Page 44 of Cougar

“Was he the only one you saw in there? Did you get a name?” He seems almost hopeful as we pull into a drive, and the gate opens automatically. Storm explains how there are a few houses on this compound, but since everyone is at what they call the big house, we’re going to his president’s house. It’s still on the property, but will give me enough privacy until we get everything sorted out.

I shake my head in reply, “I tried to limit my contact with him. I didn’t talk, and didn’t look. Just took what little food and water he gave me and prayed that I would make it out alive.”

We park in front of the house and get out of the truck. As we walk up the steps, I hear a motorcycle coming up the drive. I instinctively hide behind Storm. “It’s okay,” he tells me, “he’s a friend. I promise, you can trust Judge.”

I whisper, “Okay,” and wait to see what happens. I haven’t let go of the gun and even though I have never in my life shot one, I will try to get away from here if I have to. But, oddly enough, something tells me I don’t need to.

“Let’s get inside. He’ll meet us in there.”

When we get inside, my sense of calm takes over. He leads me to the kitchen and has me sit down facing the entryway. It’s this little gesture that adds to my list of why I can trust him.

“Storm?” I hear who I assume is Judge call out.

“In here.”

When he comes into the room, he too is wearing the same vest. He looks at me and his face is one of pure shock. Maybe they really were looking for me?

“Holy shit. You’re alive.” He doesn’t say anything else. They both sit down and after a minute of nothing, he runs his hand through his short hair. “I can’t believe this. We’ve been trying to find you since you went missing.”

“How did you know I was missing?”

“That cop that found you, he never stopped looking. We all tried to help. The man that took you, he knew what he was doing. I’m sorry, Mallory.”

Tears build up in my eyes as I tell him, “It wasn’t your fault.” Something inside of me takes over and I reach my hands out on the table. They both tentatively place their hands into mine. I give them a slight squeeze and a small smile. I hope that I’m conveying how I feel. A quick shift in the shadows behind them steals my attention.

“Look out!” I scream, but it’s too late.

The bangs are loud, and the eyes looking at me are fading quickly. No. No. No. He said he was going to help me. He promised. He brought help. Why is this happening to me? What did I do to deserve this? What did they do to have this be their fate?

Tears are flowing from my face. I fall back in the chair and attempt to get away. The gun I had is nowhere near me because once I stepped into the kitchen, a small voice in my head told me I was safe with them. It was a soft, sweet, elderly voice I’d never heard before. I believed her. I believed them.

The newcomer walks around the table and the bodies that are covering it in blood. Crouching down, they take the gun in their hand and place it under my chin, tilting my head up. Their smile terrifies me on a level that the man who took me could never reach.

I’m not ready to give up. I didn’t fight before. I need to fight now. I think back to what Storm told me—about the club that was trying to find me and help me. “They’ll find you and get me back. I promise.”

“No, I don’t think they will,” they say as they stand and shoot Judge and Storm again. I scream and cover my ears. All it does is give them a gross satisfaction, and I want nothing to do with it. I look at them and wonder how a person can manage to be this evil.

As of right now, I’m changing my tune. I’m going to believe what Storm and Judge told me—others are coming. Why would they tell me that? What purpose did they have to lie? Both of them seemed shocked to see me and were ready to help. Every question, every concern, I’m tossing them out the window. I am going to fight as hard as I can to win this. Storm got me this far, I’m gonna get me the rest of the way. This isn’t my end.

“What do you think you’re looking at, girl? You wanna end up like them?”

I shrug my shoulders and look them in the eye, “Something tells me I won’t…. But you will.”

Twenty

Cougar

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Cowboy screams into his phone. He starts pacing, but when he stops, his body goes rigid. “Jesus fucking Christ.” He brings his phone down from his ear, placing it back into his pocket. Once he turns around, he pulls his gun out and checks the clip. I’m not even going to pretend that my asshole doesn’t clinch.

“Knuckles figured out who the leader of The Company is,” he says stoically. He looks at all of us, and I start to wonder if maybe we got the wrong guy. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I ask the question we all want to know the answer to.

“Who is it?”

“Bonnie.”

I don’t think I’ve ever heard silence so loud. Bonnie is a bitch, but this? The woman that was always going around helping people. She was a pivotal part of the PTA in town, constantly helping families in need. Wasn’t she? Or was she simply using that as a cover to scope out her product? What the hell is going on in this town?

“What do you want us to do?” I ask.

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