CORAM

by Bonnie Burrows

  Cambria leaned close to Egan

  “What do we do?” she whispered.

  “Nothing. No one knows who you are or what you look like. As long as you don’t tell anyone your name you’ll be fine.”

  He was so blasé about the entire thing. Cambria was wanted for questioning in the death of seven men in the compound. Which meant that someone had implicated her.

  Egan continued shopping as if the newscast had never taken place. He grabbed a narrow black tent and two tarps-one black one camouflaged-and put them in the cart along with two winter-weight sleeping bags. Cambria got a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach but she didn’t say a word. Whatever Egan had planned, he meant to be gone for a long time.

  Cambria was starting to get antsy when they finally finished shopping and headed out the door. She’d picked a few changes of clothes and a light-weight hiking pack. Egan had purchased a much larger pack, which would hold all his supplies as well as the things they would share.

  Egan popped the trunk and started to unload the cart. Cambria wanted to change out of her clothes, but Egan had worried about letting her out of his sight for so long, so she waited.

  He left the trunk open while he returned the cart to the cart corral, leaving Cambria beside the car, digging through the bags to pull out her new hiking boots, lined hiking pants and a long sleeved thermal shirt and fleece jacket. Searching through the bags in the dim light of the trunk light, her hand brushed across something in the corner of the trunk.

  She pulled on it, holding it closer to the light so she could see it. Gasping, she quickly shoved the money into the inner pocket of her fleece jacket. She didn’t have time to count it, but the stack was thick, with a band like she’d seen on the movies.

  Egan returned moments later, pulling her boots out of the trunk for her and digging out the extra thick socks she’d bought. She didn’t have anything with her and had been wearing the same clothes for two days. He didn’t blame her for wanting to change.

  She crawled into the back seat and changed quickly, stuffing her dirty clothes into a bag and letting Egan put them in the trunk while she laced her boots up.

  “Are you going to ride in the front with me?” he asked.

  “No. I’m tired. I’d like to lay in the back seat if that’s okay.”

  “Sure, I’ll wake you when I stop for a bathroom break.”

  “Sounds good.”

  Cambria crumpled the jacket under her head, careful to keep her hand on the money.

  She waited until he got on the road, using the passing light from the street lamps to check the stack of money hidden in her jacket. The bundle held fifty dollar bills. The paper band read $5000.00 on the side.

  Cambria couldn’t believe her luck. She had dark, warm clothes that would hide and protect her in the night, and now she had five thousand dollars for a fresh start.

  Now she couldn’t wait to get away from the shifter and out on her own. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, resting up for her big escape.

  The car stopped hours later and Cambria was instantly awake, though she feigned sleep until Egan opened the car door behind her head and gently shook her away.

  “Cambria?”

  “Huh, where are we?” She was convincing, and Egan smiled at her as she seemed to struggle to grasp where they were.

  “Last stop for a while if you want to use the restroom.”

  Cambria blinked at him a few times before sitting up.

  “That sounds good.”

  Egan closed the door and went around to open the door at her feet so she could get out more easily. While he was out of sight for a moment, Cambria looked over her surroundings.

  They were at a remote rest stop, with picnic benches several yards away from a dense, wooded area. The rest center was large, featuring a miniature convenience store and pay per use showers.

  Egan walked with her inside the store and she grabbed a bottle of water.

  “Can I get this now?” she asked. “I’m really thirsty.”

  “Of course.” He reached into his pocket, paying the cashier and asking where the restrooms were. The woman pointed to the right, back behind the massive beer display.

  Cambria started to follow Egan when the cashier spoke up.

  “Men only. The women’s is this way.”

  Cambria hesitated a moment, looking to Egan for direction. He shrugged as if to say that it would be alright and walked away. The cashier gave her a knowing look and Cambria wanted to wipe the smirk off the older woman’s face.

  If she only knew the reality of the situation.

  Cambria hurried towards the bathrooms, which were down a narrow hallway. She was shocked to see that the end of the hallway featured a glass exit door, and there was no sign warning that the door was armed.

  Looking behind her, Cambria carefully pushed the handle on the door, ready to duck into the bathroom if an alarm sounded. When nothing happened she pushed the door open a little further, squeezing through the door and running straight for the woods beyond.

  She expected to hear shouting behind her, but there was only silence and the sound of the water bottle in her deep jacket pocket banging against her hip.

  She burst into the darkness, running as fast as she could with her arms stretched out before her. The moon was out, but the tall trees kept most of the light from reaching the forest floor. Without a flashlight, she was basically running blind.

  She heard Egan shout her name then, the panic in his voice evident.

  “Shit!” she muttered under her breath. She was hoping to get at least a five minute lead on him, closer to ten.

  But he wasn’t easily fooled. He’d probably realized she was gone within a minute of her reaching the tree line.

  She pressed on, trying to put as much distance between herself and the shifter. If she could just get through the trees, maybe there was another interstate on the other side. Or a house. Any sign of hope that she could outrun him and find her way out of her situation.

