Epiphany: Part Two

by Gemma James

  “What other term should I use? You’re going to get yourself killed.”

  “Not if we work together. He’s after me anyway. Why not use it?”

  He raised his eyes toward the ceiling, as if pleading with a higher power for patience. “Do you have any clue what he’s capable of? Do you really want to risk your life?”

  “Of course I know what he’s capable of!” I sprang up from the couch. “I’ve seen what he does to them. He burned Six, choked her until she passed out just so he could wake her up and do it all over again. He…he sodomized her, Aidan.” My voice broke, hysteria taking over, and I could do nothing to stop it. “I don’t want to dream anymore. I need it to stop. Make it stop.”

  Aidan’s arms came around me tightly, swallowing me whole in the warmth of his embrace. “I’m sorry,” he said, words muffled in my hair.

  “No, I’m sorry.” I buried my face in the curve of his shoulder, my tears wetting his skin. I parted my lips and struggled for a deep breath, but instead of pulling away, I gripped his soft T-shirt in my fists. “We need to catch him.”

  “I know. But using you as bait? Absolutely not. We’ll find another way.”

  “How?”

  “Finding this Elmo guy is a start. I asked around a couple days ago. Someone saw him at High Times on Halloween.” He dropped his arms and backed away, breaking the hyper-aware state I’d fallen into. “One of the bartenders says she doesn’t know who he is, but I think she’s covering for him. I haven’t had the chance to check back yet.”

  With a rough swallow, I nodded. “Okay, let’s go tonight.”

  “I thought you were keeping the Batmobile hidden in your cave?”

  Aidan laughed as he opened the passenger door for me. “You’re calling my car the Batmobile?”

  I settled into the seat and grinned up at him. “Well, the official Batmobile is black, but I suppose silver will do.”

  He closed the door, and his laughter filtered in as he went around to the driver’s side. “We could take your car,” he said, sliding in beside me, “but it’s parked in your driveway.”

  Last night, after discovering my apartment had been broken into, we’d ridden with the sheriff to the police station to give our statements. Afterward, he’d taken us straight to Aidan’s.

  “Seriously though,” I said. “I got the impression you were keeping the Idaho plates under house-arrest.”

  “I was trying to keep a low profile.”

  “Now you’re not?”

  He shrugged. “People know I’m in town. The Hangman sure as hell does.” A frown darkened his face, erasing any speck of humor. “He wouldn’t have left Deb’s picture in your apartment otherwise.”

  When we pulled into the parking lot of High Times, I could hardly believe how busy the place was. You’d think after two murders, not to mention all the media hype, that people would get a clue. But Aidan had to drive around to the back in order to find a parking spot.

  “Crazy,” he muttered, as if he’d read my mind.

  “Sure is. If the Pour House is half as busy, then Mike really did us a favor by giving us the night off, especially on such short notice.”

  Aidan activated the car alarm, and we headed toward the entrance. “He’s an understanding guy. I’m sure he wants Six’s killer caught as much as we do.”

  Loud music blasted my ears the instant we stepped inside High Times. Aidan grabbed my hand and pulled me along behind him, weaving a path between the bodies crowding every nook and cranny of the bar. I gaped at the number of people. Not unusual for a Saturday night, but it seemed wrong to be out partying so soon after Six’s murder. No one seemed to care. They drank, they danced, they damn near fornicated in public. To be fair, I had to stop and recall how I’d been almost as detached before Six went missing.

  We approached the busy bar, and Aidan let go of my hand. Two bartenders kept rapid pace mixing and blending drinks. He wedged in next to a group of young guys as the four women next to them broke out in laughter before slamming another round of shots. Techno music blared from two speakers overhead, and Aidan had to yell to get the attention of the brunette working behind the counter. Her height nearly matched his. Deep cherry-glossed lips parted in a wide smile as soon as her eyes settled on him. Intuition told me she’d seen him before tonight.

  “Gimme a minute here,” she shouted above the music. She leaned over the bar, green eyes alight with flirtatious intent. “I’ll meet you in the back. Same place as the other night.”

