Cambria got out of the car, looking around the parking lot and walking slowly towards the hotel room door. Tom shoved the key roughly in the lock and opened the door. A wave of stale cigarette smoke washed over them, but Tom was oblivious. Cambria on the other hand was overcome with nausea.
“Can we open the windows? I want to let some fresh air in.”
Tom handed her his bag and moved to open the windows, grinning broadly as if he’d done something grand for his love. He took two steps towards her, his hands out to cup her cheeks as he leaned in to kiss her.
“Wait.”
He pulled back, looking at her quizzically. “What’s wrong, my love?”
“I’m so hungry that I feel nauseous. I really need to eat real food or I may throw up again.”
That did the trick. Tom jumped back a few feet dramatically, his face twisted with disgust. “Do you think eating is the right thing to do?”
“I’m not sure. I need to lay down. Maybe you can get me something to eat and bring it back here? I was thinking I could rest up, then eat so I can be ready for you.” She took a step towards him and grabbed his waistband, pulling him closer. She looked into his eyes, her hazel eyes soft with longing.
“I could try to go to bed with you now, I’m just afraid that I’ll get sick again—"
“No! No, that won’t be necessary. What do you want to eat?”
“I didn’t see any of the restaurants when we got here. Is there a taco place nearby? I think I’d like something along those lines. Or maybe a salad.”
“I think I saw something a few miles back that could’ve been a taco shop.”
Cambria licked her lips slowly, pitching her voice low and moaning seductively. “That sounds so delicious.” She winked at him, “Almost as delicious as you.”
Tom gathered up his keys and grabbed his wallet out of the overnight bag. “Lock the door behind me and don’t answer it for anyone, you got that?”
“Of course I won’t. You have a key and I’ll be asleep.”
Tom kissed her forehead. “Get some rest. You’re going to be busy tonight.”
Without another word he was gone, backing quickly out of the parking space and turning right onto the divided two lane highway that ran in front of the hotel. Cambria pressed her face against the glass and watched his taillights disappear.
Cambria slipped out of the hotel room, closing it casually behind her and walking towards the road as nonchalantly as possible. She was still dressed all in black. She hoped that it provided some measure of cover and that darkness came soon. If not, she was going to be screwed.
She reached the gravel path that ran along the road in place of an actual sidewalk and looked forlornly to the left. Tom had gone right for a reason; most of the businesses were located in that direction heading into town. To her left, there were lights, but they were further away. It didn’t matter, she couldn’t risk going the same way as he did.
She went left, pulling the hood of her coat over her head and taking up a light jog. She kept her eyes on the ground in front of her and tried to keep her pace steady. There were several homes and apartment complexes in this area, so a jogger that was running towards traffic wouldn’t be an odd sight in this neighborhood. She didn’t want to draw any attention to herself if she could help it, at least not before she got somewhere with a lot more people.
Tom had mentioned calling in a favor, but he hadn’t been very specific. She didn’t know how many friends he had in this area, or if a friend of a friend had helped him. Regardless, she couldn’t be too careful.
The lights from the distant business were growing closer and Cambria was starting to feel a glimmer of hope. She wasn’t more than a half mile from the nearest business, a small mom and pop burger shop from what she could tell. She heard tires screech and knew without looking that it was Tom. Across the highway, on the other side of a low, concrete barrier he had slammed on his breaks. His face was incredulous and even in the gray light; she could see his rage.
He floored it, spinning the tires and barreling towards the open turn lane almost a quarter of a mile ahead. Even if she ran, she would never make it to the business before he did. She turned around and ran the other direction, heading for a gated apartment complex she had passed minutes before. If she could get there fast enough, she might be able to hop the wrought iron fence and disappear into the complex.
She was so close, pushing herself as hard as she could. Tires shrieked behind her as Tom took the u turn much too fast. Horns blared and tired locked up in an effort to avoid a collision. An engine revved and Cambria pushed harder, grabbing the top of the fence and pulling herself up with all her might. Tom was coming after her, and he wasn’t letting anything get in his way.
