by Bonnie Gill
He loved her laugh. It reminded him of Tinkerbell, and he wished he could hear it more often. “Listen, I really want to make this work.” He leaned in closer and lifted a curl away from her eyelashes.
He could practically see the question marks appear on her face.
“Us work,” he said, to clarify his earlier statement. He inhaled a big deep breath.
One shake of her head. “I don’t think so. Not right now.” A saddened tone tinged her words, but the last part was firm. Her fingers shook just a bit before she grabbed the counter.
“I want to protect you, but I can’t without being close to you.” He sounded like a lovesick ninny.
“I can protect myself. So can Pepper.” She placed her hands on her hips and tilted her chin upward. That was his Abby. Full of spunk and fire, but stubborn as a swamp beast.
“It won’t be long before we catch the Gnome and the Jersey Devil,” he reassured her.
Her face dropped its pinkish hue and turned a pasty white. Was she scared?
“Either Ottar or I will be staying at the barn until we do.” More reassurance. River observed her body language. That didn’t seem to satisfy her whatsoever.
She backed away from him and touched her lips, then puckered them to the side for a moment. “Pepper said you plan to kill them. Is that true?”
“No. We still have to capture the Gnome but have orders to kill the Jersey Devil.” He stepped closer to Abby.
“B—but the Jersey Devil hasn’t hurt anyone.” She backed up three more steps and rubbed her nose, then swatted some stray hairs from her face.
River crossed his arms. “We don’t know that for sure. We haven’t seen any evidence of the Devil in the area, so the creature may have moved on. Be assured, if it shows up—we’ll get the beast.”
She gave one small dismissing nod. “Thank you for the coffee and donuts but I have a lot to do today. I told Pepper I would start inventory today.” Fright and sadness was all River could pull from her voice. She wouldn’t even look at him now. What the heck was up with her?
There was a lot more to Abby Fitzpatrick, and he wanted to tunnel through the rock-encrusted barriers she had carefully constructed and fortified. He wanted to dig deep into her soul so he could help heal what had been eating at her since the time he’d first met the woman.
He eased forward, laid his hand upon hers, and gazed into her warm brown eyes. “I can help you. You just have to let me in.” River cued his voice to tender and gentle so as not to alarm her.
Abby slipped her hand out from under his. “I’m sorry. I really must get this work done.” Hercules galloped to her from the back of the store. She hugged him around the neck. “Bye, you, big lug,” she said and walked behind the counter.
The dog had been his best investment yet. Not only was Hercules helping break down Abby’s walls, he was a great watch dog and companion.
“Come on, let’s get to work and go catch some monsters.”
The last thing Abby wanted to hear was how determined River was about capturing the Jersey Devil. Oh, she didn’t doubt he would succeed, but she didn’t need to hear about it.
She threw up a little in her mouth.
She ran to the back of the store to brush her teeth and use the bathroom. That’s when she knew all the stress had taken a toll on her body. Her cycle had begun.
Early.
A cold sweat beaded on her forehead, and her hands turned sticky and clammy. The chocolate donut twisted and churned in her stomach. Why couldn’t her period wait a couple more days?
She dashed to her phone. Thank goodness Pepper was on speed dial, because her fingers wouldn’t be able to punch the right numbers. Tonight would be the night she’d depend on Pepper to distract the men.
“Pepper. Oh God,” she blurted out when the ringing stopped.
“Hey. What’s-up, girlfriend?” Pepper’s playful demeanor came across with her answer.
“I got it. I got my period.” She paced up and down the aisles and then in circles.
Pepper whistled with her exhale. “Wow, you weren’t kidding when you said it could happen at any time.”
“Stress.” The evil of life, the accelerator of bad things, and early periods.
“Okay. First, calm down. I can practically hear you shaking and vibrating over the phone. Do you have your collar?”
She swallowed hard to clear the lump the size of a guinea pig stuck in her throat. “Yes.” The word sounded pitiful and weak when it escaped from her lips.
“Good. Put it on before you come home and make sure you have plenty of time before nightfall. You can leave early if you need to.”
“I will. How are you going to distract the guys?”
Pepper clucked her tongue. “I’ll think of something. Be safe, little buddy.”
Abby counted on Pepper to come through with a distraction, but she had no idea where to go for the turning event. Finding a place deep in the forest so the guys wouldn’t find her when she turned into the monster would be tough.
Stupid curse.
Stupid genie.
The package containing her grandmother’s journal should be on its way and arriving tomorrow. One day too late. And one day that certainly might seal her doom.
Abby sat behind the counter watching the second hand on the clock click around in the circle. The inventory had only taken her a fraction of the time she thought, and hardly anyone came in the store.
Only fifteen minutes more until closing time.
The door opened and in walked a husband and wife that were in their twenties. They held hands and nuzzled each other. She guessed them to be newlyweds.
“Good evening. How can I help you tonight?” She snuck another peek at the clock hoping whatever they needed wouldn’t take very long.
