Obsession and Sacrifice (Alaska #2)

by Tiffany Carmouche

  “I wouldn’t say you are full grown yet.” He winked at me.

  “Oh my God. Oh my God. I remember, I remember!” I felt like a kid in a candy store.

  “I remember tripping over your big feet. It was here, it was here in this house.”

  “I’m so glad my feet made such an impression on you.” He awkwardly smirked. “I don’t know if I should be flattered you remembered something at all, or horrified that of all things that made an impression on you, it was my feet,” he joked.

  “I remember, I tripped over your huge feet right here.” I grabbed his hands and used him as a walker to get to the couch, gently pushing him down when he got there.

  “I remember, I fell into your arms.” I sat in his lap. I ran my fingers over his bicep, all the way down to his forearms and entangled my hand in his so our fingers were intertwined. I looked up at him, bashful. My voice quieted, reflecting my embarrassment.

  “I remember. I thought you were really hot.”

  His smile exploded. “You did? You thought I was hot?” He began to tickle me.

  Laughing, I admitted, “I did, I admit it, I thought you were quite sexy.”

  “We officially met that day. Don’t tell, but I thought you were kinda hot too.” We laughed. “What about now,” he continued. “Do you think I’m sexy now?”

  I just blushed, “Maybe.” Then I felt a little disappointed. “That is all I remember, though.”

  “Hey, this is a good start, earlier today you didn’t remember me at all. And then I worried it was just my feet that made an impression on you. At least you remembered you thought I was hot.” He grinned, watching me pout.

  “Why haven’t you tried to kiss me?”

  “I want you to remember who I am first.”

  “What if it doesn’t matter who you were to me? What matters is who you are to me.”

  He leaned in to kiss me, but stopped and opened his eyes, staring into mine. Gently his nose rubbed against mine in an Eskimo kiss and he kissed my forehead. “You will remember.”

  Chapter 24

  *Bradley*

  When Brad got to the club, everyone was acting strange. A tension filled the air, a solemn mood permeating like a dense fog. He didn’t remember a time when everyone seemed so on edge.

  Pete came over to the bar. “Brad, I need to talk to you.”

  “What’s up?”

  “I need to show you something. Can you come with me for a moment?”

  “Sure, what’s going on?” Brad followed Pete to the back. “Everything okay?” Maybe one of the staff got caught stealing or something.

  “It’s Katie.”

  “Did she show up to get her job back? She’s been going through a hard time.”

  “Brad, remember that night a few months ago, when she freaked out and you brought her home?”

  “Yeah, poor thing. She could barely stand up by herself. I had to help her into her apartment.”

  “Brad, the cops were here asking all kinds of questions.”

  “Did she do something stupid again? What’s wrong?”

  “She’s dead, Brad. They just found her body in the woods, but apparently she died that night.” Pete flipped through the scheduling book. “December 18, I remember the date because she didn’t show up for her shift the next day and no one wanted to fill in for her. I just figured she was hung over. When she didn’t show up after that, I called. She didn’t call back, but you know how flaky she is sometimes. I assumed she’d come crawling back when she was ready to work again. I didn’t think something actually happened to her.”

  “That can’t be possible; I helped her into her apartment. I even made sure she ate something. She was messed up, but not so drunk she would have died. She wouldn’t have answered the door or gone anywhere. I left her safe in her apartment. She passed out on the couch and put a blanket over her.”

  “She was murdered in her apartment, Brad. The forensics team found large amounts of blood in her living room. They say the body was dumped in the woods after she died. Only a few of us know you took her home that night. None of us said anything. But she must have been murdered right after you left.”

  “Someone murdered her?”

  “Yeah. They asked if we had seen her that night and we told them she showed up to work drunk but went home early. When they asked how she got home, we told them we had no idea, that she probably took a cab or something.

  “Someone stabbed her to death. They cut out her tongue, Brad. The cops were asking about those two mechanics, too, because they used to come in here a lot. You know Timothy and Alan.”

  Brad thought of the two young men that used to come into the club with Steve. Katie had hooked up with one of them and freaked out when he had been found murdered in the woods.

  “I just wanted to warn you, in case they bring you in for questioning. I hope they just take our statements but…She died around 11pm. Do you have an alibi?”

  “Nikki …I went home to Nikki. But she doesn’t remember anything.”

  “Hopefully nothing will come of it, but I wanted to let you know.”

  “Katie’s dead?” Brad stood silent for a moment. “She’s dead?” He stood in her apartment only a half hour before someone killed her.

  Should I go to the police? He worried they would pin it on him. He stayed in Katie’s apartment with her till she fell asleep. He had no alibi. Who else had a key? There were no signs of a struggle. He decided to stay silent.

  Could Steve have been waiting for her? The killer cut out her tongue. A warning--she had been talking too much? Did Steve murder her because she had accused him of murdering her boyfriend?

  When Brad got home, his silence alarmed Dylan. Once Nicole went to bed, Dylan nudged him. “What’s going on?”

  “Dylan, did you hear someone murdered Katie?”

  “Katie?”

