III
STORM
A dele and Kyle were still too worried. Reluctantly, they agreed to at least try using me as bait. They promised they’d be right there in case anything went wrong, though I was still uncertain where or when Micah was going to appear.
Natalie and Beck were on my side.
The two of them worked under Kyle over his last decade as a detective, hence why they were more than willing to help. Neither seemed to care about the consequences that would come once they failed to catch Micah, but I wasn’t going to rain on their parade.
I needed their alliance.
“Everything is done.’’ Natalie slammed her laptop shut with a faint smile. She grabbed a beer can and plopped onto the soft carpet next to me, nearly gulping the entire can in one go. “Now we wait.’’
It was late on a Tuesday night. It was rather cold outside, signaling winter was slowly approaching. The wind was strong, and although it was warm in Kyle’s apartment, I couldn’t stop goosebumps from tugging on my skin every so often.
The plan was so simple that it was almost stupid.
But stupid and plain was something I desperately needed.
Over the years, it wasn’t like I hadn’t tried to lure Micah out of his little hiding place. Hell, I tried my best. From writing a story similar to ours, to quite literally talking about my experience on television – nothing seemed to work.
He made contact once, and I was a fool to believe he was announcing he’d be back for me. After that, like an idiot, I was waiting, and he never came.
Truthfully, I was praying he was dead or arrested. Those were the only ways I could’ve forgiven him for playing with my heart.
Since the entire world knew of my story, I needed something to lure him out. Which is why Natalie and Adele came up with a statement. They released it under an anonymous source, and I went and edited it so it would seem as if I’d written it.
In short, Storm Matthews announced she’d be releasing an autobiography with the real story of what went down in that cabin.
Originally, my pen name and my real name were supposed to be two separate people, as I didn’t want many people knowing of my writing career, but that went down the drain a long time ago. People recognized me after many interviews and signing events, though I still used Storm Matthews as my pen name.
At least, in my mind, the two were separated.
“All that’s left is for you to grab your belongings from the hotel and move in with me. You can do it in the morning.’’
I glanced at Adele. “Why? It’s easier to keep an eye out for that hotel.’’
“Yes, but it’s more dangerous. Anyone can go in and out. The hotel is too big for us to cover all of it undetected. And it’s easier for him to grab you, if anything.’’
Suppressing the desire to groan, I merely nodded.
Micah grabbing me was something I wanted, yet I couldn’t say that. It was only a matter of time before he saw the article and tried to reach out.
The real story would only put me in prison, but given the tone of the statement, it seemed as if he’d done something terrible to me, something I was too terrified to speak about in public. It was as though I’d finally gotten the courage to speak my truth.
I prayed he’d take the bait.
“Tomorrow, you’ll be out and about. Go sightseeing with Natalie,’’ Kyle instructed. “If you see him, immediately call for me or Adele. We’ll have to wire you, of course.’’
“No problem,’’ I agreed. As if Micah wouldn’t do a full body search as soon as he got to me. “Will you be following me?”
He smiled. “Of course. I promise I’ll keep you safe.’’
What a futile promise. Sincerity laced his features. He meant the words that slipped so easily from his lips, but it didn’t matter. I wanted to laugh at how mentally disturbed I was. While everyone was trying to come up with the best plan to keep me safe, I was already thinking of how to evade their grasp.
“Should we call it a night, then?”
Adele yawned as soon as Natalie asked. Kyle glanced at his expensive wristwatch and nodded, removing his glasses.
Beck, who was quiet for the majority of the conversation, kept on stealing glances at me. He had a great poker face. I was unable to determine exactly what the look in his eyes meant, but it wasn’t anything pleasant.
I only realized it after Adele and Natalie left, and the two of us remained at Kyle’s place. At first, he seemed to have a bubbly personality. He wouldn’t stop talking, no matter how much Natalie begged him to. However, now, he was staring at me as if he was trying to read me.
It was so quiet, the only thing I could hear was my heartbeat.
The intensity of his stare was great, and I struggled against it.
He was across the room from me, and with Kyle being busy rummaging through his files, it was just the two of us, having a staring contest. Somehow, I didn’t want to lose. I couldn’t afford to lose against him.
It wasn’t until Kyle had returned his attention to us that Beck sighed and looked away.
I was finally able to breathe without suffocating.
What the hell was that about?
“This isn’t working,’’ I said while sipping hot chocolate.
Natalie was sitting across from me, a cup of coffee in her hands. Her fingertips turned red, and for the past fifteen minutes, she’d been trying to warm up. I told her to bring a coat because the weather was unstable. It started raining an hour ago, and to say we were drenched would be an understatement.
At least I had my coat on.
“Give it more time,’’ she responded. “If nothing happens after we’re done, we’ll just go sleep it off.’’
