Unbearable: Russet Falls Series (15 page)

When Gabby was finished crying, and
she realized that she was sitting in a heap in the middle of nowhere, she
brushed herself off. She wasn’t sure how far she had run, or in what direction
she had headed, but in the distance she thought she could make out a street
lamp.

It was dark now, and she jogged
towards the lamp, suddenly acutely aware of the fact that she was completely
alone and that bears were after her. She reached the street lamp and nearly
collapsed with relief. She knew exactly where she was. She was a good ten miles
from her apartment, but she was maybe only three miles from her mother’s house.

She was going to have to suck it
up.

Plus, she had a feeling that once
Zane and Michael knew she was missing, they would go straight to her apartment
to look for her.

Her feet ached, but she jogged along
the side of the road, following the small streets that led to her mother’s
house. She jumped at every sound, always peering into the dark bushes, her
heart ready to leap out of her chest. She had lost all concept of time, and all
she could think about as she ran was that Zane was responsible for her father’s
death.

She truly hated him.

And she dared Zane, or Michael, or
any of the others to try to drag her back now that she knew the truth. What had
they been planning? To keep that terrible information from her forever?

Spurred on by anger, she quickened
her pace as she neared her destination. She knew what she had to do. She could
no longer stay in Russet Falls; it wasn’t safe for her. Not only were the
so-called “bad” bear clans after her, but now Michael and Zane’s clan would
come for her too. She had no choice but to start over.

A brief thought crossed her mind,
and she knew she would need more time to consider it. Perhaps she and Lucy
could move together? But what if the bears tried to follow Gabby? She couldn’t
risk putting Lucy in danger. But how could she ever leave Lucy? That was the
reason she hadn’t left Russet Falls in the first place. If only she knew that
Lucy would be okay.

Her legs screamed from the
exertion, but Gabby finally entered her mother’s neighborhood. Most of the
time, her mother was careless and left the door unlocked, but sometimes Lucy
happened to catch it, and locked it up herself. Gabby hoped tonight was one of
those nights that neither had remembered to lock the door.

She jogged up to the small brick
house and crept around to the back door. She sighed with relief when the door
quietly creaked open. She didn’t want to disturb her mother or Lucy, but she
also didn’t want them to think she was an intruder. She closed the door behind
her, locked it and glanced at the kitchen clock. It was just after midnight.

She heard the TV blaring, and she
walked into the living room. Not surprisingly, her mother was passed out on the
couch, a half empty bottle of vodka on the coffee table. Gabby shook her head
in disgust.

She heard a sound upstairs, and she
hoped it was Lucy. She tiptoed up the steps and saw light coming from under
Lucy’s door.

“Lucy,” she called quietly,
knocking on the door.

The door jerked opened and Lucy
stood there in her pajamas, a look of surprise on her face.

“Gabby! You scared me! What are you
doing here?” she demanded.

“It’s a long story. I don’t think I
can explain it now,” Gabby said, “but no one can know I’m here, okay?”

Lucy narrowed her eyes. “What’s
going on, Gabby?”

“Please, Luce. I just need to get
my thoughts together. I’ve had the most hellish few days, and I need someplace
to stay. I promise that I’m not in trouble, but it’s not safe for me to go back
to my apartment.”

“Gabby, you’re worrying me!” Her
eyes anxiously looked Gabby over. “And you’re filthy. What the hell is going
on?”

“Let me shower, okay? Then I’ll try
to explain it to you.”

Lucy finally nodded. She turned
around and pulled one of her drawers open, tugging out a fresh t-shirt and
shorts. “Take these,” she said, thrusting them into Gabby’s hands.

“Thank you,” Gabby said gratefully,
before turning down the hall and heading into the bathroom.

“What?” Zane roared into his phone,
staring at it in disbelief. He knew that Michael had heard because he swore
loudly and was now pacing back and forth. Michael quickly pulled out his own
phone and made a call.

“I’m sorry,” Alicia sobbed from the
other end. “I was so wrapped up in what had happened to Liam that Grayson and I
didn’t hear anything!”

Zane felt bad because he knew how
devastated Alicia was over Liam, but he was pissed that she had mentioned
Grayson. How could neither one of them have heard Gabby leave the house?

