Epiphany: Part Two

by Gemma James

  “Until he’s caught, we sure as hell can.” Before I had time to blink, he rolled over and pinned me to the bed, and his fingers tightened around mine. A week ago I would have panicked, but now all I could think about was how I loved the feel of his body pressed against me.

  “We have a real chance of catching him tonight,” he said. “I can’t focus on that and keep you safe if you’re not with me.” My face must have given away my fear, because he halted, eyes narrowing in suspicion. “Why are you in such a hurry to go home?”

  “I’m not.” A layer of black powder still covered my apartment from when the police had dusted for prints, and the sight of my bed was enough to make me sick. I’d only dangled the idea of going home as a means of distracting him. Apparently, he wasn’t in the market to buy bullshit.

  “What’s this really about?” he asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  He let go of my hands. “Spill it. I’ve told you ninety-nine percent of my secrets.”

  I almost smiled. “Only ninety-nine percent?”

  He groaned. “Quit avoiding the question. Why are you trying to get rid of me?” He nibbled the spot along my neck—the one that never failed to drive me to distraction. He really was playing dirty.

  “I don’t want to get rid of you…” My eyes drifted shut as the heat of his tongue seared my skin. “That’s the problem.”

  “I fail to see a problem here.”

  I pushed him back so I could think straight. “I had another dream last night. I…” Swallowing my fear, I forged ahead, “I saw you die again. If you go after him tonight—”

  “I’ll be fine.”

  “You can’t pick and choose what to believe, Aidan. If you believe my dreams about the full moon, then you have to believe—”

  “I can’t sit on the sidelines on this one.”

  I pushed him away and scooted to the edge of the mattress. “I won’t watch you die,” I choked out. “And don’t tell me you’ll be okay because you can’t guarantee that.”

  The mattress shifted, and I registered his nearness before he touched me. His fingers slid along my jaw, a gentle caress that coaxed me to look at him. “You’re right. I can’t give you guarantees.”

  Not what I wanted to hear. His words had a double-edged effect, as I hadn’t realized until then how being with him made my insecurities rise to the surface. I was terrified of him being killed, but I was also scared of him walking away in the end. I averted my eyes and asked the question I was afraid to hear the answer to. “Aidan, what are we?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean…what is this? You and me. Us.”

  He didn’t answer right away, which only heightened my anxiety. “What do you want us to be?”

  “Uh-uh, I asked you first.”

  “I care about you…”

  I shrugged away from him, and what he didn’t say settled between us like an impenetrable wall.

  He got to the floor and kneeled in front of me, leaving me no choice but to face him. “This isn’t just about your dreams, is it?”

  He had a knack for asking the tough questions—the ones I didn’t want to answer. “No,” I said, avoiding his gaze.

  “What’s it about then?”

  Where should I start? Maybe with how I ached for him, in every sense of the word, yet the best he could do was offer a generic “I care about you” speech? Or the part where he’d go back to Boise eventually, assuming he didn’t get himself killed in his pursuit of vengeance? I drew my knees to my chest and hugged them. “I can’t believe I was stupid enough to fall in love with you.”

  His silence invaded the room, leaving me suspended like an acrobat without a safety net.

  “Say something,” I pleaded.

  “Loving me could get you killed.”

  My heart thumped painfully in my chest. “Loving you could break my heart.”

  “I’m not looking to break your heart, Mackenzie.”

  “Then don’t.”

  “I can’t sit by and do nothing while he goes free.” He hesitated, his expression pensive. “And I can’t make you promises. Not until I know how this ends. When I first came here…” He trailed off, shaking his head. “I expected to either end up dead or in jail, and it didn’t really matter to me either way.”

  I curled my fingers around his shoulders. “Don’t go after him. Aidan, he’s gonna kill you! I saw it again, just like the night the power went out. I don’t know how it’s gonna happen—”

  “It won’t—”

  “You don’t know that!” Scrambling away, I put some much needed distance between us. “Don’t be glib about this. You hold everything that’s important to me in your hands.”

  He opened his mouth but said nothing.

