Wolf Mountain Peak Complete Series, page 99
part #1 of Wolf Mountain Peak Series
For the remainder of the summer, they tried their best to do so. Indeed, Ava, Olivia, Amy, and Breanne took full advantage of this situation. Road trips became a frequent, pleasant escape from their everyday routines, they organized plenty of girls’ nights out, and, even though Olivia was often unavailable due to her relationship with David, they had tons of fun. Furthermore, they met his friends; but, sadly for the, girls, none of them could enjoy their company. Just like David himself, they were all musicians, and they all insisted on performing live for the wolves. Predictably, they all declined the musicians’ continuous suggestions, coming up with excuses about their availability. David’s friends were human. None of the four shifters was willing to reveal the sensitivity in their ears. It would invite too many questions. They wouldn’t give up their secret to a few men, regardless of how close they were to Olivia’s boyfriend. Even so, the summer literally flew by for the girls. At the beginning of September, Ava caught herself wishing that she could relive those past few months. It wasn’t the warm weather that she would miss, but rather this relaxed atmosphere, which allowed them to roam around Paxton, Shandaken, and New York City.
Nevertheless, there was something about one of David’s friends that neither Ava, nor the three other shifters could fathom. James Norris, his drummer, would show up wherever they were, stay for a few minutes, and then disappear into the night. Most of the time, the elusive 30-year old wouldn’t speak, he nodded along, listening to everyone else, and murmured “goodnight,” More than once, Ava considered asking David about his behavior, but she hesitated, believing that his friend would not gossip about him. Still, Olivia was much closer to him. If there was one person in this world that the former bear shifter would confide in, it was she. Much to Ava’s disappointment though, her best friend couldn’t be much help, either. She had gone on to ask David about James, but he had politely refused to tell her anything about him, claiming that it was a matter of respect to his friend to not talk about him behind his back.
On a chilly, late-September night, they visited Mark Bonham’s house once again, right by the empty plot of land where they had found the four men performing “Brothers in Arms,” With a tall glass of martini in her palm, Ava gazed out the living room window, up at the misty, mountain peaks. Olivia and Amy were strolling around in Mark’s backyard, while he and David were cooking on the barbeque. Ryan and James, their other friends would join them later on.
“What do you know…?” Ava muttered in a voice riddled with irony as she pointed up at the view. “The fog’s returned.”
“About time it did,” Breanne stated, strolling towards the window. “I got tired of all this heat.”
“What, you prefer layers?” Ava wondered, turning to her.
“I just think that winter is more romantic,” Breanne explained, lifting her glass to her lips. “You have a fireplace, rain, snow, and cuddling with your man under the blankets. Can you do all that in the summer?”
“No, but you can go for a walk on the beach, provided you’re close to one,” Ava countered as a bitter smile spread across her face; “and as far as the man is concerned? Well…” she paused. “We’re not all as lucky in our relationships as Liv.”
“Yeah, she pretty much nailed it with David,” Breanne agreed. “Speaking of whom, I heard him say his buddy James won’t be joining us tonight.”
“I don’t think anybody’s going to miss him,” Ava scoffed, her face twisting with annoyance. “Every time I see that guy, he reminds me of Ray Liotta, having dinner with De Niro, Joe Pesci and his mother in ‘Goodfellas’, right after they had killed a gangster.”
“I can’t argue with that,” Breanne said as her eyes glinted with amusement. “He is pretty silent.”
“Silent?” Ava snorted in derision. “He’s invisible, for crying out loud.”
“He does look better than Ray Liotta, though,” Breanne spoke up, saying what was on her mind, taking one step closer to Ava. “He’s taller, he’s…”
“I’m not blind,” Ava interrupted, raising her tone. “He’s gorgeous, but…” She faltered. “Why would anyone in their right mind go out with him; so that he could bore her to death?”
“Well, I would,” Breanne confessed, shrugging her shoulders. “Who knows? Maybe I’d get him to talk a little more. But, I wouldn’t care really. We wouldn’t do much talking, anyway.”
