Desperate Strangers

by Carla Cassidy

  “I’m okay. Go back to sleep. It’s still early.”

  He stroked her arm for a moment and then she knew he was asleep again. She was so lucky to have this man in her life. It was the last thought she had before she took her own advice and fell back to sleep.

  She awakened to bright sunshine dancing through the curtains and she was alone in the bed. She rolled over on her back and stared up at the ceiling.

  A wave of memories poured into her head...flashes of visions that filled some of the holes in her mind with missing information.

  A lunch at a favorite Chinese restaurant with Casey...an argument with Max at work...and Tony telling her he wanted out of the family business.

  The memories continued to assault her brain...her mother and father telling all the siblings that they were moving out of the family home...her shopping online for a coral-colored vase for her bedroom.

  They were vignettes of a life, nothing earth-shattering, but they filled her with a huge relief. It was as if a dam had broken and assured her that sooner rather than later everything would come back to her.

  What hadn’t come back to her were any memories of Nick or anything having to do with why somebody might want her dead. Still, she was eager to share with him what had just happened. She wanted to tell him about the flood of memories that had suddenly come back to her.

  She got out of bed and pulled on her robe, then working her fingers through her hair she headed down the stairs. As always, the scent of coffee greeted her and she found Nick at the kitchen table with a cup of the fresh brew in front of him.

  Despite the fact that she’d made love to him the night before, a wild tingling swept through her body at the sight of him. He wore only a pair of jeans. His hair was slightly mussed and he gave her a sleepy smile as she entered the room.

  “You look like you just rolled out of bed,” she said and moved to the counter to pour herself a cup of coffee.

  “I could say the same about you,” he replied. They shared a smile and then she joined him at the table.

  “Guess what?”

  “What?”

  How she loved that lazy smile of his. “I was just lying in bed and suddenly a ton of memories came back to me.”

  He sat straighter in his chair. “What kind of memories?”

  “Just things I did over the past ten months...fairly boring, mundane things like having lunch out with my sister and Joel telling me about his new puppy. Unfortunately no memories of you or why somebody wants to kill me appeared. But at least it’s a start, right?”

  “Right,” he replied.

  “It seems like I didn’t remember the very best and the very worst that happened in that missing time.” She smiled at him again. “The best of course being our meeting and falling in love. The worst, whatever secret I supposedly know that’s worth killing me for.”

  “And I hope you remember those things quickly,” he replied.

  She took a sip of her coffee and then frowned at him thoughtfully. “You know, it’s like a song title that’s on the very tip of your tongue and the harder you try to remember it, the more elusive it becomes.”

  “What were you thinking about when the memories came back to you?”

  “I was thinking about last night and how good we are together. We are good, aren’t we?” She held her breath as she waited for him to answer. Just because she thought their love-making was magical didn’t mean he felt the same way.

  He released a small laugh. “Julie, we’re better than good together.”

  “Why did you laugh?”

  “Because you never fail to amaze me with your complete openness,” he replied.

  “Is that good or bad?” she asked.

  “It’s wonderfully refreshing and good.”

  She warmed beneath the smile he gave her. “You know what sounds good to me? Bacon and eggs. I know you aren’t much of a breakfast eater, but I’m in the mood for some crispy bacon and a cheese omelet. What do you think?”

  “I wouldn’t turn up my nose at that. What can I do to help?”

  “Absolutely nothing. Just sit there and look totally hot and handsome,” she replied and then laughed. “Mr. Simon, I do believe I just saw a blush sweep across your face.”

  He grinned. “You make me blush when you say stuff like that. That’s what I was talking about, you’re just so open and up-front with your feelings.”

  “And that’s one of the things you love about me, right?”

  He laughed and then sobered. “Yeah, that’s one of the things I love about you.”

  Her heart swelled with happiness and she got up from the table. “Just for that, I’m going to make you bacon and the best omelet you’ve ever had.”

  Julie got to work. She hoped if she kept herself busy all day she wouldn’t think about the terror of the night before. By doing mundane chores maybe her mind would fill in the rest of the memories she lacked and so desperately needed.

  Breakfast was pleasant and she imagined it was what it would always be like once she and Nick got married. She felt like she was already married to him. However, she also knew that the twenty-four-hour-a-day relationship they shared now wasn’t reality.

  Reality was them each going to their own jobs in the morning and then being together once again in the evening. But reality was also his face being the first one she saw in the morning and the last one she saw before she fell asleep in his arms.

  She wanted to get back to a normal life, whatever that had been before her accident. She was sure Nick was also eager to get some normalcy back in his life, as well.

  More than anything she wanted a ring on her finger from him. She wanted to talk to him about wedding venues and flowers and wedding cakes. She wanted to plan the ceremony that would make her Nick’s bride.

  It was just after two o’clock in the afternoon when her sister called.

  “Mom and I want to take you out to dinner tonight,” Casey said. “And don’t give me any excuses. We aren’t going to take no for an answer. After what you went through last night, we want—we need—a girls’ night out.”

