Neanderthal Next Door: Enemies to Lovers, Mountain Man Next-Door, Halloween Romance

by K. C. Crowne

  And then he entered.

  Adam had changed out of his Halloween costume, dressed in his usual expensive, slacks and a button down. The look in his eyes was downright sinister.

  “Happy Halloween, Mandy.”

  I wanted to rip that smug smirk right off his face.

  “Fuck you, Adam.”

  He laughed, stepping over to the couch across from me and sitting down.

  “Look at you, as willful as ever. But that’s the Mandy I know and love.”

  “What is this, Adam?” I asked. “Are you seriously kidnapping me? You know that’s illegal, right?”

  He shrugged. “Mandy, when you’re as wealthy as I am, one of the first things you learn is what you can get away with.”

  “But this isn’t skipping out on your taxes – this is a serious crime. And I’m not going to just let you do it.”

  “You’re saying that because you don’t understand the plan yet.”

  “Then enlighten me.”

  He glanced aside, as if trying to figure out where to begin.

  “You never gave me a chance, Mandy. Even back in high school you’d always acted like you were too good for me.”

  “What the hell are you talking about? You were friends with Michael – I was nothing but nice to you.”

  “You call that nice? I call it condescending. You knew what you were doing, treating me like nothing.”

  He was delusional, totally out of his mind.

  “You never gave me a chance, never let me show you how right for each other we were. Then, you came back. I was sure it was fate – why else would the universe bring the woman I loved back into my life against all odds?”

  I said nothing, not wanting to antagonize him further.

  “But you ignored me again, not wasting any time shacking up with some low-life shithead.”

  “Don’t you talk about Hu-”

  He cut me off, his eyes flashing with anger. “I don’t want to hear that fucker’s name ever again.”

  I said nothing else. Not only did I not want to provoke him, I wanted to hear what his plan was.

  “He was wrong for you, just like Michael was. But I needed to make you see it. That’s why I had you come here. And when he showed up once again and you ran off with him today like some giggling schoolgirl, I knew I had to take drastic measures.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “It’s simple. I’m going to make you give me what you never would – a chance.”

  “What?”

  “This isn’t my only home, Mandy. I’ve got a lovely villa in Tuscany that I’ve been neglecting. Here’s what we’re going to do. You and I are going to spend some time out of the country, away from all of this. And we’re going to stay there for as long as it takes for you to realize how I feel about you. And then, after a while, you’ll start to feel the same way.”

  “Adam…this is insane. You can’t just kidnap someone and make them fall in love with you.”

  He shrugged. “The mind is capable of incredible things. You say this now, but who knows what the future will hold? Love is a surrender, after all. You just need more time.”

  He reached into his pocket and took out his phone.

  “Now, you’re going to call Lizzie and have her bring Parker. Say whatever it takes without arousing suspicion.”

  “And what if I don’t? What if I tell her what you’re doing?”

  “I’ll cut the wi-fi before you have a chance to do that. And then we’ll just have to leave without him. As much as I want him to see me as his new dad, it’s a price I’m willing to pay.”

  I felt sick to my stomach at the idea of being stolen away without Parker knowing where I’d gone, what had happened.

  “You’re insane, Adam.”

  “Make one phone call, and I’ll do the rest.”

  “Fuck you. Fuck you a thousand times.”

  He grinned. “That’s what I’m counting on.”

  One of the men stepped behind me and untied the binds on my wrists.

  He set his phone on the table in front of me. I picked it up and dialed Lizzie’s number. I took one breath, then another.

  I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t go along with his bullshit. I stood up and, with all my strength, threw the phone at Adam.

  “Go to hell!” I screamed as the phone connected with his head, a wince of pain forming on his features.

  “You bitch!”

  He burst from his seat and began to rush over to me.

  But he didn’t get a foot before all the lights in the house shut off, total darkness surrounding us.

  “What the fuck?” I heard one of the men say.

