Chapter 13
Kat
My terrified screams echoed through the isolated darkness as Xavier dragged me out of his car, and I landed on the ground with a thud. The pungent odor of ether lingered on my face where he’d kept a rag soaked with it in place, while he drove down the road out of town. It was a cruel reminder of how stupid I was to drop my guard back at the arena. My head throbbed and my body felt weak, and I was on the verge of throwing up as he pulled me to the back of his car.
Swallowing the bile that stung my throat, I glanced around and could barely make out the distant city lights, making me feel even more helpless while I struggled to catch my breath and regain my bearings. Xavier retrieved a chain with a leg shackle attached to it from his trunk.
I fought against him. But my blows bounced off him like he was made of rubber. I shouted every name and insult I could think of, but it was useless. In my weakened state, for once he was stronger than me.
He secured the heavy metal cuff around my ankle, then got back into his car, revving the engine. He started to drive, and I ran behind as best I could until a pothole tripped me up and I fell forward. The chain quickly caught up, and I was soon being dragged behind the car. By some small miracle I’d managed to turn over onto my back, letting it take the brunt from the dirt road, and it was my saving grace, at least my internal organs were protected.
But my clothes were no match for the gravel beneath me. It tore away at my jacket and jeans, and with them my skin, leaving a trail of blood in its wake. As Xavier gathered speed down the empty road, each bump and jolt, shot up searing pain from my ankle all through my body, bringing tears to my eyes and causing me to scream in agony as I prayed for a swift end to the torture.
And it was that moment of terror, I realized that this was not some twisted game or punishment for breaking it off with him; Xavier intended to kill me. He couldn’t have been going no faster than ten miles per hour, but to me, it felt like 100 mph as the taillights of his car cast eerie shadows on the ground around me, flickering like ghosts waiting to take me away. The air was thick with the stench of exhaust fumes and the sickening scent of my own fear. Just when I thought I couldn’t endure any more, he screeched to a stop, leaving me gasping for breath and shaking with shock .
He got out of the car and looked down at me with a wicked grin as a train whistle could be heard in the near distance. Just when I thought he couldn’t get any sicker, he unhooked the chain from the car and dragged me by my leg over to a nearby train track.
When he laid me across the rails, I had no fight left in me.
He smirked at me and with an evilness burning in his eyes, he removed the shackle and said, “They will just think you killed yourself.”
I screamed as he walked away, leaving me there to die, and I kept screaming long after I felt someone grab my arms and shake me.
“Kat! Snap out of it. It’s just a dream! Wake up!”
Rory
After spreading the embers in the fireplace and layering cool ashes atop with a sprinkle of baking soda, I tossed the rest of my whiskey back and collected Declan’s glass along with mine. Heading out of the library to the kitchen, I was nearing the base of the stairs when I heard the screams.
It sounded like someone was being butchered.
I set the glasses down on the bottom step of the staircase and took them three at a time. As I raced up the stairs, my heart pounded in my chest, I could hear that it was Kat’s muffled screams getting louder and more desperate. The image of Killer mauling her flashed through my mind. But when I reached the landing outside her room, silence greeted me. Pressing my ear against the door, I listened as I was sure as shit that the sound of the dog munching on her bones would greet me.
But then from down the hall and around the corner, I could hear the beast scratching on my mother’s door, whining as he tried to get out. Kat must have just been dreaming. I turned away, intending on grabbing the glasses I’d left at the foot of the stairs, but then the scream on the other side of the door convinced me otherwise.
She was about to bust the window in her room, she was so loud as I pushed open the door. Without thinking, I rushed over to her side, grabbed her by the arms and shook her. Not the brightest idea I ever had, because she then struck out with her fist and punched me on the jaw.
“Fuck,” I muttered through clenched teeth. “It’s a dream Kat, wake the hell up!”
Her eyes flew open, wide with terror, yet unfocused as if she were still lost in the horrors of her dream, and she started to scrunch up her face, ready to let loose again.
Desperation scraped along my nerve endings. There was no way in hell I wanted to continue hearing her screech, and I did the unthinkable. I kissed her.
Why did I do it? No fucking clue. But it was a mistake. A big ass mistake because it was nothing like the quick kisses we had shared earlier today.
Her lips were soft under mine and for a moment, she froze in shock. But then, she melted into the kiss. Her body relaxed against mine, her breath hitching with a mixture of surprise and desire. The tension that had gripped her moments before, seemed to dissolve as our lips moved together in a slow, enticing rhythm.
I deepened the kiss, my hands sliding up her arms to cup her face, my thumb stroking the tears from her cheeks gently away. Kat responded eagerly, her fingers tangling in my hair as she pulled me closer. The air between us crackled with a newfound intensity, a raw hunger that was undeniable.
Lost in a haze of lust and longing, I pressed her back against the bed, half covering her with my body. Our kisses grew feverish, urgent, as if we were both seeking solace and salvation in each other’s embrace. And my hand started to take on a mind of its own and seek out her breast. I swallowed her moan as she pressed herself against my hand and my thumb flicked over her satin covered nipple.
I thought there was no turning back at this point. That was until she came to her senses and pushed me away.
“What the fuck Rory? Do you make it a habit to accost a woman in their sleep?”
My lips still puckered; I slowly opened my eyes to see her frowning in my face.
Despite a strong dislike for her, as our tongues did the tango, the thought of waking up in her arms, our bodies entwined, I admit, it did flit through my mind. But the reality was, if that did happen, the term keeping your enemies closer would have brought this to an entirely different level. It would have been a mistake. A big ass mistake like I said.
“I... I don’t know. I just... I couldn’t stand to hear you scream like that again.” My words came out shaky, and I tried to distance myself from her, but my touch lingered drawing circles on the back of her wrist. I snatched my hand back, like she was a snake that was about to strike.
Kat sat up, her eyes wide and wary. She tried to regain her composure, but her breathing was still labored, and the flush on her cheeks spoke volumes.
“I was screaming?” she asked, her voice low and filled with a new kind of tension.
I nodded. “Like a banshee. I’m sorry.”
I sighed, feeling a mix of relief and regret, wondering how much of Kat’s anger was genuine and how much was for show. I had no defense for my actions, other than to shut her up.
“When I came in, you were thrashing on the bed. I sat you up and shook you a little to try to wake you. When you did open your eyes, it was like you were looking straight through me. It actually creeped me the fuck out. Instead of letting you rip loose again, and wake the house up… I kissed you.”
“Oh. Well thank you, I suppose.”
That was my chance to change the subject. “Do you remember what you were dreaming about?”
She shook her head no, but her eyes said otherwise. Not wanting to press the issue, I stood up. “You’re okay then? Your leg alright?”
She clutched the sheet to her chest and nodded. “Yeah, I’ll be fine.”
“Okay then I’ll be on my way.” I turned to head out of the room when she called my name, stopping me in my tracks with my hand on the doorknob. “Yeah?”
“Thank you for waking me up.”
“Don’t mention it. If you’re up to it tomorrow, Declan has a job for us,” I said in a way of parting and got the hell out of there. Because I couldn’t get out of the room fast enough, knowing that if I had stayed a second longer, the boner in my jeans would have become obvious.