  “Yeah, the blonde waitress at the club, she had short hair. I think she slept with Justin once.”

  “Katie? Oh my god, Katie is the one who helped me get together with Nicole. She’s the one that convinced Nicole to go out with me. She’s dead?”

  “Yeah, it’s really freaking me out. She showed up at the club trashed, accusing Steve of killing her boyfriend. She stumbled around so I brought her home. Dylan. She made no sense. She leaned on me as we entered her apartment and I helped her settle in. I left a half hour before someone stabbed her to death. There was no sign of forced entry. They’re going to think I did it. I was in that apartment; they are going to think I did it. They were asking questions at the club. I don’t know if I should go to the police. I think Steve did it.”

  “Do you have an alibi?”

  “Just Nikki.”

  “Don’t go to the police, Brad. Trust me. If you don’t have an alibi, you do not want to go to the cops. Did you talk to Nikki about it? Does she remember?”

  “I didn’t even ask her. She didn’t remember anyone at the club.”

  “Don’t say anything, Brad. Don’t say anything unless they question you.”

  “Do you think Nicole is ready to know how much danger she could be in? Should we tell her Steve could be anywhere?”

  “I want to protect her from her memories of that evil man as long as I can. We never leave her alone. She is safe we us. She has amnesia for a reason. We have to be careful what she finds out. I don’t want to tell her before she is ready.”

  “I agree. I don’t think she is ready.”

  Throughout the week anytime the phone rang, anytime Brad saw a cop, he began to sweat. Thank god no one brought him in for questioning but Brad had trouble sleeping. A murderer took Katie’s life in the safety of her home. Katie was dead…dead…

  Chapter 25

  “To someone who is more astonishing than an Alaskan hot air balloon
ride,”

  ~Dylan Richarson

  Obsession and Sacrifice

  Tiffany Carmouché

  *Nicole*

  “Close your eyes,” Dylan insisted as we got to the clearing. He pulled up next to a blue Honda, the only other car parked there. Of course, the sun hadn’t yet graced the horizon so I understood why no one else was there.

  He put his arm around me and led me. The uneven snow under my feet made it impossible for me to walk by myself, so I held tightly onto Dylan’s body. I didn’t mind.

  “You can open your eyes,” he instructed. On the horizon, I saw the silhouette of the hot air balloon, waiting for us. We made our way over to the balloon. We were surrounded by a vast darkness.

  “You can do this in the winter?” It seemed a little dangerous with nothing around.

  “It’s cold, but you will love it. I promise. That’s why I had you bundle up and brought these.” He nodded to the blankets tucked under his arm.

  “And I thought you were trying to get lucky.” I grinned up at him.

  As the gentleman helped us get situated in the basket I saw a distant glow begin to emerge.

  “You know how to fly this thing?” I raised my eyebrow.

  “I think so,” Dylan laughed.

  “Don’t worry. He’s a good pilot, you’re in good hands.” The man assured me. Dylan wrapped me in the blanket and winked. “You ready?”

  “Do I have a choice?” I looked around at the miles of darkness.

  We began to lift off. “Not really,” he smiled, “but I promise it will be something you will never forget.”

  At first, the burners roared as we ascended into the sky, but soon after we lifted off, we were overcome by the silence of floating as we drifted with the winds.

  Out of the darkness, a purple and magenta glow began to illuminate everything.

  “Mountains, we are surrounded by mountains!” I beamed as I scanned the horizon. “I didn’t even see them. I thought it was an empty field.”

  “I love how they just appear as if by magic.”

  “Yes, oh my god, oh my god. How beautiful.” As the sun gently rose, the snow-covered mountains became painted with a brilliant pink wash, like a water color painting. The colors danced on the snow and a star of fire began to peak over the range.

  “Dylan, Dylan, this is so beautiful.” The silhouette of a huge bird’s wings flapped against the brilliant sky. And he put his arm around me and pointed at the wildlife below.

  We soared in awe of the breathtaking landscape. No experience could match the beauty and tranquility of floating above the treetops and riding in the calming breeze. The Alaskan mountains held a power over me. Their beauty washed over me and I savored the peace the air had to offer.

  “I don’t feel the wind.” I noticed.

  “You are a part of it.” He smiled at me. I lit up.

  I didn’t even realize that we were moving. We drifted gracefully above the mountains, from five hundred feet, all the way to almost ten thousand feet. The two of us ascended into the heavens together as the sun rose over the mountains creating a celestial glow.

  “I wanted you to experience this.” He seemed to search my soul and discovered the things I longed for, even before I realized myself what they were.

  “This truly is the closest to heaven that I have ever felt. It is utterly spectacular.”

  “You are utterly spectacular.”

  Why couldn’t I remember him? I so wanted to remember what we had together. He made me feel like I’d entered a fairytale. Could this be real?

  He poured us each a glass of champagne. “To someone who is more astonishing than an Alaskan hot air balloon ride,” he toasted. His words rose in the mist of his breath as they were spoken.

  He brushed the hair out of my face. I don’t know what captivated me more, the surreal paradise, or his chocolate eyes, but I wanted him to kiss me.

