The Torn, Book One of the Holding Kate Series

by Cole, LaDonna

  We pulled over in front of a deluxe high rise apartment building. Dirk said, “We need to find food and shelter. Let’s go pick us out a room and find some food.”

  “I could use a nap myself.” Trip yawned.

  I agreed. I was exhausted and sore from the night of tensed muscles and terror. We left the cab on the street and walked through the revolving doors. The lobby was spacious and marble tiled floors welcomed us. Elegant chandeliers were suspended and twinkling, classical flute and harp music played overhead, and the welcome desk was abandoned.

  Dirk climbed over the desk, rummaged through some drawers and produced three sets of key discs. He tossed one to each of us and held up another ring of keys. “You all go find your room. I’m gonna see if I can find a pantry or kitchen somewhere. Let’s rest, eat and meet in your room in, say six hours?” He pointed to Trip.

  “Do you think we should split up?” Trip asked him.

  I cut my eyes at him and smiled. He grinned, remembering when this was my argument.

  “I can’t see that we are in any danger. Nobody here!” Dirk replied. “But, let’s see…” he looked around behind the counter. “Yeah, there.” The revolving doors shifted and clicked into a locked position. “Now, we are safe from any possible intruder.”

  “Aren’t we the intruders?” I murmured to Trip as we turned toward the elevators.

  “Yeah, tell me about it. This feels so weird.” He yawned again.

  “Did you sleep at all last night in the cabin?” I asked him.

  “A bit,” he hedged.

  “Let’s go find you a comfy bed!” I took his hand and dragged him toward the elevators.

  “I’m gonna go find the pool and recreation room.” Gregory grinned and ran down the hallway.

  Our key was marked P4. When we got into the elevator there were 39 floors, but the only P was at the top beside a keyhole. Trip inserted his key disc and the elevator jumped. We shot up for a short ride, and then the doors opened to a small room with four ornate doors. We went to the door marked 4 and inserted the key. Pushing the door open, we peered inside.

  “Hello,” Trip called. “Room service.”

  I covered my mouth and giggled.

  “Anyone here?” We walked into the most luxurious penthouse apartment one could imagine. Mahogany floors and black leather was the décor de jour. Stainless steel and granite kitchen peeked at us from the left and a wall of windows spanned the right. I moved toward the windows and Trip headed to the refrigerator.

  I stepped to the window and gazed across the cityscape and my mouth fell open.

  “Hey, do you like caviar?” Trip called from behind me.

  “Trip,” I whispered, my hands splayed across the window glass.

  “They have some fancy cheese, the fruit looks pretty good. I don’t think they’ve been gone very long,” he called.

  “Trip.” My voice was gone, stolen from the scene I viewed. I swayed and rested my head against the glass.

  “Kate?” His voice was concerned, and then he was beside me in an instant, holding me up and looking into my face with alarm. “What is wrong, sweetie?”

  I pointed at the window and he turned to see what had caused my reaction. “Holy Cannoli,” he murmured.

  The city sprawled out beneath us for a mile or so then ended abruptly with a slice of bright red dessert. Dancing along the outer rim of the city was a multitude of tornados, spiraling and joining, cavorting and separating, they marched along the line of the city. I started trying to count them and was up to 124 when Trip pulled me away from the window.

  “Come on, Kate. They aren’t moving toward us. Let’s eat and then get some sleep.”

  He dragged me to the kitchen and poked some crackers and cheese down me. He popped the cork on a bottle of something bubbly, sloshed it into some glasses and we drank the bubbly brew in silence. He then took the glasses and set them in the sink, grabbed my hand and led me to the bed room. He crawled into the bed, fully clothed and then scooted over and pulled me in beside him. The covers and his arms were barely over me before I was asleep. The last thing I remembered was his warm body pressed close to mine and his lips kissing the back of my neck.

  The next thing I remembered was his warm body pressed close to mine and his lips brushing my cheek.

  “Mmmm,” I sighed.

  “Did you sleep well?” Trip whispered into my ear.

  “Yes, you?” I turned over onto my back.

