Page 44 of Bear Strength

CHAPTER 19

Mason

“I knew something was up,” I reply, feeling like smacking the shit out of the wall right behind me. “I was too stupid to connect the dots.”

“She kept moving so many times that it was impossible to track down where she came from,” Wagner explains.

He gave me the short version of her story. I should have been there for her. I should have been there when she was telling it. It doesn’t matter now. What matters is keeping her and the boy safe.

“I pulled a few strings,” Wagner says. “They say this guy’s been out since Monday.”

“So, that’s at least a week.”

“I guess.”

“Is it possible he knows where she is?” I wonder.

Of course it is. Why am I even asking these fucking idiotic questions?

“It is possible,” Wagner nods.

“We have to keep her here.”

“Will she stay?”

“Why wouldn’t she?” I ask. “We’ll keep her safe. We’ll show that guy what happens to fucking cowards who beat up defenseless women and children.”

I can see the little hairs on Wagner’s neck stand up. He’s pissed. I know he’d transform right this minute and go to hunt down that son of a bitch. I know the feeling. I want to give him a peace of my mind, too. But, we have to wait. We can set up a trap, teach him a lesson he’ll never forget. Make him leaveDanica and Dominick forever. No one deserves to live in fear. We all know that. We’ve all tasted it.

“She’s in Violet’s shack,” he tells me.

“Good,” I nod. “Keep her there.”

“She’ll need her stuff.”

“Then, we’ll go get it. But, she’s not to be let out of sight. It could be nothing. Someone from town could be just messing with her. But, she’s worried and that’s all we need to believe her that there actually might be something to it.”

Wagner just nods. I’d feel better having Adrian here with us, during this conversation, but he’s with Danica and her son. Strangely, he’s the best at this type of situation. I guess it’s his calm nature. And you know this for sure, once he trusts you, once he starts caring for you, there isn’t better protection you’d ever wish for, other than him.

“Alright then, I’ll go tell her this. You come with me. Then, you’ll go to her place, pick up whatever she needs.”

“Of course.”

I rush over to the shack. When I open the door, a pleasant smell of pancakes hits my nostrils, and I remember that I haven’t eaten since 8 am. It’s 8 pm now. Adrian and Dominick are sitting at the little table in the kitchen, and Danica is making pancakes.

“Just in time!” she smiles at me.

I clench my jaw tightly. I don’t remember the last time a woman smiled at me like that. Sure, one night stands are fine. You get the juices going, you get them out. But, pancakes. Smiles. Hugs. A man needs those, too. No matter how hard and rugged he might be.

“Any for me?” I wonder.

“Just sit anywhere,” she tell us, and Adrian and Dominick scoot to make room for us.

Like a small whirlwind, Danica places plates and glasses before us, then pancakes follow shortly after.

“I don’t remember the last time I had pancakes at 8 pm,” Wagner says, stuffing his face with food.

I watch Danica. She looks happy. Relieved. If she is scared, she is hiding it well. Every once in a while, I see it in her eyes. Fear that all this might be taken away from her, just like that. So, she is trying to enjoy the moment for as long as she can. I want to tell her not to be afraid. Maybe she already knows that. Maybe that’s why she’s agreed to stay.

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