Beautiful Collision

by T. G. Ayer

"You're awake?" she states as if that's not obvious enough. Then she glances at me, "I thought I told you not to disturb him?" She has her hands on her hips, her stance and her expression equally threatening.

  "I woke up when the detective came in to question me," said Thane in an effort to save my bacon.

  It works because the next thing we know she's barreling out of the room, mumbling about no one ever listening to anything she says and she's not going to let it ever be said that she didn't run a tight ship.

  When she is gone Thane chuckles and I even offer a small giggle. A little difficult to be amused when the woman scares the hell out of me.

  "So you were asking me if I needed anything?" Thane asks and when I nod he says, "My cell phone." When I frown he points at the brown paper bag that holds his belongings. I hurry over and only find bloody jeans and teeshirt, an odorific pair of sneakers and nothing else.

  When I shake my head he says, "It must be at your apartment. It must have fallen at some point."

  I smile and pat his arm. "I'll go home and fetch it. I need to check on the place anyway." I wonder what the apartment will look like if the cops declare it a crime scene. I could ask Kate or Marcus to look for the phone but I'd rather not have people snooping around my apartment.

  I throw him a wave and a warning to behave before heading to reception to call a cab.

  My mind is a muddle of questions and feelings

  My stomach tightens at the thought because my questions almost always get me in trouble.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Gray

  Six Months Ago

  I was awakened by a strident knock and the sound jerked me into wakefulness. I was blinking at the light as Yuri entered and said, "Nikolai says dinner is in half an hour."

  I nodded. "Thanks," I muttered almost to myself and swung my feet off the bed. Yuri, his face implacable, backed out and left me alone. I scanned the room for a clock, since my phone was out of commission and found one on the bedside table. My eyes widened when I discovered it was just on eight o' clock. With a shock I slid off the bed and hurried to my bag to find a garment appropriate to wear to a dinner which I suspected might be more on the formal side. Nikolai seemed to be the type of person to stand on formalities.

  I picked a dark pink chiffon peasant top with puffy sleeves and teamed it with the floor length black knit skirt I'd worn this morning. I made a face as I studied my reflection in the long closet mirror. It will have to do. I was ready to face Nikolai despite the lack of makeup on my damaged face.

  Yuri delivered me to the dining room and placed me in a seat beside Nikolai. He waited only to push my chair in and then left silently, not even his heels making a sound on the white tiled floor. Nikolai sat at the end of a long marble table who's legs resembled Roman columns and whose surface was etched with specks of gold.

  A small chandelier hung above the center of the table, the soft light of which shone on the arrangement of white lilies below. Again, and as with the rest of the house, I saw elegance and style and glamor. To a certain extent I liked it but it was a house in which you watched what you did, where you walked, and how you sat. It was not a home. Not from what I could tell.

  Nikolai's voice broke through my thoughts. "I trust you have had a good rest?" he asked as the door behind him swung open and the waif-girl, Ilya, walked in bearing a plate in each hand. She placed them one at a time in front of us giving Nikolai a few nervous glances before scurrying away.

  I watched her go wondering why everyone was so afraid of this man. What had he done to instill this kind of fear even in the people who work for him?

  I looked up and he was watching me, waiting for an answer to his question. "I'm well, thank you." I cleared my throat, deciding now was as good a time as any. "So, tomorrow. Can you have your men drop me off? I have a few things to do before I go back to school."

  He shook his head. "I'm afraid that is not possible."

  My eyes widened as my heart smacked against my ribs. "What do you mean? Are you holding me prisoner or something?" I asked, my tone cold and snappy.

  "Not at all, my dear. It is just that with Anthony on the loose I cannot guarantee you will be safe." He sighed and sat back, staring at his plate as if contemplating the point of the lemon sorbet starter.

  I leaned forward. "What do you mean 'on the loose'? I thought Anthony had to work off his debt to you."

  He nodded then spooned a little bit of the lemony ice into his mouth. "Yuri was taking him to a place for the night and Anthony made a run for it."