  “What happened?” the other asked.

  “Stay still,” Adam said. “Just an outage. It’s a full moon – let’s get outside. Grab her.”

  The men hurried to my sides and grabbed my arms as they’d done before. Together, they dragged me kicking and screaming through the study and outside onto the vast patio. The light of the moon in the darkness gave everything an eerie, silver sheen.

  “We need to get to the car,” Adam started.

  He didn’t get out another word. A shrouded figure emerged from behind the railing, massive and imposing.

  It was dark, but I could see Hunter was still dressed in his costume of a sleeveless shirt and camo pants. He looked the role of a special ops agent.

  Then he went to work like one.

  “What the fu-” One of the guards didn’t even manage to finish before Hunter rushed with incredible speed over to him, driving his palm into his chest and slamming him into the wall.

  I and Adam and the remaining guard turned toward Hunter. Without breaking his stride, he swooped over the second guard and brought the side of his palm down onto the back of his neck. The guard’s face went blank, and he dropped.

  In less than ten seconds, Hunter managed to take them down. Once they were both in heaps, he turned his fury on Adam.

  “What the hell are you doing?” Adam asked, cowering back from Hunter. “How…”

  He turned to me, a slight smile on his face.

  “You alright, babe?”

  I was still stunned, but managed to answer.

  “I’m alright.”

  “You want to finish the job?”

  I knew exactly what he meant.

  “Sure do.”

  Adam, panic all over his face, raised his palms and stepped back.

  “No,” he said. “I’m sorry!”

  I wasn’t in the mood for apologies. With a swift movement driven by power I didn’t even know I had, I rushed forward, raised my knee, and slammed it right into his balls.

  Adam’s face went red, his hands clasping over his junk. Then he dropped into a heap, coughing and sputtering.

  “That’s one way to take a guy out,” Hunter said, looking him over.

  “Looks like you’re not the only one with skills.”

  Off in the distance, the red and blue lights of approaching police cars flashed.

  “You’d better kiss me fast,” I said. “We might not get another chance for a while.”

  “Don’t have to tell me twice.”

  He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me in for a kiss.

  Hunter

  The police swarmed the place, taking Adam and his men into custody. It was the last we saw of the prick – I didn’t even want to give him the satisfaction of taking one last look at us before he was carted off like the sorry shithead he was.

  Mandy and Hugh and Lizzie and I were gathered among the police cars, seated in the grass after being put through a battery of questioning. We weren’t done with the cops – they’d want statements from all of us in time- but for the moment, we finally had some time to breathe.

  “OK,” Mandy said. “What the hell happened? And where’s Parker?”

  “Parker’s with some new friends of his back at the party,” Lizzie replied. “We weren’t sure if bringing him along was the best idea. And don’t worry – S
am and his wife are watching over him.”

  Mandy nodded. “Yeah, don’t need to scare the hell out of the poor kid.” She shook her head, as if still trying to process everything.

  “We’ll pick him up when we’re done here,” I told her.

  “So, this daring rescue,” she said. “What happened?”

  “Well,” Hugh started. “It didn’t take much detective work to figure out who took you and where you’d all gone. Problem is Adam’s place is set up like a fortress. High fences, cameras everywhere. Might be a problem if we didn’t have a security expert and a former military man on our side.” He followed this up with a grin.

  “Hugh handled the alarms and cut the power, then I moved in,” I said. “From there it was cake. Adam’s too infatuated with you to do anything too drastic.”

  “I don’t know what to say,” she said. “I…I never thought it’d come to this. I knew Adam had problems, but this is just something else.”

  “Every man has his breaking point,” Hugh said.

  I reached over and wrapped my arm around Mandy. “I’m thinking tonight we can get a hotel downtown. Figured being out in the middle of nowhere might not suit either of us.”

  I realized what I’d said, that I’d just shown a preference for being around people instead of out on my own. The smile on her face let me know she was pleased to hear it.

