Off the Grid
Praise for BACKLASH by Karyn Good
Thank you for purchasing this publication of The Wild Rose Press, Inc.
Off the Grid
by
Karyn Good
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.
Off the Grid
COPYRIGHT © 2014 by Karyn Good
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press, Inc. except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
Contact Information: [email protected]
Cover Art by
Tina Lynn Stout
The Wild Rose Press, Inc.
PO Box 708
Adams Basin, NY 14410-0708
Visit us at www.thewildrosepress.com
Publishing History
First Crimson Rose Edition, 2014
Print ISBN 978-1-62830-217-2
Digital ISBN 978-1-62830-218-9
Published in the United States of America
Praise for
BACKLASH
by Karyn Good
“Chase and Lily are made for each other.”
~The Romance Reviews
Dedication
For Josh,
who always takes the time to care
Chapter One
Dr. Sophie Monroe lifted her face to the cold sting of falling snow. The flakes cooled her heated cheeks. Their fresh scent cleansed her mind of the day’s battles. On the ground it covered the everyday debris of crack vials and castoff condoms. Litter from the urgent business dealings conducted in the shadowed alley behind her clinic. In the waning light of the gathering storm she studied the dark doorways relieved to find them empty.
Car keys in hand, Sophie ignored the angry shouts drifting down from the corner of Hastings and Gore. Further proof Christmas struggled to find its way to the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver. Here the fight to survive didn’t take a vacation. The impossible expectations of the holidays only made difficult conditions worse. The taste of futility, bitter and unfamiliar, flooded up her throat. It spilled into her mouth. There wasn’t enough spit in the world to rinse the taste away. She refused to make a meal of it.
It was Christmas Eve. She had a party to attend, donations to secure. Memories to elude.
She trudged through the slushy snow to her beat-up Dodge Dart. Two hours until her attendance was required at Carson Cooper’s annual Spirit of Christmas fundraiser. Very glitzy. Very high end. And so not her thing. This year’s theme was Silent Night, Safe Night with all of tonight’s lovely proceeds benefiting one of her favorite charities, Safe Night’s Refuge. She was the guest speaker and seeker of funds. Safe Night was one of the few drop-in missions providing accommodation to entire families. It was money they desperately needed. Alleviating the effects of poverty didn’t come cheap. Too bad tonight’s deal came with an escort. Caleb Quinn, newly minted partner and shining star, was charged with introducing her around.
She needed to get home, shave her legs, pluck her eyebrows, whiten her teeth, and any number of other time-consuming beauty rituals she often ignored. The little black dress she’d bought to kick the oh-so-urbane Caleb Quinn’s ass required no less effort. Time for some screw-you couture. If he was very, very lucky she’d refrain from stabbing him with her five-hundred-dollar-a-plate fork.
Cheered despite the freezing temperatures she retrieved her ice-scraper from the trunk of her car. She didn’t enjoy games and he was toying with her. Flirt, impress, and conquer. His lean good looks a tool he wielded against resistance. Less polished than your average affluent lawyer type, his dark brown hair waved down to within a half an inch of too long. He brushed it back from his forehead leaving his face clear for admiring. At six foot something he towered over her. But most people did. She compensated for her lack of height by not giving a shit.
Through the spotty, dim light of late afternoon she caught sight of a dark, hooded figure shuffling in her direction. Sophie’s frozen fingers gripped her ice-scraper. It didn’t take long to recognize the quick steps, the hunched shoulders. Relief battered at her heart. She’d given up on finding her in time for Christmas.
“Marnie.” She’d spent the last six months searching for her, using her limited spare time to scour Marnie’s usual haunts. Nothing.
“I need your help.” Marnie wasn’t big on conversation at the best of times. Judging by her lack of coat, gloves, or boots to protect against the worsening weather conditions, now was not a good time. She shifted from foot to foot stirring the snow up and over her ratty sneakers. No eye contact. All bad signs.
“What kind of help?” Sophie knew better than to reach out and touch her, especially when she suspected the older woman was off her meds. She didn’t want to send her scurrying back into the blizzard.
Marnie motioned to someone in the gray of the shifting shadows, and Sophie tensed. A woman limped toward them clutching her huge belly, dark stains soaked her faded jeans. Alarmed, Sophie glanced at Marnie who held out a hand to the mystery woman, her fingers outstretched, beckoning. The woman stumbled, and they both rushed to her aid, Marnie one step ahead of her. She wrapped an arm around her friend. Sophie tried to hide her shock. Marnie never voluntarily touched anyone. Ever.
She pointed at Sophie. “She’s in labor. You’re a doctor. Help her.”
“Steady. One step at a time. Let’s get you inside.” Sophie braced the woman’s other side. She latched onto Sophie’s arm. The hood of her ratty jacket slipped down. Her dirty blonde hair was tied back with a bit of string. Dark circles framed red-rimmed eyes. Fear filled those huge eyes, her mouth tightening against the pain.
So young.
Sophie hid her dismay by rubbing a hand over the girl’s back. She kept her voice soft. “It’s going to be all right. Can you tell me your name?”
“Her name is Kellie.” Marnie’s answer was reluctant. Sophie didn’t like it. Suspicion was an old friend when it came to Marnie. The girl’s identity worried her, the whole situation was too desperate, too furtive. Even for Marnie’s manic style. Marnie had friends, but she didn’t do friendly. So, why now? Why this girl?
She nudged them forward. “We’ll get Kellie inside then I’ll call an ambulance.”
“No.” Marnie glared across Kellie’s head at her. “Just you.”
