What the Outlaw Keeps

by Samantha Leal

  She began to speak but shook her head, thinking better of it. Sometimes talking got her in more trouble than it was worth. Maybe if she kept her trap shut he would leave her alone. But the likelihood of that was slim to none. This time she wasn’t able to get away.

  “You stupid bitch, you should have stayed out of it. Cameron knew what he was doing. And now they’re after me.” Campbell jabbed his knife in her direction as if he were going to stab her. Lana didn’t fear many things, but in this case she certainly wasn’t feeling confident about her chances. An erratic man with a sharp weapon wasn’t a good mix—ever.

  “He wouldn’t have gotten the time I would,” he continued, as if that explained it all.

  She nodded, slowly understanding. Cameron was going to take the rap for his older brother. She already knew the two were only fifteen months apart, and they were closer than anyone could ever imagine. She shuddered. The things she had come across sickened her. They definitely weren’t your everyday ordinary family.

  Cameron planned to do whatever punishment he got. He’d be out of jail and back on the streets before Campbell was able to commit another crime.

  Maybe.

  That was loyalty, and Lana shouldn’t have been surprised, but she was. She couldn’t imagine taking the blame for something she didn’t do, no matter how much she cared about the person.

  She held up her hands in surrender. “Let’s calm down, Mr. Marks. I haven’t told anyone anything, and I won’t. I’ll forget about it all, and then we can go on with our lives like nothing happened. Okay?”

  Campbell laughed wildly. “Yeah, like I believe that shit for a minute. I’m not stupid, you condescending bitch.” He ran a shaky hand through his dirty blond hair. “And people actually believe the shit you spew?” He stepped over her, and she cowered against the wall. As he leaned his face against her cheek, his hot breath whispered against her ear, “You’re going to pay for messing this up for me.”

  Lana shuddered and gagged. The feel of his breath on her skin turned her stomach. “Please,” she said. She wasn’t exactly sure what she was asking for. At that moment she only knew that she wanted him away from her.

  Conner’s beast roared, and his body shook with rage. His bear tried to break free, but even though he was still out of it from his injuries, he knew that couldn’t happen. All he knew for sure was that he needed to get somewhere and he needed to get there fast. It was the whole reason he left the hospital.

  He wasn’t sure why he had felt the urgency to come this way, but even with no memory he knew not to ignore the bear inside of him. Instinct alone led him further into the city to a parking garage.

  Really, what the hell?

  But his other half paced inside his head, pushing him to hurry. He sped down to the lower level of a parking garage, and it wasn’t until he heard a woman’s plea that he knew why he was there.

  He didn’t know shit, except right at the moment it didn’t matter. The sound of her voice tightened his gut. His beast pawed at him, urging him to follow her voice. Otherwise, he drew a blank. He didn’t know what happened before he ended up in the hospital. The doctor said his memory would return in time and it could be a little at a time or all at once. Right now, that didn’t matter

  The woman cried out, and something inside him snapped. He rounded the corner to see a man standing over a beautiful, plump woman. Both man and beast wanted to kill.

  Mine! his beast cried in despair.

  Conner shook his head in shock.

  My mate.

  He took a deep breath, inhaling her delicious scent and then narrowed his eyes on the man who was touching her. The man stunk of sweat, marijuana, and alcohol. He was also very sick, but the biggest problem was his waving a knife at Conner’s woman.

  Conner barreled towards the man and swung a meaty hand at him, knocking the knife to the ground. The man hadn’t even seen him coming. He was too engrossed in scaring the woman. She gasped, and when he looked down at her, he saw a tear slide down her cheek. He wanted to reach down and wipe it away, but the man had shaken out of his daze and dove for the fallen knife. But Conner wouldn’t let him get that far. In one quick move he grabbed the man by the scruff of the neck and held him up, feet dangling in the air.

  “You dared to touch her!”

  The man paled and lost control of his bladder. The stench of urine filled the air, and Conner held him further from his body. Shaking him again, Conner felt disgust for the puny excuse of a man.

