Down to Sleep

by M K Farrar

  “Come on, into bed.” He jerked his chin towards the side she’d previously slept on. “I have something I want you to do for me.”

  She shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. “No, please. Just leave me alone.”

  “Where would be the fun in that?”

  And with a terrifying smile pasted across his face, he slowly shut the bedroom door.

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Natalie lay awake for most of the night, frozen in disgust and fear at the feel of Kyle curled up beside her, his breath hot against her skin. Silent tears trickled down her cheeks, dampening the pillow beneath her face. At least he hadn’t got undressed before he’d climbed into bed or made her strip either. It had been strange lying in bed fully clothed, but considering everything else, it paled in significance.

  At some point, she gave in to her exhaustion and drifted into a strange space between awake and asleep. When she woke again, a pale light filtered through the curtains, signalling morning.

  Her arm was dead beneath Kyle’s head, and her bladder was full.

  Cautiously, she pulled to one side, trying to move herself away from him so she could use the bathroom.

  “Where do you think you’re going?”

  His voice was clear and hard, as though he hadn’t been asleep at all.

  She went rigid. “I need to go to the toilet.”

  To her relief, he rolled to one side. “Go on then.”

  She scrambled out of bed, hurried to the bathroom, and closed the door behind her. She exhaled a long breath and closed her eyes, leaning the back of her head against the door.

  His voice came through the wood. “I can’t hear any pissing.”

  She wished there was a lock, but the only locks in this house were the ones on the outside doors and windows.

  “Hurry up. I have plans for us today.”

  Her stomach sank, but she went to the toilet and yanked down her knickers. She sat down heavily on the seat, put her elbows on her knees and her face in her hands. She let go of her bladder, the urine hitting the water beneath, satisfactorily loudly enough to be heard from the other side of the door.

  She finished up and went to the sink. The large blister on her arm was risen and puffy, and she tapped it lightly with her finger and winced. Was it better for blisters to be popped or just left? She wasn’t sure. She ducked her head to see her scalp in the mirror and parted her hair to reveal the spot where he’d pulled out her hair. It was dark and crusted, the blood dried into the surrounding strands.

  Hatred filled her like air in a balloon.

  Fucking bastard.

  Three loud bangs came at the bathroom door. “Time’s up, Natalie. Things to do, places to be.”

  Reluctantly, she left the bathroom. Kyle was standing in the middle of the bedroom, buttoning up a clean shirt.

  “Come on, get changed. You need to appear respectable, and not like you’ve slept in your clothes.”

  She scowled at him. “Where are we going?”

  “We’re going on a road trip.”

  She looked up at him, untrusting. “I don’t want to go anywhere with you.”

  “Stop talking such nonsense. It’s Saturday, which means it’s the weekend, and what is it you always do at the weekend?”

  Her stomach plummeted, in freefall. “No, please. You said you’d leave them alone if I did what you wanted.”

  He tutted and shook his head. “Now, now, Natalie. What do you take me for? We’re only visiting.”

  She clamped her lips together so she didn’t tell him exactly what she took him for.

  “Besides, I’m doing this for them,” he continued. “They’d worry about you if you didn’t do your usual visit, and of course, I’m sure they’ll both be delighted that you’ve brought me along, too. It’ll make them feel so much better that their little Natalie finally has a real relationship. They won’t have to worry about you so much anymore, and you know you’ve always been a bit of a worry for them. So withdrawn and unsociable. Nothing like your brother was, though that’s understandable considering you didn’t actually share any genes with him.” His expression brightened. “We could even tell them about us moving in together. I bet they’ll be thrilled. I’ll make sure they know how much safer my area is than where your flat is. Do you think they’d have heard about that tragic incident with your neighbours? I bet they’d have had a few sleepless nights knowing that their daughter was living in a place where something so terrible could happen.”

  She gritted her teeth. “I can phone them and tell them I’ve picked up a bug and I can’t make it down this weekend. They’ll understand.”

  He flapped a hand. “Don’t be silly. Why would we want to do that? I’ve been looking forward to seeing them again.”

  “Please, you don’t have to do this. I’ll do whatever you want, just leave them out of it.”

  “But going to see your parents is what I want. I envy you of that, Nat. However fucked up your home life is, they really do love you.”

  “I’m sure your parents loved you, too, before they died.” She was grasping at straws. She had no idea if they’d loved him or not.

  He pressed his lips together and shook his head. “Maybe they did, in their own way, but mostly they were just frightened of me. They had every right to be, of course.”

  She didn’t want to know why his parents would have been frightened of him. She was already terrified herself, without finding out what he might be capable of. But maybe she should. She’d told herself she needed to find out more about him, so that she would have the same kind of hold that he had over her, but then she was too scared to ask questions.

  “I need some different clothes,” she said, changing the subject. “Am I allowed five minutes?”

  “Fine. I’ll wait for you downstairs.”

  He left the room, and she shut the door behind him. She wanted to refuse to go with him, but it wouldn’t make any difference. He would still go, and did she really want him travelling down to her parents’ house without her? No, that was the last thing she wanted. It would only give him the opportunity to tell them what she’d done. She needed to play along for the moment and hope something happened that would give her a way out.