  Cambria heard Egan call out again. He wasn’t much closer but he was at the edge of the tree line, which meant he knew where she was. She pressed on, looking over her shoulder to make sure he wasn’t gaining on her.

  She ran headlong into a chain link fence, sinking into the fence before it snapped back and flung her onto the ground. She stood up, feeling along the fence line with her hands as her heart sank.

  There was a fence between her and freedom. She tried to climb it, but she soon realized that the top was covered with barbed wire, and she had nothing to throw on top of that to protect herself.

  She was stuck.

  Cambria kicked at the dirt in anger, but it wouldn’t do her any good. She could hear Egan working his way towards her and she had nowhere to run.

  Egan called out to her, but she didn’t answer back. She might be trapped, but she wasn’t going to make it easy on her.

  “Fine, if you won’t talk just listen. I can feel you out there. I can’t fight the draw I feel to you, any more than I can stop my heart from beating. I know you don’t believe me, but someday you’ll understand that I love you.”

  Cambria scoffed silently. He couldn’t love her, he didn’t know her name until today. He was a fool, and he was bent on dragging her into his fantasy world. Well she wasn’t going to fall for it.

  “Cambria, I know you’re scared, but if you’ll give me a chance, you’ll see that we were meant to be.”

  He’s crazy, Cambria thought.

  “Please. Just come out so we can talk. I promise you, I’ll listen. I’m not who you think I am, who you’ve been led to believe I am.”

  He was closer now, almost on top of her. Cambria pulled herself into the shadow, but she could see him a short distance away. She was sure he could see her too.

  “So you’re not a shifter then? You’re just some average guy who happened to show up at my home and take me away from the only family I have?”

  Her voice was angry, unsteady.

  �
��I am a shifter. I don’t know how you knew that, but it’s the truth. It doesn’t change who I am, it’s just a part of me. I would never hurt you, and we’re not the monsters that Laskin told you we were. Look at Laskin, he cared for you and protected you for years, yet he was a shifter.”

  “And he turned out to be bad.”

  “There are good and bad people in every species and shifters are no different. Just as humans have good and bad people.”

  Cambria waited for him to move closer, but he didn’t.

  “Look, Cambria. I’m not leaving here without you. I don’t want to stuff you in the trunk or keep you shackled to make you stay with me. That’s the last thing I want. But I will have you, and I will not stop until you are mine.”

  He moved forward slowly, eyes looking directly at the shadows where Cambria crouched, hidden from view.

  “If you just give me a chance, I can show you things you never imagined and give you a life you’ve never dreamed of.”

  “I dream of a life lived in a world that is free of shifters!” she was furious.

  She’d been so close to freedom, yet here they were, yards from each other with her back against the wall and nowhere to go.

  “So you would kill me? My brother, and my sweet nephew?”

  “Yes,” Cambria called out, but her voice faltered.

  She wasn’t a murderer, and Laskin’s death had turned her world upside down. She didn’t know who she could trust anymore. Cambria knew the one and only person she could rely on was herself.

  Egan took another step forward and Cambria was tempted to run, but she stopped. It was pointless to fight. He was bigger and stronger. If she did manage to get away, he could shift and be on her in seconds, and she’d be right back where she started.

  Her shoulders slumped and she slid down the tree and onto the ground, pulling her knees to her chest and resting her head on her legs.

  She sat there like that, huddled in a ball and wishing she could disappear.

  Egan moved forward in the shadows, sitting beside her but careful not to touch her. He waited in silence for a long time while she was lost inside herself, struggling with her life and her current situation.

  She spoke suddenly.

  “If I give you a chance -- a real chance -- and I still decide I don’t want you, will you leave me alone?”

  “I would be willing to try. How long do you mean?”

  “At least a month. If, after a month, you decide that you’ll never love me, I can live with that.”

  “Really?”

  “No, but I’m doing my best to compromise.”

  “And what about the people that are after me?”

  “What about them? They’ll eventually give up and stop looking. You’re wanted for questioning, you’re not actually suspected of anything.”

  “I just wonder if it was that woman Grace who gave my name to the police.”

  “It’s likely. Your people did kidnap her, tie her up and torture her for information.”

  “I didn’t. I was nothing but nice to her. I can’t believe that this is how she would repay my kindness.”

  “You mean you don’t understand why she couldn’t see the good in you, even though you were one of her captors? You can’t believe that she would hate you for being nice, but not freeing her and helping her escape?”

  His voice was incredulous and it took a moment for Cambria to figure out what he was getting out.

  “Our situation is different. You just came into my home and kidnapped me for no reason.”

  “I had a reason.”

  “A stupid one.

  “It is just as valid to me as the reason your people thought that Grace deserved to be held and tortured. The ends justify the means.”

  Cambria wanted to argue, but he was right. Their current situation was no different than what Cambria had done to Grace. Except, Egan was unfailingly nice and willing to negotiate with her.

  It was more than she’d given Grace.

  Egan held out his hand and stood, waiting for Cambria to offer her hand in the dark so he could help her up.

  They walked back to the car in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Egan opened the door to the passenger side and closed it behind her before getting in himself. He turned over the engine, driving in silence for nearly thirty minutes before he finally spoke.