  “Did you hear me? Don’t touch what isn’t yours, you worthless piece of shit!” Conner dismissed the man as a threat and tossed him to the side, not caring if he hurt him severely or not. It didn’t matter. He was on his deathbed anyways. Instead, he focused on the woman, who was watching him with wide, innocent eyes.

  Conner knelt in front of her and placed a big hand on her forearm. His heart raced at the first touch and a tingle ran up his spine as heat filled his body.

  Ours, his beast rumbled from within.

  Conner’s jaw fell. She gasped at his touch and looked down at his hand. He pulled it away. “Sorry.” Then he smiled. “Are you okay? He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

  She swallowed and shook her head. “You showed up in time. Thank you.”

  “Where can I take you?”

  She pointed right in front of her. “That’s my car. He cornered me before I had the chance to leave.”

  Again, Conner touched her arm. She didn’t seem as scared. Her heart had slowed to a regular rhythm. “Let’s get you up off the ground then, okay?”

  She nodded and allowed him to pull her up. He gaped at the woman before him. She was a tall woman with curves any man would fall to his knees for. She held herself with a confidence most women didn’t, and he found that was sexy as hell. She wore a tight skirt and a jacket. He could tell she was some type of business woman. His bear whined, wanting to be free.

  She was perfect for him. She wasn’t too short or too small that he would hurt her. Fate had led him to his mate, after all the time he spent avoiding it. Now he wondered why. He didn’t even know her name, and at that moment in time, it didn’t even matter that he didn’t know his either.

  Chapter 2

  Lana kept her eyes on the biggest and sexiest man she’d ever seen. He must have been at least 6’5 because with heels she was about six feet and he towered over her. It didn’t escape her notice that he was in a hospital gown, and she sighed. Go figure he’d be a nutbag. Who left the hospital in a gown except a crazy person? His hand held hers and their gazes locked. His eyes were a deep shade of blue, and there was something about him that pulled her in. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach and her clit throbbed with need. It’d been too long she since she’d had sex, and this man didn’t have to do anything. She was aroused just by looking at him. Licking her lips, she cocked her head to the side. He followed the movement with his eyes like a hungry beast, and her heartbeat quickened.

  She was so engrossed in him that she forgot about Campbell until it was too late. He snuck up on her angel and jammed the knife into his side. Roaring in pain, her rescuer fell to his knees. Lana screamed and stood frozen. Then the psycho pulled out the knife and wiped the blood on his pants coming towards her.

  “It's your turn, bitch. Bigger doesn’t always mean smarter.” Campbell shoved her back, and she fell to the ground. She paled, knowing that she was going to die. He was crazy and clearly had no qualms about killing. Her body shook with a fear she had never felt before as sobs wracked her body. There were no words, no getting through to him. He was clearly off his rocker. Campbell knelt beside her with evil in his eyes and poised the knife above her. Lana squeezed her eyes shut and held her breath, waiting for the white, hot agony of being stabbed.

  But it never came.

  She heard a shrill scream and the smack of something hitting the pavement, followed by a loud, sickening crunch. When she opened her eyes, she froze. Her eyes rounded in shock and terror. She couldn’t breathe. A giant bear was standin
g over Campbell’s limp body. Blood poured from him and seeped over the concrete.

  “Oh my god,” she whispered. The beast turned towards her with intelligent eyes.

  She shook her head in disbelief and leaned back. It wasn’t possible. But where did her angel go? There was no way he picked himself up and left. Not when he went out of his way to save her, and he was injured. The bear’s eyes were the same deep blue she’d gazed into minutes earlier.

  The man who saved her was the bear.

  Standing up, Lana brought her hand to her feverishly hot forehead. She felt as if she might collapse, so she held onto the post to regain her balance. After a moment, though, she leaned over and vomited. Her eyes watered and tears slid down her cheeks. The stress had taken over, and as she let go, she realized something: her life was about to change and there wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it.

