Wrecked for You

by Mayer, Kristin

  “Yeah, I know. But I’ll catch more. It’s fine.”

  It almost hurt to let such a beautiful fish go, but it wasn’t my catch. Hollis grinned. “It’s all in being prepared.”

  I took a sip of my coffee. “Beginner’s luck.”

  “We’ll see.”

  Hollis rebaited his pole and lowered it down again. Not four minutes later, he pulled out another trout as big as the last one. He smirked. “Beginner’s luck?”

  “What kind of bait is that?” I needed some of that shit.

  “A true fisherman never shares his secrets.”

  “That’s not a motto I’ve heard.”

  “I might have made it up, but it should be one.”

  We laughed, and an idea hit me. “So, you know Kane is going to give you shit about all your…”

  “Accessories?” Hollis offered.

  “Yes, accessories. What if we put your bait in my canister when we all come back to fish? We’ll challenge my brothers to some sort of bet.”

  Hollis nodded, a wide grin on his face. “I’m in. And I know the perfect thing for when we win.” He leaned back with a smug look. “Let’s just remember the moment when the New Yorker taught the native Alaskan a little about fishing.”

  “Touché, my friend. Touché.”

  * * *

  Later that day, we all sat around the hole. Hollis and I were in the comfy folding chairs, and Kane and Drake sat on buckets. Drake shook his head. “Man, I can’t believe you guys didn’t get me one of those chairs.”

  “I’ve got one on the way for you. We’ll have it for next time,” Hollis said.

  Drake held out his fist. “Thanks, man.”

  Kane closed his eyes in obvious distress about his brothers embracing the finer things in life. I nearly spit out my coffee when Hollis asked, “Are you sure you don’t want one, Kane. My treat.”

  Kane shook his head. “No. Anyone I camp with would piss on my blankets if I brought that.”

  We all laughed, but Kane continued to scowl. He and Drake were losing our fishing bet… big time. Hollis and I kept reeling in the fish while Kane and Drake cursed like no one’s business.

  “What the hell, man? Are you cheating?” Drake asked when I reeled in my next fish.

  I chuckled. “Sore loser much? I have a pole and bait, same as you guys.”

  Kane narrowed his eyes. “Something seems fishy.”

  “I don’t know how it would seem fishy since you’ve only caught one each,” Hollis whispered.

  Grinning, Kane nodded. “Good one.” Then deadpanned, “Not.”

  Hollis reeled in another one and said, “I’m tired of counting, we’re so far ahead. I think I’m going to sit here and drink my coffee until you admit defeat.”

  We set our poles down. My brothers cursed again.

  I smirked. “I hope you guys are ready to pay up.”

  When we’d initially made the bet, my brothers were so smug they never thought we’d win, especially with the novice fisherman who spoke about the lateral lines and peduncles of the fish or whatever the fuck he spouted. Hollis grabbed his backpack, where the punishment awaited.

  “My life fucking sucks right now.” Kane leaned back. “Are you seriously going to make us wear those ridiculous hats?”

  Hollis pulled out two of the Paul Bunyan hats he’d ordered for us; both were black with black fur. It could have been worse. I’d seen him debating about blue ones with red fur at one point.

  I gestured to the hat. “Maybe it’ll help you get back into your Alaskan mindset. Something must be wrong with your chi since you only reeled in one fish.”

  Kane shot me the bird. Drake took the hat and put it on. He looked like a doofus, and I nearly fell over laughing.

  Drake patted his head. “Man, this is warm.”

  “Told you.” Hollis replied. “Here’s yours, Kane.”

  Kane begrudgingly took the hat. “I’m about to lose my manhood. So help me… if I start spouting shit about love and whatever else the fuck you guys say, I’m going to lose it.”

  I raised my eyebrow. “You’re not doing very well with that dramatic-effect cussing Mom taught you.”

  Kane’s scowl only deepened, and I got two birds this time. We laughed. Poor Kane. He wasn’t used to losing, especially when it came to hunting or fishing.

