by Brenna Lyons
When the screaming started, he tumbled to the floor and tried to kick his way free of the blankets desperately. Keith launched up the stairs two at a time. By the time he threw open her bedroom door, the scream had stopped.
Katie sat on her bed, bathed in the light he had turned on in the hall on the way through. Her hands were on her head, and he could see the hitching rise and fall of her chest. She snapped her head up as the room flooded with light and stared at him in disbelief. Tears were slick on her cheeks, and Keith felt an insurmountable urge to hold her. He moved to the bed and took her in his arms. She was slightly stiff and trembled against his chest.
“You promised,” she protested weakly, making no move to stop what he was doing and sinking into his chest even as she said the words.
“Extenuating circumstances,” he soothed her, running a hand through her hair and kissing the top of her head fondly. “Are you all right?”
Katie nodded. “Sure. I just have nightmares. Didn’t anyone warn you?” she answered dryly.
“Good God. If your father and Michael heard even half that, I understand what shook them.” He tried again to will his heart rate to slow with limited success. “Does that happen to you often?”
“Not usually, but the last few nights have been worse than usual. I can typically hold the scream in.”
He felt her shiver and tightened his arms around her in comfort.
“I’m sorry I scared you,” she offered.
“It’s all right. I’m glad I was here.”
“Me too,” she admitted.
Katie relaxed into his arms, and Keith ran another hand through her hair.
“Whenever you want me to go back to the couch, I’ll go,” he offered without conviction.
In all honesty, he admitted to himself that it was the last thing he wanted to do, but he had promised. Her admission that she was glad he was there for her was more than he had dared hope for. Maybe there was a chance for them after all.
Her arms wrapped around his back and she turned her wet cheek to his bare chest. “I told you I couldn’t keep that promise,” she whispered. “Stay here.”
Keith nodded in relief. “Whatever you want,” he promised. No more than she wants, he reminded himself sternly. Being here does not give you carte blanche. But, reminding himself was hardly necessary. Katie was already falling into a fitful sleep in his arms. Keith eased them both down to the bed and pulled the blanket up to her chin, leaving his shoulders uncovered.
* * *
The warmth of Keith’s arousal invaded her dream, interrupted by the chill he was taking. Katheryn moved up to allow him the ability to get warm, leaving the sweet scented curls of his chest behind and pressing the length of her body to him. Her proximity to him was making Keith’s arousal harder to control. She ran her leg up his in invitation and savored the new wave of warmth that emanated from him.
His interest peaked, sending pleasure through her, and Keith’s daydreams about what he wanted to do to her intensified the sensation until she was pulsing in her need for him in time with his own demanding body. The visions of his urge to run his hand down over her leg, kneading and stroking back up the inside of her thigh danced in her mind.
Then he started talking himself out of it. You promised her. Show some self control or you won’t have her for long. You don’t have permission. You know you don’t. Not after what you said to her earlier. Keith promised her he wouldn’t lay a hand on her without her permission. He wouldn’t do it despite his arousal.
Katheryn smiled in her half-sleep. If permission was what he wanted, he would have it very soon. She kissed him, teasing his lips and enticing him to kiss her with all the passion he was burying deep inside. The tip of her tongue massaged him, sending sparks of pleasure through him.
Keith didn’t stop her, though he didn’t outwardly accept her offer. She could feel his control slipping as she trailed kisses down his neck to his shoulder. His need was raw and hard, and still he made no move on her. Permission. Keith was still waiting for permission after all she had been doing to indicate that she wanted him.
“You have permission,” she whispered against his shoulder as she laid another feather-light kiss.
The change in him took her breath away. Keith groaned and ran his hand down over her leg from hip to knee then caressed up the inner thigh, sending shivers of pleasure through them both. When his fingers slipped past her underwear to stroke her, he groaned in restraint. Keith wanted it slow for her, but slow was the last thing she wanted.
Katheryn arched herself, trapping his hand between the wet depths of herself and his erection. “No, Keith. No holding back. I know you want the same thing I do.”
His breath caught in response. “I don’t want to hurt you. What I want won’t be gentle,” he whispered.
“Good. I don’t want you to be gentle,” she assured him.
He pushed her to the mattress beneath him and captured her mouth. His tongue invaded, giving promise of what he intended for her. Keith possessed her in a way that thrilled and excited her to the core of her being.
His hands found the front of her shirt, and the buttons opened faster than seemed possible. Katheryn wondered if he ripped them off before deciding it wouldn’t matter if he had. In fact, the thought that it was possible and the realization that she might have missed it if Keith had was incredibly erotic.
His mouth moved lower, pulling at the sensitive flesh of her breasts and freeing her mouth for the cry of delight his attentions drew forth from her. Her hands flew to his dress pants, eager to speed him in any way she could. Katheryn bared him to her hand and pulled lightly as Keith’s hands fisted in the sheet on either side of her shoulders. He fought to hold back his response.
“No,” she insisted again. “Don’t stop yourself.” Katheryn pushed his pants down onto his thighs and pulled him to her as she rose to meet him.
