by Sierra Brave
Most equine shifters didn’t have Chance’s sense of smell, but the wolf in his blood provided a small edge in that department. After a hot minute of maneuvering Thunder through a nearly endless stream of trees, he picked up the scent of shifter pheromones, strong ones, but not horse or wolf, though one was close enough he figured it was something from the canine family. Whatever and whoever the son’bitch was, he’d been marking his territory all along the way. Asshole.
He breathed deep, whiffing the air. A bone-chilling sensation traveled up his spine like the pinpricks of a hundred frozen needles. Shit. The other shifter smelled like a grizzly. He was tempted to release the safety on his Glock but errored on the side of caution. There were only a couple of families of bear-shifters living in the area, and they were good citizens. None of them would be sneaking around on private property.
Hopefully, they’ll turn out to be harmless sight-seers. The trails were filled with beauty. Might be he’d just need to direct them to public land, but the sick feeling in the pit of his stomach and the hairs standing up on the back of his neck didn’t seem to indicate as much.
After he followed the scent to a small campsite built between a scatter of tall oak trees, he noted a small fire with a grate. Someone was brewing some camper’s coffee. An oversized sleeping bag was on the opposite side of the fire pit, and someone was still inside snoring loudly.
The man was too big to fit inside the bag completely so he left it unzipped. His feet hung out the bottom, leaving one of his legs completely visible. Chance glanced at the tent just as a wiry fellow of average height with light brown hair and a face like a weasel crawled out. “Good morning.”
The man jumped to his feet. He looked to his slumbering buddy, but realizing he was caught without back-up, he stood frozen like a deer spotlighted at night. After a few seconds, he nodded. “Good day, officer.”
“You and your friend over there doing a little camping?”
“Yes, yes, sir. We’re just enjoying the beauty of nature.” He smiled nervously, his right eye twitching as he touched his nose.
“You guys walk all the way up here?”
“Naw, we got a jeep parked a ways back.” We motioned with his thumb.
“Can you wake up your friend?”
The man spared his friend a quick glance, frowning. “He’s awful grouchy in the morning. I’d rather not if that’s okay.”
“I’m sorry, but you two are trespassing on private property, and I’m going to need to see some identification from you both.”
As the man reached behind his back, Chance pulled his gun. “Whoa, slowly now.”
All the color drained from the man’s face as he stared down the barrel of the gun. “Just getting my ID, sir.”
“Keep your hands up over your head for now.”
The man complied as Chance dismounted Thunder. He patted weasel-face down, removing a pocket knife from his front pocket. “Do you have any other weapons?”
“I’ve got a shotgun in the tent. I think my buddy has a handgun, but it might be in the car.”
“Not a bad idea to have it on hand. Coyotes live around here.”
The man laughed. “I get along good with those guys.”
“I thought I smelled dog.”
“Yeah, you smell a little funny yourself. A lot of horse and a little canine.”
“Good nose. You don’t smell like I need to worry about infected needles so I’m going to reach in your back pocket for your wallet and take a look at your ID.”
“Fine by me, officer.” Chance holstered his gun before getting a look at the man’s credentials.
“Crawford Crane.” He whistled through his teeth. “My, my, Mr. Crane. Nevada…you’re a looong way from home just to check out nature’s beauty. I take it your friend over there is the bear?” The big man made a loud snoring sound from his spot on the ground. “I don’t know what the play is, but if he was supposed to be your back-up, he’s lousy at it.”
Chance handed Crawford his license back. “You can put your hands down.”
“Yes, sir. Thank you.” His shifty twitching eye drove Chance up the wall and his jittery nature didn’t sit right with the officer either.
“So, your buddy got a name?”
“Grayson Black, wake up, Grayson.” Crawford nudged the bear shifter with the toe of his boot.
The big guy’s snoring cut off in a garble as he startled awake. “Huh? What?” He rolled over and sat upright, his sleepy-eyed face twisting into a scowl as his gaze fell on Chance’s uniform. “What’s going on?”
