7. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Emm

I came back from the bar with my social-meter deflated. The people there were certainly different than I anticipated.

A typical biker bar: they had the tattoos and the cuts-vests-they wore; they had a code, rules and regulations and they had their old ladies, who in this case they called their mates-as in soulmates. I wasn't sure if I wanted to think it was sweet or make me gag.

The longing to have something like that was there, but I've been through enough relationships to know soulmates do not exist. At thirty-seven years old and not finding anyone remotely close to what I want doesn't give me much hope that there is some sort of magical soulmate.

Good for them, though, they all looked happy in the bar with their partners.

The men were rough around the edges and appeared to have gone through some shit. They had their tattoos and scars, and some had obviously gone through emotional trauma. If the ladies have gone through something, they never showed it. They smiled at their men like lovesick teenagers while their men kept a possessive hold on them.

Red flags waved around all these bikers, but the women looked too enthralled with them to care.

On the outside, everything looked okay. I'd be sure to keep an eye out for the women, though, just to be safe. Journey was a kind soul, and she had pain behind those eyes, like most of the town, but her strength and resolve shone through. She wasn't afraid of her partner. Grim, I'd come to find out was the head of the club, was the roughest one of all. And, thank God he wasn't the man I was looking for.

He would put up a good fight, though.

The woman holding the baby was Delilah. Her partner, Hawke, was part of security. His eye was constantly searching but kept most of his gaze on me. Figuring me out like I was doing with them.

The women of the bar, especially those two particular ladies, made me feel guilty. I'd lied all about my life, and they sat there like I'd hung the moon for them. I told them all about my fake life of being in the corporate world and sold stationery. Wedding and party invitations, dealing with printers and ordering the right card stock. It was easy, the same lie I've told a hundred times and shouldn't have an issue letting it roll off my tongue.

This time my tongue swelled, with regret seeping through my pores as I told them.

I felt like I was betraying all of them, and the men especially eyed me a few times, but would just drink their beers and say nothing. The women didn't care too much about the job, but asked about my hobbies. At first, I was reluctant to tell them, no one has ever really asked what my hobbies were. Besides, what was I going to say? I enjoyed going to the shooting range on the weekends? I enjoy martial arts, kickboxing, sparring and eating my weight in tacos while downing bottles of tequila when I'm alone?

That didn't make me sound great at all. It made me sound ‘rough and unladylike', my father used to tell me. As the drinks kept coming I let the truth slip by several times—especially about the tacos and tequila. That perked a lot of them up, especially when I told the truth. Was it possible they knew when I was lying? How could they possibly know I was?

A large guy, with a thick beard and such muscles that he could knock me over with just a finger, tapped my shoulder and told me I was welcome into his gym anytime. I was even welcome to spar with any of the guys, and he wouldn't be surprised if I kicked some ass while I was there!

Shock must have been written on my face because the girls all giggled, and pushed another glass of whisky in front of me. I shot it back quickly and hid my flushed face because I knew I was messing up far more than I should have with this trip.

But, I just… have never felt so comfortable.

I didn't get to spend much more time with them because dusk came quickly and to keep up with the pleasantries, and the curfew that was imposed on the town, I made promises to meet with the women much earlier the next day, and for the first time I felt excited about meeting up with them.

And I shouldn't. I really shouldn't.

I needed to remember I had a mission to accomplish, and that was to find Locke. None of the men met the brief description given. This Locke was supposedly dangerous, which was why I took the job. Every single biker in there was talking loudly, arm wrestling, curious of the newcomer and too damn friendly.

Would Locke be hiding in a bar like that? Or was he psycho enough to pretend he was some innocent guy and playing a game? I'd have to continue to become friends, get in deep and find out more.

I ate a burger, on the house from Anaki, to help sober me up enough to go home. I tried to pay, but he glared at me with a twinkle in his eye and told me I could pay him back in some other way.

I didn't like owing anyone anything. "It better not be anything sexual," I said with a smirk.

Anaki's eyes twinkled with mischief. "But what if it is?"

I shrugged my shoulders and rolled my fingertips on the bar. "Then, you better be ready to go on an adventure, because I have a cave you can explore." I fluttered my lashes and blew him a kiss.

Anaki pretended to grab the air kiss and instead of putting it in his pocket, he put it into his pants. "Oh, my sweet Emmie, you do not know what you have just done to me." He bit his lip.

