“You look fine,” I said tightly. I was angry, but not at her. This had been my idea and now I wanted nothing more than to drag her into the house, rip off that dress, and find out once and for all, what her real hair color looked like.
“Are you okay?” she asked, after I helped her into the car and then joined her.
I laughed coldly. Was I okay? Did she not have any idea of how gorgeous she was? Or how thankful I was that I’d worn my shirt out and it was covering a raging hard-on. “I’m fine.”
She stared at me and then folded her arms under her chest. “Okay, what’s wrong? Something is definitely wrong.”
I grunted. “Are you reading my aura, now? Or getting some kind of psychic impression?”
Her eyes flashed angrily. “No, and would you quit goading me about that! Anyone with half a brain can read you because of that pissed off look on your face and that…” she pointed towards my lips, “that scowl.”
I sighed and rubbed a hand over my face. I was taking my frustrations out on her and it wasn’t Sera’s fault that she looked so totally… fuckable. “I’m sorry. Nothing is wrong. I’m just a little stressed out. This thing with Fred and Sam… you know how it is, obviously.”
Her shoulders relaxed. “I understand…. Uh, you know, I can go inside and change. If you think this dress isn’t appropriate for where we’re going.”
I wiggled my eyebrows. “Oh, it’s appropriate. I’m sure you’ll have the waiter drooling into our water.”
She blushed. “You look very nice, took,” she said, staring at my dark blue Tommy Bahama silk shirt.
I looked down and smirked. “Some would say we make a nice looking couple.”
Sera laughed. “If they only knew, right?”
If she only knew…
***
Sera
Thane pulled out of the driveway and there was an uncomfortable silence.
“Music?” he asked.
I nodded.
He pulled out his iPod. “What kind of music do you like?”
I shrugged. “A little bit of everything.”
He grinned. “Okay, let me ask you another way – if you’re alone in the car, what would you be listening to?”
“Probably pop music, although there are times when I feel like listening to Journey or The Eagles.”
“What about Bob Seger?” he asked.
I nodded. “My mom used to listen to him all the time. She loved him.”
“What about you?”
“I love him… because of her,” I replied truthfully.
“What was her favorite song?”
“She had many, but there was one song that still stands out, especially the last few months that we were together, called ‘In Your Time’.”
He smiled. “Well, then, in honor of your mom…”
“You have it?”
“I have every one of his songs.”
Smiling, I sat back as it began to play and closed my eyes, remembering how mom would dance around her trailer with Emma, holding hands as they listened to the words to ‘In Your Time’. I could still remember Emma giggling as mom would twirl her under her arm and the joy on both of their faces. Thinking back at how happy and close we’d been in those last few months, made my chest tighten.
“You okay?” asked Thane over the music.
Smiling sadly, I brushed away a couple of tears and nodded.
He grabbed my hand and squeezed it, surprising me. The gesture warmed my heart and sent shivers of giddiness from my fingers, all the way down to my toes. I knew that he was just doing it out of friendship and to offer comfort, but a small part of me began to wish that it was something more.
He continued to hold my hand as we drove towards the restaurant and I stared out of the passenger window, afraid to look at him. Afraid he would see something in my eyes. Something that would make him let go of my hand. Something that would scare him away. I didn’t want to do anything that would ruin this moment or break the spell and I certainly wasn’t ready for him to let go. It felt good to actually feel safe with a man. One that affected me this way.
When the song was over, another song began to play - one that I also recognized, called “You’ll Accompany me”. I held my breath as the familiar lyrics began to play. It was a song for lovers. A song of hope…
A gypsy wind is blowing warm tonight…
The sky is starlit and the time is right…
And still you're tellin' me you have to go…
Before you leave there's something you should know…
Yeah something you should know babe…
I've seen you smiling in the summer sun…
I've seen your long hair flying when you run…
I've made my mind up that it's meant to be…
Someday lady you'll accomp'ny me…
Someday lady you'll accomp'ny me…
Out where the rivers meet the sounding sea…
You're high above me now, you're wild and free… ah …but…
Someday lady you'll accomp'ny me…
Surprisingly, it wasn’t the song that made him let go of my hand, it was his cell phone.
“It’s Fred,” he said, turning down the music. “Here, I’ll put him on speaker-phone.”
“Thane?” barked Fred’s voice, over the intercom.
“I’m here. With Sera. We have you on speakerphone, so you might want to watch your language.”
I smiled. “Hi, Fred. What’s happening?”
He sighed. “Not much to tell, actually. I just wanted to check in.”
“No luck with the searches?” asked Thane.
“No siree. But, there’s a lot of ground to cover. We’ll search until dusk and then resume tomorrow. I’ve managed to enlist about fifty people from the area.”
“That’s nice,” I said softly. The misery in Fred’s voice was heart-wrenching. I could tell he had already given up on finding Sam alive and that his only hope now was to find a body and any thread of evidence that would link Ray to it.
“What about Ray? Is he still in custody?” I asked.
He sighed again. “Yes, but just for the D.U.I. and the fact that nobody has bailed him out. Not yet, anyway.”
