Skin Walkers: Monroe Read online

  Eden crossed her arms over her chest again, her disdain for the man growing by the second. “Has it ever occurred to you, Daddy Warbucks, that you can’t simply buy your way out of everything?”

  Monroe tilted his head. “No. It hasn’t.” With that he turned and strode back to his waiting ride before he stopped to toss over his shoulder, “And angel?”

  Eden stood seething in her doorway.

  “Feel free to call me daddy anytime?”

  Monroe’s condescending smile didn’t go unnoticed before Eden slammed her door.

  When Monroe eased into the backseat of the Humvee, King started the vehicle and maneuvered it down the mountain.

  “How’d it go?”

  For some odd reason, Monroe couldn’t seem to wipe the stupid grin from his lips. “Great.”

  “Great?” King frowned at him in the rearview mirror. “She didn’t seem too happy.”

  Monroe’s grin widened into a broad smile, “She wasn’t.”

  King had to jerk the wheel and did so just in time to keep them from driving straight into a tree. He’d been too focused on CEO StoneCrow’s expression in the rearview mirror. It was so rare to see Monroe smile that when he did it was typically with terrifying consequences. King couldn’t help but wonder if he’d be asked to pay the woman in the cabin a visit. He pitied anyone who made an enemy of Monroe.

  Chapter 3

  Inside her cabin, Eden leaned against the closed door and cursed under her breath. “What an arrogant ass!”

  Although she’d been expecting it, she’d still been dreading the confrontation with Mr. StoneCrow for weeks. She knew he’d confront her, especially after the difficult time she’d been giving his laborers. She expected the sarcasm, the threats, and the air of superiority. What she hadn’t expected were the looks. When she’d thought of the infamous Monroe StoneCrow, she’d pictured a shriveled old weakling who was used to getting his way. While Monroe clearly was used to getting his way, he was anything but a shriveled old weakling.

  Eden bit her bottom lip and drew her brows together in a scowl. He’d been handsome. More than handsome. He was actually quite yummy! She exhaled harshly. His looks were demoralizing. It wasn’t enough that he was rich, powerful, and encroaching on her peaceful existence, but to look like that…it was downright unfair!

  His perfectly styled hair was dark, as black as her own. Eden ran a hand through her satiny locks. Nah, his hair was definitely darker. His raven colored hair only made his sky blue eyes all the more vibrant. His teeth were perfect and whiter than any teeth she’d ever seen, and his expensive suit, tailored so flawlessly to his massive frame, left no doubt in her mind that he had a body that was chiseled by the gods. So unbelievably unfair!

  Her eyes swung to the clock that hung on the wall over the empty fireplace causing her to shove off the door. “Shit!” Late again. Not that it mattered. Where she was going, there was no time clock or supervisor to complain, but it was a matter of personal pride for Eden to be mindful and prompt with regards to her work-schedule.

  “Micah, I’m going to work. Keep an eye on your brothers and sister.” She retrieved her hunter green Wildlife Department parka and shoved her arms into it before crossing to the fridge and yanking out her sack lunch. She walked quickly to the front door, jerked it open, and whistled. “Come on Zena!”

  The graying black lab moved gingerly through the front door, not concerned in the least that Eden was in a hurry.

  With the dog curling up on the rug securely inside the cabin, Eden turned to eye the tall teenage boy who walked out of a back bedroom. His hair was gelled into a mohawk that this week was a vibrant purple.

  Eden felt guilty leaving Micah to have to look after Ransum, Cole, and Peyton, but she had to get to work.

  “I got it,” Micah sullenly responded as if reading her mind.

  “Okay,” Eden huffed, “but if Peyton starts feeling sick again call the office and have them contact me and I’ll come home.”

  Just then two young boys, one with red hair and one a blonde, came rushing toward the door. “Mama, Mama,” they chimed in unison.

  Smiling she bent to give each of the boys a quick hug and peck on the forehead before standing. “Listen to Micah okay.” When the two boys nodded her heart melted. “And be quiet so Peyton can get some rest.”

