“I’ll tell Black Wolf to look at routes between here and Vegas,” Darius says and strides off.
I stand still for a moment, feeling helpless.
“She’ll be okay, brother,” Teddy murmurs to me.“If it’s her dad, that means she’ll be alive.”
“He’s not a good person.”Daisy’s voice quavers.
“No, he’s not.”I’ve never met him, but I already know he doesn’t deserve Maisy.“But Maisy is strong.”
A helicopter zooms overhead with Bern at the controls.The wind whips around us as it lands in a field at the end of the street.
Daisy grabs my hand, her frail fingers turned to claws, her grip surprisingly strong.
“You bring her back, Matthias.”Her voice is almost swallowed by the noise of the helicopter.“You find her and bring her back home.”
“I will,” I vow with every molecule of my being.Her hand goes limp in mine, like it took all her energy to grab my hand and make me promise to save Maisy.I let her go and stride towards the waiting helicopter, ripping off my glasses as I go.My eyesight is perfect; I only wear them to make me look more scholarly.It’s part of my persona to get my patients to relax.I won’t need them where I’m going.
I’m no longer the kind doctor of Bad Bear.I am a bad bear ready to rampage, and I’m on a mission to find my mate.
I will destroy anyone and everyone who touched her.
Maisy
There’s a nail in my skull, splitting it down the middle.At least, that’s what it feels like.When I move to touch it, the pain is drowned out by the aches in my entire body.My hair is a curtain over my face.
I’m lying on a bed, on top of the blankets.The only light in the room comes from the glow around the window.
My mouth feels like it’s been filled with rancid cotton.
I try to sit and a wave of wooziness washes over me.I feel like I’ve been drugged.
Because I was.
I slide to the edge of the bed, closing my eyes when the room spins.Baby steps.
At least this place is small.It’s nice enough for a generic hotel room, but the whole place stinks like cigarette smoke.The smell doesn’t help the state of my head.
I make my way to the bathroom and gulp water then empty my screaming bladder.There are white towels neatly folded under the sink, and I wet one and use it to wipe my skin.It makes me feel a little bit better.
But I keep the lights off in case it’ll summon whoever kidnapped me.
Because Ihavebeen kidnapped.Those two guys ambushed me at my house and committed several felonies.
I look pale in the mirror.I’m not okay.
“Don’t eat a clock,” I whisper to my reflection.“It’s time-consuming.”
My favorite joke doesn’t dent my fear, but it’s familiar.I’m an adult.I can get through this.
Bad jokes won’t get me through this fear.When I close my eyes, all I see is Matthias.His beautiful brown eyes looking at me.Seeing me.The real me.
I missed our date.If I think about that too much, I’m going to cry.
Focus, beautiful,I imagine Matthias saying to me.You got this.Baby steps.
I’m still in my yoga pants and a soft sweater–the outfit I was going to wear under my coat on the hike.They’re a bit worse for wear–dirty, like I’ve been rolling around in the back of that creeper van–but at least I have clothes.It doesn’t seem like anyone has touched me, other than sticking a needle in my neck, drugging me, and dragging me to the van.Then driving me here, wherever here is.
The clock reads just after midnight.Which means I was asleep for ten hours.
