by Bryce Evans
“Oh, you don’t need him to show you that. The apartment is above my store and I have a spare key. If you want, we can get the guys to unload all of your things while I show you around your new place. How does that sound?” Quinn asked.
She stopped and checked out the woman standing before her. “Why are you being so nice to me?” Simone got the same feeling about Quinn that she did with Finley, but what if she was wrong? She thought Terry and his friends were good people too, and look how that turned out for her. She was scared to allow anyone else in her life that would hurt her. But maybe this was the place she needed to be. So far Mr. Olsen had been right; she loved it here in New Hope. The store was perfect and Finley was so generous, and now Quinn.
“I was hoping we could be friends.” Quinn said simply.
At the moment, she didn’t have a choice. Simone needed to get along with these people, since she would be dealing with them on a daily basis, but she didn’t have to trust them. She nodded and followed Quinn out of the back room, where Bane and Finley were waiting.
What she didn’t understand was how much she liked looking at Bane. Yes, he was gorgeous, with his short blond hair that sparkled as the sun shined in through the window, or every time he looked at her with those hazel eyes her body lit up like a Christmas tree. He was perfectly built, with muscles and long legs that seemed to go on forever. She just didn’t need this right now. Simone had a plan and she needed to stick to it. In fact, she had the plan written out. As soon as she got to her apartment, she was going to tape it to the bathroom mirror so she could look at it every day. Remember it and put the plan into motion was going to be her new motto.
As soon as Bane saw her, he immediately started to apologize. Walking up to her, he pulled the napkin away from his nose. At least he wasn’t bleeding; she felt bad for hitting him. She shouldn’t have done that.
“Simone, I’m sorry. I just saw you on the floor and…” Holding up her hand, Simone needed to apologize too. She needed to make friends here, if she was going to live in this small town, and hitting people wasn’t her style. Simone didn’t know what came over her. She just got caught up in the moment.
“Let’s just forget about it. I need to unpack and get this place ready to open soon.” Simone picked up her keys and waited for Quinn to explain. She tried not to look at Bane anymore, but every time she glanced up he was staring at her. It made her uncomfortable; she wanted to know what he was thinking, but was too afraid to ask.
What if he can see right through me? What if he knows the truth? Mr. Olsen promised he wouldn’t tell anyone.
Simone had a plan and she was going to stick to it. The plan did not include a love life. Work, be successful, and have enough money to start over and depend on nobody.
“Bane, if you and Finn could unpack her car, I can let her in the apartment and then we can help her get her store ready for customers.”
“Sure…yeah, just give me your keys and I can pull your car around back and carry your bags up.” Bane answered, almost relieved to leave. She watched as he held up his hand for the keys.
As soon as her fingers grazed his, she felt funny, as if an electric current ran through her body. How strange, she thought. She glanced at Bane and found him taking in a sharp breath. Quickly, Simone pulled her hand back, acted like nothing was wrong, and followed Quinn out the back door of her store, while Bane and Finley went out the front.
This day wasn’t turning out like Simone thought, but she decided to go with it and see where she would be living for a while. She was tired from the long drive, but wanted to get as much set up today as she possibly could, then get an early start in the morning.
Quinn opened the door to the upstairs apartment and walked inside, but what Simone found inside wasn’t what she expected. The apartment was small, but she loved it. The kitchen and the living room area were all open, with cabinets made from dark wood that contrasted wonderfully with the stainless steel stove and refrigerator. They even had granite counter tops. Though it was only a one bedroom, the tall ceilings made the apartment look huge.
“What do you think?” Quinn asked.
“Beautiful, just beautiful. I love it. Are you sure that it’s okay for me to stay here?” Simone held her breath, hoping Quinn didn’t mind.
“Are you kidding? I’m thankful that someone who appreciates what I did to the place will actually make use of it.”
