The Pack (The Pack 1)

I stayed there for twenty minutes just to be sure before creeping out of the aisle, my clothes damp and discolored from the straight bleach.

This time I did get a few stares as I made my way to the spot I was supposed to meet Dad at. Not only were my clothes oddly tie dyed now, there was no mistaking the strong odor of bleach emanating from me. Dad was staring down at something when I slunk up to him. I watched his nose wrinkle before he glanced up at me.

His eyebrow lifted in disbelief and I quickly muttered the story I’d come up with as I’d waited. “I thought we needed bleach. The bottle was broken. I got it all over me,” I explained before he could ask. He nodded as I tossed my pads into the cart – the only thing I’d managed to get before I’d been forced to hide.

“Okaaay,” he drawled out, his eyes crinkling with a familiar look of worry. “Do you want to wait in the car while I get the rest?”

“NO!” I practically shouted, and lowered my voice as we garnered some glances. “I’d rather stay with you. The car would be cold,” I tacked on, trying to make it seem more believable why I’d rather walk around the store covered in bleach than wait in the car alone.

He looked like he wanted to argue, but finally just pushed the buggy back the way I’d come. We finished grabbing the rest of the stuff in record time as I tried not to flinch at every corner. Dad paid the bill and as we wheeled the cart into the parking lot, I huddled close to him, hoping the woman had succeeded in getting the man away. I knew she’d used the bleach to disguise my scent, but I had no way of knowing if the man would actually recognize me, if he was one of the ones who’d chased me. I hoped not, if not for my sake than for hers.

The memory of her fear wouldn’t leave me. She hadn’t been frightened for herself, but for me. And that was more terrifying than anything else I’d experienced.

I shivered as we finished loading the Land Rover, not from the snow blowing around me, but the realization of how close I’d come to falling into the clutches of the Hanleys. She’d saved me, and I owed her for that. Which meant I needed to tell Dominic what she’d said even if it didn’t make sense to me.

“Don’t even think about sitting on those seats,” Dad warned as I went to get in his Land Rover. “Here,” he tossed a towel over the leather even as he eyed it skeptically. “Sit forward. Don’t lean against the leather.”

“Geez, Dad. I think you love the car more than me,” I huffed, but obeyed since I could feel the wetness of my clothes. My skin was already itching where the bleach had hit exposed areas, parts of my hair were damp too and I wondered if I’d have bleach highlights in my hair.

“Never, Bunny,” he denied, less than convincingly as he watched me as often as the road.

“Dad, the road,” I reminded him, as his gaze strayed to me once again. “I’ll keep your seats safe if you keep us safe.”

He relaxed slightly, his smile sheepish, as he replied, “Deal.”

Chapter Ten

The next morning, the Jeep once again idled right in front of the apartment and Dad grinned.

“I could get used to this,” he told me, raising his coffee mug as I grabbed my backpack.

“Don’t,” I warned him, already anticipating the blow up that was headed my way when I told them what happened the night before. “Just because they’re picking me up doesn’t get you off the hook.”

“Understood, but it’s still nice,” he retorted as I shot him a warning glare, and slipped through the door. Again, Caleb hopped out to let me in, but this time his nose wrinkled when I stepped past him. I ignored it, reaching my hand up instead and felt Dominic’s hard palm wrap around my wrist and jerk me up. I was prepared this time and didn’t land in his lap, but it didn’t stop the tingle that ran over my hand where he had touched me.

“Did you take a bath in bleach?” Dominic asked as soon as everyone was in their seat. “It almost makes it tolerable to be around you.”

I frowned at him and Anna hastily tried to smooth things over. “Did you have to clean this morning?”

I grasped her words like a lifesaver, taking the opportunity to avoid the reprimand coming my way for at least a little longer.

“Yeah, I spilled some bleach,” I answered gratefully, but didn’t miss Dominic’s doubtful stare in the rearview mirror. He seemed oddly entuned to my lies and I knew I’d have to watch myself around him.