by Jessica Kile
“I'm going to kill him when I get my hands on him,” Drew promised.
Drew had tried to hide his anger the whole time they had been at the cabin. He did not think she realized that he did a property check every night before they went to bed. Every night she pretended he did not wake her up as he got out of bed to once again check their surroundings. Being up here had not erased the threat from his mind. He was more alert to danger up here than he had been at home.
It had become all too real for them both after the car accident. Shawn wanted her dead. It was as plain and as simple as that. Could she even fathom a single reason for it? Hell no. It's not as if he had faced going to jail if she had gone about her life. There was no way she would have ever reported him.
Now it was all going to come out in a trial. He was determined to destroy her life and there was nothing that she could do about it.
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Chapter 19
The text message on Lana's phone came just as Drew's phone started ringing. Who could be trying to get a hold of both of them at 3 A.M.?
Half asleep, Lana reached out to check the message on her phone.
Unknown: See what happens when you run?
Attached to the text message was a picture of Ricky laying in a pool of blood. His body beaten and broken. He seemed to be unconscious, or worse, dead.
“Oh God,” she cried, tears forming in her eyes.
No! No! God, no! Not Ricky!
Drew was talking to someone on his phone. “When did it happen?”
“No, No, No,” she kept saying. Now fully sat up she rocked back and forth, her arms wrapped around her middle.
He reached out taking her cell phone out of her hands. Colorful curse words came out of his mouth when he saw the gruesome scene on her phone. “She just got a picture of it.”
How could someone do this to sweet Ricky? Ricky never set out to hurt any-one. He was going to go places. Now he could be dead, and it was all her fault.
“Keep me posted,” Drew demanded ending the call.
His arms were around her in an instant. “Shh,” he murmured, running his hand up and down her back. “I know it looks bad, honey, but he's alive.”
“Why?” she whimpered into his solid chest.
“The police ruled it a home invasion gone wrong,” Drew informed her, holding her even closer. “That text you just received changes things. I need to forward it to my dad.” His frustrated sigh ruffled her hair. “I can't believe he got a hold of your number again.”
“Haven't you figured out?” she asked, pulling away slightly wiping tears from her face. “I can't hide from him. Whenever I try to someone gets hurt.”
This was all her fault! If she had not decided to hide out here Ricky would still be safe. Instead, she let Drew talk her into leaving town. How would she ever be able to forgive herself? Would Ricky ever forgive her?
Lana pulled away from Drew. If she had any hope of gaining Ricky's forgiveness she needed to get to him. She could not leave him in that hospital by himself.
When they had first arrived at the cabin Drew had insisted she unpack her clothes. Now she tossed her clothes back into her overnight bag in a hurry, not caring about wrinkles. There was no time to waste; she needed to get out of there.
“What are you doing?” Drew asked from his side of the bed.
“We're going home,” she informed him, going to the bathroom and tossing her bathing supplies into her bag. “I need to be with Ricky right now.”
He appeared in the doorway of the bathroom and leaned against the door frame. “Honey, I don't think that's such a good idea.”
“He's in the hospital because of me,” Lana said to his image in the mirror as she tossed her hair brush into her bag.
“This is not your fault,” he stated.
Zipping the bag, Lana turned to walk passed him on her way out of the bathroom. “Shawn did this because of me.”
“I think we should stay here until Shawn is arrested.”
“I'm going home,” she repeated walking out of the bedroom door. “With or without you. It's your decision.”
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Drew tapped on his breaks to avoid hitting the deer crossing the path of the truck. He could not believe he allowed Lana to talk him into this. It was four in the morning and they were on their way back to Morgantown. His dad was, more than likely, going to kill him. This was one of the most stupid things he had ever done.
She was worried about her friend; he understood that. If he was honest, he would have to admit that he was also more than a little concerned for Ricky. That did not change the fact that there was a stalker waiting for her to return home. Having her out in the open, where anyone could find her, was just too risky.
What if Shawn had known if Ricky were injured she would come running? The guy had been watching her for months. There was no way he would not know how much her friend meant to her. They could be walking right into his hands, and they wouldn't know it until it was too late.
*********************************
The constant beeping of the heart monitor comforted Lana. Ricky, still unconscious, lay in a hospital bed. An IV and wires ran from his body to different monitors. His face looked as if it was swollen twice its' normal size. Bruises covered his once flawless skin. An arm and a leg had also been broken. The attacker had done a real number on him.
Lana pulled a chair up beside the hospital bed and kept a silent vigil. Ricky's family took the opportunity to get some dinner. Drew chose to stay outside the hospital room.
How could this be the same vibrant roommate who had helped pick her back up too many times to count? She had known him less than a year; yet, he filled such a huge space in her heart. Nobody would ever be able to make her laugh the way Ricky could.
He had to survive this. He just had to!
There were still too many things left for Ricky to achieve in life. He was in the middle of getting ready for a photography exhibit. How could he just be taken away before he could see that through? What about his goal of finding his own prince charming?