THE FINAL CHAPTER
Egan cursed under his breath when the tire iron slipped, slamming his knuckles into the asphalt. He tightened the last of the lug nuts quickly, tossing the blown tire in the trunk and jumping into the car. He checked the time and cursed his bad luck. He was now at least forty-five minutes behind them, if not more. He pulled back into traffic, shoving the accelerator to the floor and praying that there were no cops on the road.
His car ate up mile after mile, but the feeling that he was nearly out of time ran through his mind. Every minute she was with Tom was a minute too long. He’d already wasted so much time, pulling into a gas station that he’d felt compelled to visit. A quick chat with the cashier confirmed that Cambria had indeed been there. The man had even directed him to a message on the bathroom mirror and had given him a partial license plate and description of the vehicle.
But the picture was smudged and hastily drawn. Egan couldn’t make sense of what she was trying to say. If only he’d given her a cellphone he could trace, or any other way of contacting him. But he’d been so sure of his plan, he hadn’t even considered any other alternative.
He slammed his fist into the steering wheel, furious at himself for every misstep. So many “what ifs” were running through his mind that he couldn’t keep up. But the outcome was the same: Cambria was gone, and he didn’t know where she was headed.
Coming up on the border Kansas shared with Colorado and Nebraska, he faced a dilemma. The interstates split several different ways here. The magnetism he felt for her wasn’t an exact science. More than once, he’d taken the wrong exit for a few minutes before realizing that he didn’t feel the drive anymore that came along with her energy. So he would turn around, wasting valuable time retracing his steps just to pick up her trail again.
A large rest area was up ahead, and Egan hoped that this place would yield more clues. He parked haphazardly and jumped out of the car. A young girl walked around the grassy area, using a bucket and a long stick with a sharp point to pick up litter around the grounds. Egan went directly to her, inexplicably drawn to her.
“Miss, can I ask you a question?”
She nodded.
“My name is Egan. Have you seen a woman here, about this tall, brown hair and-”
“She left you a message in the women’s restroom. I made sure no one cleaned it off.” She set her bucket down, leading the way to the exterior bathrooms. She set an “out of order” sign on the door and let him in.
The same crude drawing was on the mirror, though this one wasn’t smudged.
“Did she talk to you?”
“She did. She said that you would come looking for her.”
“Did she say anything else? Anything at all?”
“Not to me, but she was talking to herself. She kept saying “Wyoming” to herself. She held a pencil over the glass but didn’t write. She just drew that picture and left.”
Egan looked at the picture again, realization suddenly dawning on him. They were going to Montana. He was sure of it. She’d mentioned wanting to live in Montana before. But either direction at the split would eventually lead them to Montana, either by way of South Dakota or Wyoming.
“Are you sure she said Wyoming?”
“Yes sir.�
��
He thanked the girl and ran from the bathroom. With a renewed sense of hope, he entered the highway and went northwest, heading into Colorado on his way to Wyoming. He flipped the visor down to block the low-hanging sun and rummaged through the center consul for a pair of sunglasses. A sign informed him that he was less than one hundred miles from the Wyoming border. He would be there just before nightfall at this rate.
Egan pushed the car harder, willing the miles to go faster as he went. As the miles flew by, he felt her presence more strongly than before. He was close, closer than he had been in some time. He was going to find her. He just hoped that he wouldn’t be too late.
Egan’s phone rang and he hit the speaker button, his brother’s voice filling the car. “Any news?” Sable asked.
“She’s been leaving a trail of breadcrumbs. They’re heading to Montana via Wyoming.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. I think she’s trying to tell me something. The other day she told me she’d always wanted to live in Montana. I’m hoping she somehow convinced Tom that Montana was as good a place as any to go. Or it’s just a coincidence.”
