ROMANCE: Mason (Bad Boy Alpha Male Stepbrother Romance Boxset) (New Adult Contemporary Stepbrother Romance Collection) (202 page)

              “Did they catch the guy?” 

              Cara shook her head.  “No.  She was walking home from a party, trying to get back to campus.  He jumped her just outside of a park.  She didn’t even have a good identification.” 

              “I’m sorry, Cara.” 

              “Me too.  She wouldn’t go to counseling.  She wouldn’t let anyone help her.  A year later she was shooting heroine.”  She turned and looked at him, her face red and scowling.  “My parents kicked her out instead of trying to help her!”  The raise of her voice caused a bird to take flight from the nearby brush.  Cara and Mark, both startled, watched it fly away.  She wiped at her face and walked past him throwing over her shoulder; “So, I’m going to find her, and whatever happens after that happens.” 

              Mark watched her get into the car.  He stared into the sky.  She was still just a stranger, but right that minute all he wanted was to protect her.  All he wanted was to see her smile again. 

              He slid easily into the passenger seat.  “I guess I have a plan after all for Arizona.”

              Cara sniffed and put the car into gear, easing onto the road.  “Oh yeah?  And what’s that?”

              “I’m going to help you find your sister.” 

              Cara could hardly believe that this man, whom she had known for less than twenty four hours, would offer to help her find Tara.  It was absolutely incredulous that her own parents wouldn’t offer as much as a dime, much less an offer to actually come with her, but he did.  When he had first told her, all she could do was nod her head.  They drove in silence until Mark decided to reach into the backseat and retrieve the map.  Cara caught a whiff of him as he was forced to lean closer to her.  He smelled like soap, and something earthy.  She breathed deeper, and swerved slightly as she watched his denim shirt stretch across the muscles of his chest. 

              “Whoa there!”  Mark laughed. 

              Cara felt heat creeping up her cheeks.  “Sorry.  I guess I was lost in thought.” 

              “Uh-huh.”  Mark studied the map for several minutes.  “So, do you have to take Rt. 66?  I mean it’s kind of out of the way since you’re heading to Phoenix.”

              “I just wanted to be able to say that I had been on the historic Rt. 66.”  She smiled sheepishly.  “I know it’s dumb.”

              Mark shook his head.  “Not dumb.  What’s with the three days to get to your Gram’s house?  Is she leaving after that?” 

              “No.  It’s her birthday.  She blames herself for Tara’s disappearance.  The woman is seventy years old.  How could she have possibly stopped Tara from doing anything?”  Cara sighed and rolled her shoulders.  “I just thought I could do something nice for her.” 

              Mark stared at Cara with his head tilted slightly to one side.  She was brave.  She was determined.  Yet, she still like a kid.  A ghost of a smile touched Mark’s lips.  She was a child/woman. 

              “Let me drive for a while.”

              “Do you have a license?” 

              Mark laughed out loud.  “Yes!  Do you want to see it?” 

              “No.  Sorry.  Do you know what road we should take next?”

              “I think we should take a more direct route.”  His face softened as a look of disappointment crossed hers.  “Look, you and Tara can ride Rt. 66 when you’re going home.” 

              “I might not go home.”  She replied quietly.

              “Why?”

              Cara glanced at the brown scenery before decelerating and pulling onto the shoulder.  A rest from driving would be good.  She killed the engine and twisted in her seat to face him.  “Once Tara announced she was coming out here, I started saving almost every penny I made so I could follow her.  I knew she needed help.  I even worked over time.  When my parents told me that she brought this on herself, including her disappearance, I flipped.  My Dad told me he loved me, but I better find another place to live once I return.” 

              Mark shook his head.  “That’s terrible.” 

              “Maybe.  I mean, I should have been on my own already.  I just felt comfortable there, and they always told me there was no rush.”  She barked a laugh.  “It wasn’t like there was a man beating down the door to start a family with me.” 

              Mark tried to hide his sudden happiness at the thought of her being completely available. 

              “I majored in accounting, so I figure I can find a job doing that anywhere.” 

              “Are you financially able to just stay out here?” 

              “I guess.  I have just under two grand right now.”  She shook her head.  “I know Gram will let me stay as long as I need to.” 

              Mark folded the map neatly and laid it across his lap.  “Good news for you; if we hop on I40, which is 66 by the way, we should hit Phoenix this evening.”

              Cara’s face brightened in such a way, that Mark wished he had of looked at the map earlier.  “Really?  Wow!  That’s great!”  She happily tapped the steering wheel.  “At the next pit stop for gas and food, I’ll call her and let her know!”

              “We can find a hotel near her place for me.” 

              Cara shot him a confused look.  “Why?  Gram wouldn’t want you to do that…and I wouldn’t either.” 

              Mark nodded and mumbled a thank you.  He was glad she had made the offer.  Not that he couldn’t afford the room, after all he had his five grand folded neatly in his duffle, but right at that moment the last thing he wanted to do was be more than three feet away from her. 

              The tired pair drove into Phoenix at half past eight.  Mark had driven the majority of the distance, but Cara had insisted that she drive the last hour. 

              After maneuvering the labyrinth of streets and traffic lights, they pulled into a white stucco on Campo Bello Dr.  Cara drove her car right into the open car port and parked it next to a silver sedan of some sort.  A light came on and a small woman with short curling gray hair stepped onto the car port. 

              Cara practically skipped to her, and gathered her into a warm embrace.  Mark noticed how she had to stoop slightly and it made him smile.  Warm murmurings were being made by the two women as he opened the trunk and retrieved his duffle and Cara’s.  

              “Gram, this is my friend Mark.  Mark, this is my Gram, but you can call her Estelle.” 

              The woman took Mark’s outstretched hand into both of hers and smiled broadly.  Mark noticed that she had the same striking blue eyes of her granddaughter. 