Lana leaned forward and took his lifeless hand in her's. “Ricky, I'm so sorry,” she whispered. “If I had known that he would come after you if I took off, I never would have left. I swear, I would have stayed.”
“He wouldn't have wanted that,” his mother said from the doorway. “He's been so worried about you.”
Lana laid his hand back on the bed and wiped the silent tears from her eyes. “How much did he tell you?”
The older female version of Ricky walked farther into the room stopping at the foot of her son's bed. “Enough for me not to have any faith in the law enforcement around here.”
“I tried to keep him away from all of this,” she admitted, allowing her hands to fall back in her lap. “I thought that if he was in the dark, then nothing could happen to him.”
“Sweetie, if there is one thing I've learned about my son after all of these years, it's that he will always find out what you want hidden.” The older woman let out a sad laugh. “Never could hide a Christmas present from him.”
“I just wish he hadn't been there,” she said looking down at the floor. “I thought if I left that there would be no threat.”
“Look at me, child,” his mother demanded. She waited until Lana obeyed before she continued. “None of this is your fault! The only one responsible is the man who took his anger out on my son.”
“If I had been there none of this would have happened,” Lana countered.
“You're probably right,” Cassandra agreed with a slow nod. “Instead it would be you in this hospital bed, or even worse in the morgue.”
The older woman had a point. Shawn had been willing to put her innocent roommate in the hospital. What would he have done if she had been in the apartment?
The older woman moved behind Lana and laid her hands on her shoulders. “I pray they get this guy before he can do any more damage.”
But what if they didn't catch him? Would she be Shawn's next victim?
****************************
Drew thought he just might snap his cell phone into pieces as he listen to his dad's voice over the phone. They finally located Shawn. “What do you mean he's in Charleston?”
“Something about his mom being sick,” his dad said. “He hasn't been in the area for the past couple of weeks.”
If Shawn could prove he had been out of town that long that meant he couldn't have beat Ricky to an inch of his life. It also meant he had already been gone when someone had tampered with Lana's breaks.
The identity of Lana's stalker was officially unknown.
**********************
He almost felt bad for putting his girl's friend in the hospital, but his hands had been tied. She took off, and he couldn't find her anywhere. How else could he have gotten her to come back home?
Just as he had known, Lana had come running the moment she found out about her friend. That's what true friends did. Not that he actually knew what true friendship was like. The only friend he had in life was his cousin. Could you even call a cousin a friend? Even that was starting to grow stale. If his cousin kept trying to get into his business it would have to end.
The woman, who had been keeping Lana's place in his bed warm, was starting to get defiant. Always wanting to know where he was all the time. Never wanting him to tie her up anymore. Using the whip had proven to be a mistake. Who knew she could bruise that easily?
He closed his eyes and pictured Lana all tied up. She was strong. There would be no bruising as he smacked her repeatedly with the leather strap he had saved just for her.
Only the best for his Lana.
He opened his eyes and looked at his picture of Lana all spread out on a lounge in her parents back yard.
Yeah, only the best.
And he had special plans for his Lana.
********************
Chapter 20
Three weeks went by before Ricky came out of his coma. Lana only left his side when forced to by either Drew or Cassandra. She would hold his hand and remind him of the good times. Apologies came upon every hour he remained locked in the other world.
The doctors had sworn Ricky could hear his visitors' voices and that it would help speed up his recovery. Lana locked on to those promises and prayed the doctors actually knew what they were talking about. They were doctors; it was some unwritten rule they were always right. Right?
Day in and day out Lana would talk to Ricky. When she ran out of things to talk about she would read aloud from one of the books Drew found on Ricky's bedside stand. She had never been into all of the futuristic stuff, but she read it anyway.
The day he finally decided to open those eyes of his she had broken into song out of desperation. She figured he would have to wake-up even if it were just to tell her to shut up. By that point in time she would've killed to hear those words, or any words come out of Ricky's mouth.
It only took three verses of Dude Look Like a Lady before a groan came from the bed. One eye came open slightly. “No,” came out in a rough whisper.
No. It was only one simple word but that one word brought Lana more happiness than a million from anyone else could have. For the first time in weeks the tears escaping her eyes were happy ones. Unwilling to move from his side she sent Drew after the nurse.
To test him further, also because she couldn't resist it, she sang the chorus.
Ricky tapped his finger lightly on her hand resting beside his on the bed. “Stop.”
Lana laughed through the tears. Never before had she been so happy to hear that she had a horrible singing voice. She grasped his hand and thanked God and whoever else, who had a hand in bringing him back to her.
The nurse checked all of his vitals and said he looked good. She also had a good laugh when she found out what Lana had been doing when he came out of his deep sleep.
All of the teasing did not dampen Lana's good mood. Her friend was on the uphill climb now.