“We’re here to adopt a puppy. My wife came in a couple days ago and fell in love with one. Is the black and white poodle mix still available?” The husband wrapped his arm around the pretty brown haired woman’s waist.
“Yes, she’s still here. Have you filled out the adoption application yet? Adopting a puppy is a big responsibility.” Abby didn’t want to change their minds, but she needed them to understand adopting a dog was for the life of the dog, and not until they grew tired of it.
“I didn’t know we had to apply.” The wife answered. Her brows pinched together.
Abby pulled out the three page typed application and a pen from under the counter. “You just need to fill in all the blanks. Please take your time and make sure you answer all the questions. Pepper, the owner of the store, will call your references and the vet you listed to check them before the application is approved.”
The couple shot a leery look at each other.
“It’s for the puppy’s safety, and to make sure she’ll fit into your lifestyle.”
“I understand,” the woman replied, reaching for the papers.
“Great. Here’s a pen.” Abby handed over a pen hoping the couple would hurry through the paperwork.
The clock’s second hand ticked and ticked and ticked. It was almost eight in the evening. The sun would set in less than an hour.
The couple finally finished after numerous cell phone checks for reference phone numbers. Excitement filled their expressions when they handed the application back to her.
“Have you thought of a name yet?” She asked, to be friendly.
“We thought about Coco, but wanted to see more of her personality first,” the man said.
“Coco is a wonderful name.” She herded the couple closer to the door.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
“Can we see her tonight?” Of course they had to ask.
“Yes, but I have an appointment. I need to get going soon, so you’ll have to keep it short.”
<
br /> Fifteen precious minutes went by before she could usher them out the door and flip the closed sign.
Abby draped the pink camera collar around her neck. The rectangular box which contained the camera hung an inch above her breasts, allowing plenty of room for her neck to grow when she turned into the Jersey Devil. Surprised at the light weight, she pulled at the clasp to make sure the contraption was secure. She grabbed her purse and keys and bolted out the door. She turned the key in her Chevy Cavalier’s ignition and the vehicle cranked. And cranked.
And cranked.
Damn.
A light green mist disappeared into the front grille of the car. The hair on her back performed the wave. The last time she thought she saw a green mist, that freaking genie appeared.
Only twenty minutes until sundown and the moon rises.
She called Pepper. No answer.
Double damn.
She tried a taxi company. The only taxi company in the area said it would be over a half-hour before they could pick her up.
The thick bitter taste of stomach acid seeped up her throat. A twenty-minute walk was her only choice. The only good thing was she would have to walk past the forest on her way home. She could change in somewhere deep in the woods if she ran out of time.
She dialed Pepper’s phone number one more time. Still no answer. After texting Pepper what had happened, she set out in the direction of her home. Not only would this rank up there with her worst night ever, but it could end up being her last night alive.
Chapter 26
River spent most of the day going through surveillance footage.
He looked at his watch and decided to head over to Pepper’s house. Tonight he would stay there while Ottar went out hunting. The burning sensation in his gut and intuition told him tonight they would get their big break. Intuition was a strong factor in his superior hunting abilities, and he’d learned to trust those feelings.
Ottar stepped into the police station. “Hey, did you learn anything new today? Because I found ziltch.”
“I had some interesting discoveries.” River straightened some of the papers on his desk.
“Oh yeah? What kind?”
“The widow returned. It looks like she went on a shopping spree. She purchased a new Cadillac and carried a shitload of designer packages into her house.”
River pulled up the surveillance footage on the laptop and played it for Ottar.
Ottar rubbed the stubble on his chin. “Hmm. You have any idea where she got the money?”
“I looked into it. She deposited a nice sum of money in her account. Headquarters is checking into where the fortune originated.”
Ottar blinked, and gave a firm nod. “That could take a while.”
“True, but it’s a solid lead, and I’m investigating everyone who looks remotely suspicious.” River massaged his temple.
“How about Thomas? Any word on him?”
“Just the usual mowing of the lawn and picking up groceries. He’s pretty quiet.”
“I’m going to head over to Pepper’s house.” Ottar’s tone was a flat out statement not to be argued.
River rose to challenge his boss, and his chair slid back a foot. “Tonight is my night.”
“I’ve been combing the forest all day and need a change of scenery. Oh, and I’m taking Hercules tonight, too.” Ottar fired out the words so fast there was no mistaking it as an order. He rose from his seat, hands still palms down on the table, and leaned toward River. “You got a problem with that? Mate?”
“Fine, let me get my backpack, but I need to tell Abby I’m not coming over tonight. I hate when you pull that superior commander crap on me.” He pushed back his sleeves and tilted his head with amused curiosity. A smile taunted his lips. “You and Pepper hooking up or something?”
Ottar responded to his comment with a sneer and held his arm out in a sweeping motion for him to pass. Shit. He hated when Ottar played the boss card. He had no choice.