“What about Sam’s phone? Did they find it in Ray’s possession?” I asked.
“No. The son-of-a-bitch must be hiding it somewhere.”
“But, they have questioned him in regards to Sam being missing, right?” I asked.
“Yes. He’s playing stupid. He knows what he’s doing, that’s for sure. A sneaky prick. I’m still surprised that he was arrested.”
“It doesn’t surprise me,” I replied. “He drives like a maniac when he’s drunk. The only thing that surprises me is that he hasn’t killed anyone by accident.”
“Or himself,” said Fred.
If only it were that easy to stop Ray, I wanted to say, and then felt guilty. He was still Emma’s father and she would be upset if he was killed.
“What’s his reasoning for actually being in Seattle?” asked Thane. “He still lives in Wisconsin, right?”
“We think so. He said that he thought Sera was still hiding Emily out here and thus the reason for the trip.”
“Yet, he claims that he knows nothing about what happened to Sam.”
“That’s right and, unfortunately, we have no proof that he even paid Sam a visit.”
I sighed. “I’m so sorry, Fred. This is all my fault.”
“Don’t say that. It’s not your fault. It’s no-ones but Ray’s.”
“But, if I wouldn’t have run away with Emma, your brother wouldn’t be… missing. Heck, he’d probably be happily married to my mother.”
“Now, you listen here… don’t you ever go blaming yourself. You had to leave. You had to get Emma out of there, too. This guy is dangerous and he’d have killed you eventually. No regrets, Sera. Everything happened for a reason. You, above all people, should realize that.”
“He’s right,” said Thane, as we pulled into the parki
ng lot of the restaurant. “It sounds like it took a lot of courage to leave a monster like that, and you should never blame yourself for his insaneness.”
“I know you’re right, but I keep thinking that maybe I should have went about it a different way.”
“From his behavior, someone would have still gotten hurt, so forget about what you think you could have done and just help us focus on getting this bastard,” said Fred. “If anyone can do it, I know it will be you.”
“Focus?” I repeated.
“Yeah, see if you can channel some of that psychic ability and… maybe you can actually help find Sam,” replied Fred.
I put my hand to my forehead. “I wish it was that easy,” I answered. “Like I’ve told you before, I can’t control what comes to me.”
Fred sighed. “I understand. If you do sense anything that will help, call me.”
“I will,” I replied.
“Okay. To be honest, I’m not sure at this point, I’m not sure when I’ll be back in town. Might be a few more days.”
“Understandable,” said Thane. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on things at home for you.”
“Thanks, Thane,” he replied. “I appreciate it. I’m going to call Arlene back. She was baking with Emma earlier. Heard you two were going out for dinner?”
“Yeah,” replied Thane. “Thought it would be a good way to take our mind off of things for a while.”
“I don’t blame you. You two have fun and I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Goodbye,” we both replied as he hung up.
Thane pulled his keys out of the ignition. “You ready?”
I nodded.
We both got out and walked side-by-side towards the front entrance of the elegant restaurant, which was ocean-side and definitely looked expensive. As we drew closer, I had the distinct feeling that Thane wanted to hold my hand again, but was having an inner argument about it.
He opened the door for me and I stepped inside.
“Can I help you?” asked Peter, who was apparently the Maître d, from his name-tag. He was a stuffy looking man with a narrow nose and thin lips.
Thane gave him his last name. “We have a six-thirty appointment,” he said. “We’re a couple minutes early, I hope that’s okay?”
The man smiled and grabbed some menus. “It’s quite alright. Your table is ready. Please, come with me.”
We followed him to a table next to a large glass window, overlooking the ocean and Thane pulled out a chair for me.
“Your server is Timothy and he should here any second,” said Peter, handing us our menus. “I hope you enjoy your meals. Thank you for dining with us, this evening.”
We thanked him and then found ourselves alone.
“Well, this place is lovely,” I said, looking around at all of the other white table-cloths and candles. I wondered about the prices and decided that I’d order a salad or something less expensive. The place had to be outrageously expensive.
Thane nodded. “I’ve only been here once, with my father. The food is delicious, so I hope you’re hungry.
Even though I hadn’t been hungry earlier, I now found myself ravenous and couldn’t wait to eat.
“Good evening,” said our waiter, Timothy, as he set two glasses of water in front of us. He was in his early twenties and was so tan and good-looking, that he reminded me of a movie-star. “My name is Timothy, and I’ll be your server this evening.”
“Hello, Timothy,” said Thane, opening up his menu. “Just so you know, we’re kind of in a hurry, so maybe you could start us out with a bottle of wine.” Thane looked over his menu at me. “Is that okay?”
I nodded. “Yes, I would love a glass.”
“Good. What would you suggest that goes great with seafood?” asked Thane.
Timothy pointed out a couple of the bottles and I stared at Thane in shock when he ordered one that was over seventy dollars.
“Very good choice, sir,” said Timothy. “I’ll get that right away for you.” He then told us about the specials and my mouth began to water.