  The only clean clothes she had in the house were the frumpy ones Kyle had bought her. Knowing her mother would question what she was wearing, she chose the outfit that she thought she was most likely to get away with—a pair of slim-cut black trousers and a floral blouse—and then went back to the bathroom to tie up her hair and brush her teeth.

  In the mirror, her face was puffy from lack of sleep, dark lines beneath her bloodshot eyes. She had a little makeup she could use to hide how bad she looked, but it was downstairs in her handbag. She’d need to put some on in the car on the way down, or her mother was going to ask what was wrong right away. If that happened, she didn’t know how well she’d be able to hold it together, especially with Kyle standing beside her.

  Natalie left the bathroom and went downstairs. Kyle was already waiting for her at the front door. Her stomach gurgled, and acid rose to the back of her throat. She was starving and could have done with a cup of tea, but Kyle didn’t look as though he had any intention of waiting for her to have some breakfast.

  He opened the door and gestured for her to go out to the car. She put her head down and brushed past him, her skin prickling in horror at having him so close. She felt herself shrink inwards, trying to make herself smaller, though she knew it wouldn’t make any difference.

  Kyle locked the door and joined her at the car, hitting the button on the keyring fob, the alarm beeping.

  He got behind the wheel, and she opened her side and slid into the seat beside him. She strapped herself into the passenger seat and then retrieved her pressed powder and blusher from her handbag so she didn’t look like such a fright. He started the engine and reversed out of the drive. She leaned her head against to the passenger window, gazing out at all the other properties in the close, wondering if a
ny of them had any idea that not everything was right in one of their neighbours’ houses.

  Kyle drove through the area and out onto the motorway. It was a familiar route—one she’d taken herself every weekend since she’d moved to Bristol.

  She sat in a coiled knot of tension as he drove.

  They were approaching eighty miles an hour. If she grabbed the wheel and turned it, she could flip them both right off the road.

  It would solve all her problems if they both died. Her parents would grieve—they’d be absolutely devastated—but it would just look like an accident. They’d never have to find out the truth about the two people they’d raised, or about the man they’d invited into their home.

  But what if he didn’t die? What if he was fine, and she ended up seriously injured? She could lose her chance to escape from him and might even become completely dependent on him. What if she lost her ability to communicate so she’d be at his mercy forever? There were too many possible nightmarish options to risk it.

  Instead, they drove in silence, and the closer they got to her parents’, the tighter the knot of anxiety wound inside her. All she wanted was to protect them, and instead she was bringing this man into their lives. She had no other option. If she didn’t do what he wanted, he’d tell them the truth.

  It seemed like no time at all had passed when she found them pulling up outside her family home.

  “Here we are,” Kyle announced. “Now behave yourself, Natalie. Don’t try anything stupid.”

  “What do you want from them?”

  He threw her a cold smile. “Just some quality family time. Remind you what’s at stake.”

  She swallowed hard and nodded.

  “Now smile,” he told her, opening the driver’s door.

  She got out and stood beside him on the front doorstep, schooling her features into the requested smile.

  Her mother answered the door before they’d managed to ring the bell. Cynthia always had half an eye on who was coming and going in the road.

  “Natalie! And Kyle, too. How lovely. I wasn’t expecting you.”

  “I always come and visit on the weekend, Mum.”

  “Yes, but you normally call first to let me know what day you can make it.”

  She tried to take a step away, but Kyle’s palm flat against her spine held her in place. “We can always come back,” she said. “I mean, if it’s not a good time.”

  “No, no.” Cynthia flapped her hands. “I wouldn’t dream of sending you away, especially not after you’ve come so far to see us.” She shouted out to Natalie’s father, “Glenn! Natalie’s here, and she’s brought her young man with her again.”

  Natalie shrivelled up inside.

  “Actually, love, it’s good you’re here.” Cynthia gave her a tight smile. “There is something your father and I need to talk to you about.”

  A fresh trickle of worry went through her. She didn’t like the sound of that.

  Kyle smiled between them. “Shall I put the kettle on and give you some space?”

  “Yes, thank you,” Cynthia said with a smile. “That would be wonderful.”

  “Don’t worry.” He directed his words at Natalie. “I’ll be careful with the boiling water.” And he threw her a wink.

  It wasn’t a wink, though, it was a warning, and she automatically put her hand over the spot on her arm where the blisters had formed. She’d deliberately worn a long-sleeved top to hide the injury, even though her skin still felt like it was burning beneath the cloth. The rest of her was ice-cold, however, and it took every ounce of strength she had to stop herself shivering.

  She followed her mother into the living room. Her dad was sitting in his usual spot, but he seemed even paler than the last time she’d seen him.

  He gave her a smile. “Hello, love. This is a nice surprise.”

  “How are you, Dad?” She went over and kissed his bristly cheek, doing her best to hold back tears.

  “Oh, you know,” he replied. “So-so.”

  She frowned. “Only so-so?” She was aware of her mother’s tight smile and the way she wrung her hands. “What’s going on?”