  I already hated her.

  Aidan gestured for me to follow him. The monotonous techno beat receded as we made our way to the back. He led me past one of the walk-in coolers and into a tiny office.

  “You seem to know your way around.”

  “Delilah was working the other night when I came in. She remembered a guy dressed as Elmo, but she said she didn’t know who was behind the costume. I think she knows more than she’s letting on.”

  “You think you can get her to fess up?” I asked, taking a mental detour from the thought of him and that smiling Amazon woman. Her height was the only thing I could find to pick at. I was pathetic.

  Aidan shrugged. “I hope so. I got the feeling Dee wanted to help me the other night, but something held her back, so we’ll see.”

  Dee?

  The woman in question sauntered in and shut the door. I plastered a smile on my face as she gave me a once-over. Her dismissal stung. Guess she didn’t see me as worthy competition.

  “I’m glad you came back,” she told Aidan, moving toward him like a lethal feline eying its prey. She stood close to him. Too close.

  “I was hoping we could talk again.” His mannerisms had undergone a transformation. He leaned toward her, his voice lowering to a sexy timbre, and when he smiled he did it in a way that made my teeth hurt.

  “I didn’t expect you to bring someone.” Her eyes darted in my direction.

  “This is Mackenzie. Six was a friend of hers.”

  “I’m so sorry,” she said, and I couldn’t fault her sincerity. She shifted her attention to Aidan again. “Look, I want to help you…” She wavered, her gaze jumping between him and me. “It must have been awful to lose your wife like that, but I already told you everything I know.”

  A lump formed in my throat. Aidan had told her about his past? I’d had to twist his arm to get him to open up to me. Even worse, I’d witnessed what he’d gone through firsthand in my dream.

  His eyes met mine, and I couldn’t ignore the uncomfortable glint in them, as if he knew exactly what I was thinking. “Do you mind giving us a few minutes?” he asked me.

  I swallowed hard. “Sure, I’ll wait outside.” I left the room, closed the door behind me, and waited a few seconds to see if he’d change his mind. I knew he wouldn’t. He was too desperate to find his wife’s murderer, would do anything, use anyone, if it suited his agenda.

  A new song pulsed through the speakers as I re-entered the crowded bar. Several couples wrapped themselves around each other in what could loosely be called slow-dancing. I hadn’t taken two steps before a familiar, well-built body blocked my path. I lifted my head and met a pair of striking blue eyes.

  Brad grinned. “Dance with me. I wanna talk to you.” He grabbed my hand and yanked, ignoring my protests as he dragged me to the dance floor. I started to step out of reach, but his words stopped me.

  “I’m sorry about Six.” A second ago he’d been his happy-go-lucky self, but now his eyes were heavy with sadness. I was a little surprised. He hadn’t known Six, other than the few times they’d spoken at High Times or at the Pour House.

  Or had he? It occurred to me that maybe he’d known her really well.

  “I didn’t realize you guys were so close.” Another song started, the undertones of the beat slow and haunting.

  Brad’s muscular arms suddenly encircled my waist, pulling me flush against him. “We weren’t close. Not like this, Mac.”

  I broke out in a cold sweat. “No!” I yelled, shovi
ng him, though pushing against his chest was like trying to move concrete.

  “Oh, come on. This song is awesome.” Before two more beats could pass, his hot mouth was on mine, slimy tongue pushing between my lips and transporting me back in time to another situation…to another man.

  To the nauseating stench of tequila. To the memory of rough hands shoving me to the mattress, smothering my muffled cries as my dress bunched around my thighs. The cold pads of fingertips on my skin, dragging my panties below my ass, and the moment that hit me night after night for weeks beyond, when I’d struggled to catch my breath at 3 a.m. from just thinking about it.

  The instant he forced himself inside me, forever changing my life.

  But the tequila, God the tequila. I tasted it now on Brad’s tongue and gagged as the memories fisted my throat. My plea for him to stop came out in a strangled squeak.

