Chapter 9
Nine
Dani
The weekend is over too soon. I lazied around all day Sunday after finding another daisy in my kitchen, feeling no desire to do anything but veg on the couch watching rom-coms. There wasn’t a single ounce of will left in my body to do anything productive.
Not only that, but I didn’t want to leave my house and give my stalker an opportunity to come back.
Umbrella in hand, I make the rainy walk to work, my somber thoughts making it feel like the thunder cloud is directly over my head, following my very steps and dampening my mood even further.
Just as I reach the block the diner is on, headlights appear as a car flies through a puddle of water collected along the edge of the road, drenching my entire left side.
“Shit! Just my fucking luck,” I say, tilting my head and the umbrella back to peer into the black sky as I feel the cold water running down my legs.
I’m tempted to turn around and walk back to my apartment to change before my twelve-hour shift starts, but my desire to get to work early wins out.
Maybe Elaine has some spare pants I can borrow.
She and her husband, Bob, live in an apartment just around the corner and we’re similar in size.
Feeling at least a little hopeful, I pull out my keys and unlock the front door to the diner before closing my umbrella.
Locking the door behind me, my hand searches the textured wall for the light switch.
As the lights turn on, I take in the state of the diner.
None of the chairs are upside down on the tables, meaning the Sunday-night closing girls likely didn’t do a thorough job sweeping and mopping the floors.
Huffing in frustration, I set my things in a booth, turn on the jukebox, and start flipping chairs before sweeping and mopping.
As much as I love this job, a part of me wishes the other girls loved it just as equally.
I know Elaine and Bob try their best, but things like this are a common occurrence.
Today I am just taking it harder than most days.
I’m in a slump. My rare, fun night out was quickly dulled by the disaster with Derek.
I think that’s why I’m so in my feelings.
Every part of me realizes that Derek was gaslighting me, but then the self-doubt creeps in and makes me question everything.
Derek was only like that toward the end of our relationship—controlling, angry, narcissistic.
In the beginning he was everything a girl could possibly want—sweet, kind, always knew the right things to say, and constantly put me before himself.
However, it became suddenly clear at the end of our relationship that Derek had a serious problem with addiction.
Then, there’s Kayden. I knew the moment I saw him that I would never forget his blue eyes.
They pulled me in, sank into my very bones, and have had a grip on me all these years.
I never in a million years thought I would see him again, though.
Maybe I had hoped… but now he’s suddenly showing up in my life where I least expect it.
I’m drawn to him, there’s no denying that.
There is something about this man that has a hold on me.
Maybe it’s the way he held my gaze in that house years ago, like he knew me.
Like he saw all my broken pieces and wanted nothing more than to put them back together again.
Part of me hopes he’s my stalker. The thought intrigues me. There’s fear there, but it’s overridden by a desire I can’t quite put my finger on. Now that I think about it, none of these strange occurrences started happening until after that day he showed up at the diner.
There’s no denying my attraction to him. Any sane woman would be crazy not to be. He’s tall, easily over six feet, ocean-blue eyes, and a smirk that will make even the strongest woman weak in the knees. He’s a walking wet dream.
A knock on the front door shakes me from my thoughts, startling me enough to drop the mop on the checkered floor with a loud clatter.
I’ve been jumpy ever since the situation with Derek outside Club LAX on Saturday.
The clock on the wall shows we still have two hours before we open at 6:00 A.M. I’m not expecting Max or Elaine for another hour. Who could be here this early?
As I approach the door to peer outside, chills run along my spine when I find the sidewalk empty.
Tilting my head up and down the street, I still don’t see a single person.
My breath fogs up the clear glass and I take slow steps back, my hands shaking as fear grips me by the throat.
My pulse pounds in my ears and I start to slowly count back from twenty to ground myself.
Twenty, nineteen, eighteen, seventeen…
Before I know it I’m at zero and there isn’t any more sound in the diner except for the quiet music coming from the jukebox in the far corner. Maybe I imagined it.
Another knock sounds, but this time it’s louder and sounds like it’s coming from the door in the rear of the diner.
My heart leaps into my throat, terror encompassing me as I’m plunged into darkness.
Dropping down behind one of the booths, I take my cell out of my apron to scroll through my contacts.
The phone shakes with the force of my unsteady hands as I call Elaine first, but it goes straight to voicemail.
I call again with the same result. I huff in frustration and fear, my eyes darting left and right as I desperately listen for any further sounds.
As I continue searching my contacts for Max’s info, I scroll past the K’s when a name makes me scroll back up the list. Kayden?
What is Kayden doing in my contacts? Did Melody put his number in my phone when I went to the bathroom at the club?
Shaking my head in annoyance, I continue to scroll to the M’s and click call on Max’s name.
It must still be too early for everyone.
Max’s phone rings and rings and doesn’t even go to a voicemail.
I’m getting desperate. Do I call the cops?
What if it’s nothing? I’ll have a lot of explaining to do, and right now, with my new identity, I prefer to stay away from the law unless I can absolutely help it.
