Page 6 of Mated to the Mountain Bear
Inside, I want to scream. Of course, there was a break-in. How dare he not believe me. But these are the people looking for my sister, so I don’t want to piss them off.
Before I can take it, Beau intercepts it and scribbles down his number instead. “We’ll be turning off her phone and getting her a new number.”
After they leave, Beau slides into the booth across from me. Up close, I can see the stubble on his square jaw, and the tired lines around his eyes. He looks like someone who doesn’t sleep enough already, and I just dragged him out of bed in the middle of the night.
Without saying a word, he extends his hand, palm up, and slips my phone into it. He switches it off immediately andremoves the SIM card, sliding them into his pocket without a word.
“Are you ready to go?” His voice is softer now. “You’re cold, and this place stinks of stale grease.”
I smile despite myself. He’s right; it does stink. That’s why I’ve never eaten here, never set foot inside before tonight.
My eyes dart to the windows, but before I can voice my fear, Beau speaks. “I already checked outside. He’s not there, or close by, anyway. I’ve got you, okay? You don’t have to be scared with me here.”
A weight lifts off my shoulder as I nod, happy to let someone else take charge of the situation.
“I need shoes and clothes. My keys...” I trail off, looking down at the state I’m in, but realise everything I own is back in that apartment, packed up in boxes, and ready for moving out next week. To where, I still have no idea, but after tonight, I’ll be happy to never set foot inside that place ever again.
“We’ll figure it out.” He stands and gestures for me to follow him toward the door. “Come on.”
Outside, the rain continues to pelt down. Beau opens the passenger door of a black SUV, and I climb into the warmth, grateful to be out of the downpour. The dome light illuminates the interior, showing fast food wrappers on the floor, and empty coffee cups in the holders.
He slides behind the wheel and starts the engine, pulling out slowly into the deserted street.
“Tell me about tonight. And the notes. Everything.”
So I do, and somehow, it’s easier to admit these things to a complete stranger than to my friends and family. I tell him about Amber disappearing. How little we know. How there were no signs of anything wrong. Then all about how the notes started three weeks ago, right after, getting more possessive each time, and more certain that we belong together forever.
My hands twist in my lap as I talk, the leather jacket slowly warming my wet skin.
Beau nods as I talk, rarely interrupting, just lets me speak and keeps his eyes forward. “Do you think they’re connected?” he asks carefully when I finish.
I stare out the window. It seems unlikely that they aren’t. The timing seems more than coincidental.
“The police don’t seem to see it that way.Different cases completely, they said. That it could be someone who saw my picture in the paper and got fixated on me. Some weirdos like to insert themselves into cases of tragedy. I don’t know.” A tear escapes as I admit what’s pissing me off most. “They keep asking about how Amber was coping with fame… and her recent break up.”
They don’t think she was taken, they think she was depressed and either hurt herself or ran away. But she would never.
He nods slowly as we leave the small town behind us.
“I need to stash you somewhere safe while I look into this. He’s getting brazen. Probably knows your routine, your friends and family, so it can’t be anywhere you’ve been in the last three weeks. Are you okay with that?”
I’m too tired to argue. A hotel room with a bath and a soft bed sounds perfect right now, as does letting someone else make all the decisions for me. I’ll deal with reality tomorrow.
After ten minutes of silence, we merge onto the freeway heading north. Away from the myriad of hotels I could hole up in for the night. We drive along empty roads, further and further from Cinder Creek, and closer to the Black Ridge mountains, which loom large ahead. The rain turns everything into a blur of light and shadows, and I struggle to work out exactly where I am and where we’re going.
“Where are you taking me?” My voice sounds small in the quiet interior.
“Somewhere safe.” His response doesn’t ease my concern. There’s a reason he’s not telling me, and I want to know why.
“I get that. Where,specifically?”
He glances at me then back at the road, and shifts in his seat. His hands are relaxed on the wheel, but I notice the way his eyes keep checking the mirrors.
Beau thinks there’s a chance we’re being followed, and as I swivel in my seat, heart racing, now, I do, too.
“My brother has a place in the mountains. It’s secure. No one would think to look for you there.”
My fingers tangle together, and my knee bounces. Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea. This man has my phone, and is driving me out to an isolated mysterious location, where from the sounds of it, nobody will find me.