  Julie didn’t want to go. What she wanted was to spend the evening watching movies or whatever with Nick. She wanted to snuggle up against him on the sofa, where she felt safe and loved, and watch a silly movie that made them laugh.

  “Casey, I really don’t—”

  “I said we won’t take no for an answer.” Casey cut in. “Julie, we need to see you and assure ourselves you’re really okay. From what Daddy told us, you had a terrible experience last night. It will just be for a little while. I promise we’ll get you home early.”

  Julie looked over at Nick, who was watching one of his football tapes on the television. “Do you mind if I go out to dinner this evening with my mom and sister?”

  “Are you sure you feel up to it?” he asked. She nodded and he continued. “Then while you’re gone I’ll head over to my place to grab a few more things.”

  “Okay,” Julie said back into the phone. “Just tell me what time and I’ll be ready.”

  With plans made for Casey to pick her up at six, Julie went upstairs to do a little cleaning while Nick continued to watch the tapes and make notes on a notepad.

  Before Julie knew it the day was gone and it was time to shower and get dressed for the night out. She didn’t feel like going, but she knew her mother probably wanted to see for herself that Julie was fine after the ordeal she’d gone through last night.

  Physically she was fine, but the thought of leaving the house caused more than a little bit of surprising anxiety to ripple through her, which was specifically why she was forcing herself to go. She didn’t want to wind up agoraphobic, afraid to leave this safe space of her home for fear danger would come to her. She should be perfectly fine with her mother and sister.

  At five to six she came downstairs and move
d to the front door to watch for Casey. Nick joined her at the door. “That red dress looks gorgeous on you. You look way too nice to be going out without me,” he said.

  “I could say the same about you,” she countered. Tucked into his white shorts was a short-sleeved, button-up, hunter-green shirt that popped the green color of his eyes.

  “When am I going to get to see your house?” she asked. “I know I’ve been there before, but since I don’t have any memories of it, I’d like to see it again.” She wanted to see the space he called home. You could tell a lot about people by the things they surrounded themselves with.

  “We can go tomorrow if you want,” he replied.

  A honk sounded from the driveway. She rolled her eyes. “I’m sure she sees me standing right here but she has a horn fetish.”

  He grinned at her. “I can think of worse fetishes to have.”

  She laughed. “Now, how about you give me a goodbye kiss that curls my toes?” She leaned into him.

  He gazed at her for a long moment, his eyes going darker, and then he placed his lips over hers. His lips were soft and warm and made her want to stay home to make love with him all night long.

  All too quickly he pulled away from her. He shoved an errant strand of her hair away from her cheek. “Have fun and be safe,” he said.

  She smiled. “With my mother and sister by my side, nothing and nobody would dare try to get to me. I’ll be fine and I’ll see you later. Casey promised me it would be an early night.”

  Despite all the bad things that had happened since her accident, her heart was light as she left the porch. Everything with Nick felt so easy, so good. Although they hadn’t talked about their engagement and plans for a wedding since her car wreck, she knew those things were definitely in her future.

  She frowned as she reached the car and realized her mother wasn’t inside. She opened the door and slid into the passenger seat. “Where’s Mom?”

  Casey put the car in Reverse. “She and Dad went out to some farmhouse close to Smithville to look at some antiques. We’re supposed to pick her up there.”

  Julie laughed. “Which means we’re riding to her rescue. You know how long Dad can take when he’s negotiating for more stuff.”

  “Forever,” Casey replied. She shot a quick look at Julie. “How are you doing after last night? I heard about you being attacked.”

  Julie had tried all day long not to think about what had happened the night before. Even now in the safety of Casey’s car an icy chill threatened to overwhelm her. The back of her throat tightened as she remembered the man’s hands wrapped around her neck. She’d used makeup to dust across the faint bruises that had appeared.

  “I’m fine,” she replied. “I really don’t want to talk about it. I don’t even want to think about it.”

  “And you really don’t know why somebody is after you?”

  “I really don’t, although my memories are coming back and I think it won’t be long before I’ll know exactly what’s going on.”

  “That’s great. Maybe then you’ll remember that you borrowed my cute pink blouse with the white cuffs and you’ll return it to me.”

  Julie laughed. “Okay, I’ll get that back to you as soon as you return my favorite winter boots.”

  Once again Casey glanced at Julie and then returned her attention to the narrow highway. “I borrowed those boots in ninth grade,” she protested.

  “And I’ve never forgiven you for not returning them to me,” Julie replied with a grin. Casey laughed and a surge of love for her sister welled up inside Julie.

  Sure, Casey was flighty and irresponsible. She was spoiled and could be petulant, but she could also be such fun to be around.

  Julie cast her gaze out the front car window. A plethora of trees stood tall and thick some distance away on either side of the road. That was one of the things Julie loved about Kansas City. Within a fifteen-minute drive from the northern suburbs you could be out in the middle of nowhere.

  Even though the highway was just a two-lane, there was plenty of traffic since it led to a lake where many families enjoyed boating and other summer fun.

