Claimed: Gem Creek Bears, Book Three Read online

  Ezra stopped coughing and released a loud groan that drew my attention to him. Jessica was helping him from the truck. He leaned against her as they walked toward his crappy car.

  God, I hated that car.

  “Pack me a bag really quick,” Jessica called to Demi. “Don’t forget my leather pants. Oh, and my hair stuff from my bathroom.”

  “Okay,” Demi insisted, sounding less than thrilled to be Jessica’s personal maid. I leaned to the side, hoping to hide any view of my clue she might have as she made her way up the porch steps. There was no need though because she didn’t even look my way.

  Jessica and Ezra were talking about something while she helped situate him in the passenger seat of his car. I couldn’t hear the conversation, and it made me nervous. I hoped they weren’t debating whether to toss me in the trunk again. Prickles of panic slid across my skin at the thought.

  Demi exited the house minutes later carrying an overstuffed leopard print bag. She handed it to Jessica. “I’m pretty sure I got everything you wanted,” she said.

  Jessica took the bag and slung it over her shoulder. “Thanks. We’re going to head out now. Ezra said you guys need to pack up food and stuff, we’ll need to stay at that damn cabin for a while. We’ll see you in a few.” She bent to fold the driver seat forward and then glared at me. “Get in. Hurry up.”

  I blinked, surprised I wasn’t going to be shoved in the trunk. I didn’t plan on questioning it though. The backseat was way better than the freaking trunk.

  I hesitantly stood, praying no one noticed my clue, and headed toward Jessica. I was steps away from Ezra’s car when Jessica flashed me a smirk and held up her index finger. She moved to the back of the car and popped open the trunk. All the air left my lungs, and anger simmered through my veins. Seriously? She’d just been screwing with me about sitting in the backseat before. God, I hated her.

  Jessica tossed her bag in the trunk and then grabbed a piece of rope. She held it out to me with a smirk. “Oh, come on,” she chirped, cocking her hip to the side. “You didn’t think I’d let you sit in the backseat without tying your hands together first, did you?”

  Actually, I had. Jessica wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed.

  I held her gaze but didn’t speak. The smirk twisting her lips grew. I wanted to knock it off her face, but kept my hands to myself. This wasn’t a battle worth fighting.

  Jessica draped the rope around my wrists and jerked it tight, securing them together. Then, she shoved me toward the backseat of Ezra’s car. Once I was inside, she slammed the seat back into place and slid behind the wheel. The engine cranked to life, and my stomach dipped.

  “Don’t screw my car up, okay?” Ezra insisted as Jessica shifted into reverse and gave the beater of a car too much gas. We zoomed backward, kicking up gravel. “Take it easy. Jesus.”

  “You said we needed to get out of here.” She snickered. “I’m getting us out of here.”

  Ezra gave her a look that said she was testing his patience.

  I noticed that he looked better. Not much healthier, but slightly. He’d also stopped coughing. Whatever was in that tonic had worked. I wondered if the witch he’d gotten the tonic from was the same one who’d clued him into the Mystic being in Opal Pine.

  “Chill. I’m not going to screw your car up,” Jessica snapped as she barreled down the dirt driveway, dust swirling up behind us.

  The farmhouse faded into the trees and dust as we made our way to the main road. Jessica took a left, and I tried to think of where she could be headed. There were too many possibilities. Opal Pine was like every other small town—there were too many back roads that led to places.

  The car swerved. Jessica was focused on her cell. I really hoped she wasn’t pulling up her playlist again and was about to have another sing-along moment.

  “Get off your phone and pay attention to the road,” Ezra snapped. He released a puff of air and pinched the bridge of his nose with his index finger and thumb. “Are you trying to kill me?”

  “Oh my God, don’t be so dramatic and don’t be a backseat driver. You know how much I hate it when you do that,” she muttered as she continued doing whatever she was on her cell while driving. “I’m pulling up directions. Marshall typed the address in but didn’t hit go. Give me a second.”

  “I know how to get there,” Ezra growled. It was animalistic and slightly terrifying. Goose bumps prickled across my skin at the sound. “You don’t need an app. Just drive.”

