Chapter Two
The mystery man haunted Sophie’s thoughts all week until the point where she started dreaming about him. It was ridiculous to be so focused on a stranger, but she couldn’t seem to help herself. More than once, she’d vowed to stop thinking about him, only to catch her thoughts drifting right back to the man as soon as her mind began to wander. She’d never been so obsessed with anyone before, especially someone whose name she didn’t even know. Deb claimed she’d felt the same way when she’d met her mate, but the situations couldn’t exactly be compared. Sophie wasn’t a shifter and ordinary humans weren’t fortunate enough to have soul mates. Although interspecies relationships weren’t unheard of, Sophie figured they were more like love matches than mating bonds.
As if her bizarre fixation on the stranger wasn’t enough of a concern, there had been a ton of weird things happen to her over the last few days, ranging from small to ridiculous. The hang-up calls could be explained away as mistakes, but having the cops called on her during the middle of the night for a noise violation while she was fast asleep was a little harder to blow off as a random mix-up. To make matters worse, someone had phoned in a complaint to her boss claiming she’d been belligerent with a patron. Nothing could have been farther from the truth, but it was essentially her word against an anonymous caller. If Deb hadn’t vouched for her, she probably would have gotten more than a verbal warning. Sophie thanked her lucky stars for Deb because losing her job would’ve been a nightmare of epic proportions.
With that thought in mind, she hustled to finish her duties so she could go home and drown herself in a pint of ice cream. Deb had gotten off earlier, leaving Sophie on her own to close up for the evening. For once, she didn’t mind the quiet. Her nerves couldn’t take any more excitement at the moment anyway.
After everything was locked up tight and all the electronics were shut down, Sophie headed into the back to grab her things. She dug out her keys, slung her purse over her shoulder, and headed out through the back door. The employee lot was dark and empty except for her old junker of a car. A fine mist sprayed down from the night sky and made the chrome and glass on her vehicle glisten under the full moon. She hurried toward it and glanced into the backseat as she unlocked the driver’s side door. Her mother had always said to check the back before climbing in and it was a habit she’d never forgotten. She slid behind the wheel and turned over the ignition. The vehicle sputtered and died.
“Come on, baby. Start for me. Please start.” Money was tight enough without having to worry about vehicle trouble. She took a deep breath and turned the key again. The engine fired up and purred like a kitten. She blew out a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness.”
She clipped her seat belt into place, checked her mirrors, flipped on her lights, and backed out of the parking space. Pulling out onto the road felt like reclaiming her freedom. No matter how much she enjoyed her job, returning home at the end of the day—particularly on a stressful day like she’d just lived through—was a huge relief. As she turned toward home, the only thing on her mind was some delicious comfort food and a long soak in the bathtub. Tomorrow was another day. Hopefully it would be a better one.
The rain went from a light mist to a steady downpour, forcing her to turn the windshield wipers on high and squint at the road ahead. Luckily, traffic was almost non-existent.
No sooner had she finished the thought than headlights appeared in her rearview mirror. They grew brighter and brighter until the entire car was filled with light and she had no choice but to flip up her rearview mirror to keep from being blinded. The driver riding her bumper had their high beams on and apparently didn’t give a crap about the safety of other drivers.
She slowed down, hoping the jerk would take the hint and go around her. Instead of doing what she’d hoped, the car behind her followed suit and slowed down to match her speed.
Sophie cursed and sped back up. She consoled herself with the knowledge that she’d be able to turn off on her street in just a couple more miles. She could tolerate anything for a few minutes, even inconsiderate, asshole drivers.
As soon as she spotted her street up ahead, she threw on her signal and slowed to turn. The vehicle behind her slammed into the back of her car, jolting her forward against her seat belt. Her foot slipped off the brake and hit the gas pedal hard, propelling her forward past her turnoff and toward the other side of the road.
