Page 38 of The Alien Reindeer's Bounty
Yup, she had to live to protect Rocco—and Ruby. Duh. She’d run her fat ass to the ends of the Earth if it meant staying alive for her daughter.
She moved to the open trunk, mentally berating herself for stocking sensible items like a spare blanket, kitty litter, and emergency flares. Why hadn’t she enrolled Ruby in hockey or taken up golf? A set of clubs in the trunk would have been ever so handy to beat the snot out of a strangler.
She grabbed the road flare, squeezing it tightly. “Have we met?”
“Ah, I guess it has been a while. I’m Karl Sommerfeldt, Mads’ uncle.” The man gave a toothy smile, probably meant to comfort her but it just sent a shiver down her spine.
“Mads’ uncle?”
“Yes. I was on my way to see him. You must have been ten or eleven the last time I saw you, running through the woods with Mads like a wildling.”
“That sounds about right,” she said, the tension in her chest refusing to unwind. Fuzzy memories of sitting inside in the house, bored, because Mads was off visiting his uncle in the city, came to mind.
Mads’ uncle, not a roadside strangler.She was going to go home to her baby. Everything would be okay.
She didn’t believe it, though.
“You said you have roadside assistance coming, but I don’t like the idea of you out here on your own. Who knows what could happen?” Karl said. He flashed that toothy smile again, amplifying her dread. “I’m going to change this tire and get you home.”
“Thanks. Sounds good.” She pressed her hand to her chest and swore she could feel her heart pounding.
Karl picked up the tire iron, shaking off the melting slush. He thumped it against his open hand. She wondered if he was going to change the tire or beat her.
Another pair of headlights bore down on them.
Thank you, thank you. Witnesses.
The truck slowed. Odessa recognized the brown and tan paint job of the sheriff’s department. The window rolled down. “You all right there?”
Rocco. Sweet, sweet Rocco with perfect timing.
“Flat tire,” she said.
“Hell of a night for a flat. Need a hand?”
“Actually,” she said, jumping at the opportunity to not be alone with creepy Karl, “my flashlight is dead. Do you have one I can use?”
“Sure thing.” Rocco climbed out of the cab, flashlight in hand.
Karl moved efficiently, not fumbling with the key to the lug nuts, and had the tire changed in no time. Hallelujah.
“That should do it. Good to see you again,” Karl said, sticking out his hand.
She took his hand. “Same. I can’t thank you enough. I was going to be out here all night.”
“My pleasure.” He leaned in, took a deep breath like he was sniffing her shampoo, and that creepy-crawly feeling returned.
“Um,” she yanked her hand away and stepped back, “I’d best be going before the roads are too bad.”
“Drive safe. The roads are getting slick,” Rocco called as he climbed into his own truck.
Odessa rushed into her car and fumbled with the seatbelt. The back tire spun for a second on the snow-covered grass, but the vehicle pulled away without trouble.
Karl’s bright headlights followed her all the home and she couldn’t shake the sense of unease until she was in her own house, behind locked doors.
Mads
Odessa was late coming home.Far too late. She sent a quick message when she left the bar but too much time had passed. As the snow fell faster and covered the roads, his need to verify his mate’s safety grew. Worry painted grim scenarios of her vehicle sliding off the road or plunging into the lake, even though he knew her route home took her nowhere near the water.
