Dagger

by Sterling, S. L.

  "Now if he knows how to get into the deeper information he will even have your calendar, contacts, and apps that are not only on your computer but on your phone as well."

  "My God, Derrick, you're telling me that by giving him access to one simple thing, I have given him access to my entire life? I'm the one who brought him right to me?"

  "It's possible. Is he computer savvy?" I hated to tell her the truth, but she needed to know.

  She nodded, looking back down at the screen. "How do you know all this stuff anyways?" she asked quietly and glanced in my direction, meeting my eyes.

  "I had a crazy ex," I admitted with a laugh. "She would make a point to show me if I had looked up an old female friend on Facebook." I could see a look in her eye that showed she was thinking ill thoughts of me again. "It's not what you think," I admitted.

  "Really?" she said, eying me. I could tell she was having trouble believing me.

  I shook my head. "Her name was Erika, my crazy ex. After my brother died, I wanted to reach out to Carly, the girl he had been dating all through high school but had recently broken up due to his changing behavior. I reached out to her to let her know personally that he had passed away. I didn't think it was right for her to find out any other way. I didn't know how to find her, so I searched for her online. Little did I know, Erika had been keeping tabs on me.

  “She confronted me one night when I had gotten back from the gym, accusing me of cheating on her. I ended it with her shortly after that. For the longest time after I had moved out she was always messaging me with little clues that she knew where I was. She would make a comment about a coffee shop I had been at that morning, or comment on the fact that I had found a new health food store, and one night she asked me how the jeans fit from Calvin Klein, and that was when I realized that this was how she was still tracking me."

  "So how did you fix it?"

  "I deleted my old account and opened a new one. Then I moved."

  "She was what made you come all the way out here?" she asked.

  "Yes, aside from getting away from my psycho ex, my mother had remarried and was happily living with husband number five. They had no room for me in their lives. So since I had no one back home, and they had made it clear they had no room for me, I came here. Plus, the beach sounded really nice after growing up in a landlocked Midwest.”

  Katy gave me a soft smile. God, she was beautiful. "All right, show me where to find this," she said, pointing to the screen.

  I helped her navigate the settings, and soon we were sitting with one hell of a page of information. Everything she had done, everything she had searched about coming here from before she had left, sat right in front of us. We had everywhere she had stayed along the way, everywhere she had visited, apartments she had looked at, grocery stores she'd shopped at, places of employment she had applied to, everything was there. At one point, I glanced over at her and thought for a second that I saw her start to shake at what she was seeing. I rubbed my hand over her back, trying to comfort her.

  "Okay, so planting false information. Is that step one?" she asked, taking a deep breath.

  I nodded. "We can start with that. Once we have built up enough, we will stop using this account and set you up with a new one. However, I'm not sure you are going to like step two."

  She inhaled deeply again. "What is step two?" she asked, her voice full of hesitation.

  "We trade in your car and we get you something that he won't recognize," I said, looking into her eyes. She didn't need to be told how serious this was; she already knew.

  "Okay."

  "You'll have to lie low. You probably will have to change hotels eventually." I swallowed. "Just in case he has found you and doesn't follow the seeds we are going to plant." As soon as those words left my lips, something inside of me didn't like the thought of her going off alone. I didn't want her to be out of my sight, even for a split second, until I knew she was completely safe, that he was gone, and this was all over.

  She took another deep, gulping breath. I'm sure she was thinking all of this over. She looked a little pale to me. "I...I don't suppose you would want to do this with me? Help me?"

  I looked up at her. I could see the fear and uncertainty in her eyes, but I didn't know how to answer her.

  "Truth is, Derrick, I could really use a friend. I've been so alone with no one to turn to, and to be honest, I would feel so much better having a bodyguard. I could…I could hire you?" she whispered.

  Without even considering what all this might entail, I simply nodded. If it meant she was going to stay, then I would do it.

  Chapter 12

  Katy

  We had talked in depth for a while about how I should cover my tracks, and I still sat there staring at the computer screen not knowing where to even start. All that kept running through my mind was that I had asked Derrick to protect me. Now I could barely even look at him. Those words had flown out of my mouth before I even thought about what him helping me actually meant. They had slipped out so fast that I really hadn't had a chance to stop them. This was how I had always gotten myself into trouble over the years. Up to and including now, this seemed to be a problem I had had my entire life, and I still hadn't learned my lesson: to actually think before I spoke. I had a pretty sweet thing going on right now. I forgot how great it was to be single. I could do whatever I wanted, with no one to answer to, and here I was going to complicate that.

  I let out a deep sigh as I stared at that flashing cursor. I needed to stop. I wasn't getting into a relationship with Derrick. This was an agreement, a work arrangement. Nothing more. I knew that I needed Derrick, and I felt that I could trust him. I just had no idea how I would pay him. Between my car payment, rent, and food, there wasn't much leftover at the end of each month. Then it dawned on me: the money I received every month from the renters who were staying in my home. That money had been going into a savings account. Sarah normally deposited it into that account at the end of every month. I could use that money. I could transfer it to Derrick then, if he was willing to wait for it.

