Into The Storm

by Melanie Moreland

  INTO THE STORM

  MELANIE MORELAND

  All characters and events in this publication, other than those clearly in the public domain, are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2013 Melanie Moreland

  Published by Melanie Moreland

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form or binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

  Cover Design: Mayhem Cover Creations

  Interior Formatting: Mayhem Cover Creations

  Editing : Emma Stephen

  DEDICATION

  This book is dedicated to Kate.

  For her friendship, her encouragement and her belief this had to happen. Without her, my dream would have remained where it was … a whisper I was too scared to listen to. She screamed it for me.

  Thank you my friend. You mean so much.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-One

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Epilogue

  About The Author

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  To Liz, Sally and Trina. Thank you for your wisdom, support and eyes. You have read, encouraged, and been great friends and this would not have happened without you.

  Deb – what started out as a common interest, blossomed into a friendship which is a great gift to my life. Your support is always there. Thank you for being you.

  My online readers who asked for this – here you are. Thank you.

  Holly—you stepped in and made this some alive. Your talent amazes me. Thank you.

  And finally. To My Matthew.

  My giver of love and the strong, safe place I call home. Nothing is complete until I share it with you – so here you are, my darling husband. I love you. Always.

  Prologue

  The snow swirled around wildly in the fierce wind. I could hardly see in front of the car. I knew it wasn’t safe and that I should pull over, but I had to get away. I needed to get as far away from there as possible. I shifted in the driver’s seat trying to find some relief. The ache in my side, from being hit repeatedly, flared painfully again, the burn intense. The slight shift in my concentration made the car swerve on the icy road and I struggled to regain control.

  I could feel the tears running down my face. My head ached. Everything ached. I was so tired; yet I had to keep going as I’d only been driving for a few hours. Was it three? Four? I had no idea at this point, but I hadn’t gone nearly far enough. He would be able to find me with no trouble. I reached up and wiped away the moisture from my cheeks and winced as my hand came into direct contact with the bruised flesh.

  So angry. He’d been so angry over something so utterly inconsequential. This time he’d lost control and hadn’t stopped. Unlike the other times, these bruises would be visible for people to notice.

  I shivered, remembering the one thing that had saved me from a worse beating; his iPhone had rung with his assistant’s ringtone. That had snapped him out of his rage and he walked away, leaving me gasping in pain on the floor. When he returned, I was curled up in a ball with my knees sheltering my chest, trying to find the strength to stand up.

  He grabbed my hair hard and pulled me up, causing short bursts of pain to resonate through my head. “I’ll be back in a few hours and we’ll finish this,” he snarled, and then released me with a jerk. I heard him storm out the door, slamming it behind him, and I knew when he came back he would pick up right where he left off. Somehow, I found the strength to grab a few things and get to my car.

  I knew I had to get away from him.

  The storm that had been threatening all day hit when I was about half an hour outside the city. I had no idea where I was headed; just away. Now that the snow and wind had gotten so intense, I was one of the only cars on the highway. I wasn’t sure how much longer I would be able to keep driving. My windshield wipers could barely keep the window cleaned off anymore, and I heard a harsh sob escape my lips in frustration. I slowed the car down but kept driving, needing as much distance between me and him as possible. I wondered if any distance would be far enough. I kept my eyes trained on the road, turning up the radio to help keep me awake.

  The snow became increasingly heavy and I knew I would soon have to find a place to stay until it relented. With a heavy heart I knew I had driven as far as I could for now and I had to find a motel and pay cash. If I used my credit card, which was on his account, he would be able to trace it. I strained my eyes, trying to see if there was any place coming up ahead where I could pull off. I had stopped in a small town a short while back to fill up with gas and briefly I wondered if I should turn around and seek shelter there for the night.

  Just then, I hit a patch of ice and the car swerved from side to side. I fought to gain control and finally came to a sudden stop in the middle of the road. After taking a few deep breaths, I looked around and had no idea which direction I was facing. After a few moments, I chose to keep heading in the direction I was pointed and prayed it was taking me away from, and not back to, the hell I was fleeing. I drove as quickly as I felt I could, considering the treacherous conditions. I came to what I thought was a fork in the road and followed it to the right. The road seemed to have gotten narrower and I hadn’t seen a directional sign for a while, either. Had I somehow strayed off the highway onto a smaller road when I spun out?

  Suddenly, the road took a sharp turn and I felt the car shudder as I tried to make the curve and stay on the slippery surface. But I was driving too fast and the back of the car fishtailed. I tried overcompensating, only to find myself in a complete skid heading swiftly for a tree. Desperately, I cranked the wheel but the car veered out of control and continued sliding. I felt the hard impact and a sudden sharp pain in my head, and then the world went black.