  Cynthia sighed and sank onto the edge of the sofa. “Your father went to see a cardiology consultant this week.”

  Natalie frowned. “Cardiology? What’s that for? Hearts?”

  “Yes, that’s right. He’s had some tests done, and I’m afraid it’s not good news.”

  A pit of dread wedged heavily in her chest. “What do you mean?”

  “Your dad has a problem with the valves in his heart. It’s why he’s been so tired and breathless recently. His heart isn’t pumping enough blood around his body.”

  “So, what are they going to do? They can fix it, can’t they?”

  Her dad reached out and squeezed the back of her hand. “Yes, sweetheart. They’re going to do their best. It’s going to need an operation, though.”

  She widened her eyes. “An operation? You’re almost seventy years old. Is that even safe?”

  “Of course it’s safe,” Cynthia said. “And seventy isn’t exactly old anymore, love. I know it might seem it to you, but trust me, when you start approaching this age, it doesn’t feel it.”

  “Hey, I’m not seventy until next year anyway,” her dad protested, which sent him into a coughing fit.

  His coughing worried her even more, and when he finally got ahold of himself, he was wheezing.

  “Is there a date for the operation?” she asked.

  With this devastating news, she’d almost forgotten about her own nightmare situation, and the man who was still in her parents’ kitchen, going about making them all a cup of tea. She could never let Kyle tell them the truth, especially not now. How would her dad cope with that terrible piece of information when he already had a bad heart?

  Another thought occurred to her. Had Kyle already known her dad wasn’t well? Was that why he’d chosen this time to come into her life? Maybe before now, he’d thought she might have taken the risk and let him tell her parents, but now her dad was sick, she would do everything in her power to protect him. It had been his way of upping the stakes.

  What if he died and the last thing he was thinking was that his only son had been trying to abuse his adopted daughter, and the accident they’d grieved over all these years was actually because she’d murdered him?

  Tears filled her eyes, and she ducked her head, not wanting her parents to see.

  Her mother assumed her tears were purely because of this news. “Oh, honey. It’s okay. Everything will be all right. We have to stay positive.”

  She sniffed and nodded. “I know. Sorry.”

  “Don’t be sorry. At least you’ve got Kyle to support you now.”

  “Did I hear my name mentioned?”

  Kyle’s form filled the living room doorway. In his hands was a tray containing several mugs, a teapot, and a small jug of milk. He flashed his dazzling smile, exposing his perfect teeth, and the image of her launching out of her seat and punching him in the mouth filled her head so powerfully that she had to grind her heels into the carpet and bunch her fists together to stop herself doing exactly that.

  “Oh, yes.” Cynthia rose to relieve Kyle of the tray and set it down on the coffee table. “I’m afraid Natalie’s just had some bad news about her dad’s health.”

  “A heart issue, is that right?” He threw an apologetic glance to her dad. “Sorry, the walls are thin.”

  Glenn cleared his throat. “Yes, that’s right.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that.” Kyle reached out to Natalie to take her hand. She did her best not to flinch at his touch. “And have you had the date for the operation yet?”

  “No. The consultant said it’ll come out in the post to us.”

  “Well, hopefully they won’t keep you waiting too long.”

  “I certainly hope not, though the government have just brought in all these waiting list things, so we’ll have to see.”

  “I’m sure it won’t be too long,
Glenn,” Kyle said.

  God, he was good. He seemed completely calm and concerned, all in the right amount. It was as though he could conjure up whatever character he wanted to be and just run with it. Of course, now she could at least pass off the reason why she was decidedly less serene on the fact she was upset about the news about her dad.

  What did he even want with coming here? The only thing she could think of was the news about her dad. He must have known.

  “Are you okay, love?” her mother asked.

  Natalie forced a smile and nodded. “Yes, I’m okay. Just getting my head around things.”

  Cynthia reached out and patted her on the leg. “At least we can feel better knowing that you’re not on your own in Bristol anymore. I heard about that young couple being murdered up there. Terrible business.”

  The news had clearly reached Devon, but it seemed her mother hadn’t realised just how close Natalie had been to where the incident had happened.

  “No, she’s not,” Kyle agreed. He threw Natalie a wide, indulgent smile. “Now she’s got me to take care of her.”

  Chapter Twenty-five

  They drove back up to Bristol in silence.

  A new weight sat heavy on Natalie’s heart. What if her dad didn’t make it to surgery? What if she got the phone call one day to say he’d had a massive heart attack or had died in his sleep? Though technically it could happen to anyone at any time, knowing there was an actual problem made it all the more likely.

  Her anger at the man sitting next to her grew with every mile they covered. She shouldn’t be sitting here now. She should be staying with her parents and taking care of them, not going back to Bristol to succumb to the whims of this fucking bastard.

  But as much as she wanted to speak up and tell him exactly what she thought, she was scared of him. The blisters on her arm continued to sting, as though they were still burning, and the wound on her scalp throbbed. And those were only small things. He hadn’t admitted that he’d murdered her neighbours, but she had a strong feeling he was responsible. If he was capable of killing an innocent couple he barely knew, she was sure he was more than capable of killing her as well.