Chapter 18

“So, where are we going?” Bridger asked after driving west, away from Mayday Hills, for about an hour.

I’d spent the time with my face buried in Nimbus’s fluff and fighting tears. Not only because I was in danger from something I thought I’d left behind, but because I’d grown to love my new life. Not to mention the men I was leaving behind. Of course, I barely knew Katsuro, but Davin and Oliver were very nice, and I hadn’t been opposed to getting to know Katsuro better. About the only good thing about fleeing was that I didn’t have to untangle that knot of attraction. Hell, I needed to figure out what to tell my boss.

That thought brought more tears to wet down Nimbus’s fluff.

“I don’t know,” I said, voice thick. “What did they tell you?”

“Merely that you needed to escape a group of supernatural beings that wanted to kill you and do bad things to your puppy.”

“Wait, that’s it?” I glanced over at Bridger.

“There wasn’t a lot of time, Hannah. I didn’t even know Katsuro had my phone number.” He frowned at that.

“You’re not excited that you got confirmation the supernatural existed or anything?”

This time Bridger glanced at me with an eyebrow lifted. “I know the supernatural exists, Hannah. I have since I was a boy. Werewolves killed my mother. I saw the whole thing. Saw them shift, saw them tear her to shreds, saw them feast. The only thing that saved me was a shadow creature whisking me away. They subjected me to therapy for years, trying to convince me it was bears or something. We were camping in a public campground.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.”

Bridger shrugged. “It was a long time ago. I am a hunter. I’ve killed supernatural beings before. The people in Beechworth are just beings trying to live their lives. Mayday Hills, on the other hand.” He winked at me. “Not that I know what everyone is, but I’ve got a pretty good idea.”

“Do any of them know your history?”

“Not that I’m aware of.” Another shrug. “Anyway, what’s the story with Nimbus? Why do vampires want him?”

“I don’t actually know that it’s vampires. Drake is a shade.”

“It’s always vampires, Hannah.”

“Oh. Well, okay. You know more than I do. I guess Nimbus is a cloud puppy, or nimbus. Some sort of supernatural dog that, when they’re older, become very powerful. Right now, we have to keep him safe until he can defend himself. If they capture him while he’s a puppy, they can control him and his magic forever.”

“Well, we can’t let that happen.” Bridger sounded so confident, so intense, that while some might have taken his comment as flip, I could tell he was deadly serious.

“And apparently the human trafficking ring I helped put behind bars was also trafficking blood slaves to the vampires, and they figured out that I was involved with all of that, so they’re after me for two reasons now.”

“Fuckkkk,” Bridger drew out the word. “Well, that’s some shit. We’ll keep you safe while Katsuro and Davin figure out what to do. Do you have any idea where you want to go?”

“I don’t.” I grabbed for my phone to search for something and remembered I’d left it behind. “Um, no phone. So, just pick something.”

“Honestly, why don’t we just go to my place? It’s well defended. Safe. Stocked with food. We could stay there for a year and not have to leave.”

“Sure.” I had a vague worry that Bridger was actually secretly working for the enemy, then banished it. If he was, I was screwed, and that was all there was to it. I also doubted he was.

“I’m fairly certain we haven’t been followed, but I’m going to take a roundabout way of getting there. It’ll take a couple of hours, but in the end, we won’t be too far from Beechworth.”

“Okay.”

Bridger gave me a look full of sympathy. I buried my face in Nimbus’s ruff and tried not to cry.

***

By the time we made it to Bridger’s house, I’d worn myself out, and it was dark, so I didn’t pay any attention to our surroundings, other than to note that we were deep in the woods. It seemed like a lifetime ago that I’d enjoyed a pleasant spell with Oliver and woken in his arms.

Bridger drove through a gate, stopped to watch it close behind us, then drove into a garage.

I just sat in his car, clutching Nimbus. He came around the side and opened the door for me. Nimbus rumbled softly and licked my damp cheek.

“What can I do to help, Hannah?”

“I don’t know.”

“How about food and a drink? Alcohol or non, your choice.”

Sniffing, I rubbed at my nose with my sleeve. Nimbus, after one more quick nose kiss, hopped off my lap. He was definitely growing. Not that I wanted him to get big too fast, but the sooner he was no longer in danger, the better. One less thing I would have to worry about.

