D ays later, I couldn’t believe what I’d seen. My thoughts tumbled from “I saw Cara turn into a bear” to “I had a bad dream.”
What made me grudgingly come to accept the possibility it was all true was that Dominic had said the same thing. I didn’t think they were scheming together against me. What on earth for?
And their building me a cabin made sense now. My baby needed a safe home where they could keep an eye on her.
I didn’t want to share my baby with them. But if my baby really was a wolf shifter, I was going to need their help. I couldn’t teach her everything she needed to know. I should be grateful they were looking out for her.
Truth was, I resented it. I wanted my baby to be a normal human baby, not some kind of freak. It should be just her and me living a normal life.
That might be why I took it so much to heart that I couldn’t answer the questions the doctor had asked about my family medical history. My baby might be part shifter, but my side of her counted for something too. It made a difference if heart disease or any of that other stuff they’d asked about was in my family.
I could call Mama and just not tell her where I was. If I called when Biter was sure to be out, I wouldn’t have to worry about talking to him.
Biter always made his rounds on Saturday afternoons. The very next Saturday while Sophie was out at the register, I quietly went to the phone in the storeroom. If my service hadn’t been cut off, I would have taken my cell phone outside to call. I wasn’t sneaking around exactly, but if Sophie knew I was calling my mama she might try to talk me out of it.
My hands shook a little when I punched in the numbers on the old-fashioned phone. But I was calling for my baby, and Mama couldn’t do anything to hurt me.
“Where you been?” Mama snapped as soon as she heard my voice. “Biter’s been looking all over for you. Get your ass back home.”
“I—” She couldn’t make me, I reminded myself. “I’m not going back there. Look, Mama, I just wanted to talk for a while. I was wondering—”
“You’ll be talking to the back of my hand if you don’t get back here. Where you at?”
“Nowhe—” I almost slipped up. “Nowhere you can find me. Anyway, Mama, what did Aunt Bobbie die from?”
“What do you care about your Aunt Bobbie? You always ran and hid when she came over.”
“She didn’t have diabetes, did she?”
Mama snorted. “Who knows? It was her ticker that gave in.”
“So heart disease runs in the family?”
“You’re so curious, why don’t you come back and ask your questions in person?”
“I got a job,” I hedged. “They don’t give me a lot of time off.”
“Well, when you think you can spare some of your precious time for your mama, you come ask your questions to my face.”
The line went dead.
It shouldn’t have hurt. I knew what Mama was like. A few tears seeped from my eyes anyway. I wiped them off and went to see if there was anything Sophie needed done.
Keeping the store neat took up the rest of my day. There was something about weekends that made people forget about picking up after themselves. It seemed they could at least tell Sophie they’d dropped a carton of chocolate milk, but they didn’t. It wasn’t until after the mess had been tracked from one end of the store to the other that I saw it.
Sighing, I got out the bucket and mop. When the phone rang, I was busy swabbing the floor by the chips. It looked like someone had kicked the broken carton there all the way from the dairy case.
“Laleesha,” Sophie called.
Dominic, I thought instantly. A surge of happiness made my whole body feel light as air. He hadn’t come to the store once since he told me he was a shifter. I would have liked a chance to apologize for not believing him.
Now I could.
I took the phone from Sophie. “Hello?”
“There you are, babygirl. Your mama and I have been missing you.”
I dropped the phone. The receiver dangled a foot from the floor, the curly cord stretched taut.
Sophie’s mouth narrowed into a thin line. She retrieved the phone and, without saying a word, hung up on Biter.
“If he calls again,” she said, “I’ll tell him not to call back.”
Why couldn’t Sophie have been my mother?
“You can take a break,” she added. “That mess isn’t going anywhere.”
I’d been able to hold back the tears until she said that. But something inside me split open, and the tears came pouring out.
“Oh honey.” Grabbing the box of tissues, she came around the register. She shooed me into the storeroom. “I’ve got to keep an eye on the register, but you take as long as you need.” She winked.
Such a silly thing, but it cheered me up. She was on my side, and Cara was too. My baby and I would be safe here.
