"The Black Coyotes: Origin Story"

10. Unwind

Jack had stolen from Hunter Goldman's warehouse in several different locations on several different occasions. After Goldman found out it was him he stopped all payments going to his bank account and told all of his other men if they saw him to not let him in the warehouses. Jack was avoiding Goldman for a while and hiding under the radar and I expect that's why he didn't come to get me until now.

Goldman suspects Jack of trying to win him back so he can deceive him again, that's why he had come to get me. He was trying to sell me to Goldman so that I would work for him and have no choice, but to do whatever he wanted me to do.

It was just so that I was in the area and had escaped from my father before he could talk Goldman into it.

"Damn fuck it," I muttered as I crossed paths with a stray cat that jumped out from a bush. Hunter was having me chop wood for the fireplace, treating me like he would one of his servants in the house, except they were all girls so they couldn't chop or carry wood in the house.

Hunter Goldman is definitely not a lonely man. His servants, or his girls as he calls them change every few days in a cycle-like way but theirs a few of them that stay over when they are supposed to, and sometimes I catch them coming out of his room with their dresses all rumpled up and hair a mess.

I cringe at the thought and bring down the axe.

Kadie one of his favorites was sitting on his lap this morning when I came down for the day and they were definitely flirting but once he pushed her away she began to flirt with me.

I dont think Goldman is that old, he can't be younger than twenty-six, but he flirts with all of them without shame despite what they look like their age is.

I brought the axe down on the log and shook my head trying to rid of the thoughts. Think of something else Quinn, think of something else.

~~~~

"Why did we wait till dark to do this John? It's freezing, the kids are going to freeze." Mary said holding a babbling Hope in her hands.

"We didn't..." John said looking up at the skyline. "The drive was just... longer than I thought it would be."

My brother and I looked at each other and laughed.

John always had these ideas that seemed perfect on paper but when we actually went out and did these things they were not as great as he planned.

Tonight we decided to come out to the middle of nowhere woods and cut down our own Christmas tree.

"Let's play tag, Quinn," Shaun said still chuckling. I nodded. "Okay, you're it first."

"Fine, tag!"

"Hey, that's not fair!" I ran after my brother in the dark woods. Mary called after us. "Don't go too far boys!" she said crunching snow under her Bearpaw boots.

"Awe let them be, Mary. Least we could do after having them sit in the car for so long." John muttered carrying the push saw over his back.

I ran, trying to catch up to my brother, who later I learned I had no chance of because he later ended up in track, cross country, football, and soccer, being the best player in all the sports he played.

I ran past dozens of pine trees then the pine turned to oak and oak turned to a mix of random species of trees. "Shaun," I called. "Shaun! It's not funny, come back..." I whimpered when a cold chill of wind blew against my face. A crow flew from one tree to another cawing loudly. "MA!" I screamed. "Mama!" I sat down against the tree and put my hands over my head.