  “Mmmhmmm.” His response sent a pang of longing through me. Another boy had held me like this and made that same sound not so long ago. Corey. My heart ached for his arms and his kisses. They were not here. The cold reality of his absence washed over me. Where was Corey? Had the team jumped back already? He might have been back and gone again for all I knew.

  He left me. Knifing pain carved a hollow out of my chest.

  Trip seemed to be enjoying himself and getting intense with his snuggles. He turned my face toward his and kissed my lips, lightly at first. He pulled away slightly and looked at me hungrily. The air between us grew thick. I needed him in that moment more than I have ever needed anything. Trip sensed my desire and it lit him on fire. His lips found mine and his rescue was deep and thorough. He had shed his jacket at some point in our nap and his muscles rippled beneath my fingers as I explored his skin. He rolled me over on top of him and I stretched out along his beautiful body and enjoyed the feel of his solid frame pressed against my softness.

  Trip’s kisses were needy and demanding. He seemed to kiss with the same personality that he fought with. He was a force that would not be denied his satisfaction. His tongue parted my lips and explored the taste of me. I drew him in deeper, inviting him to take more and more. I sat up on his hips while we panted for air, but the passion in his eyes scorched over me and he reached up and unzipped my jacket, ripped it off and cast it aside. I traced the scars on his chest while his hands ran up my bare arms, neck, and into my hair. I closed my eyes and moaned. Then that was it.

  He sat up and pulled me against his chest, pressed my skin against his and wrapped my legs around him. He kissed my face and chin and neck, and I wanted him to continue his journey. Heat poured off of us and surrounded us in a haze of passion so intense I seemed to lose my head. All I could think of was Trip: Trip’s body, Trip’s lips, blue eyes and blond hair.

  Wait! What? My eyes snapped open and I froze.

  Trip sensed my pause and looked into my eyes with crazed desire beaming from his dark brown eyes.

  I shook my head. No. No. No. What was I doing? No. This was wrong. This was not what I wanted. I mean I did want it. I really wanted it, but not like this. Not with this boy.

  “Trip,” I sighed.

  He deflated, rested his head on my breast until our breathing returned to normal, then planted a kiss and peeled me off of him. “I am so sorry, Kate,” he apologized. “I shouldn’t have done that to you.”

  “No, it was me, Trip.” I took his face between my hands and kissed his lips. “I should never have let you…me…us… get so worked up. I’m sorry.” I scooted back from him. “You are just so irresistible.”

  I pantomimed a knife into my breast and fell over dead onto the bed. He laughed and kissed my shoulder, then crawled out of the bed.

  “Do you want to shower?” He asked.

  “Yeah, I do.”

  “Go for it. I will go forage us some breakfast.” He threw my jacket to me and slipped his on.

  I let my eyes graze his perfect body and then covered my head with a pillow. “Go! Get out of here before I jump your bones again.” I hollered into the pillow.

  His hands grabbed my legs, pulled me to the edge of the bed and sat me up. “You can jump my bones anytime you’re ready.” He simmered into my eyes and kissed my lips gently. Then turned and walked through the door.

  My heart pounded in my chest and I thought I was going to faint. He was so gorgeous! I could have him. He would gladly commit himself to me, he loved me. This I knew. I had heard h
is most tender thoughts about me in our last jump. He would love me forever and I would never be alone or afraid. He would protect me, cover me, make crazy and wild passionate—girl get a grip!

  As much as I lusted after Trip, and make no mistake that was the biggest part of our attraction, I couldn’t get Corey out of my heart. He was stamped on me in indelible ink, a part of me I couldn’t deny. It wasn’t fair to make out with Trip and have Corey’s face and presence in my head. I wasn’t going to do that. Trip deserved all of my devotion and until I could give that, I had no desire to lead him along. Trip was a good man and deserved better. Besides, didn’t I just decide to leave them both alone? What was wrong with me? Poison, I was definitely poison.

  I drug my pathetic toxic self into the sumptuous bathroom and hummed in delight to find a huge Jacuzzi tub. I tested the water, it still got warm. How was everything still working in this strange world? I filled the tub with bubbles and warm water and slipped in. Ahhhh…nice. I melted into the warm bubbles and let my mind wander.

