by Deanna Chase
CJ was being stupid to keep her alive. He just didn’t know how to let her go. But the longer she lived, the more chances of something happening to ruin everything. Someone could find her. She could escape. The police would realize he had been the one to take her. His panic at the possibilities forced him to drive out here and finish what he had started.
“Beg me to take you back, Mel,” he spat at her face. Her eyes did not move from the ceiling. Repeatedly he had asked her what she was thinking about and she had not answered him.
He ran his hands through her blonde hair. His once beautiful girlfriend was now barely a shell of her former self. Her hair was knotted and oily from lack of bathing. Bruises and dried blood covered her arms and face. Her green t-shirt and shorts she wore on the day he had taken her were caked with blood that had turned a rust color. In this state, she was a wretched and unlovable thing. Hatred coiled in his belly and he felt the urge to cause her more pain.
He grabbed a hunting knife with a wooden handle off of the kitchen counter. Stalking over to her, he taunted her with the knife. “Maybe after I’m through with you, I’ll have some fun with your sister. You know I always had a thing for blondes.”
He was shocked when she still didn’t respond. It only fueled his anger and he leaped on top of her. “I’m going to kill you tonight, Mel. You’re never going to see anyone you care about. And I’m going to make it hurt, I promise you that.”
His hands shook and he felt almost dizzy over the intensity of his loathing. As seconds stretched on, she finally focused on his face. After she unsuccessfully tried to speak through the gag, he removed it. “I’m already dead,” she whispered. “I’ll never give you what you want, CJ. You can’t have me anymore.”
The knife seemed to plunge down on its own accord. Blood splattered everywhere. It drenched his body and seeped into the bedding. He had no memory of bringing down the knife again and again. He couldn’t even recall if she screamed or not. It was as if he had completely lost touch with reality and blacked out. When he came to, blood was all he saw until he looked deeply into Melanie’s unseeing eyes…
“Kate! Open the door! Dammit, Kate!”
Melanie was screaming. No, Kate realized, Melanie wasn’t screaming. She was dead. It was Kate screaming as she came out of her vision. As her terror subsided, sobs erupted from her. She had failed again. They had been too late to save Melanie. CJ had killed her just last night.
Declan’s voice yelled at her from behind the closed door of her hotel room. Running over to the door, she swung it open and collapsed in his arms. He was firing questions at her, but she couldn’t find her voice. It was as if saying the words out loud would make them real. Kate shut her eyes as Declan held her. Behind her eyes, all she could see was Melanie’s blood—dripping off of the hunting knife—drenching Melanie’s body. Nothing could have prepared her for witnessing such a brutal act. Her sobs turned into dry heaves and she felt it hard to maintain a grip on reality.
“Kate, please,” Declan begged. “Tell me what happened.”
Kate shook her head emphatically. “I can’t…” she moaned.
Declan cupped her face and he leaned down to meet her eyes. His thumb brushed away a few tears that streamed down her face. Her breath came out in gasps and she felt the panic continue to rise in her. It seemed as though she was falling without anything solid to grab onto.
“Look at me.” He waited until her hazel eyes locked onto his. “It’s over. Whatever you saw has already happened. You don’t have to go back there ever again,” he promised.
Kate hiccupped and stepped out of his embrace. Walking over to the nightstand, she grabbed a tissue and wiped at her face. She sat at the edge of the bed and hung her head down. She felt the bed lower as he took a seat next to her. “Melanie was killed last night. CJ murdered her in his uncle’s cabin.”
There was a sharp intake of breath next to her. “You’re sure?”
“Unfortunately I am,” she replied. “I saw into CJ’s mind. He drugged her and kept her bound and gagged in his uncle’s cabin. For nine days, he tortured her. What kind of sick monster is capable of such a thing?
“Last night, he flipped out and stabbed her so many times that I lost count. It was horrific…” her voice trailed off. Declan pulled her close to him until she was practically on his lap.
