by Dawn Kirby
Music filled my ears. His head jerked toward the front door. Drew! I’ve never been so relieved to hear that racket in all my life. JD and the redhead decided it wasn’t the time to confront me and quickly made for the door. On the verge of tears, I collapsed onto the counter, shaking.
When his car finally drove away a wave of relief washed over me. I practically melted into the chair behind me. Right then and there I decided the blinds would always be up at night. Next time, I wanted to see danger before it walked through the door.
A sight to behold stepped inside a few minutes later. Carrying two bags from Sonic in one hand and two Cokes cradled in the other, Drew stumbled through the door. Her normally perfect hair was tousled this way and that. Eyeliner that once graced her eyelid was smeared, leaving a gradually fading charcoal trail down her cheek. Only one side of her shirt was still tucked in and both shoes had come untied.
“What did JD want?” she asked, handing me my food. She dropped her purse on the counter, sitting her dinner down beside it. “He’s the last person I expected to see in here.”
“You know him?” I asked, not even trying to hide the disgust in my voice.
“Not personally. He is a friend of Mark’s,” she said defensively. After she guided her hair back into place with the aid of the front window and tied her shoes, she pulled up a spare stool beside me. “He does a little work for a few of his daddy’s clients on the side.”
“Well, I don’t like him at all,” I said flatly.
“Geez Leah, you barely met the guy. What happened to your ‘give everybody a chance’ attitude?”
“After being threatened, called a liar and a bitch I think it’s safe to say he’s not a very nice guy.”
“Good Lord, you’re shaking,” she said, finally noticing my trembling hands. “What in the world did he want?”
I told her everything. Mom’s warning to me, the one-sided phone call I’d overheard, ending with a reiteration of my conversation with JD. His questions wouldn’t have made sense otherwise. By the time I finished, she was glad to concur with my initial opinion of the man. He was in fact an ass.
“If this does have something to do with your dad, why did this guy wait so long to come after you? I mean, if it was that important surely they would have started looking earlier. It would have been a lot easier to take a little kid.”
“I thought about that too, but my dad didn’t know about me when he disappeared. Maybe they somehow found out he had a kid.”
“Honey, it still doesn’t make any sense. They already got him, why would they need you?”
“Dunno,” I admitted. “This whole thing doesn’t make sense and you know as well as I do Mom’s not gonna give me anymore info until she’s ready.”
“Yeah, Mia’s a pro when it comes to being elusive,” Drew agreed. “That woman missed her calling. She could’ve been a great CIA Agent.”
“Only if she happened to be the one in charge,” I pointed out.
“True,” Drew said, nodding her head. “She does have a thing about being in control at all times. She’d probably have a GPS locator implanted in every badge she could get her hands on.”
“Speaking of. What took you so long anyway?” I asked, glancing up at the clock.
“Dad called right after I left. He offered to foot the bill for Spring Break. Unfortunately for me that wasn’t all he had on his mind,” she said, rolling her eyes. “He and Mom are going to San Antonio for the weekend so I got stuck with Rufus. I get to bunk with him for the next three days. You know, I had to get the food twice? Damn dog ate everything when I picked him up!”
“You might need to rent out another apartment just for him,” I snickered. Hers was a one bedroom and this particular Bull Mastiff needed his own zip code.
“You’re not kidding,” she groaned. “Why couldn’t he just get a poodle or something? At least when they want to sit in your lap, they fit.”
A mental picture of a one hundred and sixty plus pound dog sitting on Drew’s lap popped into my mind- paws on the floor, butt on her legs.
“Next time he does that, I want a picture.”
“Eat your food,” Drew said, cocking her eyebrow slightly. “We still need to close up.”
I popped the last French fry in my mouth and finished up the closing chores, gathering up the trash as I went. I put the bags by the back door so I could take it out when I left for the night. One trip out was better than two or three. When everything was done I went up front to let Drew out and lock up.