  “I can’t do this.” I crawled to the other side of the bed and got to my feet. “We’re just…getting too close, and…and maybe we do need some space.” I gathered my clothes and clutched them to my chest. “Maybe going home is for the best.” Every part of me railed against the idea.

  “I can give you space without leaving you vulnerable to a madman.” He pulled on a pair of jeans, followed by a T-shirt. “If you go back to your apartment, I’ll just live on your doorstep. You wouldn’t make me do that, would you? It’s cold out there.”

  I shook my head. “You’re so stubborn.”

  “Only when it comes to one thing, and no one’s gonna make me budge on this.” His jaw formed an indomitable line that backed up his words. “He’ll have to kill me before he gets anywhere near you.”

  The memory of his lifeless face flashed in my mind. “How can you say that to me? After I just spilled my heart out to you?” Blinking back tears, I focused on the squiggly pattern on the rumpled comforter.

  “Because it’s true. If that doesn’t tell you how much I care about you, then I don’t know what will.” A quiet tension infiltrated the room. “Don’t leave.” The low plea in his voice was unmistakable, and it pulled at me in a way I couldn’t ignore. “You need some space? You’ve got it. Just…don’t go.”

  I couldn’t walk away from him if I tried. When I lifted my head to tell him so, he was gone.

  The moon had never seemed so full or bright. Every time I spotted it, my stomach tightened. I knew in my gut this was the night—the night the Hangman would strike again. The night Aidan would die.

  Never before had I wanted to be wrong about something so badly. I snuck a glance at him. We’d barely spoken all day, both of us too raw from our blow up that morning. In the end, he won. I wasn’t about to let him go alone, and if I stayed behind, he’d only resent me for it.

  “Are you positive the cliff you saw was directly off the highway?” His voice was clearly laced with frustration. We’d been combing the highway for the past four hours, checking every turnoff, campground, and park we could find. We’d spotted a state trooper, a semi, and had passed Judd twice. At least the sheriff had come through with extra manpower to patrol the highway. Traffic was next to non-existent, which wasn’t surprising considering it was one o’clock in the morning on a chilly November night.

  “As positive as I can be. Maybe we should go back to the tunnel. There has to be a reason I saw it in my dream.”

  He turned the car around and pressed down on the gas, and we picked up speed once the road went into a slight downslope through the tunnel.

  “Wait!” I cried as soon as we came through the other end. “Stop!”

  Aidan stomped on the brake, and I braced myself as we screeched to a sudden halt. “What is it?” he asked.

  “I…I don’t know.” I bolted from the car and ran to the side of the road. Wind whipped my hair into a tangled mess as I looked over the steep cliff. The sea was at high tide, and we were elevated by at least two hundred feet, at level with the lighthouse, which stood tall on the northern bluff of Watcher’s Island. It was a beacon of light, even under the full moon. The lighthouse’s beam sliced through a patch of fog, and suddenly Aidan’s house flashed in my mi
nd. I experienced the same kind of dizziness, the same disorientation as the previous night. With a moan, I dropped my head into my hands as images streamed into my consciousness.

  “What’s wrong?” Aidan’s voice cut into my confusion, and I felt his hands on my shoulders.

  “He’s at your house,” I shouted above the wind. “We’re in the wrong place. He’s gonna do it in front of your house.”

  Moving quickly, Aidan ushered me back to the car. I settled into my seat, and he slammed the door before rounding the hood to the driver’s side. As soon as he slid behind the wheel, he turned around and sped toward his beach house. His street was dark and cloaked in fog, and his house stood isolated at the end. Through the haze, the headlights of a white van met us head-on.

  “Holy shit!” Aidan slammed on the brakes and lunged for his gun.

  “What are you gonna do?” I cried.

  “Whatever I have to. Call McFayden.”

  I pulled my cell out and dropped it twice before punching in the number. The van jerked into motion, and Aidan angled the car in a way that blocked the exit. The van sped toward us anyway, showing no signs of slowing.

  “He’s gonna hit us, Aidan!” I screamed just as McFayden’s voice came over the line.