  Why didn’t he kiss me?

  Chapter 26

  *Nicole*

  “Dylan, I need you to come here.”

  He entered my room. “Nicole. What’s up?”

  “It’s really important; it’s an experiment.”

  “An experiment?”

  “Yep, and you are my guinea pig.”

  “Oh that sounds interesting,” Dylan commented. I pulled him into the bedroom, closing the door as he entered.

  “And this experiment is?”

  I sat down on the bed bringing him towards me.

  “This looks a little dangerous.” He smiled.

  “I want to remember. I need to try something. Most of my memories have resulted from the sense of smell or the sense of touch. I had this great idea. I need you to help me. It’s really important. It’s research.”

  “Research, huh?” He looked around the bedroom. The lights were low. He sat on the bed. “I always did like research.”

  “Okay, you can’t do anything, okay?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean I just want to close my eyes and touch you and see if I remember anything.”

  “You do, do you?”

  “Yes, it’s important.”

  “And I can’t do anything?”

  “No, it’s really important for you to remain completely still. I think it will work.”

  He sat on the bed upright with his back against the back board. I climbed on top of him, my legs straddled across his lap.

  “Um, I..”

  I interrupted him. “I’m going to close my eyes. I think it might work better.” I closed my eyes and tied a silk scarf around them so I couldn’t cheat.

  “And there is nothing that I can do?”

  “Shh--I have to concentrate.” I peeked out of the blindfold.

  “You really think this will work?”

  “I do. You have to be completely silent though.” I brought the blindfold back over my eyes.

  “You’re adorable when you are determined.” He leaned forward, and I felt his warm breath intensify against my neck. Kiss me. Please kiss me. He didn’t.

  I reached for his face, and my fingertips traced it. Soft and smooth, not stubbly like before. I began with his eyebrows. It was almost like I could read his expression.

  “You think I’m crazy, don’t you?”

  “What?”

  “Your eyebrows, they’re raised like…there that’s better.” I traced them from the nose line out to the temples, running my fingers through his soft thick hair.

  Delicately, my fingers then traveled down the slope of his nose to the tip of his nostrils. I embraced his face like a sculptor, feeling every contour, every angle. Exploring the line of his cheek bone, my hands journeyed toward his ears and I touched the arc and softness of the lobe.

  “So beautiful,” I sighed. I could feel his cheekbones rise as if delighted by my pleasure.

  The palms of my hands slid across his forehead. They journeyed down the outline of his face, sculpting his chin. My fingers gently sketched his lips. My heartbeat rose. Moistening my lips, I peeked at him and wondered what he would do if I kissed him. My head slowly drifted in. His breathe smelled like peppermint. I hovered there a moment. Kiss me. Why was he waiting? I wanted him to be the one who made the first move. I closed my eyes and continued on.

  Holding his face in my hands, I slowly brought my face to his and caressed my cheek against his and breathed in the scent of his cologne, mmm…then gently pulled away. A jolt entered my core and I sighed. I had felt it before, but no visions. My breath grew more pronounced. My hands soon traced his neck and sculpted down his broad shoulders, gently drawing circles down his shoulders and biceps. I got to his t-shirt and began to raise it over his head.

  “Um Nicole,”

  “Shh.” I pla
ced my hands back on his chest--so warm.

  Dylan flinched. Did my touch tickle him? I felt aroused as I sat there mounted on top of him. I held my breath afraid I may let out a moan. Something in my stomach stirred as my hands traced back up his powerful arms and caressed his masculine chest. He squirmed, clearing his throat. It seemed harder and harder for him to remain still. His hands lifted to reach for me and I peeked out again. He licked his lips and took a deep breath as his hands lowered again to his side.

  Sitting on his lap, I could feel his erection growing under me. I liked the reaction. Mmm it grew harder as I fondled every curve of his muscular torso. I sighed again in disbelief. This was mine? He had been mine. A desire built in me, hard to contain. It tortured me. Why couldn’t I remember? Nothing flashed in me the way it did when I heard Bradley’s heartbeat. Why? Why couldn’t I remember him? I climbed off of him, saddened that even filled with this much arousal, no intimate memories of him returned.

  “I can’t remember anything about you being my boyfriend. What is wrong with me?” I said, disgusted with myself, I took off the blindfold.

  He cleared his throat again. “It will come in time. Give it time Nicole.”

  I looked up into his eyes, touching his face again, “You are so beautiful. Why don’t I remember? I so want to remember.” I gazed at his lips, slightly leaning in, hoping he would understand how much I wanted to kiss him. Couldn’t he hear how my heart raced for him? I so wanted to experience his lips.

  He leaned in and kissed me on the forehead. The forehead! “You will remember baby. You will remember.” His eyes told me another story.

  Maybe if he kissed me, I would remember something. I wanted to see if his kiss would help me wake up from the nightmare of cloudiness. I leaned in again, but he climbed off the bed, grabbing his shirt and put it back on. He ran his fingers through his hair as he stared at the wall, collecting himself. Then he reached out for my hand. Why wouldn’t he kiss me?