Touchdown Daddy (21 page)

When Andre called Julia and told her that he had found Mary, she had been pleased. Now, she said, he could bring Mary back and go get Peter.

It had taken a lot of strength to just hang up instead of saying what he really wanted to say. He had warned them that the Bears were coming for them. He owed them nothing else and was certainly not going to rescue the man that had killed his wife and daughter!
He's already dead, anyway.

Returning to that old inn was out of the question as well. Several times he had heard Philip's voice in the background. He had been a part of Isadore and Eve's murders, just as much as Peter had been. If he went back, how was he meant to stop himself from embracing his Bear and ripping the man to shreds?

For Mary's sake, he could not. Philip was almost like a child to her, less so than her younger siblings, but she still loved him. Andre could not kill someone she loved.

He had watched her the previous day, seeing which apartment building she went to after leaving the café. He wasn’t sure why he had followed her. They had an appointment to meet the next day and he didn't want to scare her off. Perhaps he just wanted to see her get home safely. Maybe it was just that he never wanted to take his eyes off her.

The night was spent pacing round and round the cheap apartment he was renting, trying to think of how to tell Mary about her past, about him. Every time he tried to say the words out loud, even to himself, they sounded flat and false.

When morning came, he had a reasonably well thought-out plan to get more information. At least, he hoped it was reasonable. His lack of sleep made it difficult to determine if it was just desperate.

He waited in an alley when Mary left for work, then crossed the street to the apartment building she had just come from. He rang every apartment one by one, asking for Mary Locke, hoping she still went by that name. He received a lot of apologies and a few curses in response, but finally,
finally
, hit a voice that told him what room number to come to.

The elevator seemed to take forever as Andre bounced on his toes, ignoring the looks that the people who got onto the elevator gave him.  Expressions ranged from incredulous to lustful. He was used to such open staring. He didn't exactly fit in. Mary herself once told him he looked like a Norse god.

A man waited outside the door of Mary's apartment.

"I'm David Monroe," he said, ushering Andre in.

Andre glanced around the tiny apartment, gut twisting. His eyes sought out every corner, finding it clean and well-furnished despite its size. "David Monroe. She told me about you."

"She wanted me to start courting her before she… left." David took a deep breath. "And you must be Andre Mitchel. The Bear. Peter told me that you would track us down."

Andre turned to the Wolf. "What else did he say?"

"Mary thought that you were her soulmate and that if you found her again, it had to be true."

"So the two of you are friends?"

David quailed under Andre's intense stare and shook his head. He fidgeted a moment before he slipped past the Bear into the more open space of the single room. "I never knew the Lockes well. I didn't know that Mary wanted to court me until I was sent out here with her."

Andre's eyes narrowed. "You're not her husband then?"

The Wolf's head jerked. He stepped back, paling. "You've already talked with her?"

Andre did not reply.

"I had to tell her something. The retainer that the community gave me to support her until it was certain her Wolf was fully purged was only enough for this size of apartment. I did not think it was appropriate to… sleep in the same bed if…"

Andre's Bear growled a challenge and the sound reverberated from his chest. David flinched and backed away.

"Nothing has happened between us, Sir. It was merely a cover. Even if I kiss her goodnight sometimes, she doesn't kiss me back." The Wolf paled even further, though Andre hadn't made a move, and shook his head as though denying an accusation. "I just wanted to see if it would have worked between us. I've never had the desire to marry, and sometimes I think it means I don't have a soulmate. But—"

"You said you were here to make sure Mary's Wolf was purged. What do you mean by that?"

David swallowed hard and Andre resisted the urge to shake him and tell him that he had no intention of harming him–two conflicting notions, he realized.

"There is a chance, however slight, that her Wolf was not buried deep enough. That the full moon will pull it forward again. It's very dangerous for a Purged Wolf to return during the involuntary transformation. It will sometimes lead the Wolf to madness… well, you've heard stories, haven't you?"

Andre nodded slowly. He wasn't listening to that part, though. Hope was rising in his chest. "Then there is a chance she could remember?"

"A chance, yes. But it would be better if she didn't. Not after the trauma she has been through."

"Trauma that your people put her through." Andre paused, studying the Wolf. Out here with Mary, did he even know what had happened in the Wolf community? If he was told, would that get rid of him?
And leave Mary on her own?

Andre shook his head. She wouldn't be alone–he'd be with her.
A man she doesn't know. She doesn't need any more instability right now.

"I am not going to give up," Andre warned the Wolf. "I am going to stay as close as I can to her unless she asks me to leave."

"Peter said to expect as much." David paused and sighed. "If you're truly her soulmate, I hope you succeed. But you have to leave now. I have a job myself, and I'm going to be late."

Andre considered telling him about his meeting with Mary but dismissed it. If she hadn't told David, then he wasn't going to.