  No surprise when it landed on Corey. How was he? Where was he? Was he safe? Anxiety melted away with the softly scented bubbles tickling my nose and the warm water pulsing through my toes.

  My fingers started pruning so I got out, dried off, and dressed in the fresh jump suit from my backpack. When I came out of the bedroom, I saw that the others had joined us in our suite. Dirk and Trip stood against the windows on either side of the chaise, their perfectly sculpted forms, twin statues of masculine perfection, as they stood with arms crossed staring at the tornado world outside.

  I drew up a stool beside Gregory, lifted a milk bottle to my nose and sniffed.

  “It’s evaporated. I just made it from canned milk I found in my penthouse.”

  “Thanks, Gregory.” I reached for the granola cereal.

  “Call me Greg,” he said.

  “Okay, Greg.” I shoved a spoon into the cereal trying to dunk each cluster into the milk, and then scooped a bite into my mouth. I glanced at Trip and back to Greg who watched me pensively.

  I smiled awkwardly. He looked down.

  “What?” I asked. “What do you want to ask me?”

  “Oh. It’s not really any of my business.” Greg shoved a big bite of multicolored circles into his mouth.

  “Well, you are welcome to ask me anything. You know, if you’d gone to orientation, they’d have told you that we’re encouraged to be open with each other. It is our best chance of surviving, so they say.”

  Greg swallowed and cut his eyes to me with a startled expression. “Survive?”

  “That’s what they said.” I crunched on my cereal and turned the box around to read it.

  “Well, in that case…are you and him…” he flicked his thumb toward Trip, “like dating or something?”

  I didn’t expect that. I slowly finished chewing my cereal, aware that Trip was intently listening for my answer. “Something…” I said.

  “Oh. Okay.”

  “Why do you want to know, Greg?” I asked.

  “I just wondered why you didn’t use your key for your own Penthouse suite.” He shrugged.

  “Oh.” I reached in my jacket pocket and found my key with a P3 engraved on it. “Huh. I don’t know. We were just so tired and I...I don’t do well alone.” I finally answered as truthfully as I knew how. “Trip takes care of me…I feel safe with him.”

  “Yeah, makes sense.” Greg said. “I was a little freaked out all by myself in that big Penthouse.”

  I snapped my head around and caught a quiver of his lip. My heart opened up to this young boy who was a perfect stranger to me. Suddenly, I felt very protective of him. He reminded me of my little brother, Jimmy. I had seen that same look of helpless desperation on his face when Momma and Daddy would fight.

  “Greg, for the rest of the time we are here, you can stay with me and Trip. Okay? We will all pile up on the couch if we have to. No one should feel like they have to be on this jump alone.” I reached over and squeezed his hand.

  His face brightened. “Thanks, Kate. I will hang out here with you guys, if it’s not weird for you…unless you guys want to be…you know, alone or something.”

  “I am happy for you to be here…no weirdness.” I noticed Trip’s shoulders slump a bit out of the corner of my eye, so I added. “If Trip and I need to be alone, we can find somewhere to do that.”

  Trips eyes cut over to mine and he smiled at me. Oh, dear. How complicated this love stuff can get. I smiled back then turned back to Greg.

  “So did you explore the rec room and pool?”

  “Oh man, you should see that pool! It is indoors but has a large window that goes down into the water and if you swim under it you are outside on this huge veranda that overlooks the city.” He frowned.

  “You saw the tornados, huh?” I asked.

  “Yeah, what kind of weird place is this?” He asked.

  I shook my head. “I don’t know. What I do know? The sooner we decide whose jump this is and get their issues settled, the sooner we jump back home.”

  “I have a weird feeling it’s me,” Greg said. “I just have this extreme fear of those tornados.”

  “Yeah, me too.” I got up and rinsed my bowl out in the sink. “How do you fight a force of nature?”

  “Seriously,” he agreed.

  “So what is your story, Greg? What brought you to Heartwork Village?” I leaned on my elbows at the breakfast counter across from him.