No way. If anything went wrong she was on her own. Kellie twisted to hold onto Sophie. A rush of pain bent her over. The wind whipped up the fallen snow, they all braced against it. “She needs to get to a hospital before she has this baby in the street.”
“Marnie.” Kellie straightened, held up a shaking hand. “Please, I can’t do this without help.”
Distracted, Kellie slipped on a patch of snow covered ice. Sophie struggled to keep them upright. “The parking lot isn’t the place to discuss it. Let’s get you into the clinic where it’s warm and dry. I’ll assess the situation and we’ll go from there.”
“No one else but you needs to know she’s here,” demanded Marnie.
Sophie ignored the punch of anxiety. Put aside her need for answers. No one rushed Marnie. “Let’s all calm down. We’ll figure it out inside. The storm’s getting worse and we’re risking complications we don’t need the longer we stand out here arguing.”
Neither of them were dressed for the weather. Sophie pressed tight to Kellie. Her shivers rippled through both of them. Who knew how long they’d spent outside or how far they’d walked? Sophie urged Kellie forward. She needed to access Marnie’s situation too. “How about you? Are you okay?”
Marnie’s whole body stiffened, ready to deflect. Her chin came up. “I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.”
Yeah, right. She’d heard it all before. Believing her was a miracle Sophie had never quite pulled off. She didn’t look fine. She’d lost weight she could ill afford to lose. Everything she wore was frayed around the edges, including her usual smirk. Even though she did a good job of hiding it, Sophie caught a peek of the dirty white cast covering her right wrist.
“Are you sure?” But a sudden gust of wind scattered her words. She braced. Her hair blew across her eyes, cold filled her throat. She bent into it and concentrated on moving them toward the door. On a brief moment of respite, Marnie spared a second to wipe the melted snowflakes from Kellie’s pale cheek. Bitterness, petty and frustrating, welled up in her gut. Kellie meant a great deal to Marnie. In a way Sophie craved but never managed.
Deep worry etched lines around Marnie’s pinched mouth. She glared across at Sophie. “Just do your thing and get this kid out of her.”
“Marnie, don’t.” Kellie shuddered in their arms.
Thank God the door was less than four feet away. They needed to get inside but even behind the doors of her clinic there were limits to what she could deal with, and if things went wrong…
“Only you.” Trust Marnie to pick up on her concerns. Nothing got by her. Marnie let go of Kellie and blocked their route to the door. “Promise me.”
Sophie buckled under Kellie’s stiff weight but refused to give into Marnie’s demand. “That’s not how it’s going to work. This is a clinic, not a hospital. We don’t deliver babies. I will be calling an ambulance. I won’t risk her or her child’s life.”
“You’re not calling the shots here.” The jagged scar dissecting the right side of Marnie’s face twisted with her warning.
“Whether you call the shots or I call the shots doesn’t change the facts.”
“You can’t refuse to help her.”
“Please, stop,” whispered Kellie.
“No, I can’t, nor will I. You should know better than that.” When had she ever refused to help? Or denied Marnie anything? Her strategy had led them to this emergency-style showdown in a dirty alley. She resorted to threats knowing it would do no good. “But don’t bother asking for my help again. You hear me? No matter what you need.”
Marnie was a Finder. For a fee, Marnie
acquired
things for the down and out. Sophie wasn’t a stranger to her requests. If she denied them, she had a history of losing things.
“Then we’re leaving.” Her threat carried weight. Marnie did things her way. She tugged on Kellie’s arm, but she didn’t, or couldn’t, move.
“Marnie...I can’t...I’m staying.” Kellie’s sweet face twisted with determination.
“We need to get her inside.” Sophie wasn’t about to let Marnie’s paranoia result in a disastrous situation. They weren’t getting two feet without her.
“Marnie, please.” Kellie laid a hand on Marnie’s arm.
“Fine, but remember I’m trusting you.” Marnie moved aside and Sophie let out a breath of relief. Her capitulation didn’t stop her from throwing one last insult. “Don’t get stupid on me.”
She knew better than to react. To retaliate. To let Marnie’s words hurt her. Sophie reached into her coat pocket for her key card. They were all biding their time to get what they wanted. Right now she needed answers.
“Who’s she running from? The police?” Sophie held up a hand when Marnie glared a protest. “Let’s cut through the bullshit. The least you can do is give me a heads up to any potential trouble.”
She did not need members of the Vancouver Police Department showing up at her clinic in the days to come and scaring away half her patients.
Nor did she need a lawsuit.
“No. No details.”
Sophie swiped her card then punched in her security access code. “So, we’re going with you were out for a stroll when you stumbled across a pregnant woman out in a storm. What about the father? Her family?”
“Absent. And absent.” Marnie stuffed her hand into her hoodie pocket. The gun she yanked out looked very real and very deadly. “That’s all you need to know. I’ll do whatever I need to do to protect her. And you. All of us.”
“Oh my God, Marnie! What are you doing?” Kellie reached out. Sophie stopped her hand, willed her to stay still, even though it was possible she knew this new Marnie better than Sophie knew the old one.
“Drop it. Now.” Sophie held on tighter to Kellie, her heart close to stopping, or breaking. “Have you lost your mind? Put it away.”
“No more questions. No outside interference.” Marnie’s hand shook, the gun wobbled, and Sophie tried to inch Kellie closer to the unlocked door. To the only security available. “I’ll look after things.”
Determination, delusion, and drug addiction didn’t make a great combo. Still it was a new low. She tried to slip her hand in her pocket and reach her phone. Her heart rate doubled. She strived for calm. “Okay. Put the gun away or I don’t go another step.”