“Oh, crap,” Ava huffed in frustration as she rolled her eyes at her. “Why do I even bother telling these things to you?”
“Because I like riling you up about him,” Breanne claimed as her lips burst open into a toothy grin. “Girl, you’re being sarcastic to everyone, you keep making jokes, and yet, whenever his name comes up, you get all grumpy. Now, why would you do that?”
Ava parted her lips, ready to come up with an even louder, angrier response, but, the echo of a door slamming shut grabbed their attention. Ava bent down, and set her glass down on the living room table in front of her, at the same time wondering why someone had barged in like that. The hurried footsteps on the staircase that led to the basement added to her curiosity as she moved off across the hall. Olivia emerged from the corridor to the right, breathing heavily, fear written all over her face.
“Guys - ” she gasped out, wheezing her chest heaving. “Something terrible has happened. We have to go right now.”
“Liv, you’re scaring me,” Ava spoke, her tone firm. “What is it?”
“James,” Olivia said on an exhale. “Ryan was waiting for him in his car outside David’s salon, when someone shot him. Ryan called David, and said he was taking him to the hospital. I told him to take him to Monica’s place. Yesterday, I overheard Raul saying she was in leave.”
“Are you crazy?” Ava exclaimed, opening her eyes wide. “Raul is going to be furious!”
“I’d rather hear it from him, than have the cops asking David and James all sorts of questions,” Olivia maintained, putting some force in her voice. “Now, please, let’s go.”
Chapter Two
On the short drive back to Paxton, Ava admitted to herself that Olivia had reached the right decision. The wolves had already had bitter experience with law enforcement, during the time that Cliff Daniels, Helena’s mate, investigated the incident with the burnt-out science facility, not far from their town. Taking a victim of a gunshot wound to Shandaken hospital would practically be asking for trouble.
Just a few hundred yards away from the Bradford estate however, another realization made the skin on her face tingle with fear. James had failed to talk about himself, merely because he had too much to hide. The attempt on his life was evidence of that. Combined with his silence, it was screaming to Ava that this man was way in over his head. Worse than that, whoever his enemies were, he had brought them much too close to her hometown. It wouldn’t take long, before the shooter came back to finish the job. But, Ava didn’t care much for James’s business. It was his business, like the trouble that went with it. He could do as he pleased, on one condition: That he stayed as far away from Paxton as possible.
The tires on her purple Fiat screeched as she stepped hard on the brakes, in the Bradford’s driveway. Moments afterwards, Olivia and David followed behind her. James’s friend popped out of his Ford, and then headed towards the Alpha’s cabin, but Ava was not so impatient to visit her Alpha. She knew him well. Ever since Raul became a father, his tolerance to disturbance had lowered considerably. And, while she stepped out of her vehicle, her suspicions were confirmed. Raul had spun David around, and was holding his wrist behind his back as he shoved him forward.
“What the hell is wrong with you people?” He grumbled as his face lit with rage, and he pushed David out of his cabin. “Why are you bringing a dying man to my home? Whose bright idea was this?”
“Mine,” Olivia raised her hand in the air like a timid schoolgirl. “I’m very sorry, but…”
“What, you couldn’t find a hospital?” He cried, putting his hands on either hip.
“It’s not that,” Olivia shook her head sideways, keeping the calmness in her voice. “He’s been shot. The hospital would be crawling with cops within minutes.”
“Damn…” Raul sighed, shutting his eyes as he tipped his head back. “David, you’re his friend. Can you think of anyone who’d try to hurt him?”
Upon hearing the Alpha’s question, James did not speak. Pressing his lips together, he cast a sideways glance at Olivia, and then at Ava, causing her frustration to stop her blood cold. Even now, with his friend’s life hanging in the balance, he would not speak in front of them.
“Alright, come on in,” The Alpha beckoned. “You girls stay here. Monica will be with you when she’s done,” He added, glancing around him.