It was only last night that the statement was leaked, and it already reached Sierra’s ears. Although I couldn’t tell her exactly what it was all about, she was adamant about doing damage control until it was too late.
The response was overwhelming.
I hadn’t checked it personally, but if I were to believe Adele and Kyle, I had quite a lot of support. Some media outlets spread the word before checking the source, so it was good enough.
Natalie and I spent the entire day sightseeing. She showed me all the popular spots and took me to nice restaurants. Kyle, Adele, and Beck were always close by in case we needed them, but sadly for me, there wasn’t even the smallest indication Micah was somewhere near.
While Natalie was busy scanning our surroundings, it gave me enough time to think – well, rethink my decisions.
Two years after he left me, he made contact. That was last year. He’d left me a little box with a golden band inside. Evidently, it was a wedding ring. I purchased a chain and wore it around my neck like the prettiest necklace. It was very precious to me.
The roses that came with had wilted a long time ago, yet I couldn’t bring myself to throw them away. Instead, they were covered in plastic wrap and stashed back home, at the back of my closet, where all my demons seemed to be hiding.
And a letter.
By this time, I knew its contents by heart.
Well, it wasn’t like there was much written anyway. Regardless, his words were like a prayer. It was constantly on my mind. Each night, I’d recall his handwriting, the way my heart pounded the first time I read it.
But now, given how much time had passed, I couldn’t write off the dread that slowly sneaked its way into my soul.
What if all of this was just a sick, twisted game that excited him? What if I’d been waiting for a man who’d been lurking in the shadows, joyfully watching as I tore myself apart? What if he had no intention of ever returning to me?
And the thoughts made me furious.
How dare he?
Who the fuck gave him the right?
I wasn’t going to sit still and allow him to toy with me like a puppeteer. I didn’t care what it took, but that man was going to return to me, willingly or not. I couldn't stand the thought of him freely spending his time without me.
He got me high on the immense dose of pleasure, and the withdrawal nearly killed me.
“Storm?’’ Natalie’s voice broke my train of thoughts. “Should we go?”
A sharp pain spread through my chest – disappointment. With a sigh, I nodded. While she was at the counter, paying for our drinks, I took my sweet time packing all the things I brought with me. Despite bringing my laptop with me, I was unable to write. The words just wouldn’t come out, no matter how much I wanted them to.
We were in a busy coffee shop that was located near her apartment. It wasn’t big, but it was well decorated. It gave a sense of warmth and home, so it was no wonder it was packed with people. The only empty table was far in the corner where the lights were dimmed.
Since my phone was always on silent, only when I picked it up to check the time did I notice a missed call from Sierra. However, I couldn’t call her back.
My brow creased once I noticed that I had no cell phone service.
In the middle of New York.
“What the…’’
My sentence got cut short.
Abruptly, all the lights went out. Voices of the people inside of the coffee shop gradually became louder as everyone was confused. It wasn’t just the coffee shop – it was at least half of the city.
Not a single thing could be seen on the outside. Since it was already late and dark out, the lack of light made everything feel eerie.
Apprehension tugged at my skin. A knot formed in my throat and I was unable to swallow it. Somewhere, in the distance in this crowded, tiny space, I heard Natalie’s voice, yet it couldn’t quite reach me.
It was useless to try to find her, despite multiple flashlights turning on at the same time.
I froze in spot as the smallest hairs on my neck stood up.
Blinking, I tried to force my body to move, to turn around. It didn’t listen, and I remained paralyzed. People pushed past me, nearly knocking me to the floor, and I still couldn’t make my body move.
I smelled him before I saw him.
He was behind me, and the fear of this being nothing but a dream had me locked in place.
My heart picked up the pace, shallow breaths slipping from my mouth as a lone tear slid down my cheek. I could practically feel the outline of my heart against my flesh, threatening to leap straight out.
I fisted my hands to my sides, my nails digging into my skin. It was painful, and I drew blood, but it was the only thing I could think of doing to distract me.
This was a dangerous situation.
Natalie was right there.
And Micah was behind me.
If the two met, it was bound to be a disaster and both of us would leave in handcuffs.
Everyone else seemed to move in slow motion, their voices blocked out of my head. All I could hear was the sound of my heart and Micah’s footsteps that approached me.
The closer he was, the more anxious I became.
His divine scent filled my nose, one I’d missed for too long. My resolve seemed to falter the more time passed, and I found myself desiring – no, needing to suffocate in him.
I swallowed harshly.
His body was dangerously close to mine now. When his hot breath hit the top of my head, I could’ve sworn my heart snapped in half.
“I’m sorry for the wait, Bambi.’’
And that was when I felt a sharp sensation on the side of my neck, as the needle pierced through my skin.
Fucking finally.