Total pages in book: 18
Estimated words: 16684 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 83(@200wpm)___ 67(@250wpm)___ 56(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 16684 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 83(@200wpm)___ 67(@250wpm)___ 56(@300wpm)
Inside the hotel’s small café, we grab a table near the heater. Lennon pushes the stroller next to the table, and Oreo snuggles up in the thick blankets.
The waitress, looking like she’s been up since dawn, takes our order before coming back with two steaming cups of coffee.
Lennon fixes her gaze on the steaming mug of coffee in front of her and takes a sip, seeming to savor each drop. “So, what’s the story about your job that wasn’t quite right?” I ask, curious about her. Clay won’t have the report on her for a while, and I want to know everything about my mate.
“Well,” she starts, rolling her eyes, “I’m on my way back to Anchorage from Glacier Pass. I went there for a job interview, but it wasn’t what I’d been led to believe.”
What the fuck? “Oh yeah? What kind of job?”
She sits back in the chair, a little laugh escaping. “It was supposed to be for a live-in housekeeper position, but… let’s just say the guy wasn’t exactly who he said he was, and the job definitely wasn’t what he advertised.”
Who the hell do I have to kill for fucking with my mate? My inner bear stretches under my skin as rage cuts through me at the thought of something threatening my mate. “Explain to me what happened?”
Lennon sighs, clearly appalled. “The guy was super creepy,” she explains, swirling her coffee slowly. “He’d sent me these pictures of his supposed mansion, but when I got there, I realized they were stock photos or something because the actual house was a dump. A small, creepy cabin in the middle of nowhere. Totally different from what he showed me. Then he started talking about mail-order brides and I freaked out. Talk about false advertising.”
My hands clench in my lap as I listen to my mate. “What happened next?”
“My intuition told me to get the heck out of there.” Her expression shifts to something warmer as she glances at the small dog snoring loudly in the stroller. “I didn’t waste another second. I grabbed Oreo and hit the road before the creep could stop me.”
Motherfucker. I need to find out more about this asshole from my hometown who’s preying on unsuspecting women.
“What was this guy’s name?” I ask, and Lennon glances over at me with a raised eyebrow.
“Why are you so curious?” She sits back, a little more closed off than she was a few minutes ago.
There’s so much I need to tell my soulmate and I don’t even know where to start. “I’ve lived in Glacier Pass my entire life, and I want to know who the asshole is that’s pulling this shit in my hometown.”
Her mouth opens and closes a few times before she mutters, “His name is Henry Helson.” Red-hot rage flows through my veins when she tells me his name. Son-of-a-bitch. I figured Henry had left town when his cousin, Harold, moved clear across the country to get away from my younger brother’s wrath. “Do you know him?”
“I do, but it’s a long story.”
Her eyebrows shoot up in surprise, and there’s this sparkle of curiosity in her eyes. “Really? Well, looks like we’ve got time. The snow doesn’t seem in any hurry to let up,” she says, nodding toward the window where snowflakes are still drifting down at a steady pace.
I take a breath, leaning back in my chair, debating how to put this bizarre tale into words that won’t scare my mate off. “It sounds like something from a bad made-for-TV movie,” I start, amused at just how surreal it sounds out loud. “Henry has a cousin, Harold, who’s a piece of work. The fucking weasel is always looking for a way to twist any situation for his benefit.”
Lennon leans in slightly and places her elbows on the table. “Go on.”
“A while back, Harold decided to take his life in his own hands and started blackmailing the office manager at my brother’s snow removal company. The weasel got her to steal information about Dillon’s business contracts so he could undercut his bids.”
Lennon’s eyes widen. “Seriously?”
I nod, smirking at the absurdity of it all. “Dillon, my brother, isn’t one to let things slide, especially when it involves his business. My brother fired his office manager and let all the clients know about Harold’s shady business practices. He thought everything was said and done, but Harold lost his goddamn mind and decided to confront Dillon’s mate about the situation.”
Her jaw drops a little, clearly as appalled as I was back then. “What happened?”
“Dillon made sure Harold got the message loud and clear that he needed to move on permanently. After that, Harold suddenly felt the urge to relocate.”
Lennon laughs, shaking her head. “Wow, sounds like your brother doesn’t mess around.”
“Not when it comes to family,” I agree and reach across the table to take her soft hand in mine.