by Marilu Mann
They stared at each other, both obviously spitting mad. Harmony couldn’t help the protective urge that had her stepping forward and touching her daughter. “Everything okay?”
“No! Everything is not okay. Mom, tell him how I spent my last summer when we were in California, please.” Her daughter angrily dashed a stray hair out of her face as she jerked her chin at the boy.
Puzzled, Harmony carefully queried, “What are you talking about, Rain?”
“Tell him where I volunteered. Go on, tell him.” Rain’s voice shook with indignation.
“Honey.” She approached what was obviously a sore subject with extreme caution. She’d really come to like Keme, plus she didn’t want the young ones to fight. Besides, she wasn’t sure of his temperament when angry. Like a dog with a bone her mind went to her ex. Tom hadn’t shown signs of being an ass when they’d first been going out either. “Are you talking about the homeless shelter?”
“Yes. The homeless shelter. The one that our neighbor Mrs. Watson worked for. The one where I spent three days a week and half a day on Sunday working in the kitchen. Where I interacted with homeless people on a daily basis all summer long. That homeless shelter.”
Rain glared at Keme then turned to her mom with a slight smile. “Thank you. Now, Mr. ‘don’t hate on the homeless man who made himself at home in a vacant cabin somewhere near here’, do you see why I said what I said? About him finding a shelter instead of breaking into someone else’s property and using it and leaving it in a mess for the owners to fix?”
“So you really weren’t talking trash about the homeless guy?” Keme’s shoulders relaxed.
“No, I was talking about him breaking the law instead of going to the local homeless shelter or if he’s got family on the res, asking them for help.” Rain crossed her arms over her chest. Keme had the grace to look embarrassed.
He reached out to touch her shoulder for emphasis. “I’m sorry, Rain. I really thought…I’m sorry. I’ll show you where it is next time we’re out. Just remember to bring a gas mask. Place reeks.”
“Apology accepted.” Rain’s smile came out, so Harmony took a deep breath. Obviously the fight was over. No one was going to get bruised feelings or worse tonight.
“Hey, Keme, are you staying for supper?” Harmony half hoped he would just to help distract the two of them from missing Gareth.
Keme turned to face her. “No ma’am. I would love to but I can’t tonight. I have to go home. Gotta help my cousin Ike with his fancy dance costume for the pow-wow next month. Uh,” he stammered a bit. “If it’s okay with you I’d like Rain to come to the pow-wow with my family. My mom said she’d call you this weekend to talk about it. You know, issue a formal invitation.”
“I’ll think about it, thank you.” She smiled but was a bit uneasy about the invitation. It would mean Rain traveling almost a hundred miles away, not to mention spending the entire week with Keme…and his family, of course, but it was so easy for young people to sneak away and…
She shook her head to stop that train of thought. Rain was not her and Keme was not Tom. Harmony knew the kids were taking it slow. Rain had asked her how to know when it was right to have sex. Without sugarcoating it, Harmony had told Rain all she could about the sexual drives that shifters had. She trusted Rain, she really did. But she’d also told her daughter that birth control was a must since sometimes urges overcame common sense. She pulled her attention back to Keme. Human birth control worked just fine with shifter physiology. And she’d make sure Rain was taken care of. “Have your mom call me. We’ll talk about it.”
She saw Rain’s enormous grin but just nodded at both of them before going back into the kitchen. Her hands were shaking, so she fisted them in front of her. “It will be fine, everything will be fine.”
“Mom? Are you talking to yourself again? You been doing that a lot since we got here.” Rain strolled into the kitchen a moment later. Keme’s car chugged down the driveway.
“Yes, honey, I guess I am. Venison stew for dinner and I made snickerdoodles.”
“Yum. I’m going to go change. Do you think we can watch a movie while we eat?” Her daughter lifted the lid of the pot to sniff. “We haven’t done that in a while. You know…just hang out—you and me?”
Her precious child…she knew what she was doing. Taking care of her mom. She didn’t let on. “Sure. None of your other friends coming by tonight?”
