Page 11 of Treacherous

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I always used to like my car, my little three door, bright red Honda Civic, but I hadn't driven it since my fight with Noah last weekend.

Max had replaced the windshield, but I was more concerned about my brakes – and the very strong chance Noah could've tampered with them.

Maybe I was thinking the worst of him, but it was better to be safe than sorry, therefore my shoes were my current method of transportation.

Closing out my front door, I popped my earphones in my ears, stashed my keys in my pocket, and switched my phone onto music-mode before setting out on the route Uncle Max showed me.

Rounding the corner of my house, I pulled my straps tighter on my back and mentally fist-thumped along to Taylor Swift'sShake it off –a damn good song to listen to before starting at a new school.

One minute I was shaking it off with Taylor and the next I was being mauled by a bear.

A big huge brown bear that knocked me flat on my back and decided to maul me to death with his tongue – guess I wasn't lightening on my feet. "Ouch."

Did bears lick?

Play dead, Teagan, play dead. Bears don't eat dead people...

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry," a soft feminine voice cried out seconds before the weight of the bear was removed from my chest.

Blinking a few times to clear my vision, I adjusted my eyes to the brightness of the sun above me before focusing on the curly haired woman kneeling over me.

"Bear," I managed to croak out. "Run."

The woman smiled and let out a small laugh. "No, not a bear, I promise. Just my dog, Ralph."

Well hell…I'd been sure it was a bear.

"Here, let me help you up," she added and her voice was deceptively soft and…southern? She didn't sound like the other neighbors – namely the evil duo next-door.

Dazed and confused I grasped the hand of this stranger and staggered to my feet. "I thought he was a bear." I eyed the huge Great Dane currently sniffing my shoes. "He's big enough to be one."

Now I was no Naomi Campbell myself, 5'5" thank you very much, but the woman in front of me was tiny, so why in god's name did she feel the need to own a dog that reached her bellybutton in height?

"He's truly very friendly," she said as her cheeks reddened from the effort of keeping ahold ofRalph'sleash. Tucking a loose curl behind her ear, she stretched her hand out to me and smiled shyly.

My gaze locked on the scar distorting what would have been a truly beautiful face and my gut reaction was to touch my own cheek in reassurance.

She smiled knowingly at my discomfort. "I'm Lee Carter. Welcome to the Thirteenth Street."

As in Mr. Carter's wife?

"Teagan Connelly," I mumbled, shaking her outstretched hand as I studied the little woman in front of me. How the hell was she the mother of those giants across the street?

"It's great to see number fifty-eight occupied again," Lee added. "It was such a shame when the Valentine's moved back to Idaho."

Her gaze darkened and my curiosity piqued. "Who?"

"Oh, the family who used to live there," she said with a blush. "Are you starting school today?"

"Yeah, first day as the new girl," I chuckled. "Should be fun."

"What grade?"

"Sixth year." She looked at me in confusion and I blushed. "Senior year," I amended.

It was going to take me the whole bloody year to work out the difference in our way of saying things and by then I'd be on a flight back to Shannon. "Lucky me."

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