Keith fumbled with her panties for just a moment before he ripped them free with a grumbled complaint and a curse. Then his weight was on her and he filled her completely, replacing the aching emptiness inside her with himself. His thrusts came hard and fast, and his mouth and hands seemed to be everywhere at once, claiming all of her for himself.
“Mine,” he demanded close to her ear. “Say you’ll always be mine.”
“Always yours,” Katheryn assured him breathlessly as he nipped at her ear. “Like this. Please.”
“How? Tell me.” He pulled his head back to meet her eyes and stilled deep inside her. Keith rocked back and forth while he waited for her answer.
“Completely for each other. Don’t hold back in giving or in taking. I want all of you, and I want you to take all of me—always.”
“I promise.”
She arched to him as Keith started moving again, even more urgently than before.
“All of me,” he whispered in her ear. “I love you, Katie.”
Katheryn felt the moment when reasoning left him, and his movements became fevered as he cried out his release. The warm explosion within her shattered Katheryn’s senses, and she was lost in the contractions coursing through her as his name left her lips. She came to her senses, shaking in his arms while Keith lay feathery kisses slowly over her face and body.
“All of me,” he whispered again, “only for you.”
“I’ve always loved you,” she confessed, as his head sank to her shoulder, his body curled around hers possessively. “I always will.” No matter how this ends, I always will. She ran her hands through his hair and kissed his forehead, as he dropped off to sleep.
Time. It had always been a game that concerned time. Keith’s tirade wasn’t right—not precisely, but he wasn’t all wrong either. That was the damnedest thing about it. If she had realized earlier, her mother—maybe even Peter and Monica might still be alive. Katheryn wasn’t responsible for the deaths, but she could have stopped them if she knew.
Ty was stronger now. They were still evenly matched, but she could turn the tables if she could
make his ally change sides. The end would be painful, maybe more than she could bear, but getting rid of Tiberius was always painful. There was no other way. If it saved the others, she would do it, even if it meant her death.
Ty tricked her. He tricked everyone, and he cheated death. Katheryn was only five at the time, but she should have figured it out over the intervening years. Now, she had to pray that it wasn’t too late to stop him.
Chapter Thirteen
“If you are losing a tug of war with a tiger, give him the rope before he gets your arm. You can always buy a new rope.” Max Gunther “Readers Digest” Feb 1990
Friday was a dress-down day at work, so Keith decided to wear the sweats and T-shirt he packed for the gym the day before. He never made it to the gym so the clothing was clean. It was more dress down than he typically went, but the kids liked to see him relax once in awhile. Wearing that also meant that he could use the early alarm he set to indulge in another romp with Katie rather than driving to his place for clothing. He could shower and even shave with one of Katie’s disposable razors without going home, and the romp alone was well worth it.
It started with him hoisting Katie over his shoulder and carrying her to the bedroom that he had discovered was hers when she lived in the house. He declared that if he had the libido of an eighteen-year-old, he might as well make love to her like one. It was silly from the get go and it ended with even more giggling as they decided that being adults with king size beds and no parents was preferable to hurried sex in a twin bed. In the end, they finished what they started while Keith got his shower.
On his way out the door, Keith vowed to bring some clothing and toiletries to her house the next time he darkened the door of his own. With Katie’s permission, he might never leave, he decided.
His first appointment of the morning was a wary nine-year-old who decided there must be something suspect in Keith’s giddy mood. The next two appointments passed quickly and without incident.
Finally, Kyle arrived. As always, Ty was with him. The appointment went well at first. They played games and talked about tigers. Katie was right about that. Once Keith memorized the tigers, Kyle relaxed and talked to him.
“So, are Gare and Raggs getting along, now?” Keith asked as he discarded and moved on the Candyland board.
“Yes.” Kyle looked at Keith as if he was speculating on some problem. “You and Aunt Katie are getting along, too,” he decided, as he drew a card.
Keith smiled. “Your aunt and I are old friends. We went to school together.”
Kyle moved, then scowled at him. “No, you’re not,” he insisted.
Keith moved again, and looked at him with a lopsided smile this time. “Not what, Kyle?” he asked, half-expecting the child to announce that being lovers wasn’t the same thing as being friends.
“You’re not friends. You’re her fool. That’s why you’re dressed like that, because you were so busy at her house that you didn’t change clothes.”
Keith startled. That wasn’t exactly what he thought would come out of Kyle’s mouth—okay, not by a long shot. “What do you mean by that?”
Kyle’s face was calm and devoid of all emotion. “Ty says you want to be in her bed so bad that you don’t see it when she lies to you.”
“You think your aunt is lying to me?” he asked lightly, though his heart was pounding.
Kyle shrugged. “Ty says she is.”
“About what?”
“She can’t win, you know. She tells you that she can, but she can’t. Whether or not she succeeds, the cost is her life. She knows it’s true. Ask her.”
Keith felt a sharp stab of fear grip him. “Ty said that?”
“He said he wanted to warn you. Your only chance to save her is to stop her. She’s his now, but he can set her free for you.”
“At what cost, Kyle?”
“Ask her. She knows. The fall frightened her, but Ty scarred her. The next time, he won’t be stopped.”
