Tracking the Bear (Blue Ridge Bears Book 1)(9)

“Comfortable?” I asked, a hint of wry amusement in my tone.

“Very,” she said, giving me a quick smile. “Thank you so much for doing this. I can’t express how much I appreciate it.”

“I told you, it wasn’t any trouble.”

In fact, it did solve one problem. I was less likely to be distracted during the mission when I knew where she was and if she was safe. My bear had been displeased with even the notion of leaving her behind. Now he was more compliant than it had been in years, slumbering peacefully while we shot down the road toward Jackson.

Though we could have made the whole trip in one day, I was already tired and Lucy didn’t look much better. That wasn’t to say she wasn’t still beautiful, but the dark circles beneath her eyes worried me. It wouldn’t do us any good to keep going if we were too tired to pick up any relevant clues.

She stretched, and I couldn’t help but notice how tight the blue flannel shirt fit. She looked damned good, under the circumstances. She caught me looking and hastily buttoned the shirt up to her collar.

“So, where were you heading originally?” she asked.

I tried not to flinch away from the question. This whole situation really was a clusterfuck. What was I supposed to tell her? That my destination was the same as hers? That wouldn’t sound creepy as fuck, now would it? I didn’t want to lie to her though, so I told a partial truth.

“I was heading to Virginia. I’m going hiking in the Appalachian mountains.”

She turned to stare at me, blue eyes huge in her face. “The Appalachian mountain trail? The whole thing? That takes months!”

I laughed. “No, not the whole thing. Just the Blue Ridge Mountain Range. I’m supposed to meet a few friends and spend the next couple of weeks roughing it. I’ll just let them know I’ll be a few days late.”

I saw her bite her lip out of the corner of my eye. It was distracting as hell. I wanted to snag that full pouting lip between my teeth and bite it. There had to be bear in her family line somewhere, or I’d not have felt the pull.

A sickening thought crept into my mind, and it doused the fire kindling in my blood. Of course, there was bear in her lineage now. Her brother, her twin brother Luke, as she’d told me as I’d loaded her bags into the trunk, was a bear. An unnatural one, yes, but a bear nonetheless. They’d shared a womb, and some even speculated the souls were joined, even as early as birth.

No, Luke’s madness hadn’t been passed to his sister, or I’d be here investigating two massacres instead of one. Still, the thought unsettled me.

“Sorry for delaying your trip,” she said, clearing her throat to get my attention. I realized too late that I’d been glowering at the road ahead.

“I told you it’s fine. I don’t mind, really. I was actually looking for reasons to stay in Fairchild. I wanted to get to know you a little better, Lucy.”

“You don’t know me,” she muttered, looking out the window to avoid my gaze.

“No,” I admitted. “But I’d like the chance to get to know you. Where do you want to eat?”

“Anywhere is fine. I just need to take my pills soon.”

“Your leg,” I said, barely keeping the rage from my voice. “What happened to it?”

“None of your business!” She snapped, actually turning in her seat to slap my bicep. It didn’t hurt. She’d need a steel blade to make an impression on my skin, and even then, she’d have to strike harder than that. I rubbed at the spot though. It was the first time she’d willingly touched me, and I could feel the skin tingle where she’d made contact.

“Sorry,” I muttered. “I was just trying to make conversation. Why are you chasing your brother down anyway?”

She expelled an angry huff of air and crossed her arms over her chest. “He called my Aunt and Uncle last night and told them he was dropping out of school. We don’t know why or what he’s up to. I plan to kick his ass and get him back in school.”

“He contacted you?”

“Yes. A lot of good it did me, but he tried to call. He said he was sorry for…something. I’m really confused. He was going to graduate soon. Why did he just run off like that?”

“I don’t know,” I lied, slowing as we approached the off ramp that would take us into Jackson. We’d been on the road for nearly three hours, and Lucy had napped in the passenger’s seat off and on the whole way.

She sighed. “Sorry for snapping at you. It’s just really starting to dawn on me what a mess my life is.”

“You could come with me to Virginia. Delay going back for a few more weeks.” The words were out, and there was no way I could take them back. They hung in the air between us, and I wanted to curse myself and the bear that lived inside me. I couldn’t take her to Virginia. She’d be in danger. If not from Luke, then from my fellow lawmen who might attempt to steal her from me.

“I didn’t pack any hiking gear,” she said slowly. I noted she hadn’t immediately said no.

“I’ve got enough for two.”

Actually, I had enough for one, but my gear was mostly for show in case I was pulled over by a human police officer. She appeared to consider it.

“How about this? I’ll consider going on a weekend with you after we find my brother and talk some sense into him.”