  “Well, I guess they ran out of foster homes to dump me in.” He pushed his bowl aside and plopped his chin over his fist.

  “Oh, I’m sorry.” My face fell. “I didn’t mean to pry.”

  He shrugged. “I’m supposed to be open, right? You were just trying to help.”

  He took a deep and jittery breath. “My parents are in prison, meth lab in the back of the house.” His hands shook. “I’ve been in foster care for three years, passed around from family to family. It’s seems about every three months or so, I get sent to a new family. Nobody sticks around for long. I think I am too much to handle. That is what they say anyway. My CASA worker said they wrote “tum…tumult…tumultuous emotional issues and impulse control impaired” on my records. Mom still writes from prison, and she told me the same thing. Said I was more trouble than any two kids. So, now they can’t find anyone who wants me. All of the foster families in my county refuse to take me. I think they planned to stick me at Heartwork Village in hopes that I would be ‘reformed’. Sounds like something you would do to a piece of clay.”

  His eyes welled with tears and he blinked them away. My heart melted for this little boy. I walked around the bar and hugged him, tightly. He fell into my embrace like someone starved for physical affection. I held him until he pulled away and there was a damp spot on my shoulder.

  “Greg, you have a new family, now. We are your brothers and sister.” I placed my hand on his head and rubbed his red buzz cut and smiled at him.

  “That’s nice, Kate, but really, I don’t expect you to stick around either. Nobody else has and they all said the same thing.” He scowled and placed his head into the pocket created by his bent elbows on the counter. “I’m trouble. You don’t want to deal with me.”

  This poor child, what kind of crappy adults had he been living with? “I’m not afraid of trouble.” I whispered into his ear, squeezed his shoulder, and then sauntered over to sit on the couch, so he could cry if he needed to without feeling like he had an audience. After a few minutes, he came over and sat beside me. I reached over and took his hand. As he smiled and squeezed mine, a warm place opened up inside of my heart and little Greg nestled in.

  As the sun set, we turned off all the lights and sat at the windows. The city lights came up as though on a timer and two of the tornados broke away from the group and swirled through the city streets. They swayed back and forth across the intersections as if sniffing the buildings, then came together at one place and merged as though conversing.

  “That’s right where we we
re last night,” Dirk said

  “Are you sure?” I asked as I leaned forward and pressed my elbows into my knees to stop them from bouncing. Trip ran his hand up and down my back in an attempt to calm my nerves. It had the opposite effect on me. Instead of making me calm, it agitated me further. It brought back memories of stolen kisses under willow trees and freely given kisses under the sheets earlier. I was suddenly hot. I jumped up and started pacing, watching the tornado duo slither back and forth through streets like search lights.

  After hours of watching them meticulously panning the city, almost probing every inch, I began to remember the idea I had when we were under the table last night. They seemed to be aware of our presence.

  “Are they searching for something?” I asked.

  “What? Like they’re sentient?” Dirk cocked an eyebrow.

  “Silly, I know,” I mumbled.

  “Not silly, just…hmm.” Now Dirk was pacing.

  “Can they hurt us up here?” Greg asked, his voice squeaking.

  I stopped in front on him, sat down beside him, and put my arm across his shoulders. “Can they?” I asked Trip.

  Trip looked at Dirk and Dirk shook his head. “I don’t think so, steel frame. I mean, it could shatter the glass and stuff, but as long as we are in an interior room we should be relatively safe…unless.”

  “Unless, what?”

  “Well, there is always debris to worry about.” He threw his hand over his shoulder like it wasn’t much of a worry.

  I didn’t buy it. I had seen pictures of the debris tornadoes could toss. I am pretty sure a flying subway train car would be able to hurt us pretty bad. I kept my opinion to myself, though. Greg was tense enough without my cheery disposition adding to his stress.

  “Isn’t that the street we came up on?” Trip nodded his head toward the window.

  We all pressed our faces to glass and watched the tornadoes slink down the very street we had taken to get here.

  “I don’t like this,” I muttered and Trip was there by my side like my own personal genie. He took my hand and squeezed it.

  “Anybody hungry?”