“Why do you think that?”
“I don’t know, Sable. There was no sign of a struggle. It was like she just walked out with him. I want to believe that she didn’t, and that the things she told me before she disappeared were true.” Egan took a deep breath before continuing. “But she admitted that Laskin planned to use her to get to me if his plan with Grace backfired. She all but said he expected her to use her body to manipulate me and to get to you.”
“Do you think that’s what happened?”
“I don’t know what to think. I just don’t.”
“Where are you now?”
“I’m about forty miles from the Wyoming border. Every mile I drive, I feel her more strongly than before. She’s here, Sable.”
“What if she doesn’t want to come with you?”
Egan had considered that, and the possibility broke his heart. “I don’t know. I’m starting to think that kidnapping her wasn’t the right plan.”
“If you hadn’t, she’d be in jail now, or possibly even dead.”
“I know. I get that. I just wonder if what I did makes me any better than Laskin, or Tom. I don’t want to be that man. If she comes with me, I want it to be of her own free will.”
“Then why even go after her?”
“Because. If she’s going to stay with Tom, I want it to be of her own free will. If she looks me in the eye and tells me she wants to be with him, I’ll walk away.”
“Can you really do that?”
“I’ll have to.”
Sable was quiet on the other end. Egan was beginning to wonder if his phone had dropped the call when his brother spoke. “You’ve grown up a lot in these last few weeks, little brother. No matter what happens, I’m here for you.”
Egan thanked him, feeling for the first time like his brother saw him as a man and not the scrawny, awkward teen he’d once been. He hung up, focusing on the road and almost rejoicing aloud when he saw that the Wyoming border was now only twenty minutes away at most. The sun was getting closer to the horizon, and Egan pushed ever faster. When the sign welcoming him to Wyoming was visible in the distance, he breathed a sigh of relief. He didn’t know how, but he knew that she was so close.
He got off on the first exit after he crossed the state line, leaving the four lane highway for a smaller two lane one. To his left there were houses, with the occasional break for a lingering cattle farm that hadn’t yet made way for progress. On his right, a large bank of brightly lit signs announcing various food establishments illuminated the twilight.
Tires squealed up ahead and Egan watched in disbelief as a brown sedan took a u turn too fast and nearly caused an accident. Drivers honked at him in anger, but the sedan was oblivious, continuing on as if nothing had happened. Ahead of the out of control car, a shadowy figure in all black ran for a large iron gate at the front of an apartment complex.
Cambria! Egan couldn’t be certain, but he’d bet his life that it was her, with Tom hot on her heels. Egan floored it, jumping a curb to get around the slow-moving traffic and barreling towards Tom and the brown sedan. Tom slammed the sedan into the brick wall beside the gate, leaving the car in gear, engine squealing in protest as he chased after Cambria. She was halfway up the fence when he grabbed her by the ankle, yanking her to the ground and screaming in rage.
Egan stopped his car and jumped out, heading straight for Tom. Cambria screamed as he slapped her over and over again, cussing loudly in her face. He straddled her, pinning her arms against her body. She had no way of fighting back.
Egan heard cars behind him, but he was unaware of his surroundings. Even in the near dark, he could see that Tom wasn’t going to stop until he put her in the hospital or worse. In a rage, Egan shifted in mere moments, his body screaming in pain with effort, his tattered clothes falling to the ground around him. He lunged at Tom, ripping him off of Cambria and throwing him against the concrete wall. Tom hit the wall with a thud. He stood up almost immediately, completely unaffected by the blow. Tom advanced on Egan, a sickening smile across his face.
“So we meet again, shifter. And this time, you think you’re going to take my woman?” Tom laughed, but there was no joy in the sound. Cambria still lay on the ground, moaning softly. Otherwise, she was motionless.
