“I know Tylon. I already told Grandma,” I replied. I was slightly depressed. Detective Royce was here. He wanted to help me so bad. I couldn't hide the fact that I seemed to have developed small desires for him. It was all just too bad.
“I love you, Karma Wayward,” Tylon said, looking at me and smiling. I couldn't help but smile back.
“I love you, Tylon Wayward.” I kissed him and we made love right there on the floor of my bedroom.
Chapter Twenty-Six
The next day I ventured down to the precinct and sat across from it, watching people walking in and out. I knew this was stupid and dangerous, but I couldn't help it. I had to see Detective Royce, even if it was just from the distance. I wore black jeans and a black tank top underneath a black sweatshirt with a zipper down the front.
Finally, I saw him. Wearing a long black jacket, a black dress shirt with a black and white tie and black pants, he looked good. Better than the day before. I smiled to myself as I watched him climb the steps. Oliver looked back, scanning the mass of people and cars, as if hoping to see me. He saw me and nodded, like I was just another person. I nodded back, not smiling because I knew he'd recognize me if I did. I stood up and walked away after he walked into the building. I told him he wouldn't know me if he saw me.
I walked down to a coffee shop and purchased four coffees. Walking back to the precinct, I knew that this was probably the stupidest, most irresponsible thing I'd ever done. I walked right in the front door and came to the front desk. The gentleman looked up at me and studied me for a moment.
“Can I help you?” he finally asked.
“These are for Detectives Royce, Bensley, Bronson and Harris. Could I have a piece of paper and a pen? I'd like to write them a note,” I replied. He handed me what I asked for. I wrote:
To Detective Royce:
I told you that you wouldn't recognize me. We made eye contact not moments ago. I wish I could have delivered these personally, but I'm in a hurry, so I hope you can forgive me. Enjoy the coffee. Give Detective Bensley, Detective Bronson and Detective Harris my best wishes.
Take care, Detective.
Karma
“Thanks so much, Mister,” I said, leaving the coffees, note and pen right on the desk. He nodded and I walked out before turning around to watch him take the coffees back to Royce. I smiled. I turned back around to head down the steps and I passed right by Detective Harris. It pained me to not speak to him, but it was good that he didn't recognize me, either.
I hailed a cab and as the driver took off, I was looking out the back window. I saw Detective Royce and Detective Harris come running down the front steps, looking around frantically. I noticed that it had started to rain, as if the heavens were reflecting my own feelings.
Smiling sadly, I turned back around. Either the coffee was that good or the fact that it was I that delivered it had them riled up. I couldn't help but laugh when I realized that the cab driver was listening to Total Eclipse of the Heart.
Yea. Maybe that's what this was.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
A few days later, Tylon and I headed to Boston. While Tylon was getting gas at one gas station, I headed over to the pay phone. I figured I should call Detective Royce to see what he had to say.
“Royce,” he answered right away. It seemed like he answered his phone faster and faster each time I called.
“Hello, Oliver,” I said smiling. “Did you enjoy the coffee?
“Karma! How? What?” I couldn’t help but laugh at him.
“You looked right at me the other day. You even nodded at me. Then I went and bought you some coffee. I walked right into the precinct, wrote the note and then left, passing by Detective Harris,” I explained.
“Karma, please. Come back. We can talk. Just talk,” he tried getting me to go back.
“I'm sorry, Detective. I've already left. I'll be back though,” I told him.
“Karma, please.”
“I'm sorry, Oliver.” I hung up then and walked back to the car. Tylon got in right after me.
“Who did you call?” he asked me.
“An old friend,” I said, hoping he wouldn't push the situation.
“So, why Boston, babe?” Tylon asked. I shrugged.
“I've just always wanted to go there. I think it'll be nice. We could find a nice Irish neighborhood and not have to worry about anything,” I answered him. “We Irish stick together.” I smiled and Tylon laughed.