“Oh, I forgot to tell Mia. I’m not coming in tomorrow,” she said, unlocking the car door with her key. “I’ve got a big test to study for. If I hit the books all morning, come three o’clock I should be able to pass it with no problem.”
“Why doesn’t your professor just wait until next week?” It would be the week before a vacation. All the teachers I’ve ever had loved to test during those times.
“If I pass, I don’t have to go back to class until after the break.”
“Good luck.”
“Thanks, I’m gonna need it,” she said. “See you later!”
Closing the door, I turned the dead bolt, securing the front further by lowering the blinds on the door.
A cool breeze delicately kissed my skin when I opened up the back door. The gentle rush of fresh, night air gave me goose bumps. For a minute I stood in the doorway taking it all in. Nighttime has always been so calm and soothing to me. Nocturnal noises like crickets chirping, owls hooting softly, field mice running from one place to another spook most people, but to me they are a soothing lullaby.
Tonight though, there weren’t any noises. Not one chirping cricket. How strange? A weird, eerie feeling ran through me, making the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Every last sense went into overdrive. Especially my eyesight. Darkness may as well be my light.
My eyes fell on a white dog at the other end of the lot. Relief triggered a nervous laugh. It must have been his presence that scared everything into hiding. I picked up the deposit bag and grabbed the trash sacks. After one last look around the small parking area, I closed the door behind me. Pushing the door shut with my foot, I waited to hear the click of the automatic lock. Not a second after the lock engaged, the uneasy feeling of being watched came over me for a second time.
I quickly scanned the lot and the alley that ran beside it for some sign of life, but came up empty save the dog. Since my sight didn’t find anything, I inhaled deeply and concentrated on the air. The only thing I got out of it was a nose full of trash and a heavy dose of canine testosterone.
Cautiously, I walked to the dumpster and tossed the trash inside. After having such a creepy feeling invade my sense of peace I expected a cat or something to jump out at me when I dropped the bag inside. As soon as the sacks left my hand, I bolted across the parking lot to my car. Mom’s Ford Escape was my only obstacle. I slid into my Shelby Mustang and quickly locked the door behind me. It took all of two seconds to decide to let the deposit wait until tomorrow. The bank wasn’t going anywhere, and all I wanted was to get to the safety and security of home.
The drive only took about twenty minutes. Weatherford is far from a big town. Getting around at night is no trouble at all. We don’t have the same kind of traffic our busy neighbors do. By the time I turned onto our driveway peace had settled within me once again.
Before retreating inside I leaned on the bumper of my car for a while listening to the noises around me. This is what nighttime should sound like- crickets chirping, wind chimes chiming, an owl hooting in a tree across the street. Down the street a black dog pawed at the ground in front of our neighbor’s house. There were even some cats rummaging around in the garbage dumpster in the alley behind the back yard.
“Sorry guys,” I said quietly into the air around me. All they were going to find in there were a few fast food wrappers and a gold mine of coffee grounds.
I grabbed my purse, along with the deposit bag out of the front seat when I heard the loud cla
moring of a motor, and headed for the front door. In this neighborhood nobody would hesitate to stop and chat no matter the time. I wasn’t in the mood for small talk, not tonight. Once inside the house, I locked up my car with the remote on my key ring, and shut the heavy front door behind me as the headlights of the car lit up our street.
I tossed the moneybag on the kitchen table and climbed the stairs. As soon as I stepped through my bedroom door I kicked off my shoes. Shortly after, my purse found a home in the corner; a trail of clothes followed me into the adjoining bathroom.
The shower felt wonderful. Every bad vibe I’d felt all night washed down the drain. Hot water always makes me feel better. So much so I haven’t added cold since I started bathing myself. In fact, the cold knob didn’t even turn anymore.
Mom doesn’t know about my love for heat. It isn’t the same as seeing a haze or smelling people. Revealing it would likely scare her and I’d find myself sitting in an exam room in some specialist’s office. Tolerating that much heat without being scorched just isn’t normal.
