a keeper.”

  “Why are you doing this? I’m not a cop anymore. You win.”

  “Aw, Michael, it’s not about winning or losing, it’s about the game!” He sounded excited as if he were discussing the strategy of chess. “You quit halfway through, and I don’t like quitters. I’m going to start killing again, Michael, and if you don’t resume your place on the board, I’ll step up my game starting with this pretty little thing.” His laugh chilled Mike deep to his core. How could someone sound so sane when speaking words so incredibly maniacal? His fist clenched at his side, and he closed his eyes. He felt so helpless. He’d promised to keep Avery safe. He’d told her over and over he’d protect her and now she was in the hands of a true psychopath.

  “I’ll find every brunette slut I can, and rip ‘em from teeth to twat until you do what you’re supposed to. Think of Lydia, Michael.”

  Mike gritted his teeth, his knuckles white from clutching the phone. He couldn’t trust himself to speak.

  “Well? Are you going to go back and trade in the retirement badge for your old one?”

  Mike gathered a breath.

  “Don’t hurt her. I’ll do what you want, but you have to let her go.”

  “That’s not how things work, Michael. I need some collateral. I’ll keep her safe, and I won’t hurt her too much if you do what you’re supposed to. I’m due to pick my next victim any day now, aren’t I? I’m excited, Michael. I’ve been on hiatus for a long time waiting for you. I considered using Annie, years ago when I found you hiding here, but even I don’t have the stomach for elder abuse. Besides, this is so much bigger than you know. I need your head in the game. Now that I have Avery, I know I’ve got you.” He sighed happily as if they’d just struck a mutually beneficial business arrangement. “I’ll pick my girl, and we’ll resume our cat and mouse, and when I’m satisfied you’re fully invested again, I’ll let you know where you can retrieve your little girl.”

  Icy ghost fingers crawled up his spine. His little girl was in the hands of the worst killer in Canadian history, and he now knew Prescott had done his homework—he’d been watching them.

  “Let me talk to her,” he demanded quickly. “I need to know she’s okay, and I need to tell her I’m going to do what you ask. She has major trust issues, Prescott. If she doesn’t think I’m going to bother, she’ll do something stupid. You have no idea how reckless this girl is. She drove off the road to save a moose because she thought her life was less valuable.” Mike glared at Alex, who still hovered by the door. He instantly looked around to avoid eye contact with Mike. Mike felt another pull in his gut to hurt the man responsible for Avery’s pain.

  Prescott sighed, sounding annoyed, but Mike heard him moving. He could almost see him assessing Avery. There would be intrigue on his face. After hours and hours spent on the phone with this man, Mike knew Prescott had a thing for the out of the ordinary. People he couldn’t predict fascinated him, and God knew Avery was endlessly unpredictable. “My dear, I need you to take this call.”

  “Avery?” Mike demanded, his heart in his throat.

  “It’s so good to hear your voice.” She sounded lighthearted, not like she was in the most dangerous situation of her life. He felt pride for his strong lady.

  “I’m going to get you out of this. Just cooperate with Prescott, and we’ll get you back in my arms where you belong, okay? Can you do that for me? Can you please just be my good girl and behave until he brings you home to me? I mean that, Avery, home with me. You’re mine.”

  “Okay, but can you do something for me?”

  “Tick tock, kids,” Prescott said ominously.

  “Check on my Uncle Bernie. He’s sick, and since I’ve been away, I haven’t contacted him. I know he’ll be worried. Can you call him and tell him I’m okay?”

  “You be good, and I’ll get ahold of Bernie and tell him not to watch too much Bugs Bunny.” He played along in case Prescott was listening, but he knew exactly what she was telling him. She was somewhere in the top of his mountain.

  “Okay, enough.” Prescott was back on the line. “You’d better be in full action, my dear Michael or your girl will be next. I’m going hunting tonight. I think I’ve got the perfect girl in mind. This will end with you—with us.”

  Mike walked to the closet and grabbed his black box. He opened it, stared for a moment at the pictures of Ella and Lydia, slid them to the side, and grabbed his badge.

  “Did you bring a car?”

  Alex looked at the badge in Mike’s hand and opened his mouth without speaking.

  “The life of the woman I love is on the line, and I will break your jaw if you don’t hurry up and answer me.”

  “Yes.” Alex paused, paling. “I’ve got one.”

  “Good. Let’s go.” He shoved Alex out of the cabin and slammed the door behind them.

  “Where are we going?”

  Mike didn’t have time to drive to the RCMP location in Moncton, so he’d go to the police station in Bathurst and make contact from there. He needed to find Avery, and he needed backup. A blip in his gut over Avery made him start to jog out of the cabin.

  “To the police station. Hurry the hell up. That’s where I get my job back, and you get to live.”

  * * *

  Prescott tightened zip ties around Avery’s wrists and the arms of the wooden chair she sat on in the middle of the dank hunting shack. He’d already secured her ankles to the chair legs. Both pinched uncomfortably, but her feet tingled with numbness already.

  “I’m sorry about the unpleasantness, my dear, but it’s necessary.” He stood, slow and methodical in his every move, and assessed his work. He gathered a breath and dug into his pocket, pulling out a container. He opened it, shook a tablet into his palm, and popped it into his mouth.

&n
bsp; “I won’t run. I’m tired of running. Sitting for a while might be nice.”

  He chuckled and her stomach rolled. He was an older man and looked more CEO than killer, but his chuckle—that was definitely a killer’s. He had chewed the white tablet, and chalky residue coated his lips.

  “Funny, I’ve been watching you two for days, and I’d think sitting would be the last thing you’d want to do.” He rubbed his chin and circled her like an animal might circle its prey. “Michael isn’t what you call him, is it, Avery?” She lowered her face, feeling her cheeks heat. God, how much had this man seen? How long had he been watching them? “Did you grow up in a single parent home, dear?” He tsked. “So many women these days with daddy issues.”

  Avery refused to answer. She wouldn’t sully the beauty of her relationship with Mike by allowing this monster to discuss it. “Don’t you think keeping me right under Mike’s nose is a little reckless?”

  “Right under his nose is exactly where I’ve been every time. He never checks his own backyard.” He stopped, pulled another chair out, took a moment to tug up his pant legs before sitting in front of her. He narrowed his eyes and scrutinized her face. It heated further. He took a bottle from a case of water on the floor and cracked it open. He took a swig, swished and swallowed, grimacing in disgust.

  “You’d think after all these years I’d learn to like the taste of those things.” He shuddered. “Chalky and nasty but they do the trick.” He patted his trim stomach. “It’s funny, I eat well and I keep myself in prime shape and still…” He sucked air through his teeth.

  “Acid reflux,” she said, and a smile spread on his face. He turned, pulled a straw out of a convenience store bag on the table, and plopped it into the water bottle. Avery thought of her own reflux and realized since she’d been with Mike she hadn’t needed an antacid even once.