Page 39 of Tracked By Sasquatch

Before she responded, she scrolled back through their text thread and she blushed. Who had taken over her body? She was being flirty and dirty and so not her. Well, not the most recent her. The text read like her from a few years ago when she’d been at her peak confidence.

Her mother wasn’t in her head all the time. She’d stopped harming herself and was semi-comfortable in her own skin. She’d had a good job, bright future, and then something changed. Her mom started in with a renewed level of hate and she shame spiraled.

When she thought about it, she was more and more angry with her mom over robbing what little joy she’d managed to cobble together after being dismissed and abused her whole life. Used and discarded. It wasn’t enough that her mother sold her virginity to that asshole. Nor was it enough that she called her fat at every turn and called her a slut. Not enough to never love her.

No. The second Devin managed to love and accept herself, her mother snatched that away.

That was what she’d stolen from her. The woman who finally loved her body. One who had the confidence to flirt and be a little dirty with someone she liked. The confidence to just believe that a man like Jasper could like her.

That was the sad part. She had not realized that Thom was just another cut to her already scarred heart. A heart that bore the puckered white scars just as her thighs did… from her mother.

Thom became insignificant, she realized.

It was her mother who had stolen that woman from her, not Thom. That realization was cathartic. It made the upcoming confrontation with Thom that she was dreading just a speed bump to her healing. She didn’t need answers or atonement from him like she thought. No, she just needed him to sign the paper. Nothing more.

SASQUATCH

When he’d left the clubhouse like the hounds of hell were chasing him, his mind was in a fucked-up place. Worry for his aunt, worry for Devin. Just everything all at once was weighing on his shoulders like fucking Atlas.

Thanks to Harmon, he knew where she was heading and when she planned on confronting the asshole who’d held her, but he didn’t have a clue as to where she’d hole up until then. By his calculations, if she’d driven the speed limit she’d arrive in Omaha around midnight. That left a lot of time to be stuck in her own head over what she’d be doing.

He knew Devin, better than even he’d realized when he thought about it. He knew she’d be second-guessing herself and conjuring up worst-case scenarios.

He didn’t want to steal the moment from her, one she obviously needed, but he couldn’t let her go it alone. He’d ride around the entire city if he had to all night until he found her.

Prez had already put the call in to the local brothers to be out spotting for her but not approach. They just wanted eyes on. Heading out of town, he had to pass the bar they’d visited, apparently Devin’s favorite hangout.

Harmon had said Scott knew, but the bar wouldn’t be open that early and he had no way to locate him.

He let his eyes take in his motel as he passed, he was still looking that way when the bar came into view and he almost dumped his bike braking so fast. Out front, propped on a stool dragged into the parking lot close to the road was a big ass white board.

On it, scrawled in dry-erase marker was…

BIGFOOT INSIDE

Scott

Despite the shit cyclone that was sweeping through his life, he managed to laugh. It was definitely a message to him.

After heeling the stand down and dismounting, he swept the board up, carrying it under his arm inside. The damn thing still almost touched the ground.

The bar wasn’t open yet but Scott was behind the bar doing paperwork.

“Ah, my favorite cryptid. I see you got my message.”

“It was hard to miss. I’m assuming it’s about Dev.”

“It is.” Squatch leaned the board against the bar and sat his ass on a stool while Scott slid him a water.

“I assume since you passed this way, you’re heading after her?”

Fuck, did everyone know where she was going but him?

“Yep. And I assume by your subtle bat signal, you can impart some information I may need.”

Scott crossed his arms and stared into his eyes so long it was borderline disrespectful but right then, he had something Squatch needed, so he’d take it. Scott must’ve found whatever it was he was searching for because he nodded.

“I assume by the shiner, her brother approves.”