“Where’s the cabin? Why wouldn’t anyone check it out?” Declan sounded enraged over the unfairness of it all. As much as he had denied any emotional attachment, this confirmed that Declan had developed a connection to Melanie too.
“It’s in Michaux State Forest.” She recalled the name from CJ’s memories. It hadn’t surprised Kate when she found herself inside of his head. He was obviously demented and didn’t have the mental faculties to conceal his thoughts from her.
Kate squeezed her eyes tight as she further explained the information she gleaned from the vision. “Guess that’s a little over a half an hour from here. His uncle took boys there to molest, including CJ. CJ was the only one who knew about it and used it after his uncle killed himself.”
Declan made a noise of disgust. “I tried to get into CJ’s mind tonight, but I didn’t see anything. Instead, I had a vision of Brad when he first met Melanie at the gym. I thought it was maybe a hint he was involved since he had been thinking about her. I had no idea we were too late to find her.” He groaned in frustration before adding, “We have to call Delaney and the police.”
Kate had promised Delaney mere hours ago she would bring her sister home to her. This was never the way she expected it would happen. Only last night, she had seen a vision of Melanie. It must have been right before she had been killed. They had been so close to saving her. She couldn’t help but play out the many “what ifs” in her head as she thought about Melanie’s slaughter.
“CJ hated her for leaving him. He wanted to cause her pain and beg for his forgiveness. But she wouldn’t. No matter what he did, she never gave him the satisfaction of pleading with him for her life,” Kate murmured. “I think that’s the reason we never saw a vision of what happened to her. She retreated into herself and relived all of her happiest memories,” she explained.
“At least that’s some consolation. Maybe it helped her avoid some of the pain,” he said and shook his head. “Do you want me to call Delaney?”
She nodded and arose from the bed. As Declan dialed her number and set off to the corner of the room, Kate reached for her own phone on the nightstand. It was almost ten o’clock at night and Jared had still not returned her call. She tried to feel livid, but the only thing she felt was raw need. His phone went right to voicemail. “Jared…” her voice trailed off. The voicemail recorded her silence for several seconds before she spoke again. “Something happened. I had a vision tonight and well…Melanie’s dead. It would mean a lot to me if you would call me back. Well…bye.”
Kate would’ve preferred not to tell Jared what had happened over voicemail. However, she needed him to realize how important it was for him to call her immediately.
She turned towards Declan’s form as he stood looking out the window and talked in soothing tones into the phone. A few minutes later, he hung up. Holding up the phone, he stated numbly, “That was rough. Delaney wants us to meet her at the police station. They’re going to want to hear your story before they bring in CJ for questioning.”
Declan walked over to her and gripped her by the shoulders. “I know you’re thinking we failed, but get it out of your head. You did a good thing tonight.”
“How?”
“If you didn’t have the vision, CJ may have gotten away with what he did to Melanie. Melanie’s family can now know what happened to her. Sometimes not knowing is worse than the alternative…”
“I really wanted to save her,” she confessed in hushed tones.
“We couldn’t save her, but at least CJ will be locked up for the rest of his life and never be able to hurt anyone again.”
It was kind of him to try and comfort her, but t
he sadness was choking her from the inside out. Nothing would ever erase the deadened look in Melanie’s eyes as CJ spewed his hateful words at her. Her hands balled into fists. Prison was too good for him. He deserved a long and torturous death and a trip straight down to hell.
Chapter Twenty
Kate’s hands still shook as she gripped the coffee cup. It had gone lukewarm some time ago, but she couldn’t seem to let it go. Staring down into her drink, she went over the last few hours in her head. The police had seemed skeptical over her story, but could not discount how much she knew about the case without ever meeting Melanie. It took them awhile to stop treating her as a suspect and actually take what she said seriously. After a clerk showed investigators several articles about her from Franklin newspapers, they decided to look into her story.
