Page 1 of Into the Dawn

1

BEN

“Ben, I swear to god, let me out right now or else?—”

The banging noise from the trunk gets louder before a frustrated scream makes me chuckle.

“Or else what?” I demand, making my amusement clear, knowing it will drive her up the wall to hear how much I’m enjoying her anger.

Good. This is nothing compared to what she did to me. I’m perfectly entitled to get a little bit of satisfaction from turning the tables on my errant mate.

When she remains stubbornly silent, I lean back in the seat of my truck and wait, drumming my fingers on the steering wheel and taking a sip of my delicious coffee. Stopping for food and leaving her there might have made me feel a tiny bit guilty since my beast was fighting to care and provide for her like a mate normally should. I pull my leather wallet from my back pocket and remove the faded strip of photos from its hiding place. The images might be creased and faded but she looks exactly the same, just as beautiful as she was back then, even if she’s a little less enamoured with me.

I brush my thumb over the picture and frown at just how happy I look. These pictures were supposed to mark the start of our lives together, taken in between giggles and kisses in a photo booth while we bought some basic household items we’d need for our new life.

I kept them to remind myself never to be so stupid again. Or that’s what I told myself whenever I pulled them out to torture myself with her sunny smile. Because we’re not together. And we’re certainly not normal mates, so I shoved those unwelcome feelings deep down where they belong and took my sweet time, scoring a takeaway coffee and some sweet treats for the drive.

Now I have the real thing locked in my trunk and it’s much more satisfying to hear her disgruntled shouts as I ponder how I can use her as part of my mission to get John back.

Torture her for information? Force her to bring me into her weird family’s compound so I can search the place? Continue to make her miserable just for the sheer fun of it?

“I’m starving, Ben. And it’s hot in here. Can I have something to eat, or at least a drink?”

I ignore her, knowing it’s just a ploy to get me to open the trunk by using the bond to soften my attitude toward her. As I admire the vista in front of me, I scoff. It’s going to take a lot more than a pretty face and a rumbling tummy to have me falling for her act again.

Sucking in a calming breath, I focus on where I am, and get a feel for the land, which is far from my own territory. The view from here really is spectacular, though. I’d add it to the list of beauty spots we bring our tours to if the locals were a little more hospitable.

Although unfortunately, I have a feeling I won’t be allowed to have anything to do with Sutton’s fledgling adventure tour company after this little escapade.

Which is a shame, really. Maybe Jack can add a trek up here onto the itinerary. Or an exploration of the rather extensive cave network we’ve discovered. Naomi’s clan might give him a warmer welcome since he doesn’t have King as his surname. That is, if he speaks to me after leaving him high and dry with the next batch of customers due this week.

Taking a long sip, I stretch my legs out and crack my neck. I feel surprisingly relaxed for a man who’s kidnapped someone. It feels like it was always going to come to this—something drastic—to find out the truth about what happened to John. It’s like the fates have been waiting for the right time to blow everything wide open, and I’m the one they’ve picked to do it.

Jed and his family have been a blight on these mountains for long enough, and with nothing left to lose, it’s time I stood up and did something about it. For John. Because I have a feeling that’s exactly what landed him in hot water.

Loyalty. To us and to our town. A determination to stand up for those who need it. And refusing to give up his investigation into the missing persons cases that rocked our mountain.

After seeing what happened to Kali, it's all starting to make sense. The pieces of the puzzle that have haunted me for months are finally slotting together and giving us a clue of what happened to the man who was far more than just a neighbour. John was a father-figure to me when nobody else cared. I’ll go to extreme lengths to make sure I leave no stone unturned in figuring out where he is, dead or alive.

And making those responsible pay for what they did.

“Ben, I had nothing to do with the attack on Kali. You know me. I love Kali. I’d never hurt her.”

Vanessa sounds timid and pathetic now, and as I continue to pretend I can’t hear her, I have to admire her broad acting range. From feisty and dangerous to apologetic and weak in about tenseconds flat. It’s impressive. That’s how she convinced me she was as in love as I was.

Thump, thump, thump.

So there’s no way I’m falling for it again. The little lady currently kicking the shit out of my topper is going to help me get to the bottom of what happened, whether she likes it or not.

“Just tell me what I want to know, Vanessa. Then we can both move on with our lives.Again.”

Savouring the last big gulp of coffee, I set the mug in the console and stare out at the rapidly fading daylight, the sky turning orange as the sun dips behind the mountain peak. The vista is stunning, like a postcard, and once again, I feel privileged to live somewhere with sunsets as beautiful as this.

I liked my time away from Sutton, but nothing beats home.

“I don't know anything, you fucking asshole.” She hisses, back to her wildcat personality, her pretense of being afraid and demure already forgotten.

Kick, kick, kick.

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