  “Yeah right. You look like death walked over you. I’m not trusting your brain to give me directions to somewhere you’ve been like twice. Thanks, but I’ll use an app.” Jessica placed her phone in a cup holder with the speaker facing down. The voice of the GPS narrator was muffled slightly, but it was also magnified, as it directed her to stay on this street for another 2.6 miles.

  “Whatever,” Ezra grumbled. “Just drive. We need to get out of here. Now.”

  Fear lingered in his tone. I knew it was because he knew Penny, Liam, and the others were headed our way.

  Chapter Two

  I watched the clock on the dash as Jessica drove, paying attention to how much time had passed from when we’d left the farmhouse while also trying to remember each turn. I wasn’t sure why. It didn’t matter if I remembered how to get to the cabin. I wouldn’t be able to find my way back to Opal Pine on foot. Still, I knew an hour and a half had passed and which exit we’d taken once we made it to the highway.

  Jessica’s 90s playlist filtered through the speakers. The volume was low, which was good because she’d been singing under her breath instead of screaming at the top of her lungs. Thank goodness Ezra had complained of a headache miles ago. If it hadn’t been for that, I knew she’d have cranked the volume up.

  I glanced at Ezra. He’d fallen asleep thirty minutes ago. The tonic had worked so well he hadn’t suffered through another coughing fit since taking it, and I was disappointed. Seeing him in pain and freaking out had made me happy.

  My lips pressed together as my mind drifted while I averted my gaze out the windshield. The GPS app on Jessica’s phone said we were coming up on our next turn in half a mile. I could see the remaining time left decreasing in the bottom right corner and couldn’t help but wonder if Penny and Liam or the others had found my clue. Surely if they had, they’d be trying to locate Marshall’s grandfather’s cabin by now.

  Jessica swerved, almost missing our exit, and I nearly toppled over in the backseat. It was the third time she’d done that. Even with her GPS app telling her where to go, she still sucked at driving.

  “Pull over,” Ezra shouted. He sat up straight in the passenger seat and placed his hand on the door handle. “Pull over, damn it. Now!”

  “Okay! What’s wrong?” Jessica asked. She eased the car to the shoulder of the two-lane stretch of road we were on. “Are you okay?”

  “No,” Ezra muttered as he exhaled a puff of air and rocked forward. “I think I’m going to be sick.”

  As soon as Jessica came to a stop, Ezra swung the passenger door open and slid out of the car to a grassy section on the side of the road.

  “Crap.” Jessica unbuckled and moved to open the driver side door, the instant her fingers touched the handle she remembered I was in the backseat. She shifted to look at me, a nasty expression twisting her features. “You’re getting out too.” She popped the door open and slipped out of the car before folding the driver seat forward and motioning for me to get out.

  When I did, she jerked me to the back of the car by the rope tied around my wrists. My heart skipped a beat when she popped the trunk open and nodded for me to get in. Every muscle in my body tensed.

  “Now. Hurry up,” she shouted over the sounds of Ezra dry heaving. “I was trying to be nice and not put you back here, but I know you’re looking for the right moment to make your escape and I can’t let that happen. As much as I don’t like you, your integral to my brother’s survival and I need to make sure you don’t escape.”

&nb
sp; “I’m not going to run,” I said, hoping the lie was believable. “I know how stupid that would be.”

  If I went in the trunk, my chances of escaping were slim to none. At least in the backseat, I could make a run for it in situations like this. Ezra’s tonic must have finally worn off and there were a few miles left before we reached the cabin. Chances were he’d need her to stop so he could be sick again.

  “Get in.” Jessica pointed to the trunk. “Don’t make me force you in there.”

  I knew she wasn’t going to be persuaded. Her eyes were too hard set. The desire to get to her brother’s side swirled through their color. I carefully lowered myself into the trunk. Once I was lying down, she slammed the trunk shut and I was encased in muted darkness.

  Panic clawed at the inside of my chest. Being crammed in the trunk again brought back memories, fears, and worries from before. Pinpricks of ice slid through my chest as I struggled to steady my breathing. I needed to calm down. My anxiety was getting the best of me. It sped up my heart rate and intensified my panicked state of mind.