  My eyes fluttered open; I wasn’t behind the wheel anymore. I could hear movement, which meant I wasn’t alone, either. I was so cold; so very, very cold, and I hurt…everywhere. I heard myself groan and my eyes shut again. Suddenly, there was a low, rugged voice somewhere close to my ear. “I’ve got you; you’re okay.” Although spoken quiet
ly, the voice sounded displeased. I tried to speak, but all that came out was another small groan. Something wet was on my cheek. The sensation was rough, warm and wet. Something was licking me? I raised my hand and felt soft fur.

  “Leave her alone, Bear!” the voice said in a sharp tone, now openly angry.

  There was a funny hummphing noise and the licking stopped, but the fur came closer and I felt it settle beside my head, its warmth comforting. I tried raising my head, but the pain was too intense. There were more noises and the car felt like it had started to move at a slow pace, but I was unsure. Then the movement ceased and I felt arms come around me, lifting me. I gasped at the onslaught of pain, my eyes flying open as it tore through me. The last thing I saw before I passed out was a pair of intense ice-blue eyes staring at me, filled with confusion and resentment.

  Chapter One

  Joshua

  Shutting the door behind me, I looked around. The wind was still fierce and now the heavy snow had joined in and I knew it was going to be an ugly night. Judging from what they said on the news, more ugly nights would follow. I slowly made my way to the barn to check on the generators, aware of the fact I would most likely lose power soon. Earlier, when the storm had started, I had opened the gates so I would be able to plow down the driveway to the road when the storm passed. Once I had built enough courage up, I would also plow out the road, so deliveries could get in. Then I would immediately shut the gates again. I was grateful I had a full delivery of groceries: supplies and liquor arrived only yesterday, so I wouldn’t have to worry about anything while the rest of the world coped with the aftermath of the huge storm. I was good for a few weeks. I’d been through this before and knew what to expect and how to be prepared.

  Bear ran ahead of me, rolling in the snow and chuffing away as he chased the swirling flakes. I had to smile. Damn dog could find delight in anything around him. Entering the barn, I made sure the generators were ready to be fired up. My large 4x4 truck was already equipped with its plow and everything was prepared. A strange noise suddenly caught my attention and I saw Bear’s ears perk up as well. I walked to the door, recognizing the noise.

  A car. On my property.

  How the hell had someone found my driveway in this weather? Just as I was wondering, I heard a loud crash; and then there was silence. All of a sudden, Bear took off barking in the direction of the noise and I followed, yelling at him to return. He disappeared from sight, and I cursed as I followed as quickly as I was able. Last thing I needed was him getting lost in this fucking storm. I rounded the bend and froze in my tracks, looking in disbelief at the car that had crashed into the large oak tree by one of the trickier bends in the drive. I felt the stirrings of panic at the thought of who might be in the car. There were only a few I allowed on my property and it wasn’t a car I recognized. Part of me wanted to turn around and go lock myself in the house until whoever it was went away, but Bear was pawing and barking madly at the passenger door, which was swinging open in the wind. Taking in a deep, cold breath, I realized the driver must be hurt, and I knew I couldn’t walk away.

  I made my way to the car and did a quick inspection of the situation. The engine was still running, and the extensive damage was on the passenger side where it had slammed into the tree. I could see a figure slumped over the wheel. The passenger door was hanging open from the impact, and I bent down and leaned into the car with nervous reluctance.

  Behind the wheel was a woman. She was unconscious, and I could see her head was bleeding. I looked around, feeling helpless, unsure what to do next. Obviously, the only person around to help her was me. Bear was pushing and shoving me from behind, trying to get into the car, and I fell forward, tripping over something beside the door. Ignoring it, I pushed him back and crawled into the car.

  Unsure of the injuries I was dealing with, I slowly pulled the woman away from the steering wheel. I could see a lot of blood and there were already bruises on her face. She was very pale and felt cold to my touch. I quickly undid her seatbelt and carefully tugged her over to the passenger side. I struggled, but managed to get the door shut before I moved around to the driver’s side and slid in, after getting Bear into the back. I wasted a few seconds trying to figure out how to move the seat back so I could attempt to drive the vehicle up to the house.

  I heard a groan beside me and leaned over to assure the woman she was okay. Bear’s enormous head appeared over the back seat and I watched in shock as he licked her cheek, as if giving her comfort. He never went near anyone but me. I growled at him to get down and he surprised me by ignoring me once again and settled his head onto her shoulder. I saw her hand reach out and touch his fur before dropping back into her lap. Bear stayed where he was and I shook my head.