  I was confused. "And you don't know where he is?" I couldn't believe it. Anthony had managed to get away from Yuri. A guy that knocked him unconscious with one blow. I shook my head.

  Nikolai cleared his throat.Then he sighed as he finished his sorbet and wiped his mouth. My dish sat in front of me, untouched and beginning to soften at the edges. "I'm afraid Anthony is out there somewhere. Yuri says he threatened your life, swearing he'd find you and make you pay."

  "Pay for what? For not selling myself to pay his debt off?"

  "Yes. I believe that is what he is thinking. I also believe Anthony thinks he can go out there and find a way to make the money on his own. Even though he has a very bad work ethic, he somehow has a lot of pride." Nikolai had pretty much nailed it where my brother was concerned. "So my dear, I have decided to offer you the hospitality of my home and my family. Your safety is important to me."

  I frowned. "But why? You don't even know me..."

  "Because Anthony put you in danger while in my employ. And now he is threatening your safety. My only course of action is to take you under my wing and protect you from him. You will be safe here."

  I'm still not convinced. Shaking my head again, I said, "I'm not sure that's the best way, I have friends who will take me in."

  "Not if they know that your brother might also be a danger to their family. Nobody, no matter how much they care about you, will put your safety before that of their own family's."

  "And yet here you are, offering what nobody else will?" I asked, calmly keeping my eyes on his inscrutable face.

  He merely nodded and shifted in his seat while Ilya returned to place the second course before him. The combination of her white shirt and black apron only served to highlight her emaciated face. When she reached me she hesitated, then moved my melting sorbet out of the way to make space for my plate. It was grilled fish swimming in garlic butter and topped with capers. Now, I was hungry and I couldn't deny it any longer.

  "I have the means to supply you with a safe and secure environment, one in which you will be able to complete your studies without worrying about rent or utilities or any other expenses that teenagers should not be responsible for. Too many people in your situation end up on the street, making money with their bodies. And that, I do not want for you, my dear." He smiled then placed a forkful of fish in his mouth, savoring the flavor as he chewed.

  It was strange watching this man while he ate. A strange and odd feeling.

  "And how long do I stay here?" I asked. I'd wanted to ask how long I'd have to stay here, but that would have sounded ungrateful considering how kind he'd been so far.

  "As long as you need to. You are without a guardian until your eighteenth birthday. So I suggest completing your studies, and then making a decision after your birthday when you are no longer a minor."

  I nodded slowly and chewed the fish which turned out to be buttery soft and rich. "And then I can leave?" I asked, still watching him. There is something about this whole arrangement that was making my suspicion sensors go nuts.

  "Of course, my dear. We are not holding you here. I just want to ensure that you remain safe until Anthony's situation has been sorted out."

  "Okay. Until Anthony is sorted out then." I tilted my head to study Nikolai's face. "How will you make him pay off his debt?" I was curious. What was this man involved in? "What type of business are you in?" I asked, now quite eager for the answer.

  "Imports and expor
ts," he said with a small smile.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Gray

  During the cab ride, my thoughts remained on Nikolai and how he'd welcomed me into his home. Now, of course, I know better what his intentions were. I rub my wrist and fiddle with the leather cuff.

  I arrive back at the apartment within ten minutes, and tell the cabdriver to wait for me. While he grumbled I raced from the car and entered the building, banging hard at Kate's door.

  I am halfway up the stairs when she opens up, staring at me through sleepy eyes, hair all mussed. I'd forgotten how early in the morning it was. "What's happening?" she asks, her voice scratchy.

  "I need you to make sure the cab doesn't disappear on me."

  "Why?"

  "'Cos I'm just going to grab a few things before heading back to the hospital."

  "Don't be stupid." Kate is glaring at me.

  "What?" I'm wondering what it is I've done to justify the name calling.

  "Have you, in the last few hours, even looked at yourself in the mirror?" she asks, impatience in her tone.

  "Er...not exactly," I confess.