  “Don’t worry,” the red-headed Cole beamed, “we’ll take care of her.”

  “Yeah,” Ransum chimed in. “We’re good at it.” He turned and pointed to the dog, “We take care of Zena all the time.”

  “Yes you do,” Eden beamed. “Alright gotta go. Be good boys.”

  “Bye,” the two younger boys waved wildly.

  “Bye Eden,” Micah didn’t even look up from his i-phone, too busy texting girls to be bothered with manners.

  It amazed her that even after two years she was reluctant to leave the kids alone. Two years? It felt so much longer. She felt as though she’d known the children her whole life and she loved them as if they were her own, but they weren’t. Two summers ago, some asshole had abandoned them in the forest. She’d stumbled upon their camp when she’d been checking for illegal game traps. When she’d asked Micah where their parents were, he refused to answer. Eden checked the cooler that had been sitting next to an empty fire pit and saw that it housed just a half gallon of water, a roll of bologna and a half loaf of bread.

  When Ransum and Cole had scampered out from the tent, she checked it to discover little Peyton inside burning up with fever.

  The children had been abandoned by their parents and left in the forest to fend for themselves, or die alone as the case would have been if Eden hadn’t found them. She’d gotten them to the town’s hospital as quickly as possible. She’d spent the entire next two years fighting for custody after she’d discovered that Child and Family Services had intended on separating the children by farming them out to separate foster homes. The kids had been through enough. They didn’t deserve to be separated too. After a lengthy, and costly, legal battle, and an exhaustive search for the children’s parents, Eden was awarded custody.

  Neither Peyton, Ransum, nor Cole ever spoke of their parents and Micah refused to divulge any information, and Eden didn’t force him. It didn’t matter now; she would be whatever it was they’d need.

  Quickly locking the door behind her, Eden descended the steps and strode to the tan Chevy assigned to her by the Department. Climbing inside she kicked on her four-wheels before steering onto the snow covered road and heading north. She’d be crossing Monroe StoneCrow’s property, and unlike him, she was afforded the opportunity to traverse anywhere she liked by commission of her position. Like many other Game Wardens in the state, Eden was also a reserve Deputy Sheriff. Even without the designation, she was expected to patrol her assigned district, which is where she also just so happened to reside.

  It was a mile from her front porch to the invisible line that separated her property from that of StoneCrow Industries. Crossing from her property line onto Monroe StoneCrow’s land sickened her every time it was necessary. It was another mile drive up a winding road to the work site that was buzzing with activity.

  The site was a desecration. Eyeing the area, Eden had to clamp a hand over her belly and tighten her lips against the nausea that overwhelmed her.

  What had once been a quiet, thickly wooded patch of Montana forestland was now a bulldozed swath of muddy frenzy. Her eyes flitted to a large field that blossomed with hundreds of multi-colored wild flowers in the summer. It was her favorite location on the mountain. A place she’d take the kids every summer to play and picnic and to take their individual pictures as they sat nestled in the blanket of wild flowers. She told them it was their own personal piece of heaven. The children had loved the idea, but now her favorite place in the entire universe was flattened down and buried beneath a pile of crated stone, which had been brought in to build the structure that would be a hideous addition to Monroe StoneCrow’s already vast StoneCrow estates.

 
Eden pulled her truck to a stop on the road and put the gear in park to shake her head and stare at the mess that lay before her eyes.

  When she’d learned the land had been purchased by an industrial CEO Eden had nearly choked from the shock. It had taken multiple calls and visits to the County office to convince her that Monroe StoneCrow had no designs on turning this piece of property into some unsightly

  commercial or industrialized zone. He’d purportedly purchased the area with intentions of expanding his already existing three hundred and thirty six acre wildlife preserve and rehabilitation facility. While the idea secretly delighted Eden, she grew less and less convinced of his intentions with every visit to the work site.

  She watched the foreman barking orders into his cell while behind him, a small skid steer hauled a small load of frozen earth from a sizeable hole now forming in the center of the site.