  Aidan swerved to the side at the last second. “Damn!” He locked his jaw and began to wheel around, preparing to give chase.

  “Wait!” Ignoring the sheriff’s frantic questions, I grabbed Aidan’s arm. “Look!” I said, pointing to a tree at the end of the drive. Its contorted branches reached over the rocky incline, and the branches weren’t the only things suspended above the sea. A woman dangled from a thick limb, her naked body unmoving.

  He cursed, and sending one last glance at the van’s taillights, stomped on the gas pedal. We jerked to a stop, his front fender almost smashing into the tree. “Use this if he comes back.” He pushed the gun into my hand, and I dropped it, startled by the heavy feel of metal in my palm. “And stay in the car!” He was out and running toward the woman before I could utter a word.

  Like hell I was staying in the car. I rushed after him, my footsteps pounding the pavement in perfect sync with the thunderous beat of my heart. Aidan stepped onto the rocky ledge, and I skidded to a stop, paralyzed with terror.

  “Talk to me!” McFayden’s voice went off in my ear. “What the hell is going on?”

  “We found another victim.”

  “Where are you guys?”

  “At Aidan’s house.” I hadn’t realized I was near hyperventilation until the sheriff told me to take a breath.

  “I’m on my way,” he said. I heard a door slam in the background, followed by the turn of an ignition. “Are you safe?”

  A tremor tore through me, and I kept my eyes glued to Aidan. He cut through the rope with a pocketknife, then swayed under the woman’s weight. He pushed her to safety just as the rock crumbled under his feet.

  “Aidan!” The scream tore from my throat, and I watched in horror as he slid from sight. The phone fell from my fingers. I lunged for the ledge and leaned over as far as I dared, terrified at the thought of what I might find.

  “Stay back!” he shouted. Several gnarled tree roots protruded from the side of the cliff. One had broken his fall. “The rock isn’t steady.”

  “Don’t you dare fall!” My dream hitting me with full force, I swiped at my eyes and gave him one last glance before sprinting to the car. He shouted something unintelligible, but I was too focused on what I had to do. I pressed the button to open the garage and hurried inside before the door had finished its slow rise to the top. Tearing through drawers and shelves, I tossed stuff everywhere until I found a thick coil of rope.

  I returned, and his furious shout was nearly lost to the roar of the ocean. “What are you doing? Get back in the car!”

  “I’m not leaving you out here.” I brushed my hair from my eyes and estimated the distance between him and me. The rope wasn’t long enough. “Can you tie yourself to that?” I asked, pointing to the tree root he was clinging to.

  He lost his grip and slid down a few more feet.

  “Aidan!”

  “I’m okay,” he called up. “Toss me the rope, then get back in the car! You’re not safe!” I threw the rope into his waiting hand but didn’t budge from his sight. He wrapped it around his waist and anchored himself to a tree root. “Dammit, go!”

  My eyes darted between the car and Aidan before settling on the crumpled body of the woman he’d cut down. She wasn’t moving. Her skin gleamed stark against the night, burned and bloodied from the torture she’d endured. Her dark hair twisted down her back in a mess of tangles. I was about to check on her when two headlights beamed from the other end of the drive.

  What if he’d come back? I was such an idiot! I’d left the gun in the car. I reached into my coat pocket for the mace but remembered it was in my purse…also in the car. The vehicle neared, and I stood paralyzed, my limbs wanting to quake but unable to as the headlights blinded me. He’d come back for me, I was sure of it.

  “Mackenzie, get back in the car!”

  Aidan’s panicked shout pierced my ears just as the vehicle screeched to a stop. I exhaled in relief at the sight of the gray Chevy pickup.

  “It’s okay,” I called down to him. “The sheriff’s here.”

  “What happened?” McFayden barked as he exited the truck. “Where’s Aidan?”

  I pointed over the ledge.

  His eyes widened, and he rushed to my side and swept the scene with a single glance. “You okay?” he hollered down to Aidan.

  “I’m fine. Is she alive?”