  Hollis quipped, “You never know, Kane. Maybe you’ll reach a level of enlightenment you never knew existed.”

  He closed his eyes and shook his head. “I seriously doubt it.”

  When Kane put on the Paul Bunyan hat, I swore I nearly died. Hollis took his off. “There’s a great feature to the hats. If it’s not quite chilly enough, you can tie up the earflaps on top of your head like this.”

  Kane’s eyes widened in horror while Drake nodded. “That is a nice feature.”

  “What is wrong with you?” Kane playfully punched Drake. “You’re acting like you like this hat. You look like a penis wearing it.”

  I nearly rolled out of my chair I was laughing so hard.

  “You’re an ass,” Kane spat at me.

  “And you look like a princess,” I replied.

  Drake put his arm around Kane. “A penis and a princess. Now that’s a combination.”

  Kane threw his head back and whispered, “Kill. Me. Now. Please. There’s no way Paul Bunyan would have traded his beanie for this ridiculous piece of shit.”

  We all laughed. Life was good.

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Kory

  What a nice escape from reality. We’d been at the cabin for two days; I’d needed it more than I realized. At this point, I’d given up on regaining my memories. Part of me wanted to remember, while the other part was afraid of what those memories would bring. If it was meant to be, it would happen.

  Tomorrow we were returning to our lives back in Skagway. I loved it up here and hoped we could come back again in the spring, but I was ready to go home. Earlier today, Hayden and I had taken some time to ourselves to go exploring. He’d shown me the smaller cabin down the way. It was where he’d planned to take me before my parents showed up. It was beautiful. He promised me we’d fly the floatplane here at some point for a weekend escape.

  At times I wanted to pinch myself to wake up from this dream I now called my life.

  The guys had decided to do some night ice fishing since they most likely wouldn’t be able to go in the morning. Drake and Kane were pissed at how much Hollis and Hayden were catching. And the hats they had to wear when they were outside were hysterical. Hayden had confided in me that he was using Hollis’s secret bait. I wondered what he had bought, but Hollis was remaining tight-lipped on his little secret.

  I was glad those two had become good friends. Hayden had friends all over the place, but Hollis was his closest guy friend. Someone he could talk to about anything. It made me happy for him.

  Kane was fiercely competitive, and not understanding why he wasn’t able to catch the same amount of fish as Hollis was eating him up.

  I stretched and set my book aside. Alexa had gone up to soak in the bath while Devney and I read on the couch. It seemed like she was done reading, too. “How are things with Hollis?”

  She leaned her head back on the couch. “I feel like I’m losing him. I’ve tried to talk to him a few times about this, but he only tells me he wants me to be happy.”

  “And what would make you happy?”

  “I love Hollis. He’s not like anyone I’ve ever met. What he’s done for my mother. For me. I…” Her eyes grew teary. “I’m not sure he feels the same way about me.”

  I touched her hand. “I think he does, but I think he’s afraid to sway your decision. Hollis doesn’t want to be something you’d regret.”

  She sniffled, wiping her eyes. “Maybe, I don’t know. I’m going to have to decide soon. I know what I want, but I’m afraid to take the leap. And I think he’s hurt that I haven’t told my mom about him yet.”

  “Why haven’t you?”

  She shrugged
with a sigh. “With her being so sick, it just hasn’t come up. The focus has been on her treatments and what’s going on with her health. I feel guilty sharing that I’m happy.”

  That made sense. “The only real advice I can give you is to follow your heart.” That was one thing that had never led me astray in the years I was alone. It had kept me strong, fighting for independence and a way out.

  Alexa opened the bathroom door upstairs and called down to us, “Anyone need anything while I’m up here? I’m almost done.”

  “Nah, we’re good.”

  Devney grabbed my hand. “Please don’t say anything. I don’t want Alexa to feel like she has to get involved. Hollis is her best friend.”

  “Anything we say, I’ll always keep in confidence.”

  “Same here.”

  A few minutes later, Alexa came down the stairs holding two DVDs. “Are we feeling Pretty Woman or While You Were Sleeping?”