  I was surprised but grateful when the car actually moved. I could hear the tire protesting as the dented metal from the car rubbed loudly where it was crushed into the wheel well and I hoped it wouldn’t go flat before we made it closer to the house. I maneuvered the car up to the barn and parked it in the empty space beside the truck. I moved around to the passenger side and opened the door. I gathered up the injured woman and heard a sudden gasp of intense pain as I straightened up. Startled, I looked down to see her staring back up at me, confused. Her tear-filled eyes were wide with pain. For a few seconds our eyes locked and then she went limp. But not before I also saw another emotion flit through her eyes.

  Terror.

  I laid the unconscious woman down on my bed and stood back, uncertain of what to do next. Bear sat down beside me and looked up at me with one of his chuffs.

  “What?” I snarled at him.

  His answer was one of his usual looks that said, ‘Duh, stupid human.’ He raised himself up on his enormous paws and pushed at the form on my bed and looked back at me.

  I nodded. Right. I needed to look after her and check out her injuries. I went and got some cloths, bandages and warm water. I should probably clean her up a little so I could see what I was dealing with. When I came back, Bear was stretched out beside her on the bed.

  “Yeah, get comfy. That helps a lot,” I snarked at him.

  He ignored me and proceeded to lay his head down beside her. I saw a shiver go through her body.

  Fuck, she was probably freezing.

  Damned dog actually knew what he was doing, trying to warm her up.

  I put down my supplies and got to work. I undid her wet, rather useless, coat and pulled it off her, gently lifting her to do so. Even unconscious, she let out a low groan of pain. I grabbed a blanket and draped it over her as I tried to clean up the blood on her face so I could tell if she was still bleeding or not. As I gently wiped away the blood, I frowned. The lump and bruise that were forming on her head were obviously from hitting the steering wheel. But another, even darker bruise was too low to have happened when she hit the wheel and there was a shape to the bruise. A definite outline. I bent lower, trying to discern the shape. My investigation stopped when she shivered again and I could see her shirt was wet from the snow and blood.

  Taking a deep breath and hoping she didn’t wake while I was undressing her and begin screaming, I pulled off her shirt to change her into dry clothes and was horrified at what I saw: bruises covered her torso and arms. I lifted one arm and examined it. The dark impression of a large hand was wrapped around her small bicep, as if someone had used an ink roller then pressed their hand into her skin. It had taken a lot of force to make the clear imprints. Her right side was also deeply bruised, red and swollen. I shook my head. These injuries were not from hitting a tree. Suddenly furious, I removed her pants and found more bruising on her legs. Sickened, I realized I could actually make out the outline of a shoe print and, when I looked again, saw it matched one of the marks on her side.

  I felt the bile rise up in my throat. Someone had hurt this little woman and unless I was mistaken, she was trying to escape from whoever did this. There was no other explanation as to why she would be out in this hellish storm. She had to be running.
The anger I had been feeling at the unwelcome intrusion melted away as I stood looking at her bruised and battered body. Unpleasant memories of waking up in the hospital, beaten beyond recognition, swam through my mind. It had happened years ago, but I could still remember the pain I had been in.

  Cursing under my breath, I cleaned her up as best I could, before dressing her in a set of my own shorts and shirt to cover her body. Not only was she a great deal shorter than I was, she was thin, and my clothes were huge on her but would at least warm her up. I added a couple of blankets and watched as Bear climbed back up on the bed and settled back down beside her. This time I didn’t protest.

  The lights began to flicker and I knew I need to start up the generators and close up the barn. It had been impossible to do so with the unconscious woman in my arms. Leaving Bear with the woman, I grabbed the flashlight and I made my way outside, slower than ever. The efforts I had put forth had added a huge strain on my leg, and I was now limping worse than usual.

  Just as I got to the barn, I was plunged into darkness as the power finally gave out. I turned on the flashlight and powered up the generators that would keep the house going for a while. Then, struggling against the fierce wind, I closed the barn doors and made my way back to the safety of the house. Inside, I stripped out of my wet clothes and changed into dry ones from the laundry room. I lit some candles and lanterns, and then made my way back to the bedroom to check on the woman.

  Bear was still beside her and chuffed happily at me when I entered. I stroked his massive head as I looked down at her unconscious form. What if she didn’t wake up? What if she had internal injuries? I shook my head sadly. No one could get here even if I could call for help.

  And I couldn’t leave to get help.

  It had only been the last few years, after I got Bear, that I was able to leave the house. Still, at times, I felt the surge of overwhelming panic when I did.