“Sounds good to me,” he said. For about ten minutes, the car was silent, before Tylon spoke again. “You going to ruin this one for us, too?” I looked at him, confused. “I know you've been calling Detective Royce.”
“I'm not going to ruin anything. I haven't ruined anything yet, have I?”
“We have to keep running because you keep talking to him. He's tracking us, you know,” he responded.
“I know. That's why I always call from pay phones and always a town or two away from where we actually are.”
“Except for just now,” Tylon pointed out. I remained silent. “Karma, I don't know what happened between the two of you or what is happening between the two of you, but it needs to stop. Do you want me to go to jail?”
“You know I don't, Tylon!” I snapped.
“Yea right. You want to go back to your precious Detective Royce and be with him!” he cried in return.
“If that's what you really think, then you let me out of this car right now!” I exclaimed, facing him. Tylon slammed on his brakes and pulled off to the side of the road. I looked at him, scowling. “I can't believe you, Tylon.” I got out of the car and he drove away. I couldn't believe he left me in the middle of nowhere. I had no idea where I was. He had all the money and all of my things. I started walking back in the direction of the gas station. I pulled out my phone and I was contemplating calling Detective Royce, when a car came up beside me. It was Tylon.
“Get in, Karma,” Tylon said without even looking at me. I climbed in without argument.
I was afraid of him when he got mad, because Tylon had never gotten mad at me before the whole Korbyn and Keegan thing went down.
“Stop your crying.” I hadn't even realized I'd been crying. I rubbed at my eyes. I saw Tylon look at my phone in my hand. “Did you call him?” I shook my head, not saying a word. Tylon slammed on his gas pedal, reaching sixty-five in no time. It was a few moments before I realized we weren't going towards Boston.
“Where are we going?” I asked him.
“Back to New York,” he replied, his eyes hard on the road.
“Why?”
“Because that's obviously where you want to be.”
“I want to be with you, Jett!” I cried, using his real name.
“You will be. You'll be my cellmate in prison.”
“Don't do this, Jett!” I was sobbing at that point.
“Shut up, Myka,” he replied. He hadn't called me Myka since before we changed our names. I was silent for a few moments.
“C'mon, Tylon. Let's go to Boston,” I said, trying to stay calm and civil.
“No. We're going back to New York. Right back to your boy toy,” he responded.
“Fine. You want to be that way? Fine.” I took off my wedding rings and threw them at him. They rolled to the floor of the car. That really seemed to anger him. Tylon slammed on the brakes again, put the car in park and got out of the car.
He came around to my side of the car and pulled me out of it. Tylon stood above me, his eyes flashing with anger, as he looked into my eyes. For some reason, he looked really sexy like this and I became aroused. I kissed Tylon then, pulling his hips to mine. He kissed me back, hard and fierce, before turning me around. Tylon pulled both of our pants down and bent me over the car; having sex with me right there on the side of the highway as cars sped by. It only took a few moments before he was done. I smiled as we situated ourselves and climbed back in the car. Tylon picked up my rings and handed them to me. I happily put them back on. We drove off, still heading bac
k to New York.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
A month later, I stood outside the precinct again. This time my hair was strawberry-blond and my eyes were green. I had gained thirty of the fifty pounds I had originally lost back. I didn't mind though. I wore dark blue jeans, a red tank top and a red and black sweatshirt with a zipper down the front.
In my hands were a dozen donuts and four coffees. I walked up the steps and there was a different gentleman at the front desk.
This could be the end of everything, I thought to myself, but then I shrugged.
“Could I see Detective Royce please?” I asked and he told me to go on back. I walked through the doors and spotted Detective Royce at his desk. I waited until he left his desk before I went over there to set down the donuts and coffees.
“Can I help you?” I heard his voice behind me. I flashed a smile, kind of hoping he'd recognize me and kind of hoping he wouldn't. He studied me for a moment.
“Just making a delivery, Detective,” I replied slowly, almost seductively. Detective Royce's eyes widened. I smiled again, and then placed my finger to my lips. “Shh.”