  Devney and I said at the same time, “While You Were Sleeping.”

  “Excellent. I’ll pop the popcorn.” Alexa tossed the DVD to me.

  Devney got up. “I’ll make the drinks.”

  “I’ll get the firewood.”

  I loved the comradery that came with having girlfriends.

  I stepped out onto the porch, pulling my coat tighter around me. The porch creaked, and I nearly jumped. In the shadows, a man sat, smoking a cigarette. The red tip burned on his inhale. “Run, and it won’t be good.”

  I froze and nearly screamed. “Who are you?”

  “Eric.”

  Landon’s father. I glanced around to see if anyone was with him. Stay calm. I wanted to scream for Hayden, but I remembered his warning. “What are you doing here?”

  “Trying to figure out what happened to my son. The last I heard, he was heading up here to visit you.”

  My heart beat double time in my chest. There was something dangerous in the way Eric spoke. He’d always scared me, but right now he was exposing his true nature in a way I hadn’t seen before. I cleared my throat. “I’m told he came.”

  “You weren’t here?” He shifted and inhaled his cigarette again.

  No memories had come back, and for that, I was glad. “No, I was there, but I don’t remember it. I have no memory of the day he came.”

  “What the fuck happened?” he snapped.

  I jumped at the irritation in his voice. A shiver trailed down my spine. “I… uh… I only know what people told me.”

  “Which is…”

  I quickly relayed what I’d been told. “Landon flew in. We met for lunch at the Red Onion to catch up. Landon put a patch laced with drugs on me. The doctor said it was something called Devil’s Breath. Landon planned to kidnap me. Why, we aren’t sure. The FBI was there. When they questioned me in the hospital, I learned Landon was involved in drug trafficking. There was something about expanding into Anchorage. They said it was classified and wouldn’t give details.”

  “Where did they take him?”

  “I don’t know. They wouldn’t say.”

  Another moment passed, and I saw the end of the cigarette light up again. “Have you talked to your parents?”

  “Not since they came to visit two week ago. After they left, I reached out to Landon because I missed my friend. I was in a rough spot. When I woke up at the medical clinic, the last thing I could remember was going to bed thinking Landon was coming the next day. I’ve tried to remember, but nothing comes.”

  He swore under his breath. “Who was with him?”

  “They said his name was Ray Longston, but I don’t remember him. There was a pilot, but I haven’t heard what happened to him. And Landon. That’s all I’ve been told. I don’t remember anything. I swear I don’t, or I would tell you.” I asked without thinking, “Is it true about the drugs?”

  “I’m not here to answer your questions. Are you involved with someone?”

  Why are we switching topics? If Eric thought he was going to take me back to Washington, he had another think coming. I wouldn’t go without a fight. “Yes, his name is Hayden.”

  Since our wedding was a secret, I omitted the fact we were technically married.

  There was another long pause, and my insides shook from the nerves. “Answer this carefully. Have you ever heard of the Fraternity?”

  Oh shit. I was glad it was dark so he couldn’t see my eyes. I thought for a second. “The what?”

  He sighed. “The Fraternity. Think hard. If you lie, it won’t be good.”

  The threat sent a chill down my spine. If I answered too quickly, it would be obvious I was lying. It had to be timed well. “I don’t think so. Why? What is the Fraternity?”

  I hoped my voice sounded convincing because inside I was shaking like a leaf.

  “Nothing. If your memory comes back, I suggest you pretend it never did. Do you understand?”

  What does that mean? Is Eric giving me a pass? “Y-yes.”

  He stood. “My son’s made quite a mess out of things. I don’t need the added stress of dealing with you. Consider yourself lucky.”

  “Mr. Masterson, I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I wouldn’t want to cause your family or mine any issues. You’ve been part of the family for quite some time. And though things didn’t work out with Landon and me, I still consider you family.”

  “You’re either a very good liar or you mean that. It doesn’t matter; keep it that way, and we won’t have issues. You’ve made your decision to stay away from your family. Don’t contact them again.”