***********************
Drew let out a sigh of relief when they walked through the apartment door later that night. Now that Ricky was out of the coma they could start getting back to normal. Well, as normal as they could get with her stalker still out there somewhere.
Shawn's alibi had checked out. There was documentation to prove he had been in Charleston at the time of Lana's wreck and when Ricky had been beaten. It was possible to fake signatures on a visitation log; however, it would have been hard to give an officer a fake name and driver's license during the traffic stop.
Turns out Shawn's mom wasn't just sick. She had mentally checked out and had gone to LA-LA-Land. She was in the psych ward at an institution. Shawn had been with her almost every day, trying to get her released. He had only returned to Morgantown after the doctors had refused her release.
There was no way Shawn could have done those acts of violence. Knowing this should have made Drew feel better, but it only made him feel more on edge. The real stalker was out there watching.
Lana had gotten a couple text messages from the stalker since they had been back in town. The messages had been graphic, describing in detail what he would do when he had her. She had never seen the messages because Drew had taken the cell phone as soon as the picture of Ricky had been sent.
Drew wanted nothing more than to go back to the cabin and hide her away. Keeping her all to himself sounded really good right about now and not just because she had a crazed stalker.
She had changed into one of his shirts and a pair of short shorts as soon as they walked through the door. The view had him thinking all kinds of x-rated thoughts as she stood at the kitchen counter chopping up veggies for a salad to go with the spaghetti she had boiling on the stove.
Lana had taken up cooking after they returned from the cabin. The first couple of meals had been a struggle for him to force down, but he had done so with a smile. Now he looked forward to the meals she sat in front of him at dinner time.
Walking up behind her he circled his arms around her waist and nuzzled her neck. Her fruity perfume invaded his senses.
“It'll be done soon,” she promised.
He pulled her back against him pressing the evidence of his arousal against her backside. “I'm not thinking about dinner right now.”
“Stop trying to distract me,” she protested, continuing to chop the green peppers.
Drew left a trail of kisses down the side of her neck as his hand slid up the front of the shirt she was wearing. If his guess was right they still had ten minutes before the pasta would be fully cooked. He intended to make good use of those ten minutes.
*******************************
The knife Lana was holding fell out of her hand as she turned in Drew's arms. Her arms found their way around his neck as her mouth met his in a kiss. When her back hit the counter he lifted her by her waist and sat her on the counter beside the vegetables, his mouth never leaving hers.
A knock at the door made Drew sigh. “This better be important.”
Lana giggled as she wiggled off of the counter to go answer the door.
Tracie was standing in the hallway with tears running down her face. There was a bruise the shape of a rope around her neck.
What had Devin done to her?
The other girl launched herself into Lana's arms sobbing. “He's crazy.”
“What happened?” Lana asked, backing her way through the living room to the couch. The door was left for Drew to shut.
“I thought he was going to kill me,” Tracie cried. “We were fooling around and he wanted to blindfold me. I thought he was just trying to spice things up, but then I felt him wrap something around my neck.”
“He tried to strangle you?” Lana asked in horror, looking at Drew over the other girl's shoulder.
“He said he had read about it in a magazine and that it was supposed to make the experience better,” Tracie informed her. “When
I tried to fight him off he pulled the rope tighter around my neck.” She sobbed louder. “I swear I thought he was going to kill me.”
Lana rocked her friend in her arms and rubbed her back.
“I didn't know where else to go,” Tracie said.
“I'm going to kill him,” Drew stated simply.
“No,” Tracie cried as she pulled away from Lana. “He's got issues, but there's no reason to kill him. I broke up with him.”
“I can think of a couple of reasons to kill him,” Drew countered, leaning against the closed door. “I haven't forgotten that he cornered Lana at the coffee shop.”
Oh crap.
Lana had assumed Chris had kept his promise about not saying anything to Drew about that. Of course he would have told Drew, they were roommates.
Lana got up and moved to where Drew was standing. She had to calm him down or, there was no doubt, he would go after the other guy.
“Babe, he didn't do anything to me,” she promised him. “Tracie's right. You can't go and kill him just because he tried something he read in a magazine.”
Drew scowled.
Lana stood on her tiptoes and kissed the fierceness off of his lips. “Besides, he's a blip on our radar.”
He rested his hands on each side of her hips. “Doesn't mean I like not doing anything about him.”
“I know.”
Truthfully, Devin needed kicked straight to hell. The fact that he had hurt her friend, even if not meaning to, had Lana seeing red. Killing him, no matter how tempting, was not the answer.
“I shouldn't have come here,” Tracie said.
Lana turned to face her friend, who was wiping tears from her eyes. “I'm glad you came here. Stay for dinner. I made spaghetti and who knows when Chris will get in if he comes home tonight.”
Chris had been spending more time out of the house these days. Lana had her suspicions that he was with Tammy. Drew refused to even consider his roommate could be spending that much time with his sister. As far as he was concerned his friend was out having one nightstands with different women every night.