“You’re on private property. Provided you cooperate and show me your identification, I’ll be glad to escort you off with just a warning.” He stared down at Mr. Black. “Do you have any weapons on you?”
“Nope. I’m a hands-on type of guy. Don’t really need weapons.” He started to stand.
“Slowly and keep your hands where I can see them.”
As Mr. Black rolled over on all fours, Chance got a look at his broad shoulders and huge back, and he grimaced as the top of the man’s gross butt crack shined from his boxer shorts. The guy was like a massive slab of concrete. He pushed himself up and stood before lifting his arms above his head and stretching, showing off the lower portion of his gut. He had a brawny chest but wasn’t all muscle. The nostrils of his long, wide nose flared as his mouth opened in a yawn. He scratched his head, bringing attention to his closely cropped dark hair. The haircut was an unfortunate choice for someone with such a round face. “Let me grab my pants, and I can get my driver’s license for you.”
Chance checked the man’s identification. “Okay, Mr. Black, would you like to tell me the truth about why you two gentleman are so far away from home, camping in a secluded area, not meant for the public? I assume you took the north gate to get your jeep in here, and you can’t do that without seeing a lot of signs indicating you were trespassing.”
The man clenched his jaw as he cut a sideways glance at his partner before he shrugged. “I don’t know what you mean. We didn’t see any private property signs from the direction we drove in or maybe we were just so in awe of the mountain views we missed them.”
“It’s my job to make sure you guys aren’t fishing or hunting where you aren’t supposed to be, but if you don’t want to talk straight, I can call this in. We can get the sheriff’s boys out here. They can cite you for trespassing, and they’re probably going to want to search your campsite and vehicle.”
The jittery Mr. Crane spoke up. “Okay, I’ll be honest. We’re looking for my stepdaughter. She ran off with her no-account boyfriend, and he has some family here. We wanted to find her ourselves so she didn’t face runaway charges being that she’s a minor.”
Chance examined the man’s face. His story stunk, but his eye wasn’t twitching anymore. “So you thought she and the boyfriend were hiding out in the woods?”
“Naw, but the boy’s family might have connections. If they see us coming, the kids might bolt before we can get to her.” Mr. Crane shifted his weight from one leg to the other.
“I see.” Chance raised an eyebrow. “Do you have a picture of your stepdaughter? Maybe I’ve seen her.”
“Yes, sir. Let me grab my phone.” He pulled the cellphone from the breast pocket of his button-down shirt before pushing a few buttons and turning it toward Chance.
“May I?” Chance held his hand out for the object until the man relinquished it to him. As he stared at the pic of a redheaded Lucy, his heart nearly jumped up into his throat, and it took every bit of self-control he had to keep his face neutral. “Pretty girl…she’s a minor?”
“Lucy looks older but she’s seventeen.” Mr. Crane touched his nose again and didn’t meet Chance’s eyes as he spoke.
“And the young man she’s traveling with? Do you have any information about him? Name? Description? Is he like us?”
“Oh, yeah…” He paused, looking off to the side and rubbing the back of his neck as he spoke. “Danny…He’s seventeen too. Ave
rage height and build. Right, Grayson?”
The big guy’s ham fists were down by his sides as he nodded his head while averting his gaze. “That’s right. Danny Gerans.”
“Gerans…can’t say I know any Gerans around here. Is he like us?” Chance’s stomach was twisting and turning, but he knew these two were full of shit and no damn good. No way was Lucy a minor and she certainly didn’t show up with a guy. He needed to find a way to keep tabs on these fuckers without letting them find out where Lucy was until he could find out what the hell was really going on.
“No. He’s not like us, and we can’t have Lucy thinking she’s in love and spilling our secret to just anyone.”
“Wow…she just up and left. Was she in some kind of trouble?” Chance looked from Mr. Crane to Mr. Black and then back to Mr. Crane.”
“No, Lucy’s a good girl. She just…that boy—he’s the one that’s no good. Her mama and I said she couldn’t see him anymore so they ran off. You know how impulsive young girls can be. And her mama is so upset.”