  “Yes, sir. It won’t be hard. They’ve never wanted anything to do with me.”

  I heard voices just past the cabin. The boys were coming back. “I must go. Just know, I could be watching at any moment. I suggest you not fuck up this gift.”

  And like that, Eric Masterson disappeared into the night.

  My hands shook, and I leaned against the pillar for strength. He would be watching me. If I said something too soon it might cause problems. I would have to find a way to tell Hayden. Find a safe place where I could tell him everything.

  For now, I would have to put on a brave face and pretend nothing happened.

  Will I ever be free of the Fraternity?

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Hayden

  As we touched down back in Skagway, Kory chewed on her lip as she looked out the window. I wasn’t sure what was going on in her head, but she’d been withdrawn since last night. Shortly after I got back from ice fishing, she’d told me she was tired and going to bed. To give her space I took a shower first. I’d planned to ask her what was wrong after giving her some time to work it out, but she’d been asleep when I’d come to bed. Then this morning, there hadn’t been a time for us to be alone. By the time I got up, Kory was in the kitchen, cooking breakfast for everyone.

  Maybe she had remembered something. Or maybe she was truly tired. I wasn’t sure.

  After getting the plane hangered, we said good-bye to everyone. The walk to the truck was strained. This wasn’t my imagination. When we got home, we’d be discussing what was wrong. I cranked the truck, and Kory laid a piece of paper on my lap. It was her handwriting. I went to pick it up, but she gently placed her hand on my leg, keeping the note there.

  What was going on?

  I read it from my lap.

  Be discreet. Don’t say a word, but we need to go to a place we can talk. Not home. Someplace private that can’t be watched. A place no one would expect for us to go. Eric, Landon’s father, visited me while you were ice fishing. He said he was watching me.

  What. The. Hell?

  My eyes searched hers, and she looked back at me, imploring. Be discreet. Did they bug my truck? I drove out of town. Even locked away somewhere, Landon was still causing issues. “Are you too tired to do something? I had a thought.”

  She gave me a smile, and I saw relief that I had taken her seriously. “No, I’m not too tired. The last few days have been nice. I feel rested.”

  “Good. I’m going
to take you to a favorite place of mine. It has beautiful sunsets.”

  This place wasn’t on our property, and I had only been there once. There was no way they knew this wasn’t a favorite place of mine. About thirty minutes later, we pulled up to the side of the road. I put on my Paul Bunyan hat. “This thing is actually really warm. But man, making my brothers wear one for shits and giggles was the highlight of the trip.”

  She giggled. “Kane looks so miserable. It’s like someone stole his Christmas presents.”

  “I know. It’s going to be great seeing him wear it all winter long.”

  We got out of the truck, and I took Kory’s hand as we walked through the field listening to the snow crunch beneath our feet.

  “Where are we?” she asked.

  “It’s just a random field that has a pretty view. Not on our property, so it should be clear.” I stopped and nonchalantly checked my surroundings. There wasn’t a soul in sight. And if there was, there was no way they could hear us if we kept our voices low. To the passerby, it would look like we were admiring the sunset.

  “What happened, Kory?”

  She relayed the story to me, and I saw red. The asshole had threatened her. Actually threatened her. And he said he was giving her a gift. Who the hell were these people, thinking they could play games with someone’s life? When she finished, I asked, “Anything else?”

  “No. It’s a blessing I don’t have my memory back. If I did, I’m not sure what Eric would have done. But I think in light of what happened to Landon, he doesn’t want any more attention brought on him or those associated with him.”

  “Agreed. What about your parents?”

  She tucked some hair behind her ear and leaned into me a little more. “I was warned not to contact them. It hurts. I wonder if they’re okay. They came through for me in the end, and that’s hard to walk away from. They do love me.”

  “Yes, they do.” It broke my heart to hear her like this. “You know the private investigator we hired?”

  “Yeah.”

  “If you want, from time to time we could have him check on your parents to make sure they’re okay.”