Page 1 of Cursed Fox

CHAPTER ONE

Lex

I shoved the last of my possessions into my backpack. I came to this town with very little and I was leaving it the same way. Willow Creek wasn’t for me anymore. My reasons for staying were slowly dwindling.

Olivia, Maisie's niece, was doing better and better each day after her parents’ death. She talked more to her therapist, and her relationship with Maisie was improving. She didn’t need me as much as she had when things first went down. Our shared trauma was now a thing of the past, and I was happy for her. Even if it meant less time with one of the few people I considered a friend.

Speaking of friends.

I looked down at my ringing phone and contemplated not answering it. I hated talking on the thing. Why couldn’t people just text me? It saved me the trouble of having to pretend like I wasn't disinterested in the conversation.

But it was Maverick, my boss, and I felt obligated to speak to him.

Although, he might not be my boss for much longer.

I was debating letting him know this wasn't going to work for me. Small-town life wasn't busy enough to keep my mind off what I witnessed and endured while enlisted. It didn't keep the demons at bay. My friends might've preferred the change of pace, but I couldn't stand it.

The call almost rang out before I finally answered. "Yeah?"

One word. I was a man who preferred limited vocabulary.

Fortunately, Maverick understood my need for directness and got straight to the point.

"Wes called. He needs some help with a problem. I figured you could meet with him and see what's going on."

I didn't need to know what the problem was. I would help him either way. If for no other reason than I owed Wes my life. Then I could tell Maverick I was done and needed to move on from this place. I appreciated what he wanted to do for me, but I wasn't like the rest of them. I was too fucked up for a simple life.

"I'll call him."

I hung up and hit the button for one of the few numbers stored in my phone. Unlike me, Wes answered within seconds.

"Hey, Lex. I should've known Maverick would pick you."

"You need my help?" I got straight to the point.

"Actually, it's my office manager, Nancy. Her son is a professional football player for the Oklahoma Pioneers and has been receiving death threats for weeks now. Jimmy thinks it's no big deal. Comes with the game. But Nancy isn't as convinced."

I scrubbed my hand along my jaw in confusion. "Why can't your two teams help?"

Wes ran his own security company and had two different teams that could easily do this type of work. It made no sense that he was asking my team for assistance.

"Nancy doesn't want them to know what's going on. She wouldn't want me to call you guys either."

"Then why did you?"

I wasn't the kind of man who pulled punches. If this Nancy woman didn't want my help, there was no point in me helping. I didn't care what Wes wanted, I wouldn't force myself on anyone. I might be a lot of things, but I refused to be an asshole to some strange woman.

"Because Nancy asked me for help personally, but I'm not in the position to be able to do it. Jennie needs me more right now."

Warning bells went off in my head, but I kept my mouth shut. If Wes wanted to tell me what was going on with his wife, he would. Otherwise, it was none of my business.

"So you went behind her back?" I didn't bother to keep the surprise out of my voice.

"I did, and I did it knowing she’ll be mad at me."

Now that was the kind of honesty I admired in a person, and one of the many reasons I respected Wes.

"How pissed will she be?"

---