With her heart racing, she swerved back over into the right lane and eased up on the gas. She pulled over to the side of the road and reminded herself to breathe. It was just an accident. No one was hurt. The jerk had probably been drinking or was stoned out of his gourd and had no idea what he was doing. They would report the accident, exchange insurance information, and go their separate ways. No big deal.
A glance in the rearview mirror revealed the motorist pulling in behind her. She looked away and reached over into the passenger seat for her purse. She rifled through it, searching for her phone to call and report the accident, and came up empty. Damn. She must have left it behind at work. It wasn’t the first time she’d misplaced her cell. The smaller phones became, the harder she had to work to keep up with them. Hopefully the asshole who’d ran into her would have one and could make the call.
She rolled down her window and looked behind her. The man exiting the vehicle was the last person she expected to see. No. She had to be seeing things. She blinked and looked again. Oh, hell no. “Get back in your vehicle and drive away, Lou. Go home and leave me the hell alone.”
“Come on, princess,” her ex, Lou Dobbins called out to her. “I went to a lot of trouble to find you. Aren’t you even a little happy to see me?”
“I have a restraining order that says you can’t come around me.”
“Please. Do you seriously think a little piece of paper is going to keep me away from you? I love you, Sophie. I need you to come back home. You belong with me.”
“That’s not going to happen. I’d rather die than spend another second trapped under your fist.”
Lou neared the window. “That can be arranged too...”
Sophie put the car back into gear and pulled away from the curb before he got any closer. She didn’t wait to hear the rest. She’d heard it all before anyway. Everything from “I love you too much to let you go” to “If I can’t have you, nobody else can either.” The ironic part was Lou didn’t even love her. Not really. He viewed her as his property. Some kind of fucked-up plus-size doll he could haul around, control, and play with as he saw fit. He wasn’t capable of love, although he’d done a damn good job of faking it until she’d agreed to move in with him. That’s when their relationship had taken a turn for the worse. It had taken her two years to escape him, and it would be a cold day in hell before she went back.
She sped away to the sounds of Lou cursing like a sailor. She hoped it would be the last time she ever encountered him, but she doubted she was that lucky. After all, she’d moved clear across the state and started over in the last place he’d think to look for her, and yet the asshole still managed to find her. She didn’t know how she was supposed to get rid of him now, but running wasn’t the answer. If he found her once, he’d just find her again.
Unsure of what else to do, she navigated toward the outskirts of town, where the Bureau of Shifter Affairs police station was located. They probably couldn’t do any more than the police station in her hometown, but it was the only thing she could think of to do at the moment. She definitely didn’t want to go home. There was still a slight chance Lou didn’t know where she lived. He could have tracked her through the library system and then followed her when she left work. Maybe. Either way, she wouldn’t feel safe alone at home and she needed to report the restraining order violation and the accident to the police anyway. She’d be killing two birds with one stone. She blew out a deep breath and reminded herself that everything would be okay. She’d lived through a lot worse than being stalked by an obsessive jerk. She could do this. She was strong, resourc
eful, and smart. Lou wasn’t going to get the best of her again.
Her relief was short-lived. As soon as she’d left town limits and hit the highway, a familiar pair of headlights appeared behind her. She sped up, hoping to reach the safety of the police station before Lou caught up with her. Her pulse thundered in her ears and her damp palms slid on the steering wheel. She’d never had reason to travel out to the police station before, but it couldn’t possibly be too much farther ahead.
The lights from town faded behind her and the trees and shrubbery alongside the highway grew deeper and darker. The road narrowed and climbed higher, heading upward toward one of the two neighboring mountains. Something wasn’t right. She should have been at the station already.
She glanced in the rearview mirror and cursed at what she saw. Lou was gaining on her. It was only a matter of moments until he was right on her tail again. Despite the rain and the unfamiliar terrain, she accelerated a little faster, desperate to put more space between her and the lunatic following her. She couldn’t afford to let him catch her, especially out in the middle of nowhere without witnesses. Heaven help her if that came to pass. She shuddered to think what Lou might do if he got his hands on her.
