CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE
Somewhere deep in her subconscious, she felt the flames trying to consume her. She felt a wet hotness all over her, and she began to struggle. Then Riley realized she wasn't near any flames at all. Surrounded in softness, she felt drenched in sweat, her sweat. Her skin stuck to sheets. She sucked in a deep breath remembering seeing the helicopter hovering over them, at them. Had Mark flown the helicopter intentionally into them? Had they all survived? Eric, Jack she thought. She sat up in the bed believing she was back at the Arco Arena but something felt eerily familiar and unwanted. Darkness surrounded her. Riley felt movement next to her. A gentle stir.
“Jack.” She whispered. She reached out her hand and shook his shoulder.
There was a grunt. “Jack.” She said. She reached over and turned on the light.
That was the biggest mistake she’s ever made. When Riley got over the shock of where she was, she looked over. Mark was lying next to her rubbing his face with his hand.
“What the hell Riley?” He mumbled. “It’s 3 AM.”
Riley sat there for a minute staring at Mark. She reached down and pinched herself hard on the leg. She was in her old room, their old room. She was in the house that Mark and she had bought and once shared. Trying to shake the fog from her brain, Riley sought to think.
"No way." She said searching with her fingers to her face for the scar Ringo had given to her, but there was none. She reached down to feel for the stitches from the tiger. There were none. She felt her thigh, but there was no ache.
“Turn off the fucking light.” Mark hissed.
“Megan and Utah.” She whispered aloud.
Riley shut off the light. She half climbed, and half fell out of bed. Her heart was racing. She ran to the bathroom closing the door and began retching violently. When done, she staggered to the kitchen stopping at the mirror in the guest bathroom to look for the scar, but there was none. She poured a glass of whiskey and glanced around at her surroundings.
“Un-fucking believable!”
Ellie? The boys? The house felt foreign and all wrong. She sat on the stool in the dim light staring at the calendar, baffled. Then it dawned on her. It was June 2, 2014.
Without forethought, she picked up the phone and dialed Eric’s number. He answered on the first ring.
“What’s wrong?” he asked. “You okay?”
“Eric,” she whispered. “Don’t go to Vegas.
“Okay. I won’t go to Vegas.” He said softly.
“Promise me.”
“How did you know about Vegas?” He asked. “I was going to tell you when we got to the cabin.”
“Promise me you won’t go to Vegas.”
“I promise. Why? What’s going on?” He asked. “You’re still leaving on Friday, right?”
“Yes.” She said looking the calendar. Friday the 13th would be a full moon night. A rare full moon that only came along every 125 years. “I’ll be there. Bring Shay.”
“Riley I haven’t even told you about Shay yet. What the hell is going on? Where’s Mark? Has he hurt you again?” Riley could tell he was losing his calm. “You’re scaring me. Should I come get you?”
“I’m good. See you Friday.” She hung up.
Riley felt a slight chill as the dampness on her nightshirt began to calm. She pressed the glass to her lips and then heard his voice.
"You've got this Riley," Lucas said. "I had to show you."
"Friday," Riley said aloud. "Friday but this time it'll be different."
About the Author
Kolleen Bookey brings her characters into a life minus the luxuries people have grown familiar challenging their abilities and needs to survive in a lawless society. She built a realm where the less fortunate have second chances and the strong fight to become heroes as they fix a broken world.
Moved by her heroine, hero, and villain, Kolleen keeps the good and the bad in conflict while driving her characters forward with a passion all of their own.
Kolleen has written over ten complete novels, two published. She received her Associate's Degrees in Psychology and in Administration of Justice and finds it best used for writing. Growing up in Northern California, she spent her summers breaking trails in Shasta County, drawing and writing about horses and dreaming of someday becoming a writer.
Please visit Kolleen at kolleenbookblog.com and kolleenbookey.com to learn more about her background.
In the Shadow of the Tiger (The Fighter Series Book 2) Page 34