  Conner watched his mate as she turned away from him in fear. His beast lowered his head in shame, but he wouldn’t regret saving her from the man with the knife. It was his job to protect her. He didn’t enjoy feeling her fear, though—especially her fear of him. She didn’t need to be afraid of him--he’d never hurt her. Closing his eyes, Conner tried to remember...anything.

  He wasn’t doing well himself, but as soon as he had shifted, he started healing. He still tender, however, and it was too soon to be injured again. It was worth it. And even though he didn’t know who he was by name or who his family was, or hell, why he ended up waking up in a hospital bed, he knew one thing: That woman was his, and he had just protected her the way it was intended. With that in mind, he shifted back to his human self and pulled the gown back on. It wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing.

  He ambled towards her slowly and placed a hand on her back. She tensed beneath his touch and he dropped his hand. “He was going to kill you.”

  Plain, simple truth.

  “I know,” she replied, but she didn’t look at him. “Who are you?”

  Conner scratched his head. “I don’t know.”

  This caught her attention. She spun to face him and laughed humorlessly. “You don’t know? You turned into a bear and killed someone, but you don’t know who you are?” Her voice rose and her face turned bright with anger or fear, he wasn’t sure which. It could have been both.

  He shrugged. “I was at the hospital. The doctors said I have amnesia, so no I don’t know who I am until my memory decides to come back. What I do know is I’m a man who is also a bear. He’s a part of me, and he killed to protect his mate.” Conner wasn’t going to beat around the bush. Something clicked. It seemed being blunt came natural to him.

  “I’m sorry, mate?” she sputtered.

  He raised his big hand and cupped her jaw. At first she tensed, but then he rubbed his thumb lightly along her jawline and she relaxed some. “Yes, my mate.” His eyes shined with excitement. Touching her was right. “What’s your name?”

  She worked her mouth a few times so he dropped his hand back to his side.

  “Lana.”

  “Beautiful,” he replied. She still was shocked by him. “We should probably go?” His eyes drifted to the dead man, flaring with anger. Conner would have died before letting him harm Lana.

  She shook her head. “I can’t leave. I’m the prosecuting attorney for the case we were building against him. He didn’t like it.” She peeked around him at the body and shuddered. “His brother was planning to take the fall, but the judge threw out the case because there was no evidence. Until now, anyway. The police had finally tied Campbell to the crimes. This isn’t going to look good.” She bit her bottom lip.

  Conner nodded, but he didn’t like this news. He wanted to take her away. “What should we say?”

  She sighed. “I don’t know. At this point, we’ll both end up in jail. The police will send you back the hospital for your injury first.” She paced. “I can’t go to jail. And you can’t go back to the hospital. They’ll think you’re crazy and lock you up.”

  “Then let’s go somewhere safe, and you can call and talk to your police friends. Explain what happened.”

  “No, I can’t leave, and I won’t be able to come back. My DNA is on his body.”

  Conner growled. “Why?”

  “Probably because he rubbed all over me.” Shaking her head, she groaned. “I know what I have to do.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I have to call my mother.” She said it with both fear and awe. Conner wondered what her mother would be able to do to make this better. Even without his memory, he wasn’t dumb. He knew the implications she would face, and the ones he would face as well. It wasn’t a good situation. And he didn’t think his mate’s mother would be able to do much to help.

  “I think we should go somewhere first, before you call your mom. It’s only a matter of time until they find him. We have a little time, though, since it’s late.”

  “I can’t just run.”

  “I didn’t say that, but maybe you shouldn’t be here when you call her.”

  Lana nodded. “I guess. I should probably go home—and you’re coming with me. I might have something you can wear.”

  Conner nodded, but he didn’t like hearing that she had men’s clothing that would fit him. His bear growled and plopped down unhappily, jealous of a past he didn’t know.