  Calm down, Tris. Freaking out isn’t going to help you any.

  I pulled in a slow, measured breath through my nose and then exhaled out my mouth. The tension in my body eased after a few cycles, and my ears picked up the sound of Ezra still dry heaving on the side of the road. They weren’t back in the car yet and we were still at a standstill because of it, which meant I still had time to figure out my next move before we reached the cabin.

  “Are you okay?” Jessica asked Ezra.

  “I’m fine,” Ezra insisted. His words were muffled, but I could still make them out. Sounds of movement crept through the trunk to my ears. “Let’s go.” The car jostled and then the passenger door slammed shut.

  Crap. He was ready to get on the road again.

  Jessica said something, but I couldn’t make out her words over the pounding of my heart. Seconds later, the driver door slammed shut, and we were moving again. My thoughts raced as I struggled to figure out how the heck I would escape from the trunk this time. I was in here because Jessica couldn’t split her focus between Ezra and me anymore. She was too worried about him. If I planned to escape, my best chance would be to do it before the rest of their pack made it to the cabin. Ezra was too sick to chase after me, or to be considered much of a threat, and Jessica was preoccupied with her worries for him. She wasn’t thinking clearly. While I knew she’d most likely be smart when retrieving me from the trunk, I also knew she’d do it alone.

  One on one was better than one on two or more.

  I pulled at the rope around my wrists, knowing I needed my hands free if I planned on fighting her. Jessica had been smart, though. She’d tied them tight. There was no way I’d be able to undo the knots; I needed something sharp to cut through the rope.

  I rolled onto my side and felt around the interior of the trunk. It had been cleaned since I’d last been in here. Probably because I’d used a screwdriver I’d found in here against Corbin, stabbing him in the hand to escape. They’d probably worried someone else would find something to use against them like I had, so they’d cleaned it out.

  Jerks.

  There was nothing in here besides Jessica’s bag at my feet. I attempted to flip around so I could scour its contents for something of use, but the trunk was too small to allow for much movement.

  My only hope was to untie my wrists before we reached the cabin.

  I tugged and pulled at the rope again, causing it to dig into the skin of my wrists. My lips pinched together, and I held my breath without meaning to. Hot tears built in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. Crying would get me nowhere.

  The car turned, making a hard left. My stomach somersaulted because I knew with every turn we were closer to our destination.

  My fingers worked at the knot faster, but it did me no good. In minutes, the car came to a stop and Jessica cut the engine.

  We’d already made it to the cabin.

  My hands were still tied together at my wrists. I had no weapon. I was screwed. The only thing I could do was lay flat on my back and start kicking upward as soon as the trunk opened, praying I landed a blow and could climb out and run.

  Although, running seemed like a bad idea considering I didn’t know where I was. Still, it beat being bled.

  Time ticked away. I’d heard Jessica helping Ezra from the car to the cabin, but hadn’t heard her come back for me yet. I held my breath, listening. My pulse pounded in my ears. I wasn’t sure how much time passed while I waited for her return because every second felt like an eternity, but when she finally did, I prepared the muscles of my legs, ready to kick. The trunk popped open, and I kicked like a madwoman but didn’t connect with anything. Jessica wasn’t close enough. She’d darted to the side upon opening the trunk to avoid me, knowing I’d come out fighting.

  Her laughter filled my ears, and I stopped kicking. My breathing was ragged. My legs burned. And the desire to cry was nearly overwhelming.

  “Did you actually think I’d forget what happened to Corbin the last time you were in there?” She rushed forward to cover my mouth and nose with a damp rag. I struggled against her hand, trying to not inhale whatever the rag was wet with, but it was impossible. One tiny inhale had dark spots dancing at the edge of my vision. The chemical scent clinging to the rag stung my nose and burned my throat before inciting an instant feeling of dizziness and disorientation. My eyelids grew heavy. “There you go. Sleep.” Jessica’s voice sounded far away as the lull of sleep pulled me under.