After every last drop of hot water was gone, I got out of the shower. I was so relaxed I didn’t even bother drying off. Between my scalding hot skin and the towel, I dried off pretty quickly. That saved me time to work the tangles out of my waist length brown hair and brush my teeth.
A strange car parked in the driveway up the street caught my attention as I walked past my bedroom window. It must have been the headlights I’d seen earlier. I’d never seen it before, but the old truck was right up my neighbor’s son’s alley. He and his father were always in the middle of one restoration project or another. Knowing him, he’d probably decided to stay the night instead of driving back to Dallas after checking up on his vacationing parents’ house. It was late, and even at this late hour traffic there would probably be terrible. I smiled when I heard a loud crash come out of their backyard. Even before the porch light turned on I could see the cats dart away from the house in every direction. They must have met the dog.
I crawled into bed and pulled the covers up over me. As soon as I snuggled into my pillow, my eyes shut. Thanks to an incredibly hot shower and an exhausting day, sleep wouldn’t be hard to find.
Chapter Three
Around one o’clock in the morning I woke to the sound of Mom’s car pulling into the driveway. Right on time. I listened to the familiar sound of her heartbeat as she got out of her car and walked towards the door. As I rolled over to go back to sleep I was shocked to hear another car drive up. My eyes shot open. She always comes home alone.
I kicked the covers off and hurried to the window, pleasantly surprised see that David had followed her home. My eyes fixed on him for a few seconds, watching his long, bulky body unfold out of the front seat of a pearl colored four-door Lexus. For an accountant it was the perfect car. For a man of his size it just looked awkward. I’d expected a truck or a SUV, something a little bigger at least. Then again, the Lexus definitely made the right kind of impression.
When they walked into the house, I gladly crawled back in bed. It was nice to see her take a real step towards a relationship. David being here was huge. For as long as I could remember there were only a handful of people who had stepped through our front door. Come to think of it, Drew and her parents were the only visitors we’ve ever had outside a few repairmen.
“You know I’m proud of her,” David was saying as the front door closed behind them. “I always have been.”
Several footsteps followed and I knew they had entered the kitchen.
“I know,” Mom replied. I heard the coffee pot turn on. “But I want what’s best for her.”
“Forcing her out of the store won’t help, Mia. If anything it’ll make her resent you.” I said a silent thank you to him as I sat up to listen. “You’ve done a wonderful job raising her and I don’t want to see the two of you at odds over something that can’t be helped.” A masculine sigh filled the air. “I’m so sorry you’ve had to raise her alone all these years.”
“I didn’t do it alone,” Mom shot back defensively. Um, last time I checked, she did. “You know that better than anyone.”
“I’ve done what I’ve been paid to do. What you’ve paid me to do,” he said to her. “I’ve looked out for the two of you financially. That’s all. You’ve done the rest.”
“How do we keep her safe, David?” Mom asked impatiently. I knew that tone far too well. “I’m sure that woman has already told someone.”
“We don’t know whom she’s gone to or even where she is for that matter,” he told her.
“It’s not enough that she’s already taken so much, now she wants to bring Leah into this mess? I don’t understand where all her hatred comes from.”
“When the time comes, will Leah understand?” he asked her. “This is a lot to take in all at once. Look at how long it took me.”
“She’ll be fine,” Mom assured him. I heard a cup slid across the table. “Leah’s always been pretty open-minded. With her senses, it’s hard not to be. I can only imagine what she has seen and heard already.”
Boy was she right!
“Is it that finely tuned?” he asked. His voice was barely audible even for me.
“If she wasn’t asleep right now she’d be able to hear every word we’re saying.” Mom gave a muffled sigh, as if blowing into her coffee cup. “It’s always been like that. When Leah was younger she wouldn’t go to sleep until I got home. She told me once that hearing my heartbeat helped her sleep.”
“Naturally; you rocked her to sleep when she was a baby. I’m sure it just became familiar,” he said. “Her ear would be right on your chest. Lots of children hold on to things like that.”