My heart caught in my throat when he said Emmie, but I smiled and gave him a wave as I walked out the door.

I must have had too much to drink, because these bikers—who I believed were just putting on an act in the beginning—were now wiggling their way on my I-don't-need-to-fuck-them-up list? They were making me forget the reason I was there.

When I arrived home, I expected to see an empty campsite with just my RV and the small campfire, with fresh wood and stones placed meticulously around it, but instead the enormous wolf was there, still waiting. I groaned, pushed Marlow into park and switched off the engine right when the sun dipped behind the horizon.

"You just won't leave, will you?" I put my hand on the side where my gun sat.

He didn't whimper this time, but just pointed his snout to the ground and continued to look at the same spot. Curiosity got the best of me, so I walked forward, still cautious, and as I heard the last twig break, I gasped when I saw what sat in front of me.

A hand. A bloody human hand.

I took a step back, my eyes widening in disbelief. My gaze darted back and forth between the menacing wolf and the mysterious hand. The air was heavy with tension, and only the faint rustling of leaves from the breeze broke the eerie silence. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest as I anxiously awaited an answer.

Like he could answer.

"Where did you get that?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

Upon closer inspection, it became clear that the area contained an excessive amount of blood, surpassing what would be expected for a hand. The unmistakable scent of metallic tang filled my lungs. It was evident that the hand belonged to a male, as scars adorned the knuckles. The fingers, thick and weathered, showed evidence of being bitten, with the nails being noticeably short.

It was so much blood I felt my stomach flip inside itself. I covered my mouth and pinched my nose to get rid of the stench.

I've been around blood, caused blood myself but I never had the stomach for it. I usually wore a mask, to hide the smell, but this– ugh!

Did that damn beast kill someone from town and bring it to my campsite?

"And where did all this blood come from?" I spoke more to myself and followed the trail, which went right to my RV.

Shit!

I leaped over streams of blood with quick, adrenaline-fueled jumps. My hand trembled as I reached for the door, pulling it open with a creak. An overwhelming sense of frustration washed over me as I realized it was unlocked. I cursed myself for my carelessness, knowing that my fear of the relentless wolf had caused me to leave it vulnerable.

This entire mission was nothing but mistakes.

With a low, guttural grunt, I forcefully swung the door open, revealing a shocking sight. My eyes widened at the sight of a vast pool of crimson blood, vivid against the cold, tiled surface of the kitchen floor. As my gaze traveled further, I noticed a small, steady stream of blood that had previously gone unnoticed, slowly trickling out of the door and onto the weathered step outside. The blood continued to drip, each drop landing with a disturbingly audible plop.

A wave of relief washed over me, realizing that my recent meal, a heavy burger, had already settled deep within my intestines, sparing me from the urge to retch at the gruesome scene before me.

"Shit, what happened?" I stepped inside and saw things misplaced. The intruder moved things in my home; my space.

An intruder violated my home, which I had lived in for so long. Instead of crying over it, I pulled back my shoulders and marched over to the bed. I bent over and pulled out the fireproof lock box that held my computer and burner phone. I shook it and pulled on the door. The lock was still engaged, and two items remained inside. Thank God.

I took the key out of my pocket and shakily put it into the lock. When it opened, I pulled out the burner phone and snapped it in half. I threw it on the floor and stomped on it several times.

They were most likely looking for the burner phone. The number that would lead them to my family—the innocent part of my family.

I leaned over my knees, rubbing my hands down my face. What the hell was I going to do now? There could be several people after me now, and I don't know who. Another bounty hunter trying to take out the competition? My father's men? Some rando?

The wolf came in the door, taking careful steps around the pool of blood. His head hung low and he edged to me. His fur was clean, but there was one spot he missed and it was on the side of his face. Blood was still spattered on his maw.

"Did you do this?" I pointed to the floor. "Did you kill the intruder?"

The wolf, of course, didn't answer. Instead, he kept his head lowered and came closer. I slowly reached out to touch the wolf's head. He didn't move. He watched me with those green eyes that looked far too much like a human's, and I touched the center of his head.

Why I was doing this I wasn't even sure. There was blood in my house, and a gnawed-off hand just outside, that he most likely chewed off.

Wait! I took that back, he'd brought it in here and put it on the kitchen table.