  The sheriff frowned. “Backup is on the way. Sit tight and I’ll check on her.” He crouched next to the woman and pressed his fingers to her neck. His eyes shot to mine. “She’s alive.”

  Thank God.

  The state troopers were the first to arrive, followed by Judd and the fire department. The firefighters tended to the victim while the others worked to pull Aidan to safety. They hauled him up just as the paramedics pulled onto the street. He engulfed me in his arms.

  “When I saw you go over…” I clutched him, my knuckles turning white, and buried my face against his shoulder. “I was sure I’d lost you.”

  “You okay, son?” McFayden asked.

  “I’m okay. What about Dee? Did we get to her in time?”

  Dee?

  I regretted every bad thought I’d had about the bartender who’d helped Aidan a week ago.

  “She’s in bad shape, but she’s alive,” the sheriff replied. I peeked up in time to see him rest a hand on Aidan’s shoulder. “Thanks to you guys.”

  I shot up in bed and immediately reached for Aidan, but his side was cold. We hadn’t spoken since returning from the sheriff’s station. Vocal communication wasn’t required. As soon as we’d entered the dark hall, he’d taken my hand and led me to bed, where we’d clung to each other until sleep claimed us.

  Now I squinted in the darkness, listening for any sounds that might indicate where he’d gone. Gooseflesh pebbled on my arms, and I gulped at the absolute quiet that penetrated the room. Where was he?

  “I’m over here.” His voice floated from the other side of the bedroom.

  “What are you doing?” I asked, rubbing the chill from my skin.

  “Does it matter?” A sloshing sound followed.

  My eyes adjusted, and I was able to make out the outline of his body. I heard it again, like liquid swishing against glass. Was he drinking? Noiselessly, I slid out of bed and crossed the room. The bottom of my favorite sleep shirt—the one I’d stolen from him—tickled my thighs. He sat on the floor with his forearms resting on his knees. I zeroed in on the bottle of Jack in his hands.

  “How long have you been sitting there?”

  “Long enough. Sun should be up soon.” He lifted the half-empty bottle to his lips.

  I lowered to my knees. “You don’t need this,” I said, coaxing the bottle from his vise-like grip.

  “I need you
.” He thumped his head against the wall, as if frustrated with himself for needing anyone.

  “I’m right here.” I set the bottle aside and scooted between his legs.

  “Nuh-uh. I don’t wanna need you.”

  “Tough shit. You’re stuck with me.”

  “Deb was pregnant.” His glassy eyes pierced through me. “We tried for two years. Thought it wasn’t gonna happen…then it happened.” A smile ghosted at the corners of his mouth, faint like the memory of happiness.

  Disarmed by his vulnerability, I leaned forward and wound my arms around him, holding him as tight as I could, but it would never be enough.

  “It could’ve been you tonight.” He shuddered, burrowing his face in the hollow of my shoulder, and his breath dampened my skin. “He’s getting more brutal, and I’m scared. I’m really scared I’m gonna lose you.”

  I wanted to tell him everything would be okay, but the platitude somehow seemed like a slap in the face after what we’d been through together. All I could do was hold on to him. “Dee is alive because of you,” I said.

  “No, she’s alive because of you. God, you’re amazing. I dragged you into this mess, and you’re sitting here comforting me.” He laughed, a dry and bitter testament of his grief. “I wish the ‘Hangman’ was a fucking word game to you. I’d turn back time if I could. Make sure you never met me.”

  “Are you trying to rip my heart out?”

  He pulled back and held my face in his hands. “I’m an ass. A drunk, stupid ass.” He brushed the tears from my cheeks with gentle patience. “I wish you’d never laid eyes on me, never came to Watcher’s Point. I love you enough to want that for you.”

  My heart stumbled. “Don’t say those words unless you mean them.”

  “I mean them.” His whiskey-flavored breath fanned across my face, evoking the memory of our first kiss. Like the scent of pine was reminiscent of Christmas, the smell of whiskey would always remind me of him.

  And it reminded me of how he shouldn’t be drinking at all.