  Frantic, I pounded against his chest until his hold loosened, and I barely registered his incredulous expression as I stumbled back a few steps. Stumbled into something solid. I whirled around and came face to face with Aidan. His jaw hardened, on the verge of cracking, and his attention fell on Brad, eyes alight with dangerous fury.

  He had Brad down on the floor before I could blink.

  The music cut off mid-lyric, Delilah screamed at them to stop, and two men pulled Aidan off Brad. I stood in a fog, arms wrapped around myself to keep from shaking apart, seeing but not quite believing what had just happened.

  “Break it up!” one of the men ordered. It was Judd. The other man seemed familiar, and it took a moment to place him. I’d seen him at the Pour House playing video poker.

  What a crazy thing to recall at a time like this.

  Aidan shook free, and the video poker guy helped Brad to his feet.

  “I want him arrested for assault!” Brad yelled as he jabbed a finger in Aidan’s direction. Someone handed him a bunch of napkins, and he pressed them to his nose to stop the flow of blood.

  Aidan took a step forward. “Better assault than murder. Go ahead. Tell the deputy what you were wearing on Halloween. I’m sure the Elmo costume was just a coincidence, right?”

  Brad’s eyes widened. “What does that have to do with you attacking me?” He turned to Judd, who observed the scene with crossed arms and an air of nonchalance. “Mac and I were dancing, and this idiot came flying in, throwing his fists around.” He smirked at Aidan. “Clearly he’s jealous.”

  “Jealous? Are you fucking kidding me?” Aidan’s shoulders tensed, and I grabbed his hand before he could launch himself at Brad again.

  “So let me get this straight,” Judd began, attention back on Aidan. “Are you saying Brad is the guy we’re looking for? How did you come across this information?”

  “It doesn’t matter. It’s true. Ask him.”

  “He didn’t kill anyone.” Delilah said. “Brad was with me, okay? He didn’t do it.”

  Judd let out a long sigh then radioed in for backup. As soon as the static squawk of his walkie-talkie fell silent, he gestured toward Brad, Delilah and me. “You’re all coming down to the station for questioning.” He pulled a set of handcuffs from his belt, his eyes on Aidan. “I’m placing you under arrest for assault.”

  “This is bullshit!” Aidan said, fingers slipping from mine as Judd grabbed him. “You should be arresting him.” He nodded toward Brad as the cuffs fastened around his wrists.

  Judd ignored his rant and read him his rights. “Come on, people, move it.”

  I opened my mouth to back Aidan up, to tell Judd how Brad attacked me, but the words stalled in my throat, the idea of talking about it forcing me into silence. My eyes clashed with Aidan’s as Judd herded the four of us through the crowd of gawking bystanders.

  Just what I wanted—another night spent at the police station.

  Twiddling my thumbs for three hours hadn’t erased the memory of Brad’s assault or Aidan’s familiarity with Delilah. After being questioned, I’d had plenty of time to stew over the events of the evening while I waited for him to be released.

  Now, as we headed north on HWY 101, a deafening silence stole over us. I watched the black night fly by and tried to keep the gate to my past firmly shut. I wanted to scream at Brad for opening it after all these months. “Where are we going?” I finally asked.

  “For a drive.” Something was clearly eating at him.

  I kept my gaze glued to the passenger window, remaining silent. My own emotions simmered just under the surface. The night had been a disaster. Even discovering the identity of Elmo had been a let-down. Brad had gone to Six’s apartment the night she disappeared, but the police didn’t have enough to hold him. Delilah had provided him with a tight alibi.

  Aidan pulled the car off the highway and killed the engine. The neon glow from the stereo, turned down low to a rock station, cast the interior in a bluish tint. Outside, the lighthouse beam cut through the dark every few seconds, and the windshield became a canvas for the splattering of raindrops.

  “What are we doing here?” My heart thundered in my ears and awareness crackled in the darkness. I stole a look at him from the corner of my eye.

  “Thinking.” His eyes strayed to the rearview mirror, and he silenced the radio.

  “About what?”

  “About how you ended up on the dance floor with Brad.” There was a slight edge to his tone. “And how he thought it was okay to put his hands all over you.”