“Quinn, you did a great job decorating too. Look at this gorgeous painting of the wolves. This must have cost you a fortune!” They stood before the work of art side by side and admired the remarkable likeness of these predators.
“It’s so detailed and beautiful. The colors are magnificent.” Simone loved the composition, and how the artist captured the wolves’ fur blowing in the wind.
“Just cost me for the paint and frame. I painted this.” Simone looked over at Quinn, shocked.
“Oh Quinn, you are so talented. This picture would sell like hotcakes, and not for a cheap price in New York. I love going to museums, and you my dear have created a masterpiece. All the details you have are magnificent. If you need to take this picture and sell it, I totally understand. It’s simply priceless.”
“Thank you Simone. I like to paint. It relaxes me and I lose myself in the process. Maybe, one day. I have many more pieces, but never thought they would sell for that kind of money. I might check it out and see. Maybe even get in touch with a gallery.”
“I have a friend back home in New York; she has a small gallery in Brooklyn. I can give her a call, if you want?”
“Let me think about it.” Quinn answered with a smile.
“You let me know if you want to. Now, let’s finish this tour so I can get to work on the store.” Simone turned and walked into the only bedroom. It was decorated wonderfully, with a fluffy comforter on a king size bed. All Simone really wanted was to crawl up on it and take a nap, but she had to get some things unpacked, or she wouldn’t be able to start baking tomorrow.
“When I saw this comforter, I had a feeling you would like it. I hope you don’t mind me picking it out? If you don’t like it, you can pick out another one. We sell them in the store. Along with pretty much everything you see in here.” Quinn said.
Running her fingers down the comforter, Simone smiled at how soft it was. “It’s so soft that I may never get out of bed.” Simone giggled at the thought. This place was unbelievable. Her apartment back in New York had cracks in the walls that the owner wouldn’t fix. There wasn’t one crack that she could see; everything looked new.
“Good. I had the kitchen stocked, so you should be good for at least a week, but once the town finds out your new, expect lots of casseroles.” It felt odd to be here and how nice everyone was to her. They didn’t even know her, and here they were helping her unpack and get her store ready. Weird. Or maybe it was just how small towns were. Hell, you could be lying on the street of New York dead, and nobody would even give you a second look.
Simone turned around and smiled at Quinn. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“It’s just that everyone is being so nice to me…that I’m waiting for the catch.”
Quinn smiled. “You know, I felt the same way when I got here too. In fact, I had a hard time adjusting to it and became kinda paranoid, but once I got to know the people, I just knew that they were genuine with their concern for me—they actually cared. Just take it in stride. Even I’m still getting used to living in a small town and how everyone is in my business. By tonight, they’ll probably know your life’s story.”
Simone felt ill. She didn’t want anyone to know about what had happened to her. Sitting down on the couch, she put her head in her hands. Nobody could know. If anyone knew, then Terry might find out where she was.
“Simone, what’s wrong?”
Without raising her head, Simone whispered, “Nobody can know about me. He will find me.” Fear was a terrible feeling; once it got hold of you, it could take complete control o
f you and make you do things you never thought you would.
“Who sweetie? Who will find you?” Quinn sat down beside her, rubbing circles on her back. Only Mr. Olsen and his wife had ever been this nice to her, but could she trust Quinn? Could Simone trust her to keep her secret?
Simone glanced up, her body tight with fear. If she gave Quinn the details, all of her dreams could blow up in her face. There was only one way to find out, and that was to pull the trigger. “We don’t know each other Quinn, but I…”
Quinn put her hand on her shoulder, “Simone, I know you don’t know me, but you can trust me. I won’t tell anyone what you tell me.”
Simone took in a deep breath and gave Quinn the short version of her life with Terry. “I had a boyfriend, who at first was sweet and kind, until he wasn’t anymore. Then the devil came out. This is just a taste of what he does.” Simone stood up and raised the hem of her shirt.
