1
Alanna
John’s grip on Alanna’s arm hurt but she only gritted her teeth as he shoved her into a booth. He wasn’t rough enough to attract attention and he didn’t speak because he didn’t have to. It was only his fingers digging into her arm that would later leave a bruise letting her know he had control of the situation and she better not try anything. The fingers spoke plenty.
“Don’t look at me like that,” John grumbled as he sat down across from her.
“I’m not looking at you,” she said, breathing through her nose in an attempt to remain calm. “I’m not doing anything.”
“Just don’t talk back to me,” he admonished darkly.
Her brows drew together and she narrowed her eyes at him, but at his look of warning, she sat back and relaxed her features. It was difficult not to glare at John whenever he spoke. She stared out the window, her hands limp in her lap.
“I’m not doing anything,” she said again.
She’d tried to be careful since John had told her about Alex.
They’d stopped at a diner by the side of the road that led up to Black Bear Lake in the middle of the Colorado Rockies. Alanna stared out at the snowy mountains looking just a little peach-colored in the dusk light and sighed. She wanted to be out there, on her own and free.
She’d been so close.
Alanna twirled a lock of her waist-length tawny hair around her finger. It was greasy and limp. She hadn’t had a chance to shower or clean up much at all since John had found her. She was still wearing the same dirty clothes she’d worn then. Even for a bear shifter, she felt too disheveled and just a little gross.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart,” John muttered, perusing the diner’s menu. “Once we get to the lodge, we’ll get you all cleaned up. Get you nice and pretty.”
That sounded even worse somehow. Alanna sat fuming about it until John tapped his big, stubby finger on the laminated menu that sat untouched on the table in front of her. “What are you? On a hunger strike? Pick food or I’ll pick for you. You’re eating.”
Alanna begrudgingly picked up the menu and imagined shifting right there in the middle of the diner. She would tear John’s throat out with her claws, spraying blood everywhere. The humans would freak out whereas shifters would just roll their eyes. She could smell some shifters nearby, actually.
But Alanna couldn’t kill John. She would have, maybe, but...Alex.
She pursed her lips and sent her glare in the direction of the menu as if the corn beef hash and eggs had somehow wronged her. Finally, she slapped it back down on the table just as their waitress ambled over, notepad in hand.
“What can I get for you folks?” she said, smiling brightly. Though Alanna noticed the waitress looked her up and down, her smile faltering. Alanna didn’t blame her. She clearly looked like shit.
“Steak and eggs,” John said. “Well done. Over easy. White toast. Side of bacon. Coffee.”
John was a few inches north of six feet and he was deceptively stocky, hiding a lot of muscle under his beer gut. He had a brick building of a head and a wide, unpleasant looking mouth that sat in a straight line as he looked up at the waitress.
“Sure thing,” the waitress said, then nodded at Alanna. “And you, honey?”
Alanna cleared her throat. She hadn’t spoken much lately. She had started out so mouthy. But there was a bruise forming along her jaw as a result of talking back.
“Breakfast special, please,” Alanna said softly. “With sausage. Eggs scrambled, please. And coffee.”
“Was that so hard?” John muttered under his breath. “Being respectful? That’s all you gotta do.”
“Sure thing.” The waitress frowned at John and took down the order. She glanced at Alanna and this time her expression was clearly not because Alanna looked like she needed a hot shower and a fresh pair of jeans. “You alright, honey?” Her gaze flitted over to John and her meaning was clear.
“Yes,” Alanna said reflexively.
Alanna could sense John’s building anger, which would only make things worse. She twisted her hands in her lap and summoned a smile.
“Oh, yeah,” she said, forcing herself to laugh. “I’m just fine. We’ve been camping and I haven’t had a chance to clean up. That’s all.”
Alanna felt a little proud of herself, even though the lie was obvious on its face. John wasn’t wearing a suit, but he was wearing a nice clean navy blue sweater and his hair was slicked back. He was wearing a silver watch and, if the waitress was observant, she would have seen that they had driven up in an Audi. Nothing about him said “camping” at all.
John was going to be pissed if the waitress started asking questions.
“I’m fine,” Alanna said again. She grinned, knowing the dimples in her cheek just might sell the act. She could charm when she felt like it. “Honestly! But thank you so much for your concern.”
When the waitress finally walked away, John nodded as if in approval. “Good job.”
She sighed in relief and immediately felt stupid for playing his manipulative little game. John was just a henchman, a well-paid fixer who hurt people for money...a lot of money. But he wasn’t stupid. He moved from threatening Alanna to seeming a little kinder as a means of wearing her down. It worked all too well and Alanna knew that tactic. She’d come across men like that before.
Alanna crossed her arms and waited for her food, trying not to think about what would come next, or at least what would come eventually.
John was taking her to the Black Bear Lake Lodge. Alanna had heard of it even though she didn’t know Colorado too well. It was a luxurious type of place, somewhere rich folk, rich bear shifters, in particular, went to lap up all the fancy amenities and ski and go to the spa. They’d be staying there for a few days and then… Alanna didn’t want to think about what happened then. The future was a dark void. The best she could hope for was to go along until she could find the right moment to escape for good this time. But that all relied on Alex getting away first and it didn’t seem likely.
The food came and Alanna’s mouth watered just as her stomach rumbled. The last thing she’d eaten had been some fish she’d caught out in the woods before John finally caught up with her. She cast the waitress a smile and dug into her food. She would have been embarrassed by how quickly she scarfed it all down if she’d ever cared about that sort of thing. She was still used to living as a bear and tearing into the flesh of a fresh kill.
The food made her feel a little better. A deceptive kind of feeling, she thought. The future was still bleak as hell, Alex was still a prisoner, and...
John’s phone ringing made Alanna tense up in her seat.
So far, the only person that ever called John was Rawley, who checked in on things every couple of hours.
Alanna swallowed her last bite of eggs and waited for the inevitable.
John answered quickly. He was halfway through his steak and eggs. They would finish soon and get back on the road and then they’d reach the lodge and then in a few days…
“Mr. Rawley,” John said. “Yeah, everything’s going swimmingly. We’re having some food… Of course, sir.” John handed the phone over to Alanna with an eyebrow raised.