After a property records search revealed a cabin in Michaux State Forest owned by CJ’s deceased uncle, things started happening quickly. Investigators were headed to both CJ’s house and the cabin. Declan and Kate waited for some time with the family, but she felt like any minute she would break. Their sorrow was cutting off her ability to breathe. She couldn’t stand the idea that she was somehow a catalyst for their pain. Melanie’s mother and sister collapsing against one another as they cried out with loss were more haunting images arresting her brain. With a hasty exit, Kate made her way out of the front doors of the police station. Declan instructed the family to call as soon as there was any news.
Kate felt a chill in her bones and turned up the heater of Declan’s car as he spoke outside on his cell phone. A local number had called just as they pulled into the parking lot of their hotel. The clock blurred as she rubbed at her tired eyes, but she saw that it was just after two in the morning.
Declan entered the car. “CJ cracked during questioning. He confessed to Melanie’s murder. He’s going to take police to the cabin and show them where on the property he buried her body.”
“I hope they don’t go easy on him for cooperating.”
“Nah. P.A. still has the death penalty. He’ll either be put down or be someone’s bitch in prison for the rest of his life,” he said lightly. Facing her, he remarked, “By the way, the Pirolas are grateful for what you did tonight. Obviously, it’s not the outcome everyone wanted, but you let them know what happened to Melanie. They want you to have the reward.”
Her stomach revolted. “I don’t want their money.”
Declan gave her a sympathetic look. “Let’s get you inside. We don’t have to talk about any of this right now.”
He turned off the car and opened the car door for her. Wordlessly, he led her through the deserted hallways of the hotel. He stopped outside of her door as she dug out her key card. She fumbled through her purse forcing it to fall to the ground. The contents spilled out and Declan knelt down to help her pick up everything. Her hands trembled as she tossed in each item. Kate’s eyes remained downcast although she felt Declan’s stare on her face.
“Kate…” he started.
She cut him off. “Declan, I’m fine. Goodnight.”
“You’re not fine,” he disagreed. “You know what my mother used to say when I used to cry about my accident and feel sorry for myself. It was an old Irish saying that went something like ‘Be not burdened with tears of sorrow, enjoy the sunshine of the morrow.’”
Raising to her feet, she mumbled, “No offense if I don’t take your mom’s advice. I saw your mom in visions, she seemed like a raging bitch to me.”
He laughed heartily. “There’s my Kit Kat. Filled with piss and vinegar and not about to let the world drag her down.”
Opening the door to her room, she eyed him warily. “I’ll probably regret this, but do you think you could stay in here tonight? I’m just afraid…that I’ll have another vision of CJ.”
“I should’ve known you would be trying to get me in your bed as soon as we were alone,” he quipped.
Kate smiled tightly. “Don’t start drawing hearts around my face in your yearbook just yet. I meant the sofa, not the bed,” she answered.
With a crooked grin, Declan followed her into the room. Kate could barely summon the energy to collect the extra pillows and blankets from the closet and place them on the couch. She hadn’t brought anything to change into, but had purchased a tube of toothpaste from the vending machine. With a thorough finger brushing, she exited the bathroom and hoped to be comatose in minutes.
She gaped at Declan. He had his shirt off and was just about to pull down his jeans as she entered the room. “What in the world are you doing?”
“What?” he asked with an innocent expression. “I sleep naked.”
“This isn’t a stay at the Hedonism Resort. Put your damn clothes back on,” she commanded. Slipping into bed, she turned off the lights before she could see if Declan complied. “Goodnight, Declan.”
“Goodnight, Kate.”
She squirmed in the bed as she tried to get comfortable. Too many thoughts were running through her head. As much as she wanted to block out CJ’s thoughts, they tainted her psyche. Dealing with Ally’s disturbed thoughts was like a trip to an amusement park when compared to CJ’s psychoses.
While at the police station, she had tried not to dwell on Jared and his refusal to call her back. She understood why he may be mad at her, but after her last message, it was cruel to not reach out. Kate would’ve never ignored him if he really needed her. Were things over between them?