  Sweat broke out on my skin, despite the comfortable temperature in the car. “I’d rather forget about it, if you don’t mind.” The words came out sharper than intended. I wanted to put the nightmare behind me, though I realized now how futile a possibility that was. I’d been trying to put nightmares of all varieties behind me for a long time.

  “Is that why you didn’t turn him in? You’d rather forget about what he did to you?”

  “I don’t want to talk about it, Aidan. Please. You were there to stop it. That’s all that matters.”

  He didn’t say anything for a while. I settled into my seat, oddly comforted by the quiet. Or maybe it was Aidan. Something about him made me feel safe, which was contradictory to the way he made me feel emotionally. My stomach burned as I thought about the way he reacted to Dee’s presence, and I folded my arms around myself.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, his tone softening to a whisper.

  Something about Brad forcing himself on me pricked at the layers Aidan hid under. Had the incident brought back the memory of what his wife had endured?

  Or was it something more?

  “Did you kiss me the other night because you wanted information from me?” I had to know, hated that I felt the need to push him now, but the question was out and I couldn’t draw it back.

  “Why would you think that?”

  I bit my lip and listened to the increasing pitter-patter of rain on the roof. A loud swooshing sound indicated the wind had picked up. “You got real cozy with Dee tonight.”

  “I’m not interested in Dee,” he said, a little too harshly. He softened his tone. “I’m sorry if asking you to leave upset you, but I needed her to talk.”

  “I know. You’d do anything to find your wife’s killer.”

  He shifted in his seat. “Look at me,” he ordered.

  I turned toward his voice.

  “You’re right. At first it was all about finding him. I wasn’t looking for justice. I wanted to rip his fucking heart out and shove it down his throat.” He slid a warm palm along my cheek, and I closed my eyes, trembling from his touch. “I wanted to drown my pain by causing his. But then you happened. I have no explanation for this thing between us, Mackenzie. I only know that the thought of you getting hurt makes me crazy.” He moved even closer, his breath warm on my lips. “You have no reason to be jealous. You’re all I think about.”

  His words found the bulls-eye of my heart and patched over the hurt that had lived there for so long. I opened my eyes and saw my longing mirrored in his. I couldn’t speak. I wouldn’t know what to s
ay anyway. I did the only thing I could think of.

  The only thing that felt right.

  I kissed him.

  Without reservation, without inhibition. Without giving thought to anything but his mouth on mine. With a moan, I sank my fingers into his hair, and like a match to kindling, my body ignited to the core.

  “C’mere,” he murmured against my lips. I climbed over the center console, and he pulled me onto his lap, my knees straddling his thighs. He pushed the seat back as far as it would go. “Comfortable?”

  “Yeah,” I whispered. My hair fell forward, tickling his cheeks, and I ran my palms over the stubble on his jaw. And for a few heavy moments, we just stared at each other. I pressed down on his lap, my hips rocking me into the hard length of him behind his zipper. My lips parted, and a small gasp escaped.

  “I can’t fight this anymore, Mackenzie.”

  “I don’t want you to.”

  His fingers curled around my waist, holding me immobile against the gentle tilt of his hips. He raised his mouth to mine, and we were kissing again, a tangle of tongues and limbs and fingers darting through silky strands. I unraveled in his arms, was lost and spiraling into the unknown, and nothing and no one had the power to pull me back. I leaned into him until every inch of our bodies pressed together and his heart beat to the cadence of mine. His fingers crept underneath my shirt, searing bare skin, and every part of me came alive under his hands. There was only him—under me, enveloping me, branding the center of my being with his touch.

  He broke away with a groan.

  “God, Aidan, if you’re gonna hold back, kill me now.”

  “No one’s dying tonight,” he said as our chests heaved together. “Though not for lack of trying on your part.” He reached up and held my face between his hands. “I can’t stop thinking about you in my bed. If you want to be there, I want you there.”

  I brought my lips to his, almost touching but not quite. “What are you waiting for?”

  I settled into the passenger seat, my flushed body nestling into cool leather as Aidan drove back onto the highway.