  “Then let’s get out of here,” Mandy agreed. “I’ve got a little man I need to see.”

  It was the same sentiment we all shared. We checked in with the cops, letting them know we’d be available when they needed us.

  And that was that. We drove away from Adam’s house, the lights of the police cars fading in the distance.

  Back downtown, we stopped at the coffeeshop where we’d left Parker. Just like before, he was in the middle of playing with a group of boys.

  Tears formed in Mandy’s eyes when she saw him.

  “Mom!” he said, rushing over, still innocent to what had happened.

  When he approached, Mandy dropped to her knees and pulled him into a tight hug.

  “Oh, my little boy, my precious little boy.”

  It was moving to see, but I couldn’t help but chuckle as Parker squirmed out of her grasp.

  “Mom!” he said, wiping off his face where she’d kissed him. “My friends are watching!”

  Mandy, understanding what was happening, checked herself and nodded.

  “Why don’t Hugh and I take Iron Man here back to my place for the night and give you two some alone time.”

  “Are you sure?” I asked her.

  She nodded. “Of course. We’ll raid his candy stash and watch movies, right Parker?”

  “Yeah! Please Mom?”

  I laughed and nodded.

  “See you tomorrow, OK?” Mandy asked.

  He nodded and turned, running off the join the rest of the boys.

  “Seems like he’s turned a corner,” I said, watching them play.

  “Maybe he has. And I’m thinking I’ve got you to thank for it.”

  “Nah – him having a mom like you goes a million miles further than anything a guy like me could do.”

  She smiled, stepping up on her tiptoes and giving a kiss.

  “Let’s get out of here.”

  “Best idea I’ve heard all night.”

  With that, we said our goodbyes to Hugh and Lizzie before leaving the downtown party, checking into a hotel overlooking the city. I rented the best room they had, and we’d barely gotten over the threshold before getting one another out of our costumes.

  When we were under the covers, me on top of her, Mandy looking deeply into my eyes, I knew what I had to say.

  “I love you,” I said. “I love you like crazy.”

  “And I love you.”

  There was nothing else that needed to be said. I reached down and took hold of my cock, positioning it at her already-wet opening. She wrapped her arms and legs around me as I glided into her, Mandy’s walls gripping me tightly as I pushed deeper.

  She closed her eyes and opened her mouth, sighing softly as I pushed into her. The moonlight pouring in through the open window, the room otherwise dark, she looked like a damn angel.

  I never wanted to let her go, I wanted to make her mine, and to be hers.

  My thrusting picked up in speed, my grunts and her moans blending into one symphony of pleasure, our bodies becoming one more and more with each slow drive into her.

  We came together, my cock releasing and her walls gripping, her body shaking with delight.

  When we were done, the two of us lay together, listening to the wind through the open window. I got up to set a fire, the flames crackling as we held one another.

  “One of these days you’re going to have to teach me how to do that,” she said, gesturing to the fireplace.

  “We’ve got plenty of time. Nothing but time.”

  She smiled, kissing me softly.

  “I’ve been thinking,” she said. “The whole living up in the woods thing. Being isolated. I don’t know if that’s for me any longer.”

  “Me either.”

  She was surprised to hear this, and so was I.

  “What’re you saying, Hunter?” she asked.

  “I’m saying…it was a mistake. Cutting myself off, trying to be alone. No man’s an island – everyone needs other people. Losing you, even for an evening, was too damn much. I want us to be together. And I want…I want to be back in the world.”

  She smiled, leaning in and kissing me.

  “There’s nothing I’d want more.”

  It was settled.

  Time for my new life to begin.

  Epilogue

  MANDY

  THREE YEARS LATER…

  “Now, hold on!” Hunter’s voice boomed as he called out to the workmen. “It’s just putting a damn sign on – how hard could it be?”