Despite knowing Biter was miles away, I had a bad feeling in my gut when I woke up the next morning. I hadn’t felt that sick dread since leaving Arquinta. The bikers had been bad, but not in the same way. Biter stripped me down inside till there was nothing left of me.
I practiced smiling in the bathroom mirror before going out to the kitchen. Sophie had a pot of coffee going and the grease on the griddle was just starting to sizzle. I wasn’t hungry, but I couldn’t let her know that. If she thought I wasn’t feeling well she might cancel her trip to Arquinta so she could mind the store. I couldn’t let her do that. She’d miss her grandnephew’s first birthday, and she’d been talking about it all week.
The pancakes tasted like soggy paper and the eggs like rubber, but I smiled and chewed and swallowed. I waved Sophie off, still smiling as her pickup turned onto the main street and disappeared. It was a beautiful clear morning, the air was fresh in my lungs, and Biter was nowhere around.
Neither was Dominic. He must have realized he wasn’t interested in me after all, claiming or no claiming. I told myself it didn’t matter.
I opened up the store at the usual time. There were always a few people who stopped by after the service at the hall. Today the first customers were the O’Connors with their twins.
“I want a grape sucker,” Larry said.
“The lime is better,” Barry said.
Mrs. O’Connor browsed the dairy case, oblivious to her boys. Mr. O’Connor crossed the street to talk to the men who hung out at the hardware store.
The twins rummaged through the open box of suckers, loudly complaining there was nothing but orange and red. The till was locked and would be safe for a few minutes. Mrs. O’Connor wasn’t oblivious enough to let someone come in and walk off with it, so I went to the storeroom to get out some more suckers. An unopened case was beneath the jawbreakers. I dug the utility knife out of my apron pocket and sliced through the cardboard. Counting out two dozen, I stuck them in my pocket with the utility knife and took them back out to the front.
The twins had moved over to the exploding fireballs and were arguing over which of them had the most explosions in his mouth at one time.
I said loudly, “There’s more suckers now if you’re interested.”
They looked at me like I was offering them baby food.
Mrs. O’Connor brought her basket up to the register. “Get what you want, boys.”
They chose the grape and lime suckers after all. I bagged Mrs. O’Connor’s purchases, and they left.
The day continued on that way, with customers coming in waves and trickles. I liked it most when I was busy.
When it got slow I pulled out Sophie’s tablet, but I’d never been that interested in reading. Sophie’s tablet didn’t do any video, so I paged through a book that had an interesting cover. The man on it looked a little like Dominic. Inside the book he did things that made me think about Dominic.
Made me think about him a lot. If I’d been somewhere else I might have touched myself, just like I did sometimes at night when I remembered how it had felt when Dominic kissed me and did all those other things. I wanted him to do them again, even if he was a bear.
But it made me uncomfortable to have my nipples all hard and my pussy wet when people came into the store, so I put Sophie’s tablet away.
What I could do instead of just sitting there was dust. I got out a dust cloth from the storeroom and started at the canned foods. The chips aisle had to be last because people were always opening the bags and spilling chips. I was doing the back wall when the bells on the door rang.
“I’ll be right there,” I called. I made a last swipe of the top shelf and turned.
My stomach dropped down to my feet.
Biter was standing there watching me. “Looking good, babygirl. I like the way you show some skin when you raise your arms. Do it again.”
I crossed my arms over my apron to hide their shaking. I wasn’t turning around and making my shirt ride up for his pleasure, I wasn’t. But it was so hard not to fall back into the habit of obeying him.
He hooted with amusement, laughing at my defiance. I’d never succeeded before in disobeying him. Why would I now? But I had my baby to think about. He wasn’t getting his hands on her.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
His laugh cut off abruptly. “Could be me asking that question. But it don’t matter, because I’m taking your ass back where it belongs.”
“No.” I shook my head.
“No,” he mocked. His gaze wandered up and down the aisle. “You alone here?”
“Of course not,” I lied. “I’m just part-time help. They wouldn’t leave me alone.”
He grunted. “I’ll see about that.” He took a step to the curtained doorway to the storeroom.
I held my breath, waiting for him to get far enough away so that I could race down the aisle and out the main door. People would help if I could just get outside.