***

It was a quiet day in the library. Mary sat behind the checkout desk, trying to focus on her work. Every time she heard footsteps her head jerked up, heart pounding, expecting to see the handsome, god-worthy man she had seen in the coffee shop. The minutes seemed to crawl by until noon. She tried to tell herself not to be so excited. After all, she didn't even know the man!

Except when she finally did see him walking toward the desk, she was overwhelmed by the sense that she knew him. There was a tug somewhere in her stomach that drew her to him, and her breath locked in her chest. Her heart beat faster, as though trying to jump out of her chest and run to him.

Her cheeks warmed at the intense look he was giving her, as though he expected her to remember him.

Had she been unfaithful to her husband? She hardly recognized him, even two months after the accident that stole her memories. Her hand drifted unconsciously to her stomach. She'd just learned about the baby last week. Was David the father, was it this man?

"Hi," she said when he was close enough. She covered her nervousness with a smile. "I'm about to take my break. I didn't catch your name yesterday."

"Andre."

"Andre," Mary repeated, liking the way it sounded on her tongue. "Let me just tell the others I'm going."

Andre nodded.

Soon they were seated in the coffee shop where they had met the previous day. It seemed appropriate.

"So," Mary said as she settled down with the sandwich she had ordered. "Uh, maybe you should give me your number. In case we want to get together some other time or something."

"Of course." Andre rattled off a number, which she wrote on a napkin. He kept looking at her as though he was afraid she would disappear. It made her knees feel like jelly.

"How did we meet?" she asked, tucking the napkin into her pocket.

Finally, he looked away and Mary felt she could breathe. The pull she felt towards him, he had to be more than just a casual acquaintance. If they had been lovers, would he tell her the truth or lie about their relationship?

"You had some trouble on the road last winter. I helped you out."

Mary waited for more, but Andre took a swig of his coffee as though it was a bottle of beer and said nothing else. Silence descended between them and Mary spun her sandwich around. She wasn't so hungry anymore.

"So, my amnesia," she said eventually, unable to take the silence any longer. "I was in a car accident two months ago. It's all kind of blurry, I have dreams sometimes but… I don't remember anything about it. Or before it, actually. It's all very disconcerting."

Andre's hand slowly inched across the table and rested on top of hers. His skin was so hot she nearly flinched from the surprise. But the warmth felt good, even in this humid summer, so she turned her hand so his fingers rested on her pulse. It just felt…. right somehow.

"I'm sure it's very frustrating," he said, his deep voice low, gentle. "Not remembering who you are."

"It is," she whispered. She was about to ask exactly how they knew each other, if they were lovers, but then he continued.

"But at least you have your husband, right?" His expression was guarded.

Mary's gaze dropped. "David. Yes. He's been a… huge help."

Her mind turned again to the baby that was growing inside of her. She hadn't told David about it. She wasn't even sure if she
wanted
to have a baby. Maybe it was because she didn't want anything that bound her to him. A wedding ring only signified so much. A baby was much more… permanent.

Even if it isn't David's child, do I want to be a mother
, she wondered?
Even if I knew why I married him, remembered that I loved him. Is motherhood something I want?

"Mary?" Andre's fingers tightened around her wrist. "Is something wrong?"

She didn't look at the man she felt much more drawn to than her husband. Guilt puddled in her belly, drowning out the pull she felt towards him. "This was a mistake. I don't know what I'm doing here. I'm sorry. I don't know my life and I don't know you. It's already too confusing."

She pulled away from him, still not looking at him, and practically ran from the coffee shop.

When Mary got home, she found that David had packed the car with sleeping bags, a tent and a cooler with everything they would need for cooking over a fire. He smiled vaguely at her when she asked him what he was doing.

"You have the weekend off and I thought it would be nice to get out of the city for a little while. I know that you've been feeling a little cramped lately and thought that a little camping trip would be nice."

Mary was silent. Camping sounded great. She hated living in the city. Everything happened so quickly all the time. There were always people around, no matter where they went. But the timing was all wrong. She wanted to know more about Andre and figure out the mystery he provided. If he had been the one to ask her to go camping, she would have gone in a heartbeat.

She turned away from her husband. What sort of woman was she, really? "David, I don't know. Maybe now isn't the best time."

David's voice was cautious as he answered. "Why do you say that?"

If she told him the truth, how would he react? If there had been something between her and Andre, did David know? Was he counting on this amnesia for a second chance between the two of them? Didn't she owe it to her husband to at least try?

"Mary?"

"I've been feeling sick lately," she mumbled.

After a long moment of silence, David's arms wrapped around Mary's waist. "There's stuff I want to talk about. I'd rather do that someplace nice than in this cramped apartment."

Did he want to talk about her affair with Andre?