“Karma?” he whispered. I just smiled.
“Enjoy your coffee and donuts, Detective,” I said before starting to walk away. He grabbed my arm and dragged me into an empty interrogation room. “I'm just the delivery girl, Sir. What could you possibly want with me?”
“I know it's you, Myka. Or Karma. Whatever it is,” Oliver told me. I cocked an eyebrow at him. “Where's your boyfriend?”
“My husband is at work, Detective.” For a moment, I thought the detective in front of me was going to fall over and lost his grasp on my arm.
“You got married?” he asked, his eyebrows rose.
“Don't sound so disappointed, Detective Royce. I'm a big girl,” I cooed, sticking my chest out. His eyes darted down to my chest and then back to my eyes.
“Don't make me book you, Myka,” Oliver threatened, grabbing my arm again.
“My name's Karma,” I snapped, pulling out of his grasp.
“Tell me where he is. You know I have to arrest him.”
“I don't know who you're talking about, Detective, but I sure do hope you find them,” I replied, beaming a fake smile. “Don't try to find me, Detective Royce.” I walked towards the door, but he stopped me again, pulling me into his arms. I was shocked, but slowly hugged him back.
“Let me help, Karma,” Royce whispered, his lips brushing against my ear. I shivered, hugging him a little harder.
“If he finds out I came here, Oliver, he'll kill me,” I whispered back, finally pulling away. “You never saw me. Please.” I pleaded him with my eyes.
“I never saw you,” he told me softly, gently taking my chin with his fingers. “But I want to see you, Karma.” I closed my eyes briefly and a couple tears slid down my cheeks. I grabbed the notebook from his shirt pocket and the pen that was with it.
“Meet me here tonight. You and you alone,” I told him, jotting down the name of a small restaurant in the next town. “Have a nice day, Detective.”
With that, I walked out the door and quickly left the precinct, never looking back.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
That night, I sat at a booth at the restaurant, waiting for Detective Royce to join me. Tylon worked that night, so I didn't think he'd know about this meeting. I sat there playing with my straw as someone approached the table. I looked up to find Oliver.
“Are you alone?” I asked him, cautiously.
“Yes,” he replied as he sat down across from me. A waitress came over and he ordered a soda. We sat in silence until she came back with it. I took a deep breath and let it out as I studied him. His piercing blue eyes were soft but they looked happy. A small smile crept to my face as Oliver sighed.
“So your name is Karma now?” Oliver initiated a conversation. I nodded sipping at my water. “Why's that?”
“What goes around, comes around, Detective,” I replied.
“Call me Oliver. We're two friends out talking about our lives. Right now, I'm not a detective.” I smiled at his casualness.
“I changed it to Karma because karma is what took care of Korbyn and Keegan. They had it coming to them, you know.”
“Even if they did, Karma, I could have given it to them as bad as Jett did,” he retorted.
“I don't think you could have done it as bad, Oliver.” He laughed.
“Maybe not. I could have sent them to prison where they would have gotten beaten and raped by the other prisoners though. That's what they do to sexual predators, you know,” Oliver pointed out. I shrugged.
“What's done is done,” I mumbled. I took another sip of my water, playing with my straw with my tongue rings. Oliver laughed at me.
“You look really good, Kar. May I call you Kar?” I nodded with a smile on my face.
“Are you coming on to me, Detective?” I asked a little seductively. Oliver looked deep into my eyes.
“What if I was?” he questioned. I smirked.
“I'd say that that might compromise your investigation.”
“Do you really think I care, Karma? If I were worried about that I would have told everyone about seeing you today. Plus, I wouldn’t be here right now.”
“So what I said on the phone the other day was all true?” I asked. He hesitated before nodding. I smiled. “You do realize I'm married now, don't you?”
“To a fugitive, Karma. You're married to a fugitive. I could be so much more. You could have a normal life with me,” Oliver responded.
“I love Jett, Oliver,” I whispered.
“Obviously not as much as you think you do.”