“No, they’re all either doing projects for their AP classes or getting costumes ready for the pow-wow like Keme and his cousin. You grew up on the res, right? How come you never did any of those dance contests?”
“Who said I didn’t?” She took the cookies out of the oven then set them on a cooling rack. She glanced over her shoulder to see her daughter just staring at her with wide eyes.
“You did?” The hint of awe in Rain’s voice made her grin.
“I did. I even had a few medals to prove it. I even won some cash at a couple of events.” She made a note to ask Willow if she had her old costumes or pictures of her as a traditional dancer. Not as flashy as the fancy dancers but the traditional dancing contests were just as tough.
“That’s so cool!” Rain laughed. As her daughter left the kitchen she shouted over her shoulder, “You have to tell me all about it when I get back.”
She shook her head as she turned the fire off under the stew. She’d pick a comedy for their movie since she needed the distraction. She knew Rain had asked her friends to stay away on purpose tonight. They hadn’t had a “Mom and me” night since moving from California. They both really needed that connection. With Gareth gone it was instinct to band together.
Moving into the living room, a chill went up her spine, this one not just fear-related. She froze. Cold air wafted down the hallway from the direction of her daughter’s bedroom. All of the windows had been shut and locked. Rain would never have opened the window since they still had no idea where Tom might be. Harmony knew she hadn’t done it.
Just as the sour scent hit her nostrils Tom appeared in that room’s open doorway. He held their daughter in front of him. A tear streaked down her face, moving down a scarlet palm print. The bastard had struck her baby. Probably right as she’d walked into the room she called her own, her safe space. Harmony saw red.
The barrel of the huge black pistol he held stopped her. He pointed that lethal metal tube at Rain’s head. She knew if she tried anything he’d shoot his own daughter. Roughly he yanked the girl by her arm to force her into the living room. Tears streamed down Rain’s face when she saw her mom but she said nothing.
“Stupid bitch. Letting our daughter go off with some boy. She’s as big a whore as you are. I should have known better than to leave you here while I planned things out.” Spittle flew out as he raged. The gun barrel pressed into Rain’s neck so hard a red rim flared on her skin.
“Tom.” She spoke as softly as she could, shifting her gaze between that pistol and her daughter’s face. How stupid could she be? With no contact from him she’d thought him long gone and had told Pete and Micah they could relax their vigilance. She should have known he’d never give up that easily. “Tom, let Rain go, please. Just let her go. She’s a good girl.”
“She’s more like you than me,” he screamed. His eyes jittered wildly as he jerked Rain forward. “Do you think I don’t know about that bastard? That shifter bastard who comes here almost every night? Do you think I don’t know that you’re spreading your legs for him? Letting him fuck you? Does our daughter watch? Has he touched her too? Because I will kill him, Harmony. I. Will. Kill. Him. Touching what is mine!”
Shaking her head, she tried to think of a way to talk him down off the ledge. What she had to do to get him to let go of her baby. His sour stench permeated the room. It had been his scent, his presence, she’d been sensing all along. She cursed her own stupidity. The conversation between Rain and Keme played in fast-forward through her head. A cabin that had been broken into. Someone sleeping in there, destroying th
ings. All hallmarks of Tom’s behavior in the past. “Please. Just let her go, I’ll do what you want. I’ll do anything you want. Just let Rain go.”
She took a step forward but stopped cold. He yanked Rain in closer to him in a strangely loving hold. He cradled her against him. The image shattered as he pushed the gun into her temple. Harmony moaned as her daughter trembled hard.
Tom squeezed her hard enough to make the child gasp in pain. “I should just kill her now. That would teach you a lesson. You and that bastard you’re fucking. Kill her and leave her here.”
“No! Please! Tom, please, I will do anything you want. Please!” She went to her knees, shaking hands up in supplication. Her tears started to track down her own face. She hated that he could make her cry but she’d do anything to protect Rain. Even go with him wherever he wanted to take her.