“I know,” he said, “I have to go.
Michael and I need to take care of this.” And before Alicia could say anything
else, he hung up.

He looked over at Michael who had
also just hung up with someone. “I’ve got guys heading out to pick up her
scent. We need to find her before another bear does,” he growled.

Fuck. If the Cruentus or Atrocitas
came across Gabby first—well, he didn’t even want to think about it.

“Think, Zane,” Michael ordered,
“Where would she go?”

“Her apartment? The hotel?”

Michael nodded. He quickly dialed a
number and barked those places into the phone. “Let’s go,” he ordered, “We need
to get out there and help too.” He began taking off his clothes and Zane
followed suit. Once he was stripped down, he let the shift take over. It was
simple since his emotions, especially anger, were so close to the surface.
Whenever he was feeling any strong emotion it made the bear within him that
much stronger.

He roared loudly as his four paws
thudded to the ground. He ran down Michael’s driveway, but skidded to a stop.

Was it even possible?

He pressed his snout to the earth,
and sure enough, he picked up Gabby’s scent. It was
strong.
Which could
mean only one thing—she had been on Michael’s property. And not only that, but
she had been there
recently.

What the fuck? How had they missed
her? They had been so involved in their own conversation.

He took off after her scent, and he
heard Michael growl behind him as he picked up Gabby’s scent too. They raced down
the street in pursuit of her.

“So are you going to tell me what
the hell is going on now?” Lucy asked impatiently, sitting on the edge of her
bed as she watched Gabby towel-dry her hair.

“I don’t really know where to
start,” Gabby said honestly, glancing at Lucy through the mirror. “Yesterday at
work,” she faltered, trying to find the right words. Lucy waited expectantly.

“Someone tried to hurt me,” she
finished.

“What do you mean?” Lucy demanded.

“I was alone in the lobby and a man
came in and pulled out a knife on me.”

“Oh my god, Gabby! Why did you not
say anything?”

“I didn’t do it on purpose. It was
just—so bizarre. And I was so exhausted and tired over everything, but then
today—I found out more information, and I’m just—I’m afraid to go back to my
apartment.”

“Oh Gabby,” Lucy cried, pulling her
in for a hug. “I had no idea you were going through all of this. And after that
bear chased you last week!”

Gabby limply hugged Lucy back,
wishing her sister knew the full story.

“Luce, look,” she said seriously,
pulling back to look at her younger sister, “I can’t stay in Russet Falls. I
know this sounds totally crazy and wild, but I’m going to have to leave. And I
need to know that you’re going to be okay.” She knew she sounded like a crazy
person, and from Lucy’s reaction, Lucy thought she
was
a crazy person.

“Gabby, you can’t just leave,” she said
slowly. “I mean, I understand that you’re afraid, but that’s why there are
police and protection and things like that. I mean, you can’t just leave!” she
exclaimed.

“I know, I know. It sounds crazy.”

“And you can’t leave me!” Lucy said
anxiously.

Gabby’s face twisted in pain.
“Trust me, I don’t want to.”

“Then we’ll leave together!” Lucy
cried, her face lighting up. “I don’t want to stick around here either. It can
be an adventure,” she paused. “And I promise to attend college wherever we go.”

Oh, Lucy knew her so well! The
offer was tempting. Not only would Gabby be able to still see her younger
sister, and keep tabs on her, but she would also be getting an education. Gabby
was so close to saying yes, but then she thought of how she would be putting Lucy’s
life in danger.

“Trust me,” Gabby said softly, “I
would love nothing more. But I just can’t put your life at risk too.”

Lucy gave her a strange look. “Do
you think people are after you? Like, they’re going to follow you? That’s
crazy, Gabby! I mean, why? Who?” She bit her lip. “I think you might be
overreacting a little.”

If only Gabby could tell her the
full story!

“Lucy, please. I need you to trust
me.”

“I do,” she insisted, “but-’’

A loud bang downstairs cut her off.
Both girls paled and looked at each other.

Gabby hurried to the door, pressing
her ear against it.

“It was probably only Mom,” Lucy
said, though she didn’t sound quite certain.

