Page 1 of Devil Within

Chapter One

The bus finally came to a stop at the Cheyenne depot, and all Shiloh wanted to do was leap over the seats to escape the woman next to her. Of all the people who could have sat by her, she got lucky with the one person who thought perfume was a good substitute for soap and deodorant. Shiloh would’ve moved if the bus hadn’t been packed, but she could tell that no one would have traded seats with her by the way they all studiously avoided eye contact. So, she’d been stuck with Ms. Perfume ever since she got on at the last pit stop.

Since Shiloh had been crammed into her seat for over a day, her butt was past numb. She could actually feel the cheeks starting to flatten out and was already mentally preparing for the squats she’d have to do to get them back into shape.

She was tired and hungry with a major headache from the noxious body fumes rolling off her companion. Of course, she was sitting toward the back of the bus, so she had to wait until everyone exited. How she kept it together knowing fresh air was just moments away, she would never know, but the woman gave her a bright smile before walking down the aisle. Trailing after her, you’d think she’d have grown accustomed to the stench, but nope, Shiloh’s stomach wanted to rebel. Thank goodness she hadn’t eaten anything to vomit back up.

At the curb, she grabbed her suitcase, easily identifiable by the duct tape holding it together, and made her way into the terminal. The bus station was located in a sketchy area, because if people could afford any other means of transportation, they’d be in a beautiful, safe section of town. As it was, she kept her head down and her suitcase close.

“Shiloh!”

She jerked, surprised to hear her name, and immediately spotted her best friend, Vette, waving frantically as she ran over. Shiloh had just a second to drop her suitcase before her friend body-slammed her with a tight hug. Even with her arms pinned to her sides in Vette’s hug, the desire to claw herself out of said hug wasn’t that strong. Much to her surprise. For the first time in a long time, she felt like everything was going to be okay. She had left it all behind, and the world was anything she could make of it.

“I can’t believe you’re here!” Vette squealed.

Shiloh winced and wiggled, indicating she wanted to be free. Vette let her go, and they studied one another. They hadn’t seen each other in years. Vette left right after their high school graduation to pursue her dreams of veterinarian school while Shiloh had stayed in Missouri, going to community college. When she had entered her third year working toward a two-year degree, she realized that college wasn’t for her. Part of the reason for going was that it was what kids did once high school was over. The other part was an effort to escape her home life.

Her step-father, Lawrence, was ... not someone she liked to think about. He had tried pulling her into his weird cult-like congregation, and for a while, she managed to sidestep him. Odd jobs here and there. Crappy boyfriend decisions. Her world came to a crashing halt the night she’d been assaulted. Vette must have been psychic because she’d called her the next day, and with the trauma so fresh, Shiloh couldn’t hold it in. Vette immediately offered her second bedroom. Needing to start over, it wasn’t long until she found herself on a bus heading northwest to Wyoming.

The attack put everything in perspective. Changed her in a fundamental way. Lawrence had predicted once that if she didn’t atone for her sins, she would end up working on her back. Apparently, she needed to be saved by the great holy spirit of God, but when she refused his fanaticism, he’d tried forcing it on her. Although she had no clue what she wanted in life, she knew what she didn’t want. In the dead of night, she packed a small suitcase of all she wanted to take, which wasn’t much because she didn’t want any souvenirs of her life, and headed to the bus station.

And now, she vowed never to set foot in Missouri again. She’d sooner do exactly what he predicted, selling herself on the corner to every Tom, Dick, and Harry rather than beg him, or God, for a damn thing.

“Wow, you’re already dressing like one of us,” Vette said with a laugh.

Shiloh glanced down at her wardrobe. She wore frayed denim shorts, a sleeveless flannel shirt, and cowboy boots. She could really care less about clothes and fashion. That had never been something she was interested in.

“All I need is a cowboy hat and a piece of straw, eh?” She spotted a homeless man in the corner wearing a torn, dirty hat. “That one, maybe?”

“Hell to the no,” Vette said as she glanced at the man, and a shudder passed through her. “Come on, we should go. I thought we could celebrate with a nice dinner. Do you like barbecue?”

“Who doesn’t?”

They hurried out of the depot, and Shiloh pulled her rolling suitcase along. Vette’s car was a little white Honda, and she held the back door open for Shiloh to stash her bag. Then she slid into the passenger side.

“I am so thrilled you’re here!” Vette squealed as she started up her car. “We’re going to have so much fun. I have your room all made up. It’s white. I didn’t know what color to paint it, so you can do any color you want. Even black. It’s yours, so have fun. But you do have a bed and a dresser and a nightstand.”

Shiloh frowned. “How do I have a bed, a dresser, and a nightstand?”

“I bought them for you, silly.”

“How much was it? I can reimburse you—”

“Absolutely not!” Vette interrupted. “It’s my welcome to your new home present for you!”

There were several things on the tip of Shiloh’s tongue. She didn’t want to be a burden and give Vette a reason to kick her out. Or have Vette think she was being taken advantage of. But all of that died on her lips as she saw Vette’s excitement. After all, she’d been her one and only friend growing up.

Shiloh’s parents didn’t have much because there was never enough money. Clothes came from hand-me-downs or donations to the local church. Bullies were harsh, especially in rural communities where money or athletic prowess dictated the hierarchy. Both of which Shiloh didn’t have or possess. Vette had looked beyond that. No one else quite understood her because she’d always been the quiet kid that didn’t play well with others.

In fourth grade they’d gotten partnered in science, and Vette loved to talk about it as much as Shiloh didn’t, so over the course of the school year, Vette more or less adopted her. Her family was everything Shiloh’s was not, and her home had become a haven she had needed.

“We’re going to have a blast!” Vette gleefully exclaimed.

Shiloh leaned her head back and listened to her friend ramble. This she understood. What she needed. Vette’s prattle gave her the normalcy she craved.

“I asked my boss if we could find a position for you, but he said we don’t have the budget. But if you can’t find work right away, please don’t fret. Okay? My job pays well, and I can afford us lots of things! Unfortunately, I’ll be on call a lot, because animals can get sick just like humans. Only they don’t complain, and they always take their medicine. Oh, I’m so happy you’re finally here!”

There were too many exclamations in that paragraph for Shiloh to deal with. All she could do was smile because this was typical Vette. She was one of those girls who giggled, bounced in excitement, and still called men hotties.