“Get up. I’m hungry.” The normality in his voice scared her more than anything else he’d done or said. He’d been raging mad with spit flicking from his lips like a rabid animal. With no warning he now sounded like a rational version of the monster she knew. That almost scared her more than the lethal black metal threatening death at her daughter’s head. For him to go from ranting to being so calm was the scariest thing she’d ever seen. His pupils were dilated in his bloodshot eyes.
“Is that stew? Well, time for family dinner, isn’t it, love? We’ll all sit down as a family and talk about our trip.” He motioned for her to get up. He made her precede them into the kitchen. Following, he still cradled Rain in a vise grip against his chest. He rapped her on the temple when she stumbled.
“Klutzy, baby. Don’t make Daddy fall when he’s holding a gun.” The sound that followed was a maniacal giggle. Her stomach nearly revolted. Tom had lost his mind. It wasn’t just her ex now—it was an animal holding that gun on her daughter’s head. He might as well have aimed it at her heart.
‘Trip?” She tried for a normal tone as well. Maybe it would distract him. “Where are we going?”
Her mind raced. Knife. Frying pan. Handful of flour? Pepper? Like a mad housewife she tried to think of anything she could use as a weapon against him. The stew. He wanted stew? She’d give him stew. Right in his face. Then hopefully she and Rain could escape out the back door and at least Rain could get away. She refused to let anything happen to her baby. Anything to distract him so Rain could run. She could shift and run.
She rubbed her neck, wishing she could spare Gareth. She knew what was coming. Tom was going to kill her. She let more tears fall. She knew that would kill him too. But she couldn’t save her own life—not if there was a chance of freeing Rain.
Tom hooked a chair out to sit down. He kept the gun trained on Rain but released her to sit in a chair on her own. His eyes skittered around the room. She had never seen him like this—so hypervigilant.
“There’s a settlement of Moon-Denieds in Mexico. I’ve been in touch with a few of them and they have a place there for us. We’ll just take a nice trip down there. Once we’re settled in I can figure out how to punish you for turning our daughter into a whore.” He said it so calmly. He might have just been discussing the change in the weather. Only his eyes, his never-stopping eyes, betrayed the insanity in the man.
“What?” She couldn’t help but stare. He planned to take them to Mexico? He wasn’t just insane. He was fucking mad. “Tom, we can’t go to Mexico.”
“We can go wherever I say we can go.” The table shoved toward her as he violently jabbed the gun at her. “I am the head of this household. I am the one who makes decisions for this family. And I say we’re going to Mexico.”
He raised the pistol to bring it down hard. Instinctively she flinched away so that the gun clipped her cheek. Searing pain radiated out from her cheekbone across her face. The gush of warmth informed her he’d broken her skin.
Then things went crazy. Rain howled in rage, lunging for the gun. Harmony’s vision blurred as she struggled to intervene but was knocked back by Tom. Though he’d lost weight Tom was stronger than she’d expected. As her daughter screamed, bit and clawed at her father Harmony watched in horror. She waited for an opening but none came. The few minutes they grappled seemed to be an eternity. Harmony stood frozen in the corner. She panted, trying to keep one eye on her crazy ex and the other on her daughter.
Then the two parted. Harmony flung herself forward, knocking Rain backward.
“Rain. Run!” She shouted it out, hoping the girl would listen. Not waiting, Harmony dug her nails down Tom’s face. He yelped with pain then snarled. When he threw one rock-hard fist into Harmony’s face the sharp pain made her drop to the floor. Harmony felt as well as heard the snapping sound of her nose breaking.
Her daughter’s terrified scream lanced through Harmony. She raised a hand toward Rain, pointing at the door, but the child didn’t move. Harmony retched as she tried to get up but she couldn’t get off her knees. God, her nose hurt. Blood fell, making a small crimson pool on her clean kitchen floor.
“Stupid bitch. Your mother is a stupid bitch.” Tom’s voice sounded as if it came from a distance. Harmony sucked in air. She couldn’t pass out now. She had to protect her baby. The sound caught his attention. Harmony wanted to scramble out of the way but fear held her there. She froze just long enough for Tom to knock her over. Even though she tried to curl away from him his boot slammed into her stomach. Agony ripped through her as she retched again.