I must have moved or done something to blow my chance. Quick as a striking snake he grabbed my hair. Twisting his fingers until my scalp burned with the pull, he dragged me to the storeroom.
Seeing it empty, he laughed. “You must have been waiting for me, babygirl. Got the place all to ourselves, don’t we?”
My belly clenched so tight I thought I was going to be sick. “They just stepped out for a minute.”
“Is that so? A minute’s all we need anyhow.”
He checked that the back door was locked, and then he dragged me up front to the cash register.
The front doorknob rattled then. Miss Milly who ran the craft shop was trying the door.
“Don’t get your hopes up.” Biter grinned at me.
I realized with despair that he’d turned the sign around so the “Closed” side was facing out the door. That didn’t faze Miss Milly. She tapped on the glass and peered inside.
“Wave at her,” Biter said.
He slid his hand down to the back of my jeans and grabbed the waistband. His knuckles dug into my spine. The touch of his skin made me want to vomit.
“Do it,” he said. “Or I’ll let her inside and show her my friendly side.”
I recoiled. I couldn’t let him hurt her. Slowly I raised my hand. I shook my head—we’re closed—a fake smile painted on my face.
She saw me. Her eyes widened when she saw Biter standing behind me. Putting her hands on her hips, she frowned. My heart sank, wondering what she’d tell Sophie.
But at least Sophie wasn’t here. Whatever Biter did, Sophie would be safe.
I waved some more, still shaking my head, and finally Miss Milly left.
“Not bad, babygirl.” Biter patted my ass.
The nausea hit something fierce, but I clamped my lips together.
“Now get this register open.”
“I don’t know how.”
He slapped my face, hard enough I stumbled into the counter. “I’ve told you before about disobeying.”
I couldn’t do it. Sophie would think I deliberately robbed her, that I’d plotted for her to leave so I could take advantage of being alone at the store. She’d never believe anything I said, not after my waving off Miss Milly.
Biter must have seen my determination. He pulled out his blade and clicked the button. The snick made my knees shake.
He laid the cold side of the blade against my cheek. “Now, babygirl.”
I’d been stupid to think I could defy him. He knew how to hurt me too bad.
My hands shaking, I punched out a price on the old keys and turned the crank. With a cheery ka-ching the cash drawer opened. There was nothing in there but a couple of twenties, a handful of tens, fives, and ones, and some change.
Biter scooped out the bills and shoved them in his pocket. He glared at me. “Where’s the rest?”
“This is it. Everyone pays with their card.” I pointed at the terminal.
He slapped my face again, lighter this time. “Where’s the drop safe?”
“There isn’t one,” I said desperately. There wasn’t. Sophie left the money in the register to make change.
“You better be telling the truth.” He stared me in the eyes.
I held his stony gaze without flinching, but I was trembling inside. I didn’t know how I was going to get away from him. I had to stop being stupid and figure something out.
Nothing came to mind fast enough. Leaving the cash register open, he pushed me out the front door and toward his car. He threw me in the backseat and slammed the door closed. I grabbed at the door button and shoved hard. Nothing happened. I tried lowering the window and failed. Even if I pounded on the windows, they were tinted so dark no one would ever be able to recognize me.
Biter slid into the driver seat. “Don’t get any ideas. You try jumping up here, you’ll be sorry.”
I was already sorry. But I had to be strong for my baby. I’d get us out somehow. I couldn’t let him make me feel helpless. That was the Laleesha before Nowhere, not me now.
I’d have to be sneaky, let him think he had me so scared I couldn’t think straight. I was scared. But I had responsibilities. I dug under the seat cushion for the safety belt. It took two tries before it clicked around my hips. Turning toward the blacked-out window, I huddled in the corner of the backseat, as far away from him as I could get. Half-formed thoughts crowded my head. There had to be something I could do, some way I could escape. I just had to be smart for a change.
Nothing came to mind during the long drive. He pulled up on Mama’s lawn and dragged me the few feet to the front door.
Mama stood up to see who was coming in the door, smoke from the cigarette clutched between two fingers drifting over her head. Behind her the TV erupted with roars of outrage and laughter.