During their last argument before she’d worked up the courage to leave him, she’d ended up with a broken nose, a fat lip, and a chipped front tooth—and that fight had only been over a whether or not she’d been flirting with their waiter during dinner. She hadn’t been flirting—she wouldn’t have dared to so much as smile at another man while under Lou’s watchful gaze—but there’d been no convincing Lou of that fact. The man was a possessive egomaniac who refused to admit he was wrong and didn’t mind backing up his beliefs by any means necessary. She didn’t know how she’d managed to survive living with him as long as she had. She’d been a fool to believe he would ever change.
A sharp curve in the road forced her to slow down. Halfway through the turn, Lou’s vehicle slammed into her again. The impact shook the car, but she held on tightly to the wheel and kept going. A second, stronger collision rattled her teeth and scared the hell out of her. He wasn’t going to stop. He would just keep coming after her until she gave in or she died trying to escape, whichever happened first.
Tears of misery and impotent rage filled her eyes and spilled over her cheeks. She didn’t know what she’d done to deserve so much trouble and heartbreak. She’d always had horrible taste in men, but Lou was by far the worst of the lot. He hadn’t just broken her heart like the men before him. He’d tried to break her spirit. And now he was back to finish her off. Only one thing stood between him and his goal: her will to survive. It kept her going even when all she wanted to do was give up.
No matter how much he’d belittled and abused her, she’d never stopped believing she deserved better. Now that she’d had some time out from under his thumb, she would fight to the death if need be to retain her independence. She’d never be dependent on a man again. Not Lou. Not anyone.
She tightened her fingers on the steering wheel and pushed down even harder on the gas pedal. The urge to get away from him pushed her to drive faster and take risks she’d normally avoid, but she didn’t have much choice. If she slowed down, it might be the death of her.
Sure, Lou claimed to love her and want her back. The truth wasn’t quite so pretty. She’d defied him and tarnished his pride when she’d escaped his clutches, and now he’d tracked her down to make her pay. It was as simple as that. If he got his hands on her, there wouldn’t be much she could do to stop him from carrying out whatever sick revenge fantasy was playing out in his warped mind.
The lights shining into her car retreated and then swung to the left. She glanced in her rearview mirror and a fresh rush of fear surged through her bloodstream. Lou had apparently given up on battering her back bumper. Now he was coming up alongside her.
“Oh shit.” Sophie pressed the gas pedal to the floor. The engine revved and shot the car forward. The next curve caught her by surprise. She hit the brakes, but it was too late. She overcompensated into the turn and the back end of the car fishtailed, spinning her out of control.
Lou rammed the front end of his vehicle into the side of hers. Glass from the driver’s side windows exploded inward, along with wind and rain. She screamed and pumped the brakes but it did no good. She couldn’t get any traction on the slick highway.
The car shot off the side of the road and plummeted down the bank, gaining speed until the front end collided with a huge old oak tree with enough force to shake her senseless. Her upper body rocked forward, but the seat belt locked and held tight, digging into her chest and preventing her from going through the windshield. She sucked in a ragged breath and the airbag exploded in her face, pushing her back against the seat. The impact stole her breath. White-hot pain shot up the bridge of her nose. Her head swam and her eyes watered. Before she could completely regain her senses, she heard someone outside shout her name.
Fucking hell. Lou was still behind her. Still coming after her.
Why couldn’t he just leave her alone?
Panic clawed at her insides. She had to get out of the car now and keep moving.
She snapped open the seat belt and pulled on the door handle. Nothing happened. She tried again and pushed against the door at the same time. It refused to budge.
Knowing time was of the essence, she climbed across the center console and tried the passenger-side door. It flung open and she tumbled out onto the muddy forest floor. Rain pelted her skin and soaked her to the bone in a matter of seconds. She glanced up the incline and spotted Lou descending the bank.