I made a fist and gently tapped it on my head.

What. The. Hell?

The wolf came closer and pulled on my jacket sleeve with his teeth. He pulled it away so I was no longer tapping my head with my fist. He stared at me, trying to get my attention and I just stared back.

"You killed someone in my house." I gently shook my head.

He didn't answer, because why would he? He was an animal. Probably the beast that'd been roaming the forest, and, for some crazy-ass reason, had decided to be my best friend.

I let out a heavy breath and put my hand under his jaw to stroke it. There wasn't any fur there, but it was mostly clean of blood. He was damp, like he just bathed in the lake, too.

Well, at least the thing has some manners for a savage beast.

It's official. Not here twenty-four hours, and I've got a biker club I can't make sense of, a beast that thinks I'm his best friend and a hand.

I should cut my losses and leave. Take up two jobs and go somewhere else.

With someone finding me here, I would have to move my RV. Drive ten-twenty miles out of town and drive in back into town when I needed. It would be a nuisance. I could try to work it out but I couldn't stay here.

The only problem is getting this wolf to understand that.

"Please don't eat me," I warn the wolf, "and I won't shoo you off."

The wolf's head cocked to the side, and I lifted my lip up into a smile.

The wolf backed away as I got up to grab some supplies for cleaning. I took the severed appendage with a gloved hand and tossed it outside. The wolf huffed in annoyance and trotted outside, while I began the job of cleaning out the RV.

It didn't take me long; I have a lot of bleach for accidents and before I knew it, I was done and my RV smelled like the inside of a chlorinated pool.

When I stepped out, I saw my wolf holding the hand and wagging his tail, as if I was supposed to take it.

"Yeah, I don't want that thing." I shook my head. "Thanks for protecting the fort, but ah, yeah, we should dispose of that." I pointed to the hand he was holding onto, by its middle finger.

Well, excuse you.

"Where did you put the body, anyway? Maybe I can see if I recognize the guy." I stepped over to the bushes where the leaves and twigs had been disturbed and saw just a pile of shredded clothes. The wolf trotted up beside me and sat down, gazing up at me.

"You… ate him?" I made a face of disgust.

He growled at the tattered clothes like they were going to harm me. He scratched at it and started digging. The dirt beneath the clothes was displaced, and I saw that the soil was loose and fresh.

I sighed in relief, "Oh, you buried it." Then wiped my nose with the back of my arm.

I kneeled and ruffled through the scraps of clothing. This wolf was smarter than he looked, and I looked him up and down again.

Maybe he was a werewolf.

I shook my head. No, he couldn't be. He really couldn't. Most animals like to bury their stuff. He just buried it for later. Then, he would come back and eat it.

I dry heaved, and the wolf looked at me with a cocked head.

"Sorry, I can't stand the smell of blood."

I went to pick up the clothes, but they were nothing but rags. Pulling out my phone and switching on the flashlight, since the moonlight wasn't enough, I dug around in the dirt, and looked around more. Closer to the trunk of the tree I saw a small square.

Bingo! We have a wallet.

I found the ID and pulled it out. The face meant nothing to me and neither did the name.

I tucked the ID into my pocket for later use and looked around the area for anymore items. The only thing left were bullets and a phone with a cracked screen. I'd have to go through that, and then destroy it. If it had a tracker in it I might need to drive out of town and dispose of it.

I stood, satisfied with my find, and grabbed the scraps of clothes to throw away in town. The wolf followed me closely, and I watched him as he took the same strides as me.

Why was he so close to me? Why so attached to a random human?

Was it because I was a female? A reminder of an old handler?

I glanced upward, and with the brilliant moon casting its glow above, I directed my gaze towards the RV, searching for any trace of blood spatter on the side of my home. Seriously, this day could not get any worse and as soon as I thought that, I discovered that of course it could get worse.

"That goddamn mother-fucking bitch!" I threw the clothes to the ground. "That prick slashed my tires!" I ran up to the RV and looked at each one. There were deep, gash marks in each one. I kicked my foot at the tires and swore a few more times, while the wolf stood behind me staring at me, probably thinking I'd gone off the deep end.

I was stuck here now. I couldn't move my camp somewhere else.

I threw my hand out in exasperation and muttered to myself, "I guess I'm stuck here for the night, dammit!"

And, I swear I thought I saw the wolf's maw lift into a smile.