“David, I was in my room down here and she was upstairs in hers,” she clarified for him. “I’m pretty sure she can hear every move our next door neighbors make.” I heard a slurp and then a cup hit the table. “What exactly happened? I thought Donovan was keeping her close to him.”
“He has. The only way she could get out was with a key. He and Declan have the only two. You know Declan would rather see her rot than let her out,” David said quickly. “Monday Donovan and I were called away unexpectedly. One of Donovan’s investment properties in Corpus was being demolished and the contractor needed him to go over the contracts for the rebuild. He has a bad habit of waiting until the last minute to get to anything that’s gonna take money out of his pocket.” David told her. “They needed the plans Raine had drawn up anyway so he drove us down to meet with them. Donovan rushed through everything so we could get back as soon as possible,” he explained. “We got back early this morning. When he went in to check on her, she was gone.”
“So who let her out?” Mom asked.
“We really don’t know how she got out. Declan’s key was still in his lockbox. Her door was locked, but all her belongings were gone. Raif has also disappeared, though none of his things are missing.”
“Then he probably did it.” Mom said with complete finality. The sound of a chair scooting across the floor met my ears immediately followed by Mom’s near silent footsteps.
“Donovan thinks she may have done something to Raif after she got out. He’s always had a thing for her. It would have been easy for her to manipulate him with Donovan out of the picture.”
“Will Donovan still help protect her?” Mom asked, her voice trembling. The pacing continued, though her pace slowed slightly.
“He will,” he answered. “And he is furious about the whole situation. If anyone makes a move towards Leah, there will be hell to pay. Between the five of us, we’ll make sure of that.”
“Has Kale been any help?” Mom asked, hope in her voice.
“I know he could be,” David answered. “But even at his age he’s still a pup. You know how easily age, coupled with curiosity, can give into distraction.” Wait…how in the world could a dog help with whatever this is? “His heart’s in it, but he can’t get his mind to slow down long enough to really help.”
“Is ther
e anything Raine can do?”
“I’m sure there is,” he answered dryly. “But Donovan keeps him pretty busy. Lately he only leaves his room to eat.”
“What do we do now?”
“The only thing we can; wait. We are again at her mercy.”
“Only now we know what we’re facing. That’s what scares me the most.”
I’d never heard her sound so defeated before. Pinning down her exact feelings for the mysterious woman they kept referring to was hard. Back at Common Scents worry had taken hold immediately. Then anger. As they spoke downstairs it seemed as if fear was in control, but the thing was she was afraid for me, not herself. She’d said as much at the store.
No, I got the feeling mom hated this woman. And she didn’t hate. If anything, she was the definition of tolerance. It took a lot to bring her to that point. The woman’s name had yet to cross her lips and I had the sneaking suspicion the only way I’d hear it would be if David said it.
Then again, his mentioning her name didn’t seem likely either. He was as worried as Mom seemed to be. After listening to them, it sounded as if she’d been kept locked up in a cage or something. Only now she was out and apparently targeting me.
While I was lost in my own thoughts everything downstairs fell silent. I saw the kitchen light flick off and I know I heard Mom’s bedroom door shut. I hadn’t heard the front door open or David’s car leave for that matter. Surely I’d just missed it.
I got out of bed and went to the window, shocked to see his car still parked behind hers. In a way I was glad he’d decided to stay. She needed someone other than me and for once she wasn’t afraid to admit it.
A slow movement behind his car caught my eye as I turned back towards my bed. Patiently, I waited for whatever it was to come back into view. When it did, I let out a nervous sigh. It was that lonely black dog I’d seen earlier pawing at the ground in our neighbor’s yard. Only now he was sniffing around David’s car. As I stood at my window watching him move methodically around David’s car, I wondered what he found so interesting. Maybe one of those cats he’d scared off earlier? The determination in his step was impressive, if not unsettling. Dogs, as far as I knew didn’t hunt like this. First, he sniffed the ground around David’s car and then he sniffed at the car itself. It wasn’t quick either. The dog took his time smelling every inch of the car. His main focus was clearly on the driver’s side.