  She’d studied the plans, and the substantial residence that was to be erected in the center of the property made no sense. It was too large for the minimal staff required to, adequately, man a wildlife preserve and rehabilitation facility. Several cabins were also set to be erected dotting the property. When Eden brought the cabins to the attention of the commission, she’d been waved off. No one seemed to care that multiple small residential properties had no place at a preserve and rehabilitation facility. But she cared.

  So far she’d been the sole proponent to the expansion at StoneCrow Estate’s. She wasn’t opposed to the preservation, protection, and rehabilitation of wildlife, but it was clear to her that Monroe’s intentions didn’t lay there regardless of the rhetoric he’d been blabbing.

  Eden sighed as she put her truck in gear and took the road that led around the work site and up into the forest. She made a mental note to attend the next scheduled commission meeting regarding the property. She had more questions and this time she wouldn’t leave without some answers.

  She exhaled, trying to force her thoughts from a too handsome Monroe StoneCrow as she drove her truck along the bumpy forest road.

  In her line of work if you weren’t paying attention accidents were prone to happen, and they weren’t the type-the-wrong-word or mail-the-wrong-form kind of accidents.

  She eyed the snow-covered road as she skirted a particularly narrow pass with a straight 200 foot drop down a rocky ravine. Napping on the job out here could get you killed, and if the terrain didn’t get you, the wildlife surely would.

  Today, she was heading up the mountain to check on several suspicious reports that had come in over the past few days. When Robert at dispatch had radioed her a few days earlier to let her know that Dorothy and George WhiteEagle had called to report a panther sighting, she knew there had to have been a mistake. Dorothy and George were probably the only two people that knew the area better than Eden, so she’d asked Robert if he’d made a mistake. “You sure? Neither Dorothy nor George would confuse any of our local wildlife with a panther.”

  Robert assured her he’d heard correctly. He’d even questioned George himself to ensure the old timer hadn’t accidentally used the wrong word. “I asked him if he meant mountain lion Eden, but he was adamant that he and Dorothy had seen a black panther. You don’t think ol’ George is going senile do ya?”

  Eden maneuvered her truck over a slope of wet rock, her brows furrowing as she scanned the area slowly. A day after Dorothy and George’s report, a couple of hunters reported seeing a gemsbok. Robert thought it had been a prank call until the two men showed up at the Wildlife Department office with what Robert claimed was “photo proof”.

  A smiled tweaked Eden’s lips as she drove. Modern technology was advancing so quickly. Anything could be photo-shopped, and all you needed was a sucker to take the bait. Poor Robert.

  Still, the gemsbok photos were surely a joke, but it didn’t explain Dorothy and George’s black panther. Often stray dogs would meander up the mountain, and Eden could only assume that a dog is exactly what George and Dorothy had spotted.

  The two-way radio on her dash crackled before there was a long whine and finally, “Edie? You copy?”

  Eden snatched up the receiver, “Morning Robert.”

  “You on your way to the WhiteEagle’s?”

  She smiled, “How’d you guess?”

  Robert’s voice was tight, “I just figured. Anyway, we’ve got a bit of a problem.”

  Eden instantly sobered, “What’s wrong?”

  “Well…”

  Sensing his reluctance Eden urged, “You better spill it before I get out of range. What’s going on?”

  The line crackled for a few moments before Robert spoke, “We’ve got a complaint here about a landowner up your way.”

  Eden’s brow furrowed, “Which land owner?”

  She vaguely made out the sound of papers shuffling in the background. “Appears to be a dispute over right-of-way. Easement issues.”

  “Our department doesn’t handle that.”

  “I know,” Robert sighed, “but it wound up on my desk all the same.”

  “Well,” Eden prompted again, “who’s the land owner.”

  There was a slight grin in Robert’s voice then, “Well paperwork states Eddie StCloud. Any relation of yours?”

  Shit! Eden didn’t respond immediately.

  “Edie you there?”

  “Yeah, I’m here.” She chewed on her bottom lip a moment. “Put the report in my box, and I’ll take care of it when I get to town.”

  “Edie...”