“Kyle, what will Ty do?”
The child changed subtly. His eyes cleared, and he looked at Keith in confusion. “About Raggs? She’s behaving now.” He looked at the board and furrowed his brow. “How did I get on blue? Did you move the wrong piece, Uncle Keith?”
Keith laughed nervously. “Your gain, twerp. Let’s play.”
The game went on, but Keith could hardly keep his mind on it. Kyle gave him several strange looks and reminded Keith when the timer went off, but Ty never reappeared.
Even after Kyle left, Keith couldn’t keep his mind on his work. None of what he heard from Kyle made sense. He only hoped that Katie could clear it up without too much of a fuss—and without telling him that Kyle was telling the truth. Keith wouldn’t lose her. If that was part of the deal, Katie wasn’t going anywhere near that damn beast. Whatever happened, he couldn’t lose his temper this time.
* * *
Keith finally admitted that he wasn’t any good at work at three o’clock. He signed out sick, which wasn’t far from the truth, and headed for Katie’s.
She answered the door, and her confusion was replaced by a wide smile. Katie wrapped her arms around his neck. “Couldn’t wait, huh? Good,” she mused.
Katie kissed him passionately, but his response was wooden. Keith couldn’t get caught up in this until he settled what had happened with Ty and Kyle.
After a moment, she pulled back and eyed him in concern. “What’s wrong? You’re closed down, again.”
He nodded and wrapped his arms around her waist to carry her inside. Once the door had been kicked shut, he moved his arms to hug her tightly. “We have to talk,” he managed.
Katie tried to pull back to look at him, but he held her tighter. “Keith? What’s going on? You’re scared, but I don’t know why. It’s scaring me. Please explain it to me.”
“Just let me hold you for a minute first.”
She nodded uncertainly. “Then you’ll tell me?”
He loosened his grip slightly and met her eyes. “I had an unexpected message today from Ty.”
“Kyle?” she guessed.
He nodded stiffly.
“What was the message?”
“It started out with a warning.”
Katie furrowed her brow. “Ty doesn’t give warnings.”
He nodded. “I wondered about that. From what you told me, I guessed as much.”
“What was the warning?”
Keith removed his hands and crossed them over his chest. She backed off a step in response.
“He says you’re lying to me,” he said quietly.
She looked at him warily and didn’t answer.
Keith continued, knowing that she was lying to him about something and hating it. “He says that you know fighting him is a death sentence for you whether you win or lose, and that you aren’t telling me.”
Her face broke into a wide smile, and she cupped his face to kiss him. “That is great news,” she exclaimed happily. “Thank you, Keith.”
He grabbed her by the upper arms, though he reminded himself not to grab her too tightly. “Dying is not good news,” he insisted. “I won’t lose you.”
“You won’t,” Katie assured him in annoyance. “Don’t you see? He knows he’ll lose. Why else would he warn you? He wants you to stop me—to make me forfeit, right?”
Keith nodded mutely. It made a strange sort of sense when she explained it that way. “He also said that you were his, but that he would free you to me if we walk away.”
She looked at him, stricken. “You want to do that? You want to walk away and leave Kyle in his hands?” she whispered.
“No, but—” He tried to hold his anger in check, but it was getting difficult. “What about the rest, Katie? Are you his to set free?”
Her eyes flashed in anger and her face darkened. “Never. He can only touch me through Kyle. He has no hold on me other than that.”
“What did he mean?” he asked in a hard voice. The feeling that she wasn’t telling him something was only getti
ng stronger as the conversation wore on.
She sighed. “Can we sit down? This is going to take a while.”
Keith looked at her in shock. Then, he nodded slowly and dropped his hands from her arms. Katie didn’t go to the chair as she had when they discussed important things before. Instead, she sat cross-legged on one end of the couch facing the middle. She motioned for him to join her.
“Now,” she began when he was seated next to her, “I need to explain the night Tiberius died.”
“Can you?” he asked quietly. “You’ve never—”
She covered his mouth lightly. “For you. You deserve the truth. For a long time, I didn’t remember anything, but the nightmares since I’ve been home this time have been steadily opening the door for me. I think I have it all now. There doesn’t seem to be any gaps anymore, but I could be wrong, so bear with me if I learn more later, okay?”
He nodded.
“I didn’t tell you everything when I started remembering because I thought you’d think I was cracked, but you’ve seen enough that you know I’m not now.”
Keith took her hand away and kissed it lightly. “Tell me. I’ll do my best to reign in the clinical side and just listen for a little while.”
She nodded. “I thought I’d be making things better.”
“How?”
“Freeing Grandmother from his control. I thought that when he saw that she loved him without being forced, he’d change.”
“It didn’t work,” Keith guessed.
Katie shook her head slowly. “I freed her, but he was furious about it. I upgraded from a nuisance to an adversary. Tiberius had too many people under this thumb to have me undoing what he had done at an inopportune moment. I ran as soon as I realized.”
“To the plateau?”
“Yes, barefoot and coatless and freezing. I hid in the shadows, but he found me before help could come.”