“Why do you say that?”
“You're sitting here with me. You keep in touch with me, even though you guys have been on the run. Karma, you're bringing me that much closer to catching him,” he explained.
“But remember, Detective. You haven't seen me,” I reminded him of our discussion earlier. He sighed and sat back.
“Let me help you. Please.”
“No, Oliver.”
“Let me make up for when I wasn't there when it came to Korbyn and Keegan. Please,” Detective Royce pleaded.
“I can’t, Ol. I won't do that to Jett,” I replied.
“Karma, he's made you an accessory to murder. He's kidnapped you. He's making it bad for you, too. I bet he's even gotten a temper since you left.” I was silent. “He has, hasn’t he?” I nodded slowly.
“Jett gets rough with me. He yells at me. He forbade me from even talking to you,” I told him. “Jett loves me, Oliver.”
“Does that really sound like love to you? I'm thinking it sounds more like Korbyn.”
“No! He's nothing like Korbyn!” I hissed. Oliver stared at me hard, his eyes searching my soul. Suddenly, Oliver reached across the table, pulling me towards him and he kissed me. I was pleasantly surprised. Almost as quickly as it happened, he let me go.
“A happy life, in a permanent home or a life on the run, Karma. It's your decision,” he said, getting up to pay the bill. While he was at the register, I went outside. I walked to the side of the restaurant, lit a cigarette and studied the stars. Oliver was offering me what I wanted, but I told Tylon that we were in this together until the very end. I was so deep in thought that I didn't hear Oliver come up beside me.
“I miss your blue eyes, Karma. They remind me of the stars,” he admitted. I blushed. “Don't you want to have all that back? Your real eyes and even your hair?” Oliver ran his fingers through my hair gently. “I know you do, Kar.”
“And you know I can't,” I snapped. Gently, he took my chin in his fingers and tipped my head up to look him in the eye. Then, he kissed me softly.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. Oliver's arms were wrapped around me, keeping me close to him. After a few moments, I finally broke the kiss. My heart was racing and his eyes were wild.
“It's time to go, Detective,” I spoke softly. He shook his head.
“I have to get home. If I'm not there when Tylon gets there, I'm dead,” I told him.
“Let me drive you.”
“Yea. Like that's going to happen, Detective Royce,” I laughed. He looked hurt. “I can't have you knowing where we are and I can't have Jett knowing I was with you. That's all.”
“I can protect you,” he begged. I kissed him softly.
“Go home, Oliver. I'll be in touch soon,” I urged him. Oliver nodded slowly, before walking to his car. I knew this pained him in so many ways, just like it pained me. A tear ran down my cheek as I watched him drive away.
Chapter Thirty
A month later, we were in Pennsylvania and the cops had been trailing us a little closer than before. I was so worried about it, that I hadn't even contacted Detective Royce since the night we met at the restaurant. Tylon had found out somehow and he beat me up a little bit, but it was nothing compared to Korbyn's and Keegan's damages.
One night, two cops knocked on our hotel room door. We panicked a little inside, but we let them in.
“Sorry to bother you so late, but we're looking for two fugitives,” the first cop explained, holding up a picture of the two of us from the year before. “Have you seen these people?” We shook our heads. “You've never talked to anyone or seen anyone by the name of Myka Marsters or Jett Adkins?”
“No, Sir,” I replied. The officers sighed and left the room. After that encounter, we packed up our things and we ran to our car, once the coast was clear. We took off as soon as the police went into another room.
“That was too damn close,” Tylon sighed. His hands clenched the wheel so hard that his knuckles were white. I was a little scared.
“Where we going now, Babe?” I asked him.
“Back to New York.”
“Won't that be a little dangerous?”
“Hey. We know that state like the backs of our hands. We can hide better there,” he answered me. I shrugged and leaned back in my seat, closing my eyes, wondering if I should contact Detective Royce. I decided against it for the time being, considering the way Tylon reacted when he found I had gone to meet him.
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