  “Just do it Rob. I promise I won’t shred the damn thing.”

  “Alright,” he answered reluctantly, “but if Richard asks, I’m saying I never saw the damn thing.”

  Now, it was Eden’s turn to smile. “You let me worry about Richard and Monroe StoneCrow.”

  Robert laughed, “Wondered if you knew who the complainant would be.”

  “Yeah, I know. Look, I’m about to get out of range. I’ll buzz you after I talk to the WhiteEagles.”

  “Alright, be safe. Oh, by the way, how’s Peyton?”

  “Getting better,” Eden sighed. “Her fever broke over the weekend and now she’s just tired and cranky. Poor baby.”

  The smile was back in Robert’s voice, “I’m glad she’s feeling better. I hate it when little ones fall ill.” He paused a moment. “It was real good of you to take those kids in. I know it’s a lot for a single woman to handle, but in case nobody’s told you in a while you’re doing a damn good job.”

  Eden smiled, “Thanks Rob. I needed that.”

  “Anytime. Okay, be safe.”

  Then the line cracked and went dead. Be safe. It was how Robert ended nearly all their conversations. He knew her well and knew that she took more risks than the average Wildlife Department warden. Often volunteering for dangerous retrieval missions and predator stalks, Eden had earned a reputation in the agency for being the go-to-gal when there was a job that no other warden would take.

  “Great, now I get to explain myself to Richard.” She huffed out a sigh then slammed her foot on the brake as a flash of streaked fur caught her attention. She sat with her eyes focused on the area where she’d seen the movement. The fine hairs on the nape of her neck rose in warning telling her that she was being watched.

  Reaching a gloved hand down, she put the car in park before rolling down her window and killing the ignition. Brisk westerly winds blew in and stung her cheeks as she watched and waited.

  After several moments, she started the truck and rolled up the window. She knew she hadn’t imagined the movement, but she frequently crept up on animals and sent them racing for cover. But stripes… What in the world would have a coat like that?

  She slowly poked her way to the WhiteEagle ranch, keeping her eyes more on the forest than on the actual road. Gemsbok, panthers, and now striped creatures. A frown crinkled her brow. What in the hell is going on?

  Chapter 4

  Eden pulled her truck to halt just outside the closed gate of the WhiteEagle ranch. She hadn’t even unlatched th
e gate before two black and white collies bounded toward her barking first a warning then their excitement.

  “Ruby, Ruger!” Eden bent to greet each dog in turn while the dogs licked her cheeks excitedly.

  “Edie!” George WhiteEagle strode down the drive toward her in a gait that had been crooked by too many years on horseback. His slightly bowed legs added emphasis to the faded old cowboy hat and denim jacket that screamed ‘true cowboy’.

  Eden stood and quickly closed the distance to him, not wanting the old-timer to have to walk further than necessary. As she approached she yanked the glove off her hand before extending it, “George.”

  His weathered hand was warm as it clamped around her small fingers.

  “See you got my message. Let’s go in, Dorothy’s got coffee on.”

  Eden followed the old cowboy to the ranch house. Inside, the home was as warm as Dorothy’s smile as she hugged her greeting to Eden.

  “So good to see you my girl. Sit, I’ll pour you a coffee.”

  Eden took a seat at the small table, knowing better than to waste her time refusing anything Dorothy would offer. She’d learned quickly that to Dorothy WhiteEagle, ‘no thank you’ wouldn’t be tolerated. Eden smiled at the endearment ‘my girl’. It was something the old Cree woman had called her since the first time they’d met.

  The WhiteEagle’s house was simple, much like her own, but Eden couldn’t seem to replicate the warmth that permeated from its confines. It wasn’t the wood burning stove in the corner, or the fresh bread baking in the oven that made the home so warm either. It had taken Eden several years to realize that the welcoming feel was the result of familial affection that the WhiteEagles lavished on each other, the dogs, and any guest that was fortunate enough to enter the home. While it was comforting, it also served as a reminder to Eden just how lonely her own cabin could feel regardless of the fact that she’d welcomed in four abandoned children.