  Chapter 3

  Her angel's attitude changed, and she didn’t understand why. She gestured for him to get in her car and he did, but now he sat in the passenger’s seat in stony silence. She started to ask what was wrong, but the glare he sent her way changed her mind. She had no idea why he was so mad. She was taking his advice and leaving the scene of a crime he committed. It wasn’t like her. She had always followed the rules and breaking them was tough.

  She pulled out of the parking garage, carefully avoiding Campbell’s body, and shuddered. She never imagined being a part of a crime. But if it weren’t for the man sitting next to her, she wouldn’t be breathing. Deep inside, she knew he had saved her life, and now it was her turn to save him because he was going to need it. He killed a man with his bare hands. No one was going to believe it was an accident. Hell, she wasn’t even sure if it was. He hadn’t said it was. He just told her he had to protect her.

  She drove out into the night. Luckily it was getting late and the sun was down. She had some time before she had to call it in, and she needed a drink, or three. But first she needed to find out what the hell she did to piss him off. He had been so sweet, calling her his mate, and now he wouldn’t even look at her.

  She stopped at a red light and put her hand on his bicep. He tensed and his muscle flexed beneath her fingertips.

  “Why are you mad?”

  And why the hell wasn’t she yelling at him for being an asshole? Instead she was calm and actually felt like she should be apologizing for something. She didn’t understand why she felt so attached to him, why she cared so much about what he thought of her, and why she was not being her normal bitchy self when a man pissed her off.

  At first he didn’t respond. But then he sighed. “You said you may have something to fit me. I’m a large man, and I don’t feel comfortable with you handing me clothes from the men in your life. My bear doesn’t like hearing about it either. We are protective and apparently pretty damn possessive.”

  Lana laughed and squeezed his arm. “The clothes are my brothers’ and they are all bigger than me. It runs in the family. I figured one of them left some stuff around throughout the years.”

  Suddenly, his eyes brightened and he stopped moping. “Oh, brothers we can handle.” Then he shook his head with a blush. “Sorry, for being an ass. I guess I’m not used to this, and I really don’t know how I would normally act. My bear is acting like I’m an idiot. I feel lost.”

  “I get that, but please try not to make assumptions about me. We both have pasts; you just can’t remember yours right now.”

  “Fair enough.”

  A horn honked behind them, so she turned her at
tention back to driving. Speeding down the highway, Lana decided she was going to her retreat rather than her home because honestly, she was scared. She didn’t want to go to prison, and she certainly didn’t want him to go.

  He was quiet again, but this time he looked deep in thought. She wondered what his life was like, and found herself growing more attached to the giant man. He was really sensitive for such a big guy. And apparently any talk of past lovers was out of the question. She smiled, feeling for the first time like she might have found someone who cherished her, and only her. It would be a nice change.

  ***

  Lana pulled into the driveway of her family’s cabin. It was secluded and safe. She loved being in the woods, and she thought her guest might appreciate it as well. His eyes said it all, and he looked like he was going home.

  “What’s this place?”

  “It’s my family’s cabin. We used to come here all the time as kids, and now we come here as adults when we need to get away. No one should be here now, though. ”

  “It’s a beautiful home.”

  “Thank you. Now let’s get inside, and you can get cleaned up after I call my mom.”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  She got out of her car and stretched. This was her second home, and the longer she was a lawyer, the more often she came here to hide out. They went inside and he sat on the couch.

  “So what do I call you, then, if you don’t know who you are?”

  “You can call me whatever you want, I guess,” he shrugged. “A name is just a name, after all.”

  “Fair enough,” she said, pulling out her phone. She dialed home and waited. As soon as her mother said ‘hello’ she got straight to the point.

  “Mom, I need your help.” She proceeded to tell her mother what happened. She pulled the phone away when her mother’s voice rose too high. Her bear’s eyes widened when he heard her mother.

  “I know, mother. It’s not like I asked for this.” She nodded as if her mother could see her. “Okay, so I’ll wait for you to come to me.”