  "Katy, what is it?" he asked, looking up from his phone and pulling me back to the moment.

  I swallowed hard. I was so afraid of mucking things up with Derrick, just like I had done with Jonas. However, I also didn't want to die, so I needed to be upfront with him. People would think I was being a little overdramatic, but I wasn't. I knew what Jonas was capable of, I had seen it, and instantly my mind flashed back to a night last summer.

  We were out at a bar. I had come out of the bathroom, and this guy had asked me if I had seen his girlfriend in the washroom. He had spoken to me, asked me a question, nothing more, but that was all it had taken. Jonas came up behind him, grabbed him by the neck, and threw him face first into the wall, breaking his nose—all because he had asked me a question. Pretty threatening. The man didn't deserve to be assaulted for that. I could only imagine what he would do if he found me here in a locked room with Derrick.

  Now, as I sat here with him in front of me, I felt absolutely awful for even asking him to help me. I was afraid for Derrick. Jonas had warned me so many times that we were forever, and that we were meant to be, that I belonged to him. He always told me that nothing and no one would come between us. Instead, his mood swings and attitude came between us, and because of the way he treated me, that was what absolutely wrecked us.

  I sat there pretending to read the screen in front of me, still ignoring the fact that Derrick had asked me a question. I was remembering all those sleepless nights I had spent with Jonas. Every fight we ever had ended with me curled up into myself in the far corner of our bed—a bed I was forced to sleep in, whether I wanted to or not. I would curl myself up so he couldn't touch me, and I would silently cry myself to sleep. I hurt, and I didn't know any other way to get it out of my system. He hated me when I cried and he would demand I stop every time.

  "Katy, what is it?" Derrick asked again, bringing me back to the present.

  "It's nothi
ng," I murmured. "So what do we do?"

  "Okay, so I think what we'll do is make up a life for you," Derrick said.

  "We?" I tried to tell myself that this wasn't the same thing as what I had with Jonas; it wasn't even close. The man who sat before me had my best interests at heart. There was no way we could have any confusion between us either, no confusion on where we stood with one another; that was why I was paying him. I had drawn our line in the sand, and neither of us could cross it. That meant I was safe, and I wouldn't end up where I had before. Within those few moments, the way I looked at Derrick changed. I was looking at him like he was an old, trusted friend instead of a threat, and I sat there listening and hanging onto every word he spoke.

  "Log into the hotel Wi-Fi," he said, standing up and sitting on the arm of the chair beside me.

  I did as I was told, trying to ignore the comforting warmth that radiated from his body. As he leaned in closer to me to see the screen, I couldn't help but catch the scent of his cologne. I cleared my throat and took a sip of the water Derrick had brought me. "Now what?" I asked.

  "All right, first, we are going to need a list of places. It would be better if we make it look frantic, like you're seriously trying to figure out what your next steps might be." He pulled his phone from his pocket and pulled up a map of the surrounding areas.

  I typed in a few of the cities he suggested, going to their city sites and flipping through the pages of each one, spending enough time on each page to make it look like I was reading it.

  "Maybe look for a few jobs too, even apply to some. We want to make it look as believable as we can. Also, we should apartment hunt," he urged as he sat beside me, continuing to look over my shoulder.

  "Yeah, but how believable?" I asked as I nibbled on my bottom lip.

  "As believable as we can. He isn't going to be able to tell if you actually go through with anything. He will just be able to see where you were. That's it. We want to lead him away from here, make him think that you just stopped here, and that you are on your way out of town," he said, blowing out a breath.

  I continued searching the city’s websites, finally choosing one about forty miles north. Then I went to job sites that were located in that area. I did as suggested and even applied to a couple medical jobs, putting down the last hotel's phone number and address on the applications. Then I pulled up some apartment listings and filled out the applications. We spent the better part of the afternoon creating false tracks that hopefully Jonas would follow.

  "That's great. This looks good," Derrick said, nodding at all the work I had done. "Oh, and also while I am thinking of it, if I am going to look out for you, then we should probably accept one another on the 'Find my Friend' app as well. That way I can keep an eye on you when you aren't with me," he said, picking up his phone and waiting for my information.

  In that instant, fear built up inside of me. Jonas had kept watch on me that way as well. I hesitated reaching for my phone.

  "What is it, Katy?" he asked, waiting.

  "It's just, Jonas used to keep track of me in a similar way. I'd stop off somewhere after work, and when I would get home, he would question me as to why I had stopped."

  "Well, there is a difference: I'm not doing it for controlling reasons. I'm doing it to make sure I know where you are and that you are safe. You can do whatever you want, go wherever you want, you'll never hear it from me. It's just more for my peace of mind when I am not with you, and you will know where I am and how far I am from you should you need me. Does he still track you that way?"

  "He might. I never thought of changing that account," I murmured.

  "Do you know how he did it."

  "He said something about a tracker."

  "Give me your phone."

  I placed my phone in his hand and watched as he searched through it, finally finding what he was looking for.

  "Found it and disabled it." He smiled. I felt bad questioning him about this, but his answer made sense. "All right, now let’s get you set up on Friend Finder."