“Oh Simone, honey.” She stood up, “That son-of-a-bitch deserves to die, and if he ever comes here, trust me—he will get what’s coming to him. I can promise you that.” Before Simone could pull her shirt down, Bane stood at the door with a box in his hand.
“Holy shit. What happened?”
Simone jerked her shirt down and quickly ran to the bathroom. She only intended to tell Quinn, but now Bane had seen the worst of her injuries. He would think she was nothing but problems. Hell, she was a problem, filled with nothing but issues.
She heard whispering in her bedroom, then silence. Why in the hell was she hiding in her own bathroom? Simone made a damn promise to herself in that moment that no man would ever hurt her again. She was getting a gun, and if that piece of crap came looking for her, she would be ready for him. Simone looked at her reflection and bowed her head. “Yeah, you’re a real tough woman.”
“Knock, knock, knock. Simone, can you come out?” Quinn asked.
Let’s get this over with and done, Simone thought, so she could start getting her store in order. Simone opened the door and found Quinn alone in her bedroom. “Bane is getting the rest of the boxes, but…he want ask you what happened. He will wait until he gains your trust, but he hopes you’ll tell him your story one day. He’s a real nice guy, pretty damn funny, and a good friend.”
“I shouldn’t have told you, I don’t want you dragged into my drama.” Simone opened the box on her bed and started unpacking. “I’m not interested in finding a man here in New Hope. Trust me when I say that I’ve had enough of the male population and have no intention of getting to know them better. All I want to do is start over without being beat black and blue.”
“It can get very lonely keeping everyone away, but I hope we’ll grow on you, and I hope that we’ll become friends.” Quinn smiled.
Simone looked over at Quinn, “I hope so too. I don’t have any friends, except Mr. Olsen and his wife. They were my bosses, so I guess you could say they weren’t my friends but my employers, but they treated me like family. I can’t believe that I’m even telling you this. I’ve broke all of my rules with you, but I feel like I can trust you.” Simone put her hand on Quinn’s shoulder, “You haven’t put a voodoo spell on me have you?” she asked, a quiet laugh in her amused voice.
Quinn winked, “No not yet.”
Chapter Five
Exercising restraint, Bane walked down the steps and sat at the bottom. Now he knew why she was looking behind her all the time—she was worried she had been followed. Simone didn’t get those bruises from a fall. She had jerked her shirt down so fast he didn’t get that good of a look, but he knew. Quinn wouldn’t confirm it for him, but he knew when someone was abused. It even explained the way she ran to the bathroom. Simone was afraid of someone, but who?
Before he could ask any questions, Quinn held her finger up to her mouth, silencing him. “Please, don’t ask her anything now. Let her get to know us and trust us. Let her trust you, Bane. If you push her now, she’ll only run.”
All Bane could do for now was agree not to ask her any questions just yet, but nobody said he couldn’t do what he did best, and that was find out about people. He didn’t need to bother her to get the answers he needed; Bane would get them all on his own.
No matter what, he would protect her—nobody would ever hurt her again. First, he needed to know what S.O.B. did this to her. He didn’t bother with an in depth background on her before; Arden said that Mr. Olsen’s word was good enough for him, but Bane would bet his bottom dollar that Arden knew the truth. Mr. Olsen wouldn’t have sent her here without giving that information to the Alpha first.
Arden Dixon was the smartest man he knew, and he was very thorough in his job. He would never allow someone to move next door to his mate without knowing everything about them.
“Slacking already?” Finn said joking.
Getting up from the bottom of the steps, Bane made his decision. He needed answers. “Finn, I’ve got to go and talk to the Alpha. Can you handle this by yourself?”
“Sure, you okay?” Finn asked concerned.
“Listen, keep an eye on Simone until I get back.” Bane didn’t wait for him to answer. Finn was a guard in the pack now, and he knew what to do; Bane had no doubt he would protect Simone if danger came looking for her.
