Page 18 of Chomp's Challenge

“He went back to the clubhouse. He said he locked the door before he left your place.”

“He probably thought it was overkill to come with us. We’ve got it handled.”

“Well, we’re still gonna need a truck.”

Shit. Why didn’t I drive here instead?

I needed a swim, my gator responds as I shake my head. He just wanted to be the first one to arrive and scope the place out.

“Good thing I thought of that. Peanut said he’d bring his pickup to the address.”

Good. “Let’s go. I can’t be held responsible for my gator if I linger too long.”

“Noted.”

There’s a mixture of newer houses and older ones on this street. Most are in okay condition but there’s a few that aren’t. Among the structures needing repair, one stands out. It’s overgrown with weeds and long grass with car parts and a rusted engine sitting on cinder blocks in the front yard. There’s wicker furniture that’s seen better days on the porch, but it’s mostly clean. I can see that someone took the time to sew any holes.

The front door is slightly ajar and that tips me off. It’s a red flag. Who leaves the house and doesn’t close the door? Yukon Bluff is a safe, quiet, small town. It’s got plenty of charm, but there’s still crime here. Just not on the scale you’d see in larger cities and nothing near as violent. Unless you counted the motherfuckers who attacked my mate.

I stiffen as I enter the house and Kodiak follows. I’m overwhelmed by the stench and it’s not dirty dishes or sewer. She cleaned this house to the best of her ability. I can see that as I look around, noting a woman’s touch like plants and organized bookshelves. But it’s the underlying stink of sweat, blood, and fluids that causes me to gag. They partially belong to Ariel but also the males who hurt her.

She was violated more than once by those assholes. I want to kill them again, slower this time, and watch them suffer. They died too quickly. My gator agrees. My only solace is that they’re at the bottom of the lake and hopefully, the wildlife has rendered their pieces to nothing more than bones.

“Fuck, Chomp,” Kodiak growls. “My bear is furious for you and Ariel.”

“I can’t focus on it, Kodiak. I’m fucking shaking.” My hands curl into fists as I fight the urge to let my gator tear the place up. “Show me the list.”

He pulls out his cell and shows me while I scan it and commit each item to memory. We notice the hutch first. It’s a beautiful piece of furniture and I can tell why Ariel loves it. It’s not tainted like everything else in this house. The wood feels like it’s alive, breathing with love and support for Ariel. It’s an odd notion, but I know I’m right. This belonged to her mother.

“Shit, what will we pack her things in?” I ask as I make my way down a small hallway and into a bedroom. The overwhelming scent of Ariel somewhat calms both my gator and me, but my rage is still underneath the surface because I see the holes in the walls. Holes that are roughly head shaped so I know my mate was thrown into those walls multiple times.

“How can someone treat a person they claim to love and care for like this?” I mutter as I start opening up the dresser drawers. All but one hold men’s clothing which has me seething, especially when Kodiak comes out of the closet with two women’s shirts. The remaining drawer only has a few pairs of panties, one bra that’s seen better days, two pairs of socks, and one pair of jeans.

“First of all, Peanut’s bringing boxes and tape. Secondly, I wouldn’t treat my worst enemy the way it appears that she was treated. It’s gonna take a lot of patience to break through to her, Chomp,” he warns as his gaze sweeps the room once again to make sure we haven’t forgotten anything.

“Let’s see if we can find the hidey hole Ariel mentioned to Callie, then search the rest of the house to make sure we get any other money he tucked away. She definitely deserves it,” I state, grabbing the items from the dresser. “I’ll put this on the hutch. Do you think we should check the kitchen to make sure there’s nothing else she might’ve wanted?”

“I think she’d probably like the plants to brighten up her room,” Kodiak muses.

Nodding, I follow him into the second bedroom which appears to have been used to store nothing but junk. However, with our superior sense of smell, we’re quickly able to unearth the firebox that Perry hid, as well as two totes that are full of cash. I have no clue what the fucker was involved in, but the money here will be more than enough for Ariel to get on her feet.

By the time Peanut walks in, we’ve got everything of value stacked neatly by the hutch, including two recipe books that smelled like a combination of Ariel and another female, a sewing machine and table, as well as a tote full of fabric. If my mate likes to sew, then I’ll make sure she has the stuff from her mom so she can feel as though she’s still with her.

“She doesn’t really have much, does she?” Peanut muses as we begin boxing everything up. He even remembered to bring a heavy blanket and some newspaper so we’re able to wrap the hutch, as well as a set of delicate China dishes that were showcased inside.

“No, she doesn’t, but she’ll have whatever she wants from here on out,” I reply. “Even if I have to allow her to get it.”

It’s slowly starting to sink in that where Ariel is concerned, I’m going to have to tread carefully. I wonder if Cheryl, Callie’s friend, knows of any good trauma therapists because I want to make sure Ariel has whatever tools she needs to fully heal.

Will she ever forget the trauma she endured? I seriously doubt it, but both my gator and me will ensure she has the best life possible once she’s ready.

“I think we’ve got it all,” Kodiak states after doing another sweep of the house. He has a small photo album that he tucks into the top of the box I’m about to close. “Found that tucked on the top shelf in the closet.”

“Do you think we should give Fang all the money so he can get an account set up for her?” I ask. “Because it looks like quite a bit, and I know he can smooth the way at the bank. Or should we let her do it?”

Kodiak closes his eyes and I know he’s talking to Callie. A few minutes later, he smirks at me and says, “Ariel is okay with Fang setting up the account for her, but she’d like to keep some of the cash since apparently, the bedroom set arrived so she and Callie need to go shopping for sheets and shit.”

“Fuck, I forgot about that,” I hiss.

---