  "How about doing it now while I go tell the nice cabdriver to get lost."

  "Hey, what are you doing?" I yell at her as I shove my key into the lock.

  "Shut up and go find a mirror." She throws the words over her shoulder as she heads outside.

  I raise an eyebrow. "Someone didn't get their coffee this morning," I grumble as I enter the apartment and go to the hall mirror.

  I am still standing there, staring at my reflection, when Kate walks in and closes the door behind her. She leans against it as says, "No matter what you may think, this look is not going to take off."

  I snort. My face is streaked with reddish brown stains, and so is my hair. Must have been the blood transferred from my hands. I glance down and see my red-stained fingers, palms and nails caked with Thane's blood.

  "I think you need to explain to me what exactly happened. I'm dying of curiosity here."

  At first I'm hesitant to tell her anything. I shrug and say, "It's not as bad as it looks."

  She folds her arms. "I call bullshit." Her eyes are sparking with annoyance and also with concern, so I give in.

  "Fine. Thane came over to visit and we heard noises like someone was in the apartment. When he went to check, the guy shot him." I deliberately leave out the part about Thane shooting the intruder first.

  "Is that when this Thane guy shot the intruder?" she asks raising an eyebrow. Clearly she is well informed.

  "Yeah." I head to my bedroom, walking along the opposite side of the dining table as far away from the bloody scene as I can. I rummage in the closet to pull out clean clothes.

  "The police came by. They took a bunch of pictures and fingerprinted the place too."

  My hands still, my fingers curling around the fabric of my tee. Good thing they didn't make the place a crime scene or I wouldn't have been able to stay. I grab a pair of clean jeans and slip out of my sneakers.

  Kate doesn't look like she is going anywhere. In fact, she plants herself on my bed so I silence a sigh, grab underwear and head into the shower.

  I turn the water on as hot as I can and scrub myself head to toe. It's not as if I'm disgusted by Thane's blood. More that I feel exposed and vulnerable having had two people enter my apartment using two different access points within minutes of each other.

  I shiver, despite the heat of the water. At last, I'm done and I look around then stop short.

  "Fudge."

  "Fudge, what?" Kate asks as she pops her head into the bathroom, slightly amused.

  I sigh as I peep around the shower door, annoyed that I hadn't remembered. "I used all my towels trying to stop Thane from bleeding to death."

  She giggles. "Hang on, I'll fetch some. I won't be a second." Then she's gone and I turn the shower on to keep from shivering to death.

  "My keys are on the counter," I yell out as she clatters to the door.

  "Don't worry, I'll be right back."

  "Kate," I call out, my voice urgent and a little scared. "The intruder got in through the front door."

  Then she's back, tapping on the shower door. When I pop my head out I see Kate staring at my face in shock. "You're messing with me right?" Her expression was telling me to please confess that it's all a joke.

  I shake my head. "I wouldn't do that. So please take my keys and lock the door. I'll be in here so be quick." My thoughts were on the possibility of getting caught by the intruder while in my birthday suit. Not something that appealed to me in the slightest.

  "Okay. You stay right there. I'll be back in no time." Her face is a mess of emotions, fear, concern, disbelief. Then she's gone and I can hear her locking the front door. Less than five minutes later I hear someone at the door again.

  "It's me," Kate yells and I'm so grateful. If she hadn't called out I would have imagined the intruder coming back to murder me in the shower.

  When Kate comes into the bathroom, her heels tapping the wood floor, I'm so relieved that my knees quiver. She throws the towel over the shower door and heads to the bedroom leaving me to dry off.

  I'm grateful for Kate now, more than I've ever been for a friend, but I'm still hesitant to be totally honest with her. It's for her protection too and I have to ensure she is never seen as a threat. But now I'm worried. She's becoming so familiar, so comfortable in my life that I'm afraid she's already made herself a target and I've just let it happen.

  My plan had been to stay aloof. To not get involved with anyone until I am sure I'm home free. Even though it had seemed like I was, the intruder had proved me wrong. Why would anyone break into my apartment, armed, and not intent on killing me? Or at best taking me away at gunpoint?