She struggled to her feet and ran.
“Stop,” Lou shouted above the racket of wind and rain.
Sophie ran faster. Her feet sank into the mud and the rain half-blinded her, but nothing short of a lightning bolt was going to stop her.
“Goddamn it, I said stop,” Lou screamed.
There was a loud bang and then bark on a nearby tree exploded and rained down on her. Sophie gasped and ducked. Crouching, she glanced over her shoulder and saw Lou advancing toward her with a pistol clutched in his right hand.
Holy shit. She darted behind the huge base of the nearest tree. Her mind raced, trying to figure out what to do. Running wouldn’t work. While she might be able to outpace Lou, she couldn’t outrun a bullet. Her best chance of survival was to hide, but where? A frantic glance at her surroundings only revealed trees and low-lying shrubbery. Even if she could find a good tree to climb, Lou would most likely see her doing it and just aim at her from the ground.
If she wanted to survive the night, she was going to have to fight back. There was no other option.
Scanning the ground, she looked for a makeshift weapon and found a good-sized tree limb she could use as a club. It wasn’t much, but it would have to do. Maybe if she had the element of surprise on her side she could gain the upper hand.
She darted from one tree to another, using the bushes for cover when she could, and circled back around toward Lou instead of away from him. Once she’d found the right spot, she stayed put and waited.
She didn’t have to wait long. Lou obviously didn’t think he needed to worry about stealth. He sounded like an elephant clomping toward her.
The second his footsteps sounded close enough, she raised her makeshift club and swung with all her might. The wood bucked in her hands as it glanced off Lou’s shoulder and struck him against the side of his face and neck. The impact reverberated up her arms and into her shoulders so strongly she almost dropped the tree limb. Lou shouted in surprise and pain and pulled the trigger. The bullet sliced through her upper arm, leaving a trail of fire in its wake.
“You’ll pay for that, bitch,” he hissed.
“Leave me alone!”
She ignored the pain and swung again, hitting him upside the head. The second strike did the trick. Lou fell back into the mud and remained still.
Sophie dropped the branch and ran like hell.
Chapter
Three
Rick looked up from the book he was reading on his laptop and cocked his head to the side. “Did you hear that?”
Toby paused his video game. “Hear what?”
“I’m not sure. It sounded like a gunshot.” The noise had been low, too far off in the distance to identify with any certainty.
Toby leaned back against the couch cushions. “You sure it wasn’t the game?”
“No.” He wasn’t sure of anything. “I guess it could have been the game. Sounded like it came from outside though.”
“I didn’t hear anything.” Toby shrugged and restarted his game.
Rick closed his laptop and set it on the coffee table. “I’m going outside to check the land.” He owned over a hundred acres, all of which backed up into National Forest property. Since it wasn’t hunting season and no one had permission to hunt on his land, there was no reason for anyone to be firing off a weapon within hearing distance of his property, and his gut was urging him to check it out. He wouldn’t be able to rest until he’d reassured his bear that their territory was safe.
“It’s raining outside,” Toby helpfully provided.
“I’m aware of that,” Rick answered, rising to his feet. “Don’t worry. I won’t melt.”
“More like float away.” Toby snickered.
Rick rolled his eyes. “There’s only one little shit in this house and it isn’t me.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Toby kept his gaze glued on the TV screen. “Enjoy your stroll in the rain.”
Rick didn’t bother replying. Toby wasn’t paying attention to anything he said anyway. The kid was lost in the la-la land of whatever shoot-‘em-up game he was addicted to this week.
He stepped out onto the covered front porch, stripped off his clothes, and set them on the seat of one of the two wooden rocking chairs flanking the door. He trotted down the stairs, inhaled, and called his bear to the surface. The change came over him, swift and absolute, and he trotted off into the woods to inspect his territory.
Pleasant Valley Bears: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (Pleasant Valley Shifters) Page 2