Nimbus wasn’t on a leash. I hadn’t taken the time to grab one before rushing over to the coffee shop earlier and he truly didn’t need one. I only used it when he insisted. I guessed it had something to do with his nature and the protection I’d offered. He didn’t wander, however. I could tell he sniffed around and paid particular attention to things I couldn’t even notice. I knew I should have been paying strict attention to my surroundings, cataloging exits, making sure I knew places I could hide and things I could use as weapons, but I just couldn’t bring myself back to that headspace. My body rebelled after spending so long existing in fear. Now I just felt exhausted, heart-sick, and numb. I knew once I got over the initial shock, I’d find a way back to the alertness needed to survive while in actual danger, but right now I followed Bridger and felt defeated.

“Have a seat. I’ll bring you something. Anything you don’t eat? What do you want to drink? I can accommodate most anything.”

I sank down onto a comfortable couch and curled up into a ball. Nimbus hopped up next to me and laid his chin on my shoulder. Yeah, definitely growing.

“I eat most things. I’ll take some water. And maybe some whiskey if you have it. Nimbus could have some meat and water, if you don’t mind.”

“Not at all. Make yourself at home.”

With that, Bridger left me alone.

Trying to pull myself together, I took stock of my surroundings. The walls were concrete, painted different colors, but clearly concrete. This room was a soothing sky blue. I vaguely recalled some white walls and some greens. The floor had been carpeted in a plush brown that would hide dirt and be easy to care for. The furniture seemed like normal couches and recliners and end tables. Nothing that stood out, but all well made. I didn’t see any windows from the room I was in, which was probably some sort of living room. A large TV hung on one wall with a game system nearby and a computer sat over in one corner.

The air had a bit of a chill to it that basements often held. A blanket lay draped over the back of the couch, and I pulled it over my lap.

It wasn’t long before Bridger came back with a tray containing food, water, and a golden liquid that had to be whiskey.

Nimbus dug into the plate of meat Bridger had brought, and I gratefully ate the ham sandwich. He sat with us, munching on some chips and not talking while I ate.

Once I was done, he whisked away the food while I sipped on the whiskey.

“So what’s next?” I finally asked.

“You get some rest. I’ll check the cameras and stay up for a while and keep an eye on things. If nothing goes wrong, I’ll catch a nap. Tomorrow, I’ll give you a tour. And we’ll go from there. One day at a time, Hannah.”

I took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay. Thank you.”

“Sure. Besides, this gives me a chance to hang out with you more.” He winked. “Seriously though, I want you safe.”

Laughing, I shook my head and finished my whiskey.

I nearly dropped the glass when Bridger’s phone rang.

“How did you get my number?” Bridger answered.

I couldn’t hear the reply, but Bridger rolled his eyes. “Right, vampire things. So what’s up, Katsuro?”

“Yeah.” He glanced at me. “Okay if I put him on speaker?”

I nodded.

“Hannah, we have more information. I would like to come speak with you.” Katsuro’s soothing voice reached out through the speakers.

Bridger arched an eyebrow, and I shrugged. “It’s your house.”

“Can you guarantee you won’t be followed?”

“Yes,” Katsuro said. “Obviously, I’ll come after dark.”

“Come alone. Don’t get followed, and you can visit.”

“Agreed.”

“Do you need my address?” Bridger mouthed, please need my address.

“No, of course not.”

Fuck, Bridger mouthed.

I would have laughed if the situation weren’t dire.

“I suspect your general location is safe from most, but you are in the werewolves extended territory and Davin gave me the address. Hannah, Oliver sends his regards.”

Was it just me or was his tone just a touch flat when he delivered that message?

“Thank you,” was all I could think to reply.

“I’ll see you both tomorrow an hour after sunset.” Katsuro ended the call.

Bridger looked put out that his location wasn’t as secret as he had thought.

I did smile briefly at his expression.

“Well, we’re still safe here, even if they know where I live. It’s shade proof, werewolf proof, and vampire proof, unless I let them in the front door.”

“I sure hope you’re right.”

“It’s been tested.”

He didn’t elaborate, and I almost didn’t want to know, so I let him bring me to a bedroom that definitely wasn’t up to code. There was no window. Just then, I really didn’t care. The bathroom had everything I needed, the bed looked soft and inviting, and I was ready to let someone else handle things for a little while.

Tomorrow, Katsuro would be here, and hopefully he would have a plan. Thoughts of the sexy vampire chased me into a fitful sleep.