“I’ll bet.” Chance tilted his head as he studied Mr. Crane’s face in an attempt to discern if there was any truth mixed in with his lies.
“Yeah, she’s real sick or she’d have come with us to find her.” He rubbed his eyes.
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Chance repressed the urge to roll his eyes. This man was a terrible liar and embellishing his story wasn’t helping him sell it. “I’ll tell you guys what. You seem like good people, and I know the man who owns this land. I’ll talk to him and get permission for you to stay for a few days while you search for your stepdaughter. You just have to promise not to be hunting like humans here. Teeth and claws only.”
“Yeah, shifted hunting only,” Mr. Black agreed.
Chance nodded. “I’ll ask around about your stepdaughter too. Do you mind if I send this picture to my cellphone?”
“Be my guest.”
Chance forwarded the picture to his work cellphone. “Great. Now you have my number if you need anything, and I have yours so I can call you if I find her.” And I can get my cousin at the sheriff’s department to track your ass if I need to.
“Alright, man. Thank you so much.” Mr. Crane extended his hand and as much as it disgusted Chance, he shook it out with him.
“I’ll talk to you two gentlemen later.”
Lucy used the passkey to unlock her next room and walked in, gasping when she noticed a shriveled up, white-haired man seated at the room’s desk. “I’m so sorry. I knocked but there was no answer.” Did I knock? Yes…I’m sure I did. Oh, shit. Chance is going to be so pissed when he finds out I fucked up again.
The man turned his head and when their gazes linked he smiled, pushing the wrinkles on the side of his mouth toward his ears. “Hello, young lady.”
“I’m so sorry.” Lucy put her hands up in front of her. “I swear I knocked a couple of times before I opened the door.”
He peered at her through thick glasses with brown rims. “Don’t fret, dear. I must confess my hearing isn’t what it used to be. He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes before replacing them. “My eyesight could be better too.” He motioned for her to come closer. “Could you help me with this?” He held up a single piece of paper he’d been staring at when she opened the door.
Working at the casino in Vegas, Lucy had met her share of lecherous, old men, but she didn’t get the same vibe from the man in front of her. Since he seemed nice enough, she wedged the cart in the entrance to keep the door ajar before making her way over to the desk where he was seated.
Once she was closer, she realized the document was an old, handwritten letter. The ink wasn’t faded, but the edges were a bit crumbled as if it had been unfolded and refolded many times. “Sir?”
His hand shook as he held up the letter for her to take. “Could you read it to me?”
“I’d be glad to.” She accepted the piece of paper and read aloud.
My Dearest Daughter,
I was wrong. We can work everything out on your terms. Perhaps you won’t take me at my word if I don’t tell you how very proud I have always been of you. You were always kind and loving. I wish I’d done things differently. I shouldn’t have pushed you into a life you didn’t want. I realize everything is my own fault. Please agree to see me again.
Love,
Dad
As Lucy folded the letter again and then handed it back to him, a sick feeling pooled in the pit of her stomach. She winced, unsure what to say and opted not to comment on the content. “Here you go.”
He retrieved his letter while standing up and pulling his wallet out of his pocket. He opened the billfold and placed the letter inside before pulling out a one-hundred dollar bill. “Here, a tip for you.”
Lucy stared at the cash. It wasn’t like she couldn’t use it. Her mom had only given her time to throw a few things in a bag before hustling her away and using the ATM now would have given away her location. She’d only had a few bucks in her purse at the time. On the other hand, she hadn’t really needed much since leaving home. Ms. Banks had been very gracious to her and provided her with everything from toiletries to bedroom slippers. She even packed a lunch for Lucy to take to work every day.
She shook her head. “I appreciate the offer but I can’t.”
“Nonsense. I want you to have it for being so kind to me.”
“All I did was read a letter.” A really sad and cringe-worthy one. “I was happy to help and I can’t take money for it.”
“Please accept it.” The desperation in his voice made Lucy uneasy.