He needed to find Abby.
Abby walked up the road at a brisk pace. She darted into the forest to hide every time she heard a car. Ten minutes had gone by and she wasn’t even half way home. She would never arrive home in time.
She tried Pepper’s number a few more times and decided to give up and concentrate on getting home as fast as possible. Why couldn’t her period have waited one more day?
Being a Jersey Devil sucked. Not remembering what she did as the Jersey Devil tore her to pieces.
Maybe if she concentrated on something before she turned she would remember after she changed? Her goal would be to stay high up in the trees, and she planned to attack the Gnome if he showed his ugly face again. She had superpowers as the flying devil and might as well use them for good, right?
Right.
At least she hoped she had superpowers. She had no idea what she could do as the flying beast.
Maybe she had stupid-powers?
She should have rushed the couple out of the store and told them to come back tomorrow. But that would mean the puppy might not get adopted and she certainly didn’t want to be the cause of that.
This was just her luck to have her car not start and have to walk home. Plus, it gave her time to think about River, which she really didn’t want to do, but couldn’t help herself.
She kicked a rock and stormed down the road.
When River came in the store carrying donuts and coffee this morning her heart leapt onto a cloud, then crashed into hell when she thought about what she couldn’t have. Who she couldn’t have.
The one man whose touch lit her into a raging inferno and sent her pleasures on a rollercoaster ride of flat out adrenalin. His smile alone ignited the kindling to get her going. The way he cared for Hercules and wanted to protect her was just downright sexy. River was the real deal. The full picture of everything she desired in a man. She didn’t want to think about what she couldn’t have anymore.
The moon was rising.
Right now, her main goal tonight was to stay alive.
The sun sank lower into the trees, and something twitched under her skin. “Time to man up, or should I say woman-up.”
Abby ground into a halt for just a moment when she caught a glimpse of River’s squad car. Damn.
She turned off the road, and raced at full speed into the forest.
Chapter 27
River drove around the corner to see Abby walking toward the forest up ahead. His cheek ticked with anger at the thought she would endanger her life yet again. He had warned her to stay inside during nighttime hours, and here she was going out for a stroll at dusk.
He sped up and pulled over where she disappeared into the pinewoods. “Abby?”
Silence screamed back at him. Even the birds and crickets weren’t making noise tonight. Not a good sign.
He ran deeper into the woods and called out for her again. “Abby.”
A glimpse of a pink T-shirt shifted behind a tree. He bolted to her, slipped around a cedar tree, and wrapped his fingers around her lithe arm.
“What do you think you’re doing? Are you crazy? You’re going to get yourself killed out here. I thought I made myself clear.” His voice came out angrier than planned. He wanted to shake her and rattle some sense into her thick pretty head.
She jerked back, and twisted to pull out of his grasp. “I need to go. Please let me go.” A frantic fright flew from her tone. He ducked away from her flinging arms.
“It’s not safe.” River lowered his voice. With his hand clamped around her wrist, he pulled her back toward the road. He didn’t care if she clawed and fought to get away from him. “I’m not going to leave you out here in the woods to get hurt. If I have to, I’ll handcuff you.”
“Let me go. I need to go. Please.” Her voice was somewha
t calmer now, but not much.
Tears dripped from her big brown eyes and down her cheeks.
Those tears were like a poison dart straight to his heart. What could be so important that she would risk her life for? Did she hate him that much?
“Look I’m so sorry about the camera. Even if you hate me right now, I can’t let you go back into the forest. It’s too dangerous.” He tugged on her arm through the overgrown brush in the direction of the squad car.
“I don’t hate you, but if you don’t let me go you’ll wish you had.” She struggled and put up a good fight like a pissed off Sasquatch.
He grabbed both of her arms and tried to brace her against his chest. He looked into her eyes, only they weren’t her normal eyes. These eyes held terror, not just fear. “Get into the car.” His firm voice waged war with her hysterics.
“No.” She whipped and turned and thrashed.
He held her tight until he shoved her into the front seat of the patrol car. Without thinking, he hit the lock button on the passenger door and all the buttons snapped down.
“Shit.”
He ran around the driver’s side and tried to open the door but it too was locked. River spied the keys he’d left on the front seat when he rushed into the woods to chase her. He slammed his palm on the roof.
He looked inside to see Abby unresponsive to him, her body shaking. Convulsing.
He pummeled the window with both fists. “Unlock the door, Abby! Unlock the door!” He pulled on the handles, but couldn’t open any of them.
As a Cryptid hunter, River thought he’d seen everything he could possibly see in his lifetime. Up until that very moment.
Abby’s eyes flashed a red blaring glow. Her arms twisted and curled into birdlike talons. Her leg crashed through the passenger window, hairy with a hoof for a foot. The other leg caught and ripped the steering wheel off the console. Her face no longer wore her cute button type nose, but instead grew long and wide, resembling the equine muzzle of a horse.