  My hands resting on my big, pregnant belly, I watched from the waiting room of Hunter’s Autobody – formerly Sam’s- as Hunter guided the workers as they replaced the sign out front. After Sam retired, he’d left the place to Hunter – his best employee. And Hunter didn’t waste any time making the place his.

  Once the men had the situation in order, Hunter called out again. “There we go – perfect. Now, give me a call when it’s all done.”

  He turned and headed back into the shop, sighing as he stepped through the door. I glanced down at the ring on his finger, the reminder that we were man and wife. It always brought a smile to my face.

  “I swear,” he said. “Some of these boys don’t know how to do a job unless you’re there whipping them in the behind while they’re doing it.”

  “Easy on them,” I chided. “They’re teenagers.”

  He smirked. “Gotta learn how the real world works sooner or later.”

  He leaned in and kissed me, putting his hand on my belly.

  “How’s the princess?” he asked. “Or, both of the princesses?”

  “This princess is tired,” I said, referring to myself. “And this princess is using the sides of my uterus to practice her high-kick.”

  He smiled warmly, that same smile he always had when we talked about our daughter.

  “That means she’s ready to see the world.”

  “Don’t I know it. One more week until the delivery date.”

  “And I can’t wait.”

  He smiled one more time as the door to the shop floor opened, whirring and clanking sounding as the door swung open and Marty, one of the new guys, stepped out. We all said our hellos.

  “So,” Marty said. “You both still planning on coming to the barbeque at Sam’s this weekend?”

  “Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Hunter replied.

  “Can’t wait,” I said. “But forewarning – I might eat him out of house and home.”

  The guys laughed.

  “And just to remind you,” Hunter reminded. “I’m stepping out for lunch. Should be back in around three.”

  �
�Perfect,” Marty said. “We’ll be working on Mrs. O’Donnell Prius until then.”

  He waved to the both of us before ducking back through the door to the workshop.

  Hunter checked his watch. “Got an idea – we’re a little early for lunch. Want to swing by the estates before we meet Lizzie and Hugh?”

  “Sounds like a great idea.”

  He gave my leg a squeeze before helping me up and out. Together, we got into his truck and started off toward the woods outside of town.

  “The estates” was Hunter’s joking way of referring to our cabins, the ones where we’d lived when we’d first met each other. We moved out of them both after becoming official, Hunter and Parker and I moving into an apartment downtown before signing a mortgage for a two-story colonial near where Hugh and Lizzie had moved.

  But we didn’t want to let go of the cabins. So, we decided to hold onto them, Hunter turning the properties -with Parker’s help, of course- into redone cabins for Airbnb tenants to rent out. We never had any shortage of couples from Seattle wanting to get out of the city, and the properties managed to bring us a nice income boost between Hunter’s auto shop and my hours at Lizzie’s store.

  “They look nice as ever,” Hunter said, slowing his car down to pass his place, then mine. Both cabins looked great as ever, redone and brought up to code. “And…we’re coming up on our anniversary.”

  “Three years,” I said. “Can’t believe it.”

  “Three perfect years. What do you say we rent out one of the cabins ourselves for a weekend?”

  “Love it.”

  He grabbed my thigh and squeezed it, leaning over for a kiss before turning the truck around.

  We drove back into town. And as we crossed over the city limits, the baby kicked. Hard.

  I winced, shifting in my seat.

  “You alright over there?” Hunter asked as we drove.”

  “Fine,” I said. “She’s just…really being aggressive today.”

  “Eager to come out, I bet. If she keeps it up I’ll make sure to give her a talking to when she does.”

  He winked, and I smiled. But then she kicked hard again. I kept the feeling from this one to myself.

  Minutes later we were at the Red Kettle, Hugh and Lizzie already waiting for us. Hugh had moved into town a couple of years ago, giving one of his subordinates control of the day-to-day operations of his security company. Other than a few trips into Seattle every now and then, it more-or-less ran itself.