As he drove back to his office, all he could think about was Simone and what she must have gone through to get all those bruises on her body. Rage surged through him when he saw how bad it was. Her ribs appeared to be healing, but the pain must have been unbearable. Humans didn’t heal like a shifter did; she had to have gone to the hospital. That meant there had to be a report. Maybe even a police report.
It was obvious Simone was ashamed of what had happened when she caught him staring. The woman was always running away. Now he knew why, but he needed to know more. He would find out who did this, and nobody would ever hurt her again.
How could a man hit a woman? His hands started to shake, speculating who could have done this to her. Bane could hear the plastic and leather cracking as he gripped the steering wheel harder.
Taking in deep breaths, Bane tried to calm down before he reached the pack house. His eyes turned bright yellow as he glanced in his rear-view mirror. Now he was thinking of Simone as his to protect. No matter what, she was renting his building right next door to Quinn, which meant she was his to protect. The Alpha’s mate needed round the clock security, and so did Simone.
Bane drove up to the office and sighed when he saw Arden’s truck in the driveway. Getting out, he walked up onto the porch, wondering what kind of secrets Simone Alexander actually had.
Arden was sitting at his desk, staring at the computer. Without looking up, he commented, “You’re back early.”
Bane sat down in the chair and waited for his Alpha to look at him. Arden cocked his head and studied his Beta. “What’s up? I know that look. You want to talk.”
“I want to know about Simone Alexander and the reason she’s been beaten. Hell Arden, whoever it was did a number on her.” Bane said. He had known Arden Dixon all his life; he knew when the man was hiding something. “You didn’t see what I saw Arden—she looked like a punching bag. Whoever did this meant to hurt her real bad. I want to know what’s going on, and who I need to be on the lookout for.”
“Robert Olsen asked me not to say anything to anyone. He wanted her to have a fresh start, somewhere her past wouldn’t haunt come back to haunt her,” Arden sighed, finally relenting, “It was her boyfriend, Terry Dunn. He beat her when she refused to strip for his buddies. Thankfully, she made enough noise screaming that someone called the police. They got to her in time before he could do anything further, but he beat her up pretty bad; she’s still recovering from it. I should have at least told you, but I thought maybe Simone needed a break from everyone knowing her business. You know how fast rumors can start here among the pack and I wanted her to have that chance. I owed Olsen a favor, and now I’m paid up.”
“You’re right Alpha, you should have at least told me.” Bane insisted.
&n
bsp; “I know that now. Did you help her get moved in?”
“I did, some. Finn and Quinn are getting her moved into the apartment, while I came here to talk to you.” Bane got up and walked over to the window. He could feel his Alpha’s eyes on him. “I won’t let anyone hurt her. She’s been through too much.”
Arden’s eyes narrowed as he studied him. Bane knew he was acting like she meant something to him, but…shit. He didn’t know either why this human was affecting him this way.
“You like her?” Arden asked. He knew his Alpha was serious when he didn’t smile.
“Yeah, she’s a sweet lady and all that.”
“And all that? Hmm. Bane Cross, I’ve known you for a long time, and you have never acted like this over a woman.” Arden smiled.
Bane watched the smile come on his best friend’s face. If he didn’t cut this off now, the Alpha would tease him forever. “Cut it out. She’s human and she doesn’t even know what we are.”
“I bet she would understand, especially if you truly wanted to keep her close. Do you like her?” Arden asked, staring at him with that persistent way he had.
“No, but she is renting my store, and I don’t want anything bad happening to her. You didn’t see her injuries, Arden. It’s bad. The pain she must have went through. I can’t understand how a man can do that to a woman. Especially her, she’s so sweet and beautiful…”
“You think she’s beautiful. Well, that’s more than I have ever heard you say about a woman. Are you sure you don’t like her, not even a little?” Arden said with a hint of amusement to his voice.
“Just tell me what I need to know about Simone Alexander, please.” Bane asked. He was through being teased; he needed the truth about Simone and who he needed to watch out for.