              “Welcome, Mark.”  She slid her hands off of his, giving him a light pat as she turned back to the house.  “I’m sure you both must be starving.  I made some food.” 

              Cara whispered to Mark as Estelle opened the door for them.  “Oh, I hope she made fritters!” 

              “As a matter of fact, I did.” 

              Cara giggled and leaned her head momentarily onto Mark’s arm.  He paused as she stepped lightly up the two concrete steps that led into Estelle’s kitchen.  For a moment her scent lingered in the air around him before dissipating into the night.  He breathed deeply, just once, to try and recapture it, but the scent was gone.  He couldn’t put a finger on why it made him so sad. 

              The three of them sat at the kitchen table after a light meal of chicken salad sandwiches and tossed salad.  Cara took her final bite of apple fritter, and stood to refill everyone’s coffee mugs.  Estelle smiled up at her and wrapped her hands around the mug.  She stared at the outside of it for a long time.  It had “World’s greatest Grandma” in bright pink laid over a green background.  She remembered when eight year old Tara and Cara had given it to her.  Her daughter had insisted it was the ugliest mug she had ever seen.  The look of pride on the twin’s faces in conjunction with the look of distaste on their mother’s face, caused her to stoop low and tell them that she had never seen a mug so beautiful. 

              Estelle pulled her mind back to the present.  “I guess you want to talk about Tara.” 

              Cara nodded.  “I do, but it’s late.  It can wait until tomorrow.” 

              Estelle kept a firm grip on her mug with one hand and rubbed the back of her neck with the other.  “She seemed better, for nearly six months.  She had found a job, was helping me around here, then it just stopped.” 

              “You mentioned a man.” 

              Estelle nodded glumly.  “Yes.  She came home all smiles and giggles one night.  Said she had met Mr. Perfect.  When I asked her where, she said at some place called Crimson.”

              “What’s that?”  Cara asked. 

              Mark searched his mind.  Crimson.  I know that name from somewhere.

              Estelle sipped her coffee slowly.  “I asked her the same thing.  She said it was a club.  A dance club.  She talked like it was some hush-hush thing…invitation only…hard to get into.” 

              “Then how did she manage it?” 

              “I asked her that too.   She was waitressing at an Applebee’s.  She said a couple of guys and this girl that she had waited on that night had offered for her to come there.  Applebee’s is nice enough, but not nice enough to attract the elite.” 

              Mark felt the air leave his lungs.  Crimson.  The memory flooded his mind. 

Donovan was walking with him through a trail in Shenandoah.  His tall lanky form had walked easily beside Mark, his voice just above a whisper.  When Mark was newly bitten, Donovan spent a great deal of time with him.  He taught him everything there was to know about their kind.  Especially assuring him that it was nothing like movies and comic books.  That particular night the lesson was about the rest of the paranormal.

“There are some that take this gift too lightly, Mark.”

“In what way?”

Donovan had sighed and looked toward the stars.  When he leveled his gaze, shadow covered one side of his face.  “Discretion is the key to our survival.  We, our family that is, live here in the wilderness because discretion is all that matters.”

“But we see humans.  Most of us have jobs.”

“Yes, that’s true, but we only see and mingle with them out of necessity.  There are places in this country and abroad where our kind along with Vampires, and all sorts of kinds, go to have fun.  If you want to call it that.  Carnival, Tricky’s, Crimson; these places are dangerous.  Those that go there are fools.”  His eyes glinted hard.  “Never go to one of those places.”         

Crimson was known coast to coast for one thing, and one thing only: it was one of the playgrounds for the paranormal elite.  If a human was invited there, his or her death warrant had already been signed.  The paranormal usually lost interest in new toys quickly.  Especially the paranormal that were immortal. 

“Mark?”  Cara’s voice caused him to jump slightly.  He blinked.

“Sorry.  What?”

Estelle laughed lightly.  “Poor man has road rash to the brain.”  She stood, taking her mug to the sink.  “Let me show you to your room.  It’s small, but clean.  Tomorrow we’ll talk more.” 

Cara grabbed his hand.  “Hey, are you alright?” 

Mark liked the way her lips puckered and her eyebrows drew together when she frowned.  He liked the way concern made her eyes a shade darker.  He liked that all of this concern was for him.

“Yeah.  Just tired.”  He gave her a lopsided grin.  On impulse he leaned forward and grazed her forehead with his lips. 

Cara was as still as a statue as she watched him follow Estelle down the short hallway.  His lips had left a tiny trail was warmth; if she moved a muscle it might disappear. 

Mark waited until the itch was completely gone.  He could sense Gayle and Richie nearby.  He didn’t have much trouble discerning one of his pack from another shifter.  Gayle had stayed near but far enough away to not give alarm.  Mark wasn’t sure what his motives were for just following him around.   Maybe he was curious.  Maybe he was jealous that Mark had finally broken free.  Who knew, but one thing was sure, if anyone could help him find Crimson it was Gayle.  Gayle was a master at looking like an obedient dog, while in reality he just did what he wanted. 

Mark moved off of the daybed without a sound.  He listened at the door before opening it slowly.  He could hear something near to a snore coming from Estelle’s room, but that was it.  Cara has opted to sleep in her Gram’s room, and that made his sneaking out of the house all that easier. 

Once he was outside, it didn’t take long for his eyes to adjust.  It never did, and coming from a darkened house helped.  He walked down the concrete driveway and stopped at the edge of the road.  He lifted his nose to the air and sniffed.  A car half a block away flashed its lights. 

Mark walked towards the car and frowned.  It was Gayle, but he didn’t see Richie. 

Gayle opened the driver’s door and stepped out.  “Took you long enough.” 

“How did you know I was coming?”

“We all have our gifts, you know that.”