  By that I have to conclude that Thane had actually saved my life.

  But what had he been doing in my apartment anyway? I shake my head, saving all those questions for the green-eyed guy himself.

  I enter the room to find Kate paging through one of my art textbooks. As I pull on my jeans she says, "Interesting sketch you have in your little studio." She is grinning at the textbook when I snap my gaze to her as I button my jeans.

  As I grab the bright yellow tee I try to keep my face neutral, already knowing it's pointless as my cheeks redden. "Yeah, just practicing my technique."

  "Is that so?" she asks, the look on her face telling me she has other ideas.

  I just grunt and finish dressing. The heat of the shower has relaxed me a little and I sink onto the bed feeling exhaustion begin to pull at me. "What a night," I say, sighing softly.

  "Did you get any sleep?" Kate asks finally looking up at my face.

  I shake my head. "There wasn't anywhere to sleep. Besides, things were a bit hectic."

  Kate nods. "I can imagine. You look terrible."

  I make a face as I run my fingers through my wet hair. "Thanks," I say dryly.

  "I'm serious. You should try to nap. I'll make you something to eat." She pauses and looks at me with a gentle smile. "How about you come to my place? The sun's in my bedroom and you could take a nice nap."

  I know what she really means. I don't have to stay in my apartment alone and for some reason I grab onto her suggestion as if it is a lifeline.

  "Sure," I say, keeping my relief toned down.

  I make a mental note to speak to Marcus about changing my locks and maybe putting in a deadbolt but then I wonder what purpose that would serve because it is clear to me that Thane did not enter through the front door.

  Suddenly, I'm sitting up and pushing off the bed. I almost run to the window and shove the drapes aside to reveal the wide open window. There are scuff marks on the sill and grains of sand on the floor below. This was Thane's entry point.

  "Shit, is that the way he got in?"

  I glance back at her and say, "No. I just remembered I'd left the window open. The intruder came in through the front door."

  "Oh, yeah. Okay. Let's get you out of here and
downstairs. Do you want to take anything with you? Does your friend need anything?"

  I shake my head then shut the window and face Kate making something up on the spot. "He's got his buddies bringing him clothes for when they discharge him. I just came home to check the apartment and change."

  Kate nods and studies me, her expression as if she's impressed with me. "So can you explain to me how you managed to find yourself a major hottie when you've only been in Santa Barbara for a few days?"

  "I've been wondering that myself." I laugh and the sound of mirth is hollow. "The truth is we bumped into each other right before I registered. He was also registering and we just hit it off." I force myself to embellish as I speak. Kate wants a relationship and I have to give her one.

  Then I head out of the room with Kate in tow and give the apartment a quick check. In the studio I stare at the drawing of Thane on the easel, then quickly flip it over to reveal a clean sheet, tucking the drawing of my second intruder safely out of sight. What had possessed me to draw such an image of him anyway? I sigh. At least the cops wouldn't doubt we were in a relationship, considering the drawing.

  I slow my steps as I walk through the kitchen and Kate heads past me to the front door. "Hey, just give me a sec, I'll meet you downstairs. I need to find my phone," I say.

  "Don't be long," she sings as she hurries out the door.

  As soon as she leaves I shut the door and scurry to the drawer I'd used to hide the gun. I'm thankful to see it's still there. I pick it out and head to my bedroom where I stow the gun inside one of my Goth boots and cover it with a crumpled up sock. Anyone looking would see black boots, each with a used sock stuffed into it.

  Done hiding the gun, I search the apartment for Thane's phone and find it under the bookshelf. It's sitting on top of my makeshift floor safe, which leads me to believe that the intruder hadn't found my stash.

  It also makes me wonder what the intruder, not Thane, had been after. Had it been just a random break-in or was he one of Nikolai's men? I shudder at the thought then take a deep breath. There isn't a single reason for me to suspect Nikolai has found me. It has to have been just a random burglary.