Chapter 4

“Five thousand dollars for this house?” I asked the retailer.

He was a man about fifty with round glasses. Despite the blazing sun outside he wore a heavy brown suit.

He nodded with a sorrowful stare.

“It’s ridiculous but your late parents didn’t upgrade the house, plus the damages from the fire and other issues the house has greatly decreased the value of the house.”

I slumped on the couch and sighed. That wasn’t enough to pay back what Keegan was asking for. It was a massive house with bigger land and I couldn’t accept the offer.

“Unless you’re willing to do some renovation now,” Mr Oscar suggested.

I couldn’t afford it. I had to put college on hold. I was mourning my parents but this issue made it hard for me to focus on school.

“I don’t know what to do now.”

“Look around the house there must be something of value your parents had that you can sell.”

I sighed heavily. They were simple people. We have a square TV set the size of a microwave and a 1980 lounge set.

“Most of their stuff was destroyed in the fire. I can try.”

Mr Oscar smiled and stood. “Good. I’ll be expecting your call, Ms Fisher.”

I walked him to the door. He drove a tiny white truck. I watched him back out of the property. My blue second-hand vehicle could get me five hundred dollars. Then I would have to walk to work.

“I need to clear my head.”

I walked around the property surveying the house. I couldn’t believe I was giving up. Dad was always proud of this place. It had been in the family for years. They would be disappointed in me. I walked into the forest and listened to the sound of the river not so far from where I was. Instead of serene water rushing I heard the sound of wood being hacked.

I frowned.

This was private property no one should be here. As I walked the sound of chopping wood got louder. I might have been insane for following a man with an axe but we’d never had trespassers and as long as I owned the place I’d like it to stay that way and I wanted to know any safety risks. I did live here alone.

I stood behind an oak tree and watched a man with a lion tattooed on his back. He raised the axe and dropped it on the log. It split in two. The man brushed sweat off his brow and turned around.

Dash. What’s he doing here?

“Dash!”

He looked up and scanned his surroundings. He spotted me and nonchalantly gathered his wood.

“Are you kidding me?”

He groaned and picked up his wood. He acted like we didn’t know each other last night. He didn’t even say hi.

“What are you doing here? This is private property.”

“I know.” His deep voice caught me off, guard. “I’m wondering why you’re here.”

“You know I live here.”

I noticed a white truck packed with wood in the back a few feet away.

“No, you live a hundred acres away. This is my property. I just bought it.”

This land had always belonged to us. Dad told me so.

He eyed me up and down. He carried his wood back to his truck.

Turn and leave Zora. He’s not worth it.

“Dash,” I called and ran a few steps.

“No, Zora. We’re not doing this.” He dropped his wood and I flinched. “Kaleb told me you moved away after I left. Then I pull up last night and you two are buddy, what the fuck?”

“We were not!”

I rolled my eyes.

“Why would Kaleb lie to you?”

It made no sense.

“To make sure I came back and joined Gunner’s crew. I’m here now and I don’t want to do this.”

I wanted to throw it in his face that he bullied me most of my life and left me at a delicate time. It was the loneliest summer ever.

“Neither do I. I think we should avoid each other, don’t you?”

He held my stare. “Yeah, I do. Goodbye, Zora.”

I watched him carry his load and drive off in his truck.

“At least he said goodbye this time.”

***

I was at the reception desk going through the list of visitors this week. I couldn’t get Dash out of my head. That darn blond beard kept popping into my head. He didn’t have that beard six years ago. I couldn’t stop the memory from materializing. It happened during a football game, I was seventeen. The most common thing in high school was the football games.

Dash should have been playing but he had a hot temper so he got kicked off for kicking a fight with someone. I didn’t want to be among the crowd so I hid out in the girl’s locker room.

“Hiding?” He asked.

I looked up. He towered over me, hands shoved in his sweatpants and blond hair pushed back.

“No, I don’t feel like watching the game. Shouldn’t you be watching your buddies win the game?”

He settled on the bench beside me.

“I’d rather be here with you. Is that so bad?”

“I… I guess not. Gunner’s going to be mad you’re not there.”

He grimaced. “I don’t like being controlled Z, ora. I do what I want.”

“Clearly.”

He captured my chin and made me face him.

“Why don’t you do the same?”

“In this school? Gunner will have my head.”

“You let him walk all over you.”

“He’s the son of the Alpha. He can do whatever he wants.”

“Those rules don’t apply to you. Fight back, Little Warrior.”

“Don’t call me that, Dash, I’m not a fighter,” I shrugged him off.

He grabbed my arms and picked me off the bench. Dash planted me on his lap.

“What are you doing?”

He locked me in his hold.

“Something I should have done a long time ago.”

He brushed his lips against mine. I gasped. Then he closed his lips on mine. Dash wrapped my legs around his waist and slammed my body against the wall. I struggled to match his hunger and pace. He devoured my lips and explored me in a way I’d never imagined.

Dash broke our kiss and pressed his forehead against mine.

“Zora,” he panted.

“Dash… what was that?”

“What do you mean? It was awesome. I should have kissed you a long time ago.”

I could still remember how hot my cheeks were after that kiss.

“That was my first kiss,” I confessed.”

“Really?” Dash’s hold slipped on my body and my feet touched the ground.

I nodded.

He smiled. “Good.

“Earth to Zora? Is anyone in there?” My co-worker Alexa waved her hand in my face.

I blinked a few times. “Damn it, sorry. What were you saying?”

Alexa smirked. “Wow, you were really out of it. I asked if you could take Mrs Paisley for her walk.”

I rubbed my forehead.

“Don’t worry I can do it. You need a minute, what are you looking at.”

I returned to the register. I noticed Mr Max Dean had a visitor this week.

“Hey, who came in to see Mr Dean?”

Alexa shrugged. “It was weird. The woman claimed she was a relative.”

I nodded. No one ever came to see him. His disease was so bad he didn’t remember anyone.

“Mind if I go check on him?”

“Go ahead, Zora.”

I left Alexa and stopped in front of Mr Dean’s room minutes later. The door was left ajar. A male voice came from inside it.

“Tell me old man, who the fuck did you give the Pandora to?”

“Wh-who are you?”

I stumbled backwards because of the threatening tone.

“Quiet,” the man snapped. “Someone’s there.”

He’d know I heard him. I ran a few doors and entered a vacant room. I kept the door loosely open. A man draped in leather walked out. I inched away from the door. The five-foot-ten man glared up the hall and shut the door to Mr Dean’s room. He adjusted his jacket and left.

“Who the hell was that?”