She wanted to pull away, but instead, she leaned against him. They were married, what did it mean that she didn't want him to touch her? He had been so patient with her when it came to her hesitation. And yet she wished it was Andre wrapping his arms around her. Andre nuzzling the back of her neck, sleeping beside her in bed.

She didn't even know him. She had only met him the day before!
And whatever affair we had before the accident.

"Mary, I have been feeling so distant lately. I know it's not your fault, but I just… I guess I was just hoping that this camping trip would be something for us to start to get to know each other again. Please come with me."

Mary sighed, but pulled away from David's embrace. "Yes. Of course."

Maybe nothing had happened with Andre. Maybe everything had. But she owed it to her marriage to try to get to know her husband again. Didn't she?

The napkin with Andre's number written on it weighed heavily in her pocket. She slipped a hand into her pocket and touched the thin, soft tissue.

"I'm pregnant."

Saying the words out loud sent a jolt through her and she sucked in a deep breath, trying to calm her suddenly pounding heart. David's eyes widened and his jaw hung open. His utter surprise made a cold tendril wrap around her heart. This was not an encouraging reaction.

"David?"

"I… that's wonderful news." A smile that looked more like a grimace crossed over his face and he ran a hand through his hair. "I just didn't expect this… I mean, we haven't… since the accident."

"I know," Mary said, wrapping her arms around her stomach. She wasn't sure if she would be showing soon or if it would just look like she was gaining more weight.

David nodded. "I wouldn't think that the baby could have survived the… the accident is all. But this is good news. It's… How far along are you?"

"I must have gotten pregnant just before the accident." She bit her lip, watching him closely. He was still smiling, but he wouldn't meet her eyes.

"Then now's the best time for camping," he said. "Before you're too far along."

"Right." Mary sighed. What had she been expecting? "Yes. Of course."

***

Had he come across too strongly?

Andre shook his head, pacing from one end of his apartment to the other. It had come unfurnished and he hadn't bothered to get anything he'd have to leave behind. When he embraced his Bear, he was comfortable enough at night and he didn't really spend time during the day here.

"I should have stopped staring," he muttered. "I probably freaked her out."

But he just hadn't been able to take his eyes off her. He wanted so badly to pull her into his arms and kiss her. Maybe if he had, she'd have remembered.

Or she could have called the police on him and never wanted anything to do with him again. After all, he was just some person she had just met! Yes, she had a sense that she might remember him, but that was all it was–a sense. He couldn't let impatience ruin his chance to be able to one day be with her again. No, he had to let her make the first move.

He was so engrossed in his dilemma that he did not realize his Bear was snarling until the door to his apartment opened. Andre whirled, crouching, ready to embrace his Bear and take care of the intruder.

The gun pointed at him stopped him from moving.

Andre glared at the man as he shut the door behind him. He was even taller than Andre was and broader, but with a narrow pointed face. Grant Easton. The Bear that had manipulated Mary to returning to the Wolves so that he could follow her and slaughter them.

"I thought I crushed your face," Andre growled at him.

Easton narrowed his eyes, holding the gun with two hands. "You know that we Bears heal quickly. Even quicker with the right medicines. I thought that you would be with your
precious
Mary by now."

The other Bear's aim was steady. Andre knew he would not be able to disarm him before Easton got off at least two bullets. So he slowly straightened, moving out of his defensive posture. Better give the other Bear no excuse to kill him.

"What are you doing here, Easton? You must have better things to do than tracking me down. Like slaughtering innocent people."

"No Werewolf is innocent, especially no Werewolf associated with Paul Locke!" Easton's eyes grew fiery and he stepped forward, raising his aim from Andre's heart to his head. "You went to them and told them we were coming. You betrayed your wife and daughter, you betrayed your own kind! By the time we got there, they had all vanished except for a handful claiming to be the community's only hunters."

"I don't really care about them."

"No? Not even that your Mary's brother Peter was among them?"

His bear growled at the name alone, and Andre forced himself to stay calm. He was certain Peter was already dead, but if he wasn't… did he owe it to Mary to find out more information? At least he'd be able to tell Julia that her brother was dead, so she'd stop trying to make him abandon Mary for him.

"Peter Locke," Andre said slowly, "was with Paul when he killed Isadore and Eve. I only care about his fate as far as his death would bring me a sense of justice."

"Then why didn't you kill him yourself?"

"I would have."

Easton laughed, shaking his head. "No, you wouldn't. Your Wolf has a ring through your nose and leads you wherever she wants you to go. I know that you helped the Locke family escape. Where are they? If you tell me, I won't kill you."

Andre rolled his eyes though he wondered just how long Easton would wait before pulling the trigger. "I have no love for the Locke family. Mary is my only concern. If I knew where the Wolves were, I would tell you. All I cared about when I went there was to find Mary and get her out before you went in and killed her for being older than six."