“Thank you, Timothy,” said Thane. “Those sound fabulous.”
After he stepped away, Thane looked at me again. “Is that alright? The wine is supposed to be fruity and not too dry. I personally don’t know too much about wine, but Timothy seemed pretty excited about it.”
“It sounds great. A little on the expensive side….”
“Everything here is expensive, but don’t worry about it. I figured that you could use a little pampering, after everything you’ve been through.”
I smiled at him. “You know, you really are a very sweet man.”
He cringed. “Don’t let anyone at work find out. I’ve got them thinking I’m this ogre, so they don’t try wrapping me around their little fingers.”
I laughed. “Your secret is safe with me.”
He suddenly looked serious. “Actually, we probably shouldn’t tell anyone about this dinner.”
“I know. Rumors, right?”
He nodded. “Exactly. Let’s just keep it between us.”
“Okay.”
I looked at the menu and tried not to flinch at the prices, but it wasn’t easy. As if Thane could read my mind, he told me not to worry about them and to order whatever I wanted.
“Well, if you really insist,” I replied, smiling.
“Oh, I really do.”
Timothy returned a few seconds later, with our wine. He poured each of us a glass and then Thane ordered a couple of appetizers that we’d both agreed upon.
“I’ll get those orders in right away for you,” he said. “Do you need more time to pick out your entrees?”
“I’m ready,” said Thane. “Are you?” he asked me.
I nodded. “Yes, I’ll have the salmon special that you mentioned, earlier.”
“You’re going to love the salmon,” he gushed. “It’s so fresh and melts in your mouth. We usually run out, it’s just that popular. Now, that comes with a side-salad. What kind of dressing would you like?”
I told him and he nodded again. Then Thane ordered some kind of lobster and steak combination.
“Wonderful choices,” said Timothy, taking our menus. “I’ll get your orders in quickly and bring out your salads.”
When he left, I took a sip of wine and nodded. “He’s right, it’s very good.”
Thane tried it and agreed. “It’s smooth. To be honest, I’m usually a beer drinker, but I thought this would be nice.”
“I’m not much of a drinker at all,” I answered. “In fact, I haven’t had a drink for the last few years.”
“Why is that?”
I sighed. “Because of Ray. With him being an alcoholic, I knew that one of us needed to stay sober. To tell you the truth, he really turned me off to drinking.”
He nodded towards my glass. “I’m sorry, if you don’t want to finish that, we can order you something else to drink.”
I smiled. “No. This is good. I’m not turned off by it anymore. Now that Ray is out of my life. I mean, I’m not going to make a habit out of it, but I’m also not going to be afraid to drink it, either.”
“Good for you.”
My eyes narrowed. “What about you?”
“What do you mean? Am I a drunk?” he laughed. “Is that what you’re asking?”
My cheeks turned red. “No. I didn’t mean it that way.”
“It’s okay,” he said, still smiling. “I like an occasional beer, but, nothing too serious.”
I nodded and took another sip of wine.
“So, tell me more about this psychic ability that you have.”
My eyebrows raised. “You mean psychic mumbo jumbo?”
He sighed. “Okay, maybe I was a little too closed-minded, earlier.”
“You were. So… what made you change your mind?”
“Earlier in my office, you actually did take the words right out of my head. It was… unsettling.”
“Welcome to my world,” I replied softly.
A rush of images flashed into my mind. The same ones from the other day – of Thane and another man, fighting in the ring. Then later, the man lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to numerous machines.
I stared out the window, towards the ocean. “His death wasn’t your fault. It wasn’t intentional.”
“Did Fred tell you about this?” he asked quietly.
I looked at him. “No. He doesn’t even know. Your father didn’t mention it to him. It’s just a feeling I have… a very strong feeling.”
Thane was quiet for some time, staring at his hands. “I wish I felt the same way.”
I reached over and put my hand over his wrist. “I know how you feel, Thane. My leaving Ray caused a chain of events that ended up being the death of at least one other person,” I whispered. “And, probably two.”
He stiffened up. “But, you didn’t kill another human being. You didn’t pound his face into one big bloody mess. Didn’t take a man away from his wife and child. All of them were my victims, Sera. I did that… and could have prevented it…” He looked away and I could see a hint of tears in his eyes. “I can’t even imagine the pain I caused his family.”
I squeezed his arm. “Let me ask you something – you knew there was always a risk of dying yourself… every time that you stepped into that ring, you knew that one fatal shot could end more than just a fight. You knew it when you signed up for that kind of career. He did, too.”
“Still…”
“You have to let it go, Thane,” I said, staring past him as more images popped into my head. This time of a man smiling at me. The man from the ring. The one that Thane had killed…
“I wish I could,” he replied.
“He doesn’t blame you,” I whispered, the man nodding in agreement. He made some kind of hand gesture, one that I understood. I smiled. “He wants you to know this. It’s very important that you do.”
Thane blinked and brushed at his eyelids. “What are you talking about?
“Zack,” I said, looking at Thane again. “He doesn’t blame you and wants you to stop blaming yourself.”
Tangled Fury Page 16
