Chapter 1
Emily
Iwake up to my cat, Frisky, making biscuits on my chest like there’s no tomorrow. My eyes flutter open and I look down into his cute little black and white face.
“Not letting me sleep late?”
I sit up and give him a cuddle. He loves it when I scratch his belly. I’ve had Frisky since I graduated from high school seven years ago, and he’s been my constant companion since my grandfather died two years ago.
Like every morning since my grandfather passed, the cabin has been quiet. I can hear the wind blowing outside. Unfortunately, I have to get up and stoke the fire before it goes out completely. So I reluctantly climb out of bed.
As I’m feeding the fire, I hear Frisky reminding me it’s breakfast time. He sounds so pitiful, like he hasn’t eaten for a million years. Since I’m the almighty giver of food in his world, I hustle to the kitchen and quickly dump some kibble into his bowl.
I start a hot shower and my gaze drifts to the bathroom window as I undress. The sun is just coming up, and the branches on the big pine trees are swaying gently in the breeze. This has been my morning routine for the past couple of years. I love living in the middle of nowhere and working from home. I don’t have to worry about going out in the cold, traffic, or whether or not my gas tank is full.
I also feel safe because just beyond those pine trees is the Sons of Rage clubhouse. It’s not visible from here, but I know exactly where it sits. The couple that runs that club has four sons, and we used to play together because my grandfather was friends with their dad.
I climb into the shower, thinking about how it used to be. The Jackson boys were all a few years older than me, but Onyx and I kind of clicked back then. We drifted apart as we grew up, but I still see him around on the regular. He’s a familiar presence cutting across my life occasionally.
I’m just making a start on my work when I hear it. A subtle noise from outside. It sounds like someone walking through the underbrush. I glance at the front door before logic catches up. The chances of it being a human are remote. It’s probably a deer rubbing its antlers against a tree or a fox nosing around for breakfast.
I turn back to my laptop. The cursor blinks, and I start typing. Within minutes, I’m lost in my work. I’ve barely gotten started when I hear another, more pronounced noise. It’s a clattering sound, like someone knocked something over. Frisky’s head even snaps up.
I’m startled by a loud knock on the door. Frisky darts underneath the sofa with only his tail visible. The second knock comes before I can get to my feet. It’s louder, frantic, and heavier.
I rarely get visitors out here so I’m instantly on my guard. I consider ignoring it, but they’ll have seen the smoke coming from my chimney and know that someone’s home.
“Hold on,” I call as I close the distance between my desk and the door.
I have the strongest gut feeling that I shouldn’t answer the door. My cabin is on private property and butts up to the Jackson land. No one should be out here, unless it’s one of the club members.
Maybe it is? They could be in trouble.
That’s when a man’s frantic voice calls out. “Please, I need help.”
My hand is already on the doorknob and thoughts of car wrecks, medical issues, and other possible emergencies are running through my mind. If I can help, I should.
I twist the deadbolt with one hand and crack the door open enough to look out. “Hello? Is everything okay?”
A well-dressed man stands on my porch. He’s sweating profusely and wild-eyed, frantically scanning the woods behind him instead of looking at me.
“Please,” he gasps. “Please, you have to let me in!”
I blink, trying to catch up. “What happened?”
“There’s a bear.” Something about his tone seems genuine. “It was huge and it chased me. I swear it was right behind me.”
Bears pass through these woods all the time. I’ve seen them trying to get into my trash can. There’s been stories the last few years of an old grizzly bear on the loose. Since they’re supposed to be extinct in California, I thought it was just local gossip. Now, hearing and seeing this man, I’m not sure. His panic looks real.
He darts another look over his shoulder. Although I don’t see anything, I’m inclined to let him in just to be on the safe side.
“Please, just for a second,” he says, voice breaking. “I dropped my phone back in the woods when I ran off. I won’t stay long. Just let me use your phone to make a quick call and I’ll be out of your hair. I’m begging you.”
I open it two inches more. But before I get the chance to open the door any wider, he bolts forward and shoulder slams into the door, knocking me back.
“Hey!”
The moment he’s over the threshold, he kicks the door closed behind him.