  “I’d ask how you and Nick are getting along, but from the slobbery kiss I saw you two share before you left the house, I would guess that everything must be going great,” Casey said.

  Julie laughed once again. “It wasn’t slobbery and everything is better than great. I just wish I could remember all the time I’ve lost with him.”

  “Too bad there isn’t a drug you could take that would instantly restore all the rest of those memories,” Casey replied.

  Every muscle in Julie’s body tensed. Drugs. A large box of prescription bottles. She closed her eyes as the memories suddenly assaulted her.

  She’d been in the office to retrieve her cell phone...

  * * *

  THE BACK DOOR opened and male laughter echoed up the small hallway. She peeked her head out of the office and saw a large, young man with bulky, tattooed arms carrying a large box. His bald head gleamed in the light overhead and his eyes widened in surprise when he saw her.

  * * *

  JULIE’S EYES FLEW OPEN, but still the memories came.

  Casey stepping up behind the man with a box of pill bottles in her arms...

  Julie looking at the bottles in the box... OxyContin. Oxycodone. Xanax. And others, probably even street drugs. They’d been selling them outside the back of the shop at night...

  Julie’d had a rough idea what those kind of drugs would fetch on the street and remembered thinking that Casey and her boyfriend Ace had to be raking in big bucks.

  “Don’t tell!” Casey had screamed at her. “Just get the hell out of here now and forget what you saw.”

  Julie had left, but there’d been no way she wasn’t going to tell. Casey and her boyfriend were not only doing something illegal, they were also jeopardizing everything her family had all worked for. If those two were caught selling dope out of the pawn shop, then it was possible the whole place could be shut down.

  When Julie left the pawn shop on that terrible night, Casey had followed her. Julie had never seen her sister so out of control, so enraged, as she’d confronted Julie in Julie’s living room. That night Casey’s eyes had shone with lethal intent. When Casey had physically attacked her, Julie had thrown the candle at her and then run outside and jumped in her car.

  Danger.

  It rang in the air inside the car. It screamed inside Julie’s head.

  Keep your cool, a small voice whispered inside her.

  “Dad sure dragged Mom a long way from town,” Julie said, glad her voice didn’t give away any of her inner turmoil. There was no way Julie now believed Casey was taking her to pick up their mother for a lovely dinner together.

  Was she taking her to meet up with her boyfriend? The man Julie now was certain had been the one who had tried to kill her the night before.

  She needed to get out of the car. She couldn’t trust Casey. Last night had been a failed attempt to silence her forever. So, now where were they really going?

  With terror crawling up the back of her throat, she considered her options. She only had one. She had to get out of the car.

  She drew in a deep breath for courage, knowing she was taking a huge chance. She prayed she wouldn’t wind up dead as she reached over and grabbed the steering wheel.

  “What in the hell are you doing?” Casey screamed.

  Julie fought for control and yanked the wheel as hard as she could toward her. The car careered off the road, dove down and then up the ditch, and finally rolled to a halt.

  Julie didn’t waste any time. She tore off her seat belt and shoved her door open. She took off running for the woods. It was only when a deep male voice yelled from someplace behind her that she slowed and threw a glance over her shoulder.

  Her blood ran cold an
d she nearly stumbled in shocked surprise. Casey stood next to her car. The trunk was now open and running toward Julie was the bulky man who had tried to kill her the night before.

  Oh, God...had she just played into their hands? Had this been their plan all along? To get her out in the middle of nowhere and kill her?

  The only choice she had now was to run like the wind and hope like hell she could find someplace to hide until somehow, someway, help would come. She desperately prayed that somebody else found her before her sister and her boyfriend did.

  * * *

  THERE WAS NO sense of homecoming when Nick walked through the front door of his house. He walked around, touching things he and Debbie had bought together and remembering the plans they’d once made for their future together.

  The anger, the self-destructive rage, he’d dwelled in after her murder was gone, replaced by the normal sadness of loss. He would always remember his first wife, but right now he had another woman on his mind.

  Julie. He’d nearly lost her last night to dark forces that remained buried in her mind. What had she seen? What did she know that now had her life at risk?

  He walked into the master bedroom, turned on the television on the dresser and sank down onto the foot of the bed. Julie needed to get all her memories back.

  The only times he didn’t want her to remember anything was when he held her in his arms and when her eyes lit up with such love for him. Whenever they shared a kiss or made love, he didn’t want her to remember that she had never met him before the night of the accident.

  She needed to remember that she’d never loved him.

  He saw no happy ending for them. But he desperately wanted a happy ending for her. He wanted the danger gone and Julie free to live her life...to find love and move forward with her dreams.

  Again a sadness gripped his soul, especially as he thought of her with another man. Maybe this was his penance for entering into an agreement that would celebrate six men’s murders.

  There was no way he believed Julie would forgive him when she learned the truth. He’d not only pretended to be her fiancé, he’d made up a whole history that was nothing but a fantasy to serve his own needs.