Page 140 of First Chance

“He won’t. It won’t work. He’ll never give this place up,” I cry.

“Something switches in a man when he loses the womanhe loves,” Jerry murmurs.

“You’ve made a mistake.”

“No, I don’t think so. Chain, meat offerings, solid distraction.” He smacks his fire jacket, smiling at me disgustingly.

“Lochlan doesn’t love me. We’re only pretending to be engaged.”

His eyes narrow.

“I’m just his employee. I lied about being his fiancée, and he went along with it. That’s it. He might be sad I’m dead, but he won’t give this place up. I guarantee it.”

“You’re lying.”

“No, I’m not.” Tears stream down my face. I am trying to force him to see the errors in his ways, but I’m not sure I’m not lying…

I’m not really Lochlan’s fiancée, and he’s already planned to say goodbye to me. We’ve grown inseparable, but he’s not in love with me. He can’t be; he wouldn’t allow it. He told me as much.

“It’s a shame for you, then, I guess. Plan isn’t changing. Sorry, sweet cheeks.” He takes a few steps, and I realize he’s leaving me.

He’s leaving me here inside the enclosure completely defenseless and at the mercy of the bears. I don’t want to be near him, but I definitely don’t want to be alone.

“Please, don’t do this.”

“I have to. A man has to feed his family.”

“I hope your family is ashamed of you.”

“They probably would be if they knew what I was doing… But all they know is that the bills are paid and they’ve got food in their bellies. A rich girl like you doesn’t understand something like that, but maybe these bears can show you what it means to be hungry.” He laughs deeply, stepping back through the fence. He rights the chain link and twists it just right so it looks flush like it hasn’t been tampered with.

“I’ll scream until someone finds me.”

“Go ahead.” He rights his firefighter helmet. “But I’m headed off to start some more chaos somewhere far from here.” He winks, holding a lighter and a small bottle of lighter fluid.

A sweep of light reflects off his face suddenly, and he drops, crouching away from it. Curtis walks around the pathway, sweeping the trees until he notices Jerry in his path and jumps.

“Damn, dude, what the hell are you doing out here?”

“I was searching for the little girl.”

“CURTIS!” I scream, and his head swivels, searching for me. “I’m in here, help!”

His gaze finally finds me, but he’s struggling to comprehend why I’m behind the fence. He opens his mouth to speak, and Jerry lunges at him, taking him down by his waist.

“No!”

Jerry tries to climb on top of Curtis, but he swings his legs, kicking him off before he can. A full-out brawl ensues as they fight for the upper hand.

Curtis kicks Jerry hard enough to give himself more space to get to his feet and swings a punch at him. I see the pain twist his features when his scarred fist connects with Jerry’s jaw.

His hands are too damaged from his skin grafts.

Jerry stumbles to the ground, but when he stands back up, he’s holding a thick branch in his hands like a baseball bat. He launches at Curtis, who dodges the first swing, but hishead gets clipped the second time Jerry swings, sending him to the ground.

“Curtis! No!”

Jerry swings the branch down like an ax, striking Curtis in the back of the head, and his body flattens lifelessly.

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