Why does he want me to have it so much? I haven’t even cleaned the room yet. As an idea popped into her head, she smiled. “If you really have to give me something, how about telling me what happened once your daughter got your letter.”
A single tear trickled down the man’s cheek as he shook his head. “She never got it.”
“What? Why not?”
“Because I was too obstinate and proud, I waited too long to send it. The man she’d married brought it back to me unopened. He said she’d up and left him too and he didn’t know where she’d gone. When she finally had the divorce papers served, the document only contained the lawyer’s contact information.”
“You never found her?”
He shook his head. “Not until over twenty years later.” He dabbed at his cheeks with his hand.
Great, now I’ve made an old man cry. Lucy looked around the room, locating the tissue before running over and grabbing a few and then handing them to him. “I’m very sorry to hear it took so long to find her, but I bet she missed you too. Maybe the two of you can start over.” She offered him a closed lip smile while he wiped his face.
“Yeah, perhaps I’ll get a second chance.”
“I hope so.” Lucy’s chest ached. She couldn’t help feeling sorry for him. Even as messed up as her family had been, she didn’t know where she’d be without her mama and even Craw had his moments. When she was in elementary school, he’d met her in the parking lot and walked her home every afternoon. He’d always let her stop by the park to play for a little while too. Every October he’d take her out to a farm where they offered pony rides and she got to pick out a pumpkin for them to carve into a Jack-o-lantern. He even played board games with her when it was too rainy for her to enjoy the outdoors.
It wasn’t until she’d hit middle school that he’d sunk so far into gambling and her mom had started working tons of overtime to keep up with his debts. Still, her mama and her running away was a temporary thing—once Craw’s debt was paid, she wouldn’t feel obligated to the Patriarch and his son. She’d be able to go home and stand her ground. Even as much as her mama and Craw pissed her off, the thought of not seeing either one of them for years scared her.
She glanced at the man. “Can I make up your room for you?”
He shook his head. “Actually, if you wouldn’t mind coming back a little later, I’m going to get a shower and then check out.”
“Yes, sir. Can I get you some fresh towels?”
“I’m good. Thank you, dear.”
“Sure thing.” She nodded at him before turning around and pushing her cart out of his doorway. As she moved to the next room, she stood in front of the door ready to knock but turned her head and stared at the man’s door. Her interaction with him had left an anxious feeling gnawing at her stomach. Thanks for that. She sighed and shook her head, determined to avoid distraction. There was no way she’d do anything less than a stellar job today. She rapped on the door three times. “Housekeeping.”
After making some phone calls, Chance learned Crawford Crane, alias Craw Crane, had a record in Nevada for a couple of petty offenses but nothing violent. He’d managed not to serve any time accept a few days here and there in the drunk tank.
Grayson Black was a more troubling character. He’d once been picked up for menacing and intimidation but the charges had been dropped. More than one woman had a restraining order against him though it seemed he was more of a pest to them than truly dangerous.
Chance had also been informed that Mr. Black’s father was a shifter patriarch in Las Vegas and the surrounding areas who collected rogue shifters other clans had shunned. Since he couldn’t risk those two bringing in reinforcements, strong-arming them to leave town wasn’t going to be an option. He huffed out a hefty blast of air. Lucy, what have you gotten yourself into with these people?
As Lucy and Sal restocked the carts for the next day, Lucy couldn’t stop smiling. “Girl, what’s got you so over-the-moon?”
“Is it that obvious?” Lucy lifted her eyebrows.
“Just a little.” Sal snickered.
“There’s this guy I like, and I’m pretty sure he’s making me dinner tonight.” Her cheeks blazed.
“Alright then, it’s time for you to kick off for the day anyway. I’ll finish up here.”
Lucy threw her arms around the older woman. “Thanks.”
“No problem. Have fun.”
She hoofed it to the office and found Chance waiting for her. “Fancy meeting you here.” She smiled at him but was disappointed to see his lips pressed into a tight, grim line.