“Please, don’t start with me,” Olivia requested, shifting her gaze to her as her boyfriend followed Raul in his cabin.
“Now, why in the world would I do that?” Ava wondered, tapping her index finger on her chin in mock skepticism. “It’s not like your man is withholding information about his buddy, is it?”
“They’ve been friends since grade school,” Olivia stated, her voice thick with emotion. “If anything happened to him, it’d break David’s heart.”
“Just answer me this,” Ava urged, crossing her arms over her chest. “Does James have any idea about David’s former nature?”
“No,” Olivia replied as she tore her gaze away from her. “He’s been thinking about telling him for years, but he hesitated. He thought it would ruin their friendship.”
“Awesome,” Ava gave a sarcastic nod. “The bear shifter’s best bud doesn’t know squat about his most important secret. Way to go, boys. The ‘friends of the year’ award is rightfully yours.”
“I was shocked when I heard about it, too,” Olivia confessed, raising her eyes to meet hers. “But, what could I do? Scorn him? Pressure him into telling James everything? That’s not who I am, Ava.”
“Look, this is water under the bridge,” Ava softened her tone as she leaned towards her. “There’s nothing to tell him now, anyway. Still, don’t expect me to go out with you and David from here on out. I don’t like being around someone who’s got a target on his back.”
“I had a feeling you’d say that,” Olivia declared, pursing her lips. “Don’t worry; I can understand why you’d want to stay away from him.”
At that very moment, Raul’s front door clicked open. Monica slipped through the small gap, and then stepped outside, keeping her gaze locked on Olivia.
“He’s lost a lot of blood, but his life is not in danger,” she assured them, her tone steady. “He was shot twice, once in the lower abdomen, and once in the chest, right below his collarbone. He was lucky; the bullets went ‘through and through,’ and missed any vital organs.”
“Thank God,” Olivia sighed in relief, running her fingers through her hair.
“Does he know who did this?” Ava, her tone stiff, asked while stepping closer to the doctor.
“No, but he did repeat this one phrase a number of times: ‘I had it coming,’” Monica stated with a hint of suspicion in her usually fruity voice. “Olivia, do not bring him here if anything like this happens again. I’m not worried about Raul’s reaction. I can handle him. But, if the bullets were still lodged inside him, I wouldn’t be able to do much. I just don’t have the equipment here. As I was saying, should you find yourself in need of a hospital, just call ‘9-1-1.’ Most ER doctors are good friends of mine. I’ll talk to them; they won’t report anything to the police.”
“Thank you so much, Monica,” Olivia said, flashing a look of admiration. The doctor nodded, offering her a bright smile, just before the door behind her was fully opened. In complete silence, Raul was the first to walk out of his cabin. For some reason Ava couldn’t fathom, there was not a shred of tension on his face. On the contrary, he appeared to be calm and relaxed. David and Ryan joined the two girls out in the yard, but, while the latter had a huge smile on his face, Olivia’s boyfriend did not seem to share his enthusiasm.
“He’s still under,” David croaked, moving around Olivia. “I’m going to wait until he wakes up to take him home.”
“Just tell him to steer clear of trouble,” Raul advised. “Next time, he might not be so lucky.”
“I will, but it won’t be easy,” David claimed, his voice weakening.
“I know,” Raul said with a nod. Ava watched the conversation, unsure whether she should speak her mind or not. She was dying to express her frustration; yet, in doing so, she was sure that she would cause more problems. Yes, he was an enigmatic man, whose life was a mystery to most people other than his friends, but she was much too upset to keep her voice down. Any discussion about him was definitely going to turn into an argument with her Alpha and David as well, and was guaranteed to yield the exact same results, or better, no results at all. Olivia’s boyfriend had demonstrated his reluctance, only minutes ago. There was no reason for her to believe that his attitude would change. However, his reaction to the news on James’s condition intrigued her. Therefore, she reached towards Olivia, and took her aside.
“Liv…” she whispered, casting a furtive glance over her shoulder, up at Raul. “James is going to be fine. I thought David would be a little more cheerful.”