Easton growled, advancing a step.

Andre's phone vibrated. His hand twitched towards it automatically. But when Easton tensed, he forced himself to be still again. If it was Julia or worse, Mary, he couldn't let Easton hear their voices. He'd know and he'd kill Andre, and there would be no protecting them.

"If you've kept Peter Locke alive, I'd like to kill him myself." It was no lie. He
did
want to kill Peter, even if he would not let himself do it.

Easton must have sensed the truth in Andre's words because after a second he lowered the gun again. His expression was angry still, but he nodded. "Locke is still alive. He's paying for his sins, though I'm not sure how much longer he'll last. If you hurry, you might have the chance to finish him off yourself."

Easton pulled a business card from his pocket and handed it to Andre.
Damn
. Andre stared at the card. He was not expecting this. Peter was alive and now he had an address to find him. He could imagine Julia's voice in his head, telling him to go rescue her brother.

He could imagine Mary saying the same thing.

"So this is where he's being held?"

"Yes. I hope you find peace after you've killed him." Easton pocketed his gun and turned to the door. "I'll be in touch with news if we find other Wolves."

Andre frowned and followed after him to the apartment door. "How?"

"I have your number." Easton didn't turn around as he walked away.

Andre waited a moment after he was gone before bolting for the fire escape. With Easton in the city, Mary had to get out. They could take no chances that the other Bears would find her. Even if she didn't understand why he would be able to tell her husband. Hopefully, the Wolf had enough self-preservation to trust Andre's words.

It seemed to take forever to climb down the stairs, so Andre jumped the last few flights. He rolled on impact, grunting as the knee Paul Locke had shot protested. Scrambling back to his feet, Andre raced through the alley and down another street until he was at Mary's building.

Buzzing the intercom brought no response. Was he too late? Had Easton come here before finding him? Andre remembered the call he'd received and scrambled for his cell phone. There was a message from Mary.

His heart in his throat, imagining all sorts of horrible things that could have happened, Andre listened to the message.

"Andre. Hi, this is Mary."

As if he would ever forget the sound of her voice. He closed his eyes and concentrated on her voice. It was hesitant, uncertain, but not afraid. Easton had not gotten his hands on her.

"I just wanted to call you. Uh, David and I are going out of the city for the weekend. We're camping. David thinks it'll be a good way to bond. Um… I don't really know what to say. We're just at a gas station now."

Was she going to tell him to stay far away from her? What would he do if she did?

"I've got a lot of questions for you, but we'll be out of cell service soon. That's why I wanted to tell you. I didn't want you to think that I was ignoring you."
The static sound of a sigh punctuated the silence.
"God, I sound like a desperate puppy or something. Maybe I'm completely wrong about this, I mean, I don't remember what our relationship was but I think I can tell we had one… Anyway, we're going up north to a lake. Maybe you should come. I'd like to talk to you and David both."

Andre glanced over his shoulder as a car drove by. What if Easton had done to him what he had done to Mary? Manipulated him into giving away his prey's location?

"I know I shouldn't be telling you this when David wants to have a getaway with the two of us. But I don't think I can really… I don't know. I don't know what I'm saying."

She told him how to get to their campsite and hung up. Andre stood frozen a moment. If Easton had followed him here, Mary and David could not return to their apartment. So he had to go and warn them, help them get far, far away from here. If he left now, he could get to Mary by morning.

The phone in his hand rang again. Andre didn't recognize the number.

"Hello?"

"The thing is, I could have killed you." Easton's voice, cold and cruel, came from the other end of the phone. "But you took away my victory and helped those stinking Werewolves escape justice."

Andre's hand clenched around the phone.

"I would have spared her, you know. But I don't forgive traitors. Paul Locke and his father slaughtered my whole family. My two younger brothers weren't even Bears. If I can't have his community, then at least I can have his children."

"No," Andre gasped. "They're innocent."

"There is no such thing as an innocent Wolf. Thank you for your help, Andre. With your cellphone records, I know exactly where they are."

"Mary's not with them," he blurted. His heart pounded in his ears. If Easton didn't know where Mary was, then he still had time to save her.

"I know that. I also know you're standing outside her new apartment building, but she's not home. I put a tracking device on her car before I came to see you."

The phone clicked off.

Andre's hands shook as he dialed Mary's number. It went straight to voicemail. He left a message for David, telling him what happened, then phoned Julia.

"Get to base B," he told her without preamble. "Destroy all cell phones, do not use credit cards."

"But—"

"Your location is compromised. Get out now."

He hung up and raced to his car. As he peeled away from the sidewalk, the thought occurred to him that it might not be Mary's car that had the tracker on it. After all, hadn't Easton pulled that trick on Mary just two months ago?