  He went about setting everything up and handed me my phone. He quickly showed me how to use it. Somehow, knowing he would know where I was when I wasn't with him made me feel better. It made me feel at ease knowing where he was at all times, and this would help him look out for me when I was at the hospital as well.

  "Are you hungry?"

  I nodded, sipping on my water. "I haven't eaten much today. I was in such a rush to get away from my other place."

  "Give me a minute." He got up off the floor and went back to his room, returning with a vegetable tray for us to snack on while we continued creating more of a frantic plan. By the time eight rolled around, we had left a lot of tracks and breadcrumbs for Jonas to follow. I just prayed that it worked.

  A few hours later, we sat cross-legged on the floor, veggie tray between us. "Do you think we have done enough?" I asked, glancing at the time and seeing it was now dark outside.

  "I think it's a very good start," he answered, crunching on a carrot. "Now for the car," he gently reminded me.

  I shut the laptop down and rubbed my eyes. I had been struggling with that part of the plan all day. I should've been smarter. I should've dumped the car first thing. Instead, I had been too busy running. I had been an idiot. The car was one of the only things I still had from my old life, and I think that was why I was having such a hard time. The car...had been purchased before Jonas and was basically all I had left of the real me before all of this happened.

  "I have no idea what to buy. I have...money and credit. It's not that..." I said, starting to panic.

  "Whoa...Whoa...it’s okay." He held his hand out for me to take. "We'll go in the morning. We will ride in your vehicle together. I will help you pick a new car. It will be awesome, you'll see."

  He seemed determined to make this fun and exciting, and I tried hard to let go of how painful it was for me to give up everything, all because someone who wasn't worth another breath from my life was terrorizing me. While I watched him to try to make light of this for me, I tried my hardest not to wonder what Derrick would be like as a boyfriend, because as a bodyguard and a friend, he was pretty freaking awesome.

  Chapter 13

  Dagger

  After the gym the next morning, I ran home and showered, then I went next door. It was only eight, but I figured Katy would already be up. Instead of knocking, I sent a quick text and was surprised when not two seconds later a text was waiting for me. I waited outside for her to open the door.

  "Morning," she said, taking a seat down on the floor in front of her computer.

  I looked around the room. The curtains were shut tightly, the dresser had been moved from where it had originally sat, closer to the door, and Katy looked exhausted.

  "You ready to go?" She looked up at me with very tired blue eyes and a soft smile.

  "Just give me one minute."

  "Sure," I said, sitting down on the edge of the bed and waiting. As I looked around the room, I wondered if she had actually slept. The bed was still made, her bags still packed, and she wore the same clothes she had on yesterday.

  "Did you move the dresser?" I asked.

  She looked up at me and nodded. "I blocked the door, that way if he came, I would have time to hide." She hid her eyes from me the second the declaration was out. I said nothing. I felt bad for her and didn't want her to be ashamed.

  A few minutes later, she closed her laptop down. "I'm ready." She held out her hand for me to take.

  I pulled her up off the floor and walked over to the door while she slipped her shoes on. I opened the door and stepped outside and looked over my shoulder to see her trudging along behind me. She needed to do this, and my plan was to make this as easy and painless as possible for her. I could tell she didn't want to get rid of her car, but at this point, I also knew that she didn't have a choice.

  She threw me the car keys and I caught them just before they hit the ground. "Oh no, Katy, you are driving," I said, holding them
out for her to take.

  "No, it’s okay. You probably wouldn't want to drive with me anyways."

  I looked at her. Probably another line of shit that asshole had spewed to her. "Take the keys, come on," I said, still holding them out toward her. I wanted her to feel calm and as confident as possible. She needed to build up and keep those traits about her. I wasn't giving her any other choice, so I hopped into the passenger seat. She looked at me through the windshield and then trudged around to the driver’s side and climbed in.

  "All right, where are we going? I don't know the area all that well," she said as she fired up the engine and placed her purse on the floor by my feet, her arm grazing my leg.

  "I think we'll head to CarMax," I said, checking the mirror as she put the car in reverse and backed out. "Do you know how to get there?" She shook her head. "No worries, it’s not very far from here."

  I had purchased every single vehicle I had owned from them. They made buying a vehicle easiest. There was no haggling, which made me happy. She was in absolutely no condition to haggle anyways. She was barely holding it together as it was; I could see it in her eyes, in everything she did, and every word she said, and I barely knew her. The girl who sat beside me right now was a far cry from the girl I had met only a week or so ago in the emergency room.

  "Okay, so before we get there, we should at least decide what you want. Did you want another car or would you like a minivan or SUV instead?" I asked her while we were stopped at a stoplight. I wanted her to be less overwhelmed when we got there, instead of walking in and dumping everything on her all at once. I didn't want some pushy salesman pushing her into something she didn't want, either, just because she couldn't make up her mind.

  She looked out the window at two people walking down the street, and then glanced to me, her eyes taking on a bit of laughter. "A truck, complete with a bully bar." She let out this cute little giggle. "I'm joking, for the most part. Jonas used to have a truck with a bully bar," she said, getting serious again.