Then her heart stopped as Tom pointed the gun back at Rain, who hadn’t moved.
Though he panted in short, hard puffs, his hand held steady. Rain’s face looked like the color of ice—translucently white. In spite of his choppy breathing Tom’s voice was curiously calm. “Keep fighting me and I’ll shoot her right here.”
Harmony gasped for breath but quit moving. Tom yanked her up to her feet by her hair. He slapped a dishtowel on her face then shoved her toward the door. “Move. Both of you. I have a nice quiet place for us to talk all about our trip and how you’re going to behave until we get to Mexico. Now move!”
Rain streaked to her mother’s side. Harmony winced as the girl hugged her tight. She put her free arm around her daughter. Taking shallow breaths, she gave thanks he hadn’t broken her ribs. “It’s okay, baby. We’ll be okay. Just hang on.”
She continued talking softly, soothingly as he barked out commands. They headed off into the woods. The direction they were taking would lead them away from the res and town, deeper into the national forest land. Rain wept softly but at least they were both still alive. She’d do everything she could to keep her daughter that way.
Gareth jerked upright. His hand covered the throbbing mark on his chest. “Stop the car!”
Rion slung his head around to gape at his twin. “What? What’s wrong?”
“Stop the goddamned car! There’s something wrong. Harmony. Turn around. Goddammit, Ri, do it now!” Reaching out, he grabbed the steering wheel. They wrestled until Rion was able to force the car off onto the shoulder of the highway.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Rion had one hand on his shoulder, pinning him away from the wheel.
His mating mark felt like it was being burned out of his skin. Everything was about her, about Harmony. “Something’s happened to Harmony. Turn around, Rion. We have to go back.”
Rion nodded. They both knew how strong a mating bond could be. Gareth gripped his brother’s arm. “Please.”
“Okay, Brother, but you have to calm down. You can’t go grabbing the wheel like that. Let me get us back in one piece.” Rion eased his arm out of his brother’s hand.
Gareth tried to calm down as Rion checked the mirror for traffic behind them then turned the car around. He nodded grimly as his twin hit the gas hard as they headed back to Wisconsin. They’d only managed to travel a few hundred miles into Minnesota. It would take them the better part of the day to get back but something was definitely wrong. She needed him.
Harmony tried to stay calm as Tom forced them down a barely visible path. There wa
s a small structure ahead, hard to tell exactly what it was through the thick trees. It was obvious this plot of land had been abandoned for a long time. He pushed them up the rotting steps then across the porch with its missing boards. The windows in front of them were all broken while the door hung on only one set of hinges.
The only furnishings in the house were a broken table and a woodstove missing half of the chimney. He shoved them toward a corner where they sank down on the floor, holding tightly to each other.
Tom paced in front of them, alternately swearing then muttering under his breath then looking at them with wild eyes. She kept her hand on their daughter, willing the girl not to say or do anything to draw attention to herself. Harmony knew from past experience that he would strike out at anything that moved and she was determined that it wasn’t going to be them.
He suddenly swung around, heading for the far corner of the room. Her eyes widened when she saw the stash of weapons there. In addition to the pistol he had a big rifle, bigger than any she’d ever seen before as well as another smaller one that she knew was a hunting rifle. There were several backpacks there as well with empty cans strewn in another corner. He’d obviously been living there for several days. She hadn’t seen a car but there was no doubt he had one hidden somewhere.
If he planned to take them to Mexico he’d need one. She wondered if he was going to drug them or just threaten them one at a time to keep the other in line. Regardless, she would get her daughter out of harm’s way.
He whirled back around, sneering at how they huddled together. He hadn’t allowed either of them to get a coat. The bitter cold seeped in through the broken windows, up between warped floorboards.
“Weak, like all women, you’re just weak. That’s it, isn’t it? That’s why you opened your legs to that shifter bastard. I could have killed him you know? I had him in my sights on more than one occasion. Not that it matters, once we get to Mexico he won’t dare follow us. The Denieds will kill any shifter who comes on their land.”