“Shit,” Gabby whispered, “I
shouldn’t have come here.” Taking a deep breath, she pulled the door open and
tiptoed into the hall. She heard another loud sound from the living room.

Maybe Lucy was right. Maybe it was
only their mother.

With Lucy on her heels, they
quietly made their way down the worn stairs.

“Son of a bitch,” Gabby heard her
mother curse. She breathed a sigh of relief and walked into the shabby living
room to see what was going on.

“Gabby! What are you doing here?”
her mother exclaimed, her eyes glassy and unfocused.

“It doesn’t matter,” Gabby said.
“What’s all the noise?”

“Yeah, come on, Mom. Go to bed,”
Lucy said, “Stop making such a racket.”

“I’m not making any racket,” Andrea
slurred. “You girls were the ones making noise. That’s what woke me up.”

Lucy rolled her eyes. “Come on,
Mom,” she said, taking her mother’s vodka bottle.

But Gabby didn’t move. “What are
you talking about? What noise?”

“Didn’t you just get here?” her
mother asked, clearly confused. “Isn’t that what I heard at the door?”

Fearful, Gabby ran to the windows,
looked out, and then pulled the blinds shut.

“What’s going on?” Lucy asked
anxiously.

“I don’t know. But I have a bad
feeling.” She turned to face her mother. “What did you hear? Tell me exactly.”

Her mother shrugged, stumbling
slightly. “I don’t know. Noises. By the door.”

Gabby ran to the front door, but
heard nothing, and then quickly moved to the back door. She heard nothing, but
just as she was heading back to the living room, she heard a loud bang at the
back door.

“What was that?” Lucy cried.

“We know you’re in there!” yelled a
savage, male voice from the outside.

“They found me,” Gabby whispered.
She knew with certainty that it was not Zane or Michael, but someone from the
other clans. “Take Mom and get upstairs,” Gabby ordered. “It’s me they’re
after.”

“What? Are you crazy? I’m not
leaving you!”

“Lucy! Get upstairs!” Gabby yelled.

“No!”

There was another loud bang and
Gabby knew they were going to break the door down. Why had she ever come there?
She should have known that she would be found. And now she had put her sister
and mother in danger for no reason.

“I’m sorry,” Gabby cried, looking
at Lucy. “I never should have come here!”

Just then the door came down and
four rough looking men rushed inside. Gabby jumped in front of Lucy and her
mother, who was too drunk to even realize what was going on.

“Leave them alone!” she yelled,
“It’s me that you want.”

The man in the front had long,
scraggly hair, and was just as big and broad as Zane and Michael, if not
bigger. Clearly, he was a bear. Gabby was beginning to recognize the physical
traits. The man approached Gabby as if she were prey, taking her in. His eyes
raked across her in a way that terrified her but she refused to show it. She
stood taller, straightening her shoulders.

The man laughed—it was a terrible
sound. “Oh, you can pretend that you’re not afraid,
princess
,” Gabby
didn’t miss what he implied, “but I know you are.”

He stepped closer, taking a finger
and running it along Gabby’s breast. She shook, but remained in place.

“Get off my sister, you asshole!”
Lucy screamed, jumping in front of Gabby, aiming to hit the man. But he was too
quick, aided by his bear instincts, and he knocked Lucy along her jaw and she
fell limply to the ground. Gabby cried out and then lunged for the man, but the
other three grabbed her, restraining her, and she looked down to see blood
dripping from Lucy’s lip as she crawled onto her knees.

Andrea was a beat behind the
action, but now she was yelling and screaming like a lunatic, and one of the
men left Gabby to restrain her mother.

“Bring all a’ these bitches!”
bellowed the man with the scraggly hair. “We’ll drain them all and see what we
get!”

“No!” Gabby screamed, kicking and
fighting as one of the men grabbed Lucy by her hair, causing her to shriek. The
men dragged the women to the door.

“You all better shut the fuck up
before we decide to just kill you now!”

Gabby wasn’t going to die without a
fight, and she kicked harder, not caring what happened to her.

The man restraining her cupped his
hand around her mouth and just as she was going to bite down, Zane and Michael
burst through the broken back door. Quentin, Sam, Tommy, Grayson and Mick
followed behind. Gabby had never felt such happiness at seeing people she
despised.