The familiar smells and sounds made me sick. This wasn’t what I wanted, not for me or my baby.
“So you found her.” Mama’s voice was cool, her face lacking any welcome.
Biter pushed me through the living room. “I’m going to make sure she doesn’t run off again.”
Mama followed us into my bedroom. She stood watching while Biter threw me facedown on the bed. I panicked, kicking and flailing and arching my neck to get free of the smothering covers. The hard lump of something in my apron digging into my thigh barely registered.
Biter pinned my legs between his and got both my hands in an unbreakable grip. “Get me that belt,” he said to Mama.
The floorboards creaked, and then something cold and leathery wrapped around my wrists. The belt was drawn so tight my hands hurt.
“We’ll have a little talk later,” Biter said. “After you’ve had a chance to be sorry for all the worry you caused your mama.”
The door shut. It took several breaths before I could believe they were really gone. The cold fear that gripped me eased just a little, enough to let me think.
I rolled over on my side. Somehow I had to escape.
Jerking and wiggling, I tried to loosen my wrists before my hands got any more numb. The belt wouldn’t give at all. If I could cut it…
Biter hadn’t even thought to check my apron, or my jeans pockets. Why should he? I’d never had anything worth stealing. But there was a utility knife in my apron, if I could just get to it.
The strings of my apron were wrapped around my waist and tied in front, making them impossible to untie. I bucked and jerked, trying to get the knife to fall out of the apron’s deep pocket. The bedsprings squeaked loudly.
Biter heard me. “Don’t get too carried away, babygirl. Not yet,” he called.
When Mama said something to shush him, he just laughed in that loose way he had when he’d been using.
The cold chills ran up and down all through my bones. But this time I wouldn’t let him scare me into doing whatever he said.
I rolled over on my back and slid headfirst half off the bed, slowly and carefully so the whole bottom of the apron didn’t flop down. The angle wasn’t right though, so I scooted back and tried putting up my knees. The utility knife moved some. I bounced my thighs and got the knife to move little by little.
The apron flipped over, with the knife falling back to the bottom, when I bounced too hard. I had to start over from the beginning, but I knew it was doable now.
Grimly I worked the knife out of the pocket. Finally it thumped to the floor, loud enough to be heard over the TV.
I threw myself on top of it just in time. The thin carpeting was no cushion at all, and I didn’t have to pretend to be hurting when Biter opened the door.
“Awww.” He shook his head mockingly. “You got yourself off the bed, you can get yourself back on it.” He slammed the door.
My shoulder ached where I’d landed on it. But it wasn’t any worse than other times I’d fallen. The utility knife was under my belly. I rolled over and got it in my hands.
Pushing out the blade was easy. Sawing through the belt without cutting myself was impossible.
My heart was in my throat the whole time I was sawing away at the inside of my wrists. The shallow cuts where I sliced myself burned. The blood made the belt slippery, and I had to be extra careful because my hands didn’t have much feeling in them.
The light faded with sunset. They hadn’t left the light on for me, but I wouldn’t have been able to see what I was doing anyway. Out in the rest of the house the TV carried on. It sounded like Biter left on an errand. He returned, and he and Mama had some words. Then the TV went off and they went to bed.
I kept working on my belt, slow and careful. I had to get out of there. When the last strand of the belt snapped, I just about swooned with relief. The tension surrounding me eased.
For a few minutes I lay there in the dark and let the blood circulate through my hands. The thought came to me that I had accomplished something really hard with no help at all. I hugged that thought to me. I’d made a plan and done something all by myself. Neither Biter nor Mama could take that away from me.
A door outside my room opened. My guts tightened. I got up, being as silent as I could, and felt my way to the window. In the kitchen Mama said something, and Biter responded. I reached the window and pushed aside the curtain. Cautiously I slid the window open. I’d never taken out the screen, but it couldn’t be too hard. I wiggled the aluminum frame. Feeling all around the edges, I found a plastic tab at the bottom. I pulled up, and the screen dropped out of my hands into the dirt.
“Laleesha.” The low voice outside sent a wave of overwhelming gladness through me.
Dominic had come for me.