Yesterday, she would never have entertained the possibility that Jared could be seeing Nikki again. Now, she had too many doubts. She had thought he was being a gentleman by waiting for sex. His patience combined with his disappearing act forced her to wonder if he had been with someone else.
She was certain Declan’s male pheromones were also affecting her brain. Because she couldn’t stop thinking about how good he had looked when she stepped out of the bathroom. He definitely had that hot, bad boy look going for him. She had also developed a strange kinship to him over the past few weeks. Jared and her mother tried to understand her feelings abut being psychic, but unless you were the one constantly popping up in someone else’s head, it was hard to comprehend.
Closing her eyes, she forced her thoughts away from everyone. Maybe if she kept her mind completely blank, she wouldn’t have any more visions for the night. Before she slipped into a deep slumber, she had a flash of Melanie’s cadaverous eyes.
CJ removed her gag to hear her scream. Her shock at waking up handcuffed to the bed had been priceless. She could cry out to her heart’s content since no one would hear her out in the middle of nowhere. This was his secret place that she would never walk out of alive. He loved the idea of her suffering as he took control over their relationship. A constant ache had been his companion since the day Melanie left him for good. Now, she would know what real pain would be.
He sat on her legs as she tried to fight him off. Melanie’s movements became more wild and desperate as he pulled down her pants. Pounding her with his fists, blood stained his knuckles. Wrapping his arms around her throat, she gagged and struggled some more. She started to lose consciousness which made him let go. He wouldn’t kill her yet. This was only the beginning…
“Kate, wake up.”
Her face was wet with tears and she opened her eyes with a whimper. It was dark inside the hotel room except for an eerie glow cast through the window from the streetlamp outside. Shadows danced across Declan’s face as he leaned over her with an anxious expression.
His touch was soothing as he pushed back the hair out of her face. “You were crying in your sleep.”
Her eyes were haunted as she looked up at him. “It was another vision of CJ. The night he took Melanie to the cabin…”
His finger pressed down gently on her lips. “You have to forget about him. He’s in jail and can’t hurt anyone again. Don’t let him in anymore.”
Kate swallowed hard and nodded. It was good advice, but easier said than done. Her bond with Melanie made it impossible to not dwell on t
he things that had happened to her in that ghastly place. Kate tried to think of things that made her happy, but the darkness kept creeping in.
Focusing on Declan, she became hyperaware of his closeness. He still didn’t have his shirt on and his body was pressed against hers as his hand trailed through her hair. His caress had felt comforting at first, but as the minutes passed, it started to feel like something else.
She cleared her throat. “Dec…”
“Maybe this is my fault. I forced you into this case and I’ve been no help.”
She shook her head and murmured, “That’s not true. You’ve been working your butt off trying to find Melanie too…”
His face moved within inches of her. The warmness of his breath tickled her throat as he spoke. This close, she was able to make out every small detail of his face. Instead of meeting his eyes, she focused on the small scar at the edge of his lips. “I’ve been distracted,” Declan confessed. “It feels like every night instead of seeing Melanie, I have a vision of you.”
Kate knew he was going to kiss her. She willed her hands to push him away, but they stayed glued to her sides on the bed. As his lips settled upon hers, it wasn’t at all what she expected. She had assumed a kiss from Declan would be passionate and forceful. This kiss was gentle and exploratory.
Reaching for him, she pulled him by the neck to be closer to her. She parted her lips and he deepened the kiss. Her brain completely shut off as her body responded to him. Kate arched her back as his lips trailed down from her mouth to her neck. Her t-shirt rode up and his hands rested against her bare stomach. Her hands gripped his back as he returned to her mouth. Her desire built as his hands began to explore her body over her clothes.
He was pushing out the darkness and making her forget. As he whispered her name into her ear, Kate was about to respond when she suddenly felt like a bucket of ice cold water had been tossed on her. Her eyes widened and her body stiffened. “Jared.”