“Fucking hell…” I say right before I click the call button. “He probably won’t even answer.” The phone rings twice.
“Dani?”
“Kayden… I need help.” My voice shakes as I fight back tears. I yelp in fear when I hear another pound on the back door.
“What is going on? Where are you?” He must hear the fear in my voice as he’s instantly on alert.
“I’m at the diner. I think someone is trying to get in, o-o-or someone, maybe Derek, is messing with me. The power cut out. I called everyone else, I didn’t want to involve the cops. I didn’t know who else to call,” I ramble on before Kayden cuts me off.
“Dani. Listen very closely to me. Where are you in the diner?”
“I’m in the front, hiding behind one of the booths.”
“OK, Dani. I want you to stay there. Keep your phone on silent. Do. Not. Move. I’m on my way now. When I get there, I’ll give three knocks so you know it’s me. Only then do you get up and move, do you understand me?”
“Y-yes.”
“Good girl.”
The call disconnects and I hug the cell phone to my chest, squeezing my eyes shut. This can’t be happening to me right now.
Every few minutes there’s a pounding on the front door or the back door, alternating as though they are trying to fuck with my mind. The thunder and lightning persists, causing the diner to fill with light and cast menacing shadows along the walls. I can only hope Kayden gets here soon.
It feels like forever passes until I hear three quick knocks on the front door.
Fear prevents me from moving a single inch, and when I don’t immediately get up, my phone lights with a call as Kayden’s name flashes across the screen.
Hitting answer, my voice trembles as I pick up. “H-hello?”
“Hey, spitfire, it’s me at the front door. Open up.”
“OK… one sec.”
Walking on shaky legs, I hurry to the front door. Turning the lock, Kayden pushes the door open and grabs me by my shoulders, bringing his eyes down to my level. It’s hard to see each other, but I can just make out his blue eyes. “Are you hurt?”
“No. No, just terrified. Thank you for coming, I didn’t know who else to call and I didn’t—”
“It’s OK, Dani,” Kayden replies, cutting off any further explanation from me. He turns around, locking the door behind him. “I’m going to do a sweep of the restaurant and around the building. I want you to stay here, do you hear me?”
It’s only then that he turns on a flashlight, illuminating the diner and giving me a good look at him.
He’s wearing the same gear he did the night he rescued me.
Black combat pants, a black tight-fitting T-shirt, a bulletproof vest, some sort of military helmet with gadgets on it, and a huge rifle that hangs at his side.
I’m instantly transported back to that horrific night.
Kayden must notice when I don’t respond because he grabs me by my shoulders again.
“Dani. Listen to me. Hey, look at me,” he says as he grabs my chin, forcing my gaze to his. “You’re safe now. I’m here and I’m not leaving. I’m just going to look around, OK?”
I look in his eyes and nod my head, not trusting myself to talk right now.
He leads me back to the booth before pushing me down. In any other situation, on my knees before him would be a dream, but right now I just want to make it out of this alive.
“Stay here, Dani.”
As quickly as he came, he leaves. I peek from behind the booth, watching his flashlight illuminate different areas of the diner. As he makes his way into the kitchen, I’m plunged into darkness again. I sit back and wrap my arms around my knees, desperately listening for any sign of trouble.
A few minutes later, Kayden comes back from the rear of the diner, his flashlight lighting up my hiding spot, and gets on one knee to stoop to my level.
“Hey there, spitfire. How ya holdin’ up?”
“Did you find anything? Are they gone?” I ask, searching his face as he leans toward me.
He tucks a stray piece of hair behind my ear, before shaking his head. “No, they’re long gone, whoever it was. I called in backup, though. My family owns the diner, so they’re sending some of their men to get the power back on. Some of my own men will be coming to watch over the place today, too.”
“OK, OK. Great. That’s great,” I say, foolishly repeating myself as I try to pull it together and not break down in front of the man that’s plagued my dreams for the last three years.
“Dani. Let’s get you out of here.”
“But I have to work today. I have a twelve hour shift. I can’t miss work!”
“I’m not debating this with you, spitfire. I’m taking you home. And before you argue, I already called Elaine and let her know. She has coverage. They will be fine without you for one day.”
Go figure she answered the phone for him but not me.
Before I can even argue with the man before me, he takes my hand, pulls me to my feet, and leads me out of the diner.
We walk across the front sidewalk toward a black truck that he unlocks.
He opens the door, and I silently climb in, seeming to be on autopilot as the adrenaline slowly dissipates from my body.
Preparing to shut the truck door, Kayden leans in again, stirring me from my racing thoughts. “Dani, where are your things so I can grab them for you?”
“In one of the booths,” I reply, my voice sounding as hollow as I feel.
Kayden is back within seconds, putting my things in the back before climbing in the driver’s seat. I feel his gaze on me but I don’t have it in me to return his stare. He reaches across me, pulling my seatbelt over my body and clicking it into place.
“What’s going on in that brain of yours, little spitfire?”
When I don’t answer his question, he puts the truck in drive and pulls away from the diner.
It’s been years since I felt this scared, but also years since I felt this safe.