Tom ran at Egan, his hand down by his side. He had a gun, but it was still holstered. Egan lunged forward, meeting Tom in the middle and slamming him away with one mighty sweep of his massive paw. This time, Tom took longer to get up. He pulled his gun out as he stood, but he didn’t point it at Egan. Egan looked over his shoulder to see Cambria, trying to get up from the ground.
“I’ll kill her, shifter. I’ll put a bullet right between her eyes and then neither one of us can have her.”
Egan roared, leaping into the air and descending upon Tom. Tom fired a shot as Egan connected with the man, taking him down to the ground. The bullet when wild, lodging itself into the wall. Egan slapped the gun out of Tom’s hand, sending it flying across the gravel and onto the highway. Tom screamed, the anger in his eyes replaced by fear.
Egan reared back, slamming down onto Tom and sinking his teeth into Tom neck. He ripped the tender flesh and the scream died. Tom went limp beneath him, the light in his eyes dying in an instant as his heart pumped a final beat before giving up.
Egan held him down for a moment, making sure he was dead before walking away. He turned to Cambria, and that’s when he noticed the crowd that had gathered. Already, a man was kneeling beside Cambria, holding his shirt against a gash on her head to slow the bleeding. Egan looked around at the stunned faces. He laid down in the gravel, trying to let them know that he wouldn’t hurt them. They all stood there, motionless and in shocked. It took a moment to realize that not one person was moving to help Tom.
Egan went to his car, using it to shield himself as he shifted back to human form and hastily dressed in his only remaining change of clothes. He went to Cambria and the crowd parted, clearing a path for him. He knelt beside her, running his hands over her, trying to convince himself that she was truly there, and alive.
“Egan, I’m okay. Really. It’s just a few bumps and bruises.”
A paramedic pushed his way through the gathered crowd, sitting on the side opposite of Egan. He pulled out a compact flashlight, examining Cambria while his partner brought a stretcher. Egan was surprised they’d gotten there before the police, but the paramedic explained they’d been on their dinner break across the road when Tom had jumped the curb and attempted to kill Cambria with his car.
Grabbing her hand, Egan pulled it gently to his lips and kissed her tenderly before he spoke, ignoring everyone around him when he did. “I was so afraid. When I saw you’d left I thought I had lost you for good. I thought you’d run off with Tom and I was heartbroken and I’m just so glad-”
“Wait. You thought I left willingly with him?”
“Nothing was disturbed and all that was missing was the money you’d taken and I thought-”
“What? That it had all been an act? That I slept with you so that you would believe I was sticking around just so I could leave once Tom found me?”
“Cambria, I—"
“I shared my deepest secrets with you and you thought I’d played you?” She scoffed. “The only thing that got me through the last few hours is that I knew you were coming. I thought you believed in me. I guess I was a fool to think that I actually mattered to you.”
The second paramedic moved in with the stretcher, guiding it beside Cambria. She tried to sit up, but the movement was too much. One of the men pushed her back, placing her hand on the shirt that was now soaked with blood from the gash on her head and instructing her to hold it in place. The two men gently lifted her onto the stretcher, strapping her in before lifting it up and rolling it towards the waiting ambulance.
Egan followed, his eyes never leaving Cambria’s face. She was furious, and no matter what he did, he couldn’t seem to find the words to fix what he’d said.
“Cambria, I’m sorry. I figured out that you were in trouble. I’m here, aren’t I?”
“For yourself,” she spat back. “For that driving need to have me that keeps you up at night. That’s not concern for me, that all about you.”
The stretcher was loaded into the ambulance, with one man climbing in beside Cambria and the other going around to the driver’s side. Egan stopped the man from closing the door.
“I’m going with her.”
“Like hell you are. I’ve spent my life with men that only cared about me for their own selfish reasons. I don’t need any more of that in my life.”
“Cambria, that’s not what happened and you know it.”
The paramedic held up his hand, “Sir, we need to leave. She needs stitches and she’s been badly beaten. I’m sure this can wait.”
CORAM Page 34