Page 1 of Into the Dawn (The Devil’s Claw #3)

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BEN

“ B en, I swear to god, let me out right now or else?—”

The banging noise from the trunk gets louder before a frustrated scream makes me chuckle.

“Or else what?” I demand, making my amusement clear, knowing it will drive her up the wall to hear how much I’m enjoying her anger.

Good. This is nothing compared to what she did to me. I’m perfectly entitled to get a little bit of satisfaction from turning the tables on my errant mate.

When she remains stubbornly silent, I lean back in the seat of my truck and wait, drumming my fingers on the steering wheel and taking a sip of my delicious coffee. Stopping for food and leaving her there might have made me feel a tiny bit guilty since my beast was fighting to care and provide for her like a mate normally should. I pull my leather wallet from my back pocket and remove the faded strip of photos from its hiding place. The images might be creased and faded but she looks exactly the same, just as beautiful as she was back then, even if she’s a little less enamoured with me.

I brush my thumb over the picture and frown at just how happy I look. These pictures were supposed to mark the start of our lives together, taken in between giggles and kisses in a photo booth while we bought some basic household items we’d need for our new life.

I kept them to remind myself never to be so stupid again. Or that’s what I told myself whenever I pulled them out to torture myself with her sunny smile. Because we’re not together. And we’re certainly not normal mates, so I shoved those unwelcome feelings deep down where they belong and took my sweet time, scoring a takeaway coffee and some sweet treats for the drive.

Now I have the real thing locked in my trunk and it’s much more satisfying to hear her disgruntled shouts as I ponder how I can use her as part of my mission to get John back.

Torture her for information? Force her to bring me into her weird family’s compound so I can search the place? Continue to make her miserable just for the sheer fun of it?

“I’m starving, Ben. And it’s hot in here. Can I have something to eat, or at least a drink?”

I ignore her, knowing it’s just a ploy to get me to open the trunk by using the bond to soften my attitude toward her. As I admire the vista in front of me, I scoff. It’s going to take a lot more than a pretty face and a rumbling tummy to have me falling for her act again.

Sucking in a calming breath, I focus on where I am, and get a feel for the land, which is far from my own territory. The view from here really is spectacular, though. I’d add it to the list of beauty spots we bring our tours to if the locals were a little more hospitable.

Although unfortunately, I have a feeling I won’t be allowed to have anything to do with Sutton’s fledgling adventure tour company after this little escapade.

Which is a shame, really. Maybe Jack can add a trek up here onto the itinerary. Or an exploration of the rather extensive cave network we’ve discovered. Naomi’s clan might give him a warmer welcome since he doesn’t have King as his surname. That is, if he speaks to me after leaving him high and dry with the next batch of customers due this week.

Taking a long sip, I stretch my legs out and crack my neck. I feel surprisingly relaxed for a man who’s kidnapped someone. It feels like it was always going to come to this—something drastic—to find out the truth about what happened to John. It’s like the fates have been waiting for the right time to blow everything wide open, and I’m the one they’ve picked to do it.

Jed and his family have been a blight on these mountains for long enough, and with nothing left to lose, it’s time I stood up and did something about it. For John. Because I have a feeling that’s exactly what landed him in hot water.

Loyalty. To us and to our town. A determination to stand up for those who need it. And refusing to give up his investigation into the missing persons cases that rocked our mountain.

After seeing what happened to Kali, it's all starting to make sense. The pieces of the puzzle that have haunted me for months are finally slotting together and giving us a clue of what happened to the man who was far more than just a neighbour. John was a father-figure to me when nobody else cared. I’ll go to extreme lengths to make sure I leave no stone unturned in figuring out where he is, dead or alive.

And making those responsible pay for what they did.

“Ben, I had nothing to do with the attack on Kali. You know me. I love Kali. I’d never hurt her.”

Vanessa sounds timid and pathetic now, and as I continue to pretend I can’t hear her, I have to admire her broad acting range. From feisty and dangerous to apologetic and weak in about ten seconds flat. It’s impressive. That’s how she convinced me she was as in love as I was.

Thump, thump, thump.

So there’s no way I’m falling for it again. The little lady currently kicking the shit out of my topper is going to help me get to the bottom of what happened, whether she likes it or not.