  * * *

  My head ached, and my vision was blurry when I woke. I had no idea where I was or the time of day. Nausea built in my gut as I struggled to piece things together. I moved to lift a hand so I could massage my throbbing temple, but noticed it wasn’t possible. My wrist was restricted. I attempted to sit up, but found that impossible too.

  I was tied to a metal bed frame.

  “Look who’s awake.” Jessica’s high-pitched voice floated to my ears from somewhere close.

  When my eyes finally focused, I was able to make out Jessica standing beside the bed I was tied to, fiddling with something that hung from a coat rack. It took me only a second to realize what she was messing with—an IV bag filled with blood. My blood. The tube attached to it was buried in the crook of my arm.

  “That’s more than enough,” Marshall said. He stepped to Jessica’s side and fiddled with a clamp system on the tube. “You don’t want to drain her too much or too fast. It wouldn’t be good for her system.”

  Jessica rolled her eyes as she unhooked the bag of blood from the coat rack. I lifted my head to track where she went with it. She crossed the tiny cabin we were in to stand beside a recliner Ezra sat in. His feet were propped up and an IV waiting to be connected to the bag of my blood draped from his arm.

  Holy crap, he looked awful.

  There was something skeletal about him. Dark circles rimmed his eyes, and sweat glistened across the pale skin of his face. The blisters I’d spotted before had spread, covering the left side of his face and down his arm. He coughed into his hand, and bright red blood splattered onto his shirt.

  He was fading fast.

  A smug smiled twisted the corners of my mouth at the hopeful gleam in his eyes as he watched while Jessica hooked him up to the bag of my blood. I imagined how shocked he would be—how shocked they all would be—when it became apparent that my blood wouldn’t help him. Then, I wondered how long it would be before all hell broke loose because of it.

  “Can I get you something to drink?” Marshall asked, pulling me from my thoughts. I laid my head back against the lumpy pillow behind me and stared at him. He taped a piece of gauze over the area where the needle from the IV had punctured my skin. His hands were steady and sure, confident in what he was doing. I remembered then he was a CNA. No. Not a CNA. A phlebotomist. He’d recently finished his classes and had upgraded his position at the local nursing home he worked for. Jessica had made fun of him for his career choice o
nce or twice when I’d been dating Corbin. I’d wanted to slap her. “Or how about something to eat?” Marshall asked when I didn’t answer his first question.

  “Jesus, Marshall,” Chase huffed from somewhere. I noticed the only door to the cabin was open, letting in the sticky heat of summer. While I couldn’t see much of it, I could make out a porch. Judging from the size of the cabin, I imagined the porch was just as small. That was where Chase’s voice had come from. “She’s our prisoner, not a freaking guest.”

  Marshall made a noise, drawing my attention back to him. His lips pressed together into a thin line, showcasing his irritation with Chase. “Still, she’s important. Not only to Ezra, but to the rest of us too. She needs to be kept alive. In order to do that, her basic needs need to be met.” He leaned down to unzip the duffle bag I’d seen him carrying at the farmhouse and shoved the tube from my arm inside. Then, he stood to his full height again and shifted his attention back to me. “So, was there anything I can get you?” His eyes locked with mine. In them, I could see he didn’t want to be a part of this—that he would handle this situation differently if given the chance.

  This didn’t surprise me.

  Marshall had never been like the others. Maybe it was because he wasn’t raised the way they were. He’d been raised by his grandfather. His parents had died when he was little. While his grandfather was part of Ezra’s pack, per se, he’d always been more of a loner. I imagined it was because he didn’t enjoy the craziness that came with Ezra and the others.

  Marshall was similar to his grandfather in that sense.

  He kept to himself, even at the farmhouse, but he also knew how to blend in with society when Ezra and the others seemed to stand out.

  “How about some water?” Marshall asked. He crossed the cabin to a cooler against the far wall and grabbed a bottle of water from inside.

  While water sounded nice, so did freedom.

  “Here.” He uncapped the bottle and hovered it near my lips. I leaned forward and took a sip. It felt good against my dry throat. Also, it washed the metallic taste lingering on my tongue away. “The crap Jessica gave you should be wearing off by now. Let me know if you get hungry. We have chips and other stuff to snack on. I can even make you a sandwich if you’re really hungry.”