  “I didn’t know that you knew I was a shifter,” he said softly.

  “I knew the minute you told me your name. Laskin told us all about you and your brother. It wasn’t hard to figure out who was who.”

  Egan chuckled. “I guess not.”

  “I’m sorry I ran.”

  “No you’re not. You’re sorry you got caught.” He laughed again, the sound open and genuine without any noticeable irritation.

  He was being honest when he said, “You’re quite fun. I knew you were feisty, but I hadn’t counted on this. I like it.”

  Cambria smiled to herself in the darkness.

  No one had ever told her that her attitude was any less than rude and disdainful. It was nice to have someone like everything about her for once, instead of trying to bend her to fit a mold that wasn’t meant for her.

  She was starting to think that he wasn’t so bad after all.

  “I’ll come with you, but on my own terms. I don’t want to be forced into anything against my will.”

  “Agreed. Anything else?”

  “Yes. The handcuffs get trashed here. From now on, only one of us will ever get tied up, and it’s not going to be me.”

  “Fair enough.”

  They walked to the car and drove away. Egan paused by a trashcan at the exit and dumped the cuffs in the bin.

  It’s not like she knew he had another pair buried in the bottom of his bag.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Egan pulled into a motel parking lot and Cambria looked at the time. It was nearly two in the morning and they are not more than an hour’s drive to Wichita Mountain.

  “Why are we stopping?” she asked.

  “It’s too dark to hike into the woods tonight and we both need rest before we make that journey. It’s not an easy one, but I think you can handle it. There are no motels there, so we’ll have to make do with this one.”

  He smiled at her, and she was surprised when she smiled back. She didn’t know when her feelings towards Egan had started to change, but she couldn’t help herself. His smile and his warmth were infectious.

  “I’m going to run in and get our room key. Please don’t leave. I’m pretty exhausted and I just don’t have the energy for a repeat of earlier.”

  Cambria was glad it was dark as the color crept up her neck. She felt badly about what happened earlier, though she wasn’t quite sure why. Whether he was a nice man or not, the fact remained that he kidnapped her. She didn’t know why she felt bad for running away, but she did.

  “I’ll wait for you.”

  Egan smiled again, this time the smile was bright and almost boyish. He got out of the car and jogged up the walkway into the office. Cambria watched him go, marveling at how Egan moved so freely and confidently. His body was a well-oiled machine and Cambria couldn’t help but think about the night before; his naked body stretched out beside her as he slept so soundly. He was a handsome man.

  He was back within minutes, driving around the back of the motel and parking in front of the last room on the row. The single-story building was a little rundown, but it wasn’t the worst place Cambria had ever spent the night.

  Egan got out of the car and ran around to open her door. He offered his hand to her, and though she didn’t need his assistance getting out, she accepted his offer. His touch sent bolts of lightning through her and she wondered at her body’s reaction to this man. As much as she’d tried to force herself into hating him, she just couldn’t. He was much too sweet.

  “What are you thinking about?”

  His question startled her, and she realized that she was still holding his hand, even though she’d alrea
dy stood up from her seat.

  She shook her head, wiping the goofy smile away and hoping that he didn’t realize the effect he was starting to have on her.

  “Nothing. I’m just really tired, but I need a shower.”

  “Me too.”

  He winked at her as he unlocked the door and carried both of their bags into the small room. In the middle of the room was a single, full-sized bed. Cambria fought back a groan. The bed was so small. The only way they would both fit was if she hung precariously on the edge, or she would have to lie close to him.

  Egan latched the chain on the door and tossed their bags on the single desk. He walked to the bathroom, checking the room first before motioning to it with his head.

  “There’s no window, so have at it.”

  “You mean you’re not going to watch me?”

  “Is that an invitation?”

  “Uh, no.”

  She walked by him, but he didn’t budge, forcing her to turn sideways to squeeze between him and the door jam. His scent enveloped her as she moved passed him. She closed the door behind her and locked the flimsy thumb-latch behind her.

  She could hear him laughing through the thin door, but she didn’t care. She knew the lock wouldn’t keep him out, but that little bit of reassurance made her feel better. She stripped out of her clothes while the water heated.

  Stepping into the shower, she was delighted when the heavy spray hit her skin. This was so much better than her shower in the cabin. Sample-sized shampoo and conditioner sat on the ledge. She wished she had her expensive brand from her room, but she quickly pushed that wish aside. Even if she could find the exact brand, she would never again buy something that reminded her of her life with Laskin and the other members of the brotherhood. That time was behind her, and there was no going back.

  This shampoo smelled faintly of coconut and a hint of something else she couldn’t place. The effect was very pleasant and she dumped half the tiny bottle into her hair and worked it into a rich later. The scent filled the tiny bathroom, mingling with the steam that was building.

  She worked the soap across her skin as the suds from her shampoo slid down her body. It had been years since she’d had a shower with so much water pressure. She turned slowly in the spray, letting it work the kinks out of her muscles and wash away the events of the last few days.