“Oh, God…” Olivia sighed, lightly shaking her head. “I’ve seen that look in his eyes before. It was on the night I found him in that tiny room at the beauty salon. That’s when he told me everything that had happened to his family. Leave it alone, Ava. As far as I can tell, James’s life is a sad story.”
Understanding that her friend’s suggestion was probably the best option, Ava kept her silence. A rebuttal would not avail either of them. It wouldn’t lead anywhere, other than an argument, and she was not going to have a fight with her closest friend, just to satisfy her curiosity. In any case, this night had signaled the end of her quest for answers. Ava would not go out with Olivia and David again. She wouldn’t bother with James’s life anymore, whatever secrets it might contain. He could keep them as long as he stayed out of her hometown.
Chapter Three
Wave after wave of pain coursed through James as he opened his eyes, the following morning. Biting his lower lip, he struggled to hold back a moan of agony. A quick look around the room told him he had left the wooden cabin he had been in the night before. There were no logs up on the ceiling, or a wide, eastern window. Instead, his eyes landed on the old, flaking wall of his bedroom. He was back in the tiny house he called “home,” on the outskirts of Highmount. And, much to his pleasure, he wasn’t alone. His good friend David was standing under the doorframe, with his arms folded across his chest. James let out a huff of satisfaction, reaching up to grab the sheet. When he swiped it away however, David unfurled his arms, and started off towards him.
“Easy there, Sparky,” He urged, moving around his bed. “Let me help you with that.”
“It’s just a sheet,” James groaned, scooting over to the edge of the bed. “What time is it?”
“Eight twenty,” David replied. “You should call Ned; tell him you’re not going to work today.”
“What am I supposed to say to him, if he asks why?” James wondered, slowly arising to his impressive, 6’3” stature. “That I got shot? He’ll laugh at me, not to mention I don’t want to talk about this over the phone. Can you drive me up to Shandaken? He said they’d be in Wolf Mountain today.”
“When are you going to give up that crappy job?” David asked as his friend grabbed his jeans from the foot of the bed. “Chopping down wood doesn’t suit you.”
“It pays the bills,” James stated, a touch of annoyance in his tone. “Will you drive me up there or not?”
“Sure,” David said with a nod. “I’ll be waiting outside.”
As much as James appreciated the fact that his friend had once again been there for him, he wasn’t in the mood for a discussion over his job. Being a lumberjack was by no means prestigious. Neither did it pay well; it paid just enough for him to get by. He hadn’t chosen it. It chose him, when he moved in from New York, six years ago. It was just one of his - very limited - options. More importantly, though, it guaranteed anonymity. Out here, he was just another worker, just another face in the crowd, not the successful realtor from Queens.
An overcast sky met his gaze as James slammed his front door shut behind him. He sucked in a deep breath, at the thought that he would have to ask his supervisor for some time off. Ned Pierce was not the most understanding man in the world. Leaves, medical or otherwise, were the most frequent cause of his arguments with his employees. His words rarely varied from: “Yeah, you’re tired, you need to rest up, but we have to keep up with the demand,” So, with the weather getting chillier by the day, he was not going to take this well. Still, James could not work in his condition. He wasn’t just being hampered by his pain. Any abrupt move, intense pressure, or attempt to lift anything heavy, could tear up his stitches.
“I need a good excuse,” he claimed, sitting himself in the passenger seat of his friend’s Ford Mondeo.
“Just be honest with him,” David advised, putting his foot down on the gas pedal. “You got shot last night. I think he’ll sympathize with you.”
“And risk him starting to ask questions?” Tension crept into James’s voice as he turned his head to the left to face him. “No, man; he can’t know.”
“If you’d put Ned in the loop when you got here, he’d have helped you out,” David spoke, his tone steady as he drove out of the dirt road, and turned left onto the asphalt. “I’m not talking about money. Besides, he’s not the one calling the shots in that department. I’m just saying that he would be a little more lenient with you.”