“Just tell me what I want to know, Vanessa. Then we can both move on with our lives. Again .”

Savouring the last big gulp of coffee, I set the mug in the console and stare out at the rapidly fading daylight, the sky turning orange as the sun dips behind the mountain peak. The vista is stunning, like a postcard, and once again, I feel privileged to live somewhere with sunsets as beautiful as this.

I liked my time away from Sutton, but nothing beats home.

“I don't know anything, you fucking asshole.” She hisses, back to her wildcat personality, her pretense of being afraid and demure already forgotten.

Kick, kick, kick.

“If you dent my truck, I’ll be sending you the bill.” I growl, even though it’s already battered to hell from driving off road. It’s hard to keep anything in pristine condition when you live somewhere as rugged as this.

Vanessa curses, but the kicking stops.

“I can’t believe you, Ben. I can’t believe you have the nerve to do this to me,” she hisses.

Grinning, I picture her trapped in the tight space, arms folded sulkily and that adorable little line between her eyebrows as she rages at me.

If she wanted to, she could escape. Her beast could easily escape by violently punching and kicking her way out of her metal prison.

But she wouldn’t get far, and she knows it. She might be faster, but I’m faster. And there's no way I'm letting her out of my sight until I get what I want: Information.

I've got all the time in the world, especially now that I’m more than likely unemployed and on the run. So much for being the golden child of the King family.

Still, burning my life to the ground will be worth it if I can find out what happened to John.

“Ben, this is ridiculous. Can’t we just talk, face to face, like mature adults?”

I scoff. Now she wants to talk. Where was the talking when she abandoned me without a word?

“No, we absolutely cannot.” This woman has played me for a fool once before, and I’m not going to let it happen again. Getting too close to her, scenting her, looking into her pretty eyes… I don’t trust myself not to fall under her spell.

“I had nothing to do with John going missing,” her voice is quiet, a tactic, no doubt designed to make me feel sorry for her. Well, it’s not going to work. I shift in my seat and roll my shoulders, steeling myself against her wily charms.

She’s not as upset as she sounds. Don’t fall for it.

“So, you just happened to be in the woods while your dumbass brother was trying to murder my cousin? Spying on the cave where John used to go, which also just happens to be on the border of your clan’s land, where the map he left me led straight into?”

Silence.

“So the maze of caves and tunnels doesn’t lead straight into your clan territory?”

More silence.

“For fucks sake, Ben. Just let me out.” Vanessa loses her temper once more and lashes out, hitting the inside of the truck bed cover with her boot heel.

“I knew it.”

I can still read her like a book. All this time apart hasn’t made her a better liar.

“Okay, fine. I followed them out there because I knew they were up to no good, but I was there to help intervene , not to hurt Kali. I would never. She and John are the only people who didn’t treat me like scum because of my family.”

I scoff but then freeze, scarcely able to breathe. Did I hear that right? Is that the confirmation I thought I’d have to grill her hard to get?

“Are . Present tense.”

Deafening silence.

John is still alive.

“I didn’t know, Ben. Not until recently. You have to believe me.”

God damn it. So she does know about John, and she said nothing. While her mangy, filthy family did god only knows what to him.

“Believe you? Oh, that's rich. The very last person I would ever believe again is you . I made that mistake once. I won't be making it again.” A mixture of hope and anger bubbles up inside me.

And betrayal. My own mate didn’t tell me where the only person in the world who looked out for me as a kid was, knowing that our entire town was out looking for him for months.

“Tell me where he is, right now.” My tone is harsh. No more mister nice guy.

“I. DON”T. KNOW.” She insists, kicking again, but even harder this time, annoyed with herself for her slip up. I smile, getting a small, twisted pleasure from her fury and discomfort, before she finally relents with a sigh. “He’s alive, or so Jed says, but I have no idea where he is. They don’t trust me so I haven’t been able to snoop around. I’ve tried, Ben. I swear. But there’s nothing I can do.”

That might be true. Maybe she doesn’t know where he is, but I don’t need her to tell me that. I can just use her as a hostage, as collateral, so I can arrange a swap with her family for John.

“Yes, there is, little mate, and you’re not going anywhere until you agree to help me.”