by Rena Marin
“That’s my girl.”
Chapter Four
I lean back and let the jets blast between my shoulders. I didn’t realize just how good this could feel. For the first time in a long time, I feel completely relaxed.
Letting my head lay back against the headrest, I inhale deeply and wiggle my toes in the hot water. With the sun setting around us and the light breeze blowing through the trees, it would be easy to doze off into peaceful bliss.
“Don’t fall asleep, babe. It would suck if you crashed our first night here.”
I can’t help but giggle slightly. “Are you seriously worried that you won’t get any tonight?”
“Would you really deprive me of that sweet ass?”
“Yes, yes I would. Remember, you talked shit earlier today. I may cut you off over that.”
“Punishment? What the hell?”
I take my foot and run it down his chest and stomach. “Do you think I could really do that to you?”
“Lord, I hope not,” he murmurs as he crosses the hot tub to pull me close and kiss me.
The feel of his lips melts me in the heat of the tub. He deepens the kiss as my legs wrap around his waist. I know I’m putty in his hands. There’s no one in the world that knows me as well as Dean does. He knows all my secrets, all the ways I love to be touched, and every dream I’ve ever had. He’s my other half, easily.
“I know you aren’t ready for me to ask this,” he whispers against my neck as his lips trail downward.
“Ask what?” I sigh.
“Marry me, Sissy.”
I freeze as a tinge of fear runs through me. I had a feeling this was coming. I don’t want it to. Not yet. Not really. But how can I tell him no? How can I hurt the man I know I want to spend the rest of my life with?
“We’re just twenty, Dean. Are you sure you’re ready for that?”
“I didn’t say marry me tomorrow. I just want to know you’re always going to be mine. I want to know you’re going to be with me for the rest of our lives.”
“Of course, we are. I’m never going to feel for someone else the way I feel for you. That’s a promise.”
“Then say yes.”
“Yes,” I whisper instantly. If it’s what he needs to know I’m truly committed to him then he can have it. He can always have me.
“Seriously?”
The smile on his face makes me want to cry. I’ve never seen him look so happy.
“Yes, seriously. I can’t make any promises about when, but yes.”
“I’ll take it.”
“Good.” I laugh. “Now, how about you shut up and kiss me again.”
“Oh, definitely.”
The minute our lips touch, I wrap my arms around his neck to hold him closer. Within seconds, he has me out of my bottoms, and we’re moving as one, and instantly all the bad things today usually make me think of are the farthest thing from my mind.
***
Lying by Dean I run my fingers over his chest as he sleeps. His light snores aren’t even bothering me tonight. Nothing is bothering me tonight. Being with him, hearing his words of love, and realizing just how much I need him has made me realize a lot.
Slowly, I crawl out of bed, trying not to wake him. I stand there, waiting, to see if I’ve been successful. When he doesn’t get up, I slip on his shirt to cover myself and creep out of the room.
As I walk through the cabin, I take in the cuteness of it. The decorations are homey and inviting. Multicolored quilts hang on each piece of furniture and welcoming paintings of the mountains hang on the walls. A person could truly learn how to relax in a place like this.
Stepping out on the deck, I sit down on the porch swing and pull my legs up as the warm, summer breeze whispers through the trees.
For the first time since we got here, I let myself think about the girls again. It seems like so much time has passed since stopping by the cemetery this morning with the families. It’s hard to believe it’s still the anniversary of everything that happened.
“I’m sorry, girls,” I whisper to the blowing breeze. “I tried so hard to keep you two safe. I really did. The last thing I wanted to do was lose you. I hope you know that. I just didn’t know how crazy that bastard was. I didn’t know he would do the things he did.”
Saying the words makes my stomach lurch. It’s been two years, and I haven’t had the nerve to actually speak out loud about this. Maybe it’s what I need.
“I’m the kind that believes you two are still here, watching over me. Of course, both of you know that. I’ve talked about that shit since I was little and thought my grandma was still around. As close as the three of us were, though, I know part of each of you is still with me. I can feel it. I just hope you understand this. I hope you get why I can’t keep doing this to myself every year. I have to keep living. I need to keep living. Dean deserves that. Hell, I deserve that. But the last thing I want you to think is that I’m forgetting about you. I’ll never, ever, forget the two of you. I just can’t keep blaming myself. I can’t stay hidden from the rest of the world. I have an entire life waiting for me. I’m in school to be a veterinarian like you said I should, Jess. I have a great guy I’m crazy about. Remember how you said that would happen, Crystal?”
I can’t help but laugh a little as I think back to how Crystal used to give me shit about boys. She couldn’t pick one for shit.
“Anyway, I just thought I needed to do this now, tonight. Our night, ya know. I wanted us to finally talk, sort of. If that’s what you can call this. I just want you girls to know you’re always in my heart. You’re always with me, and I will always love you. Always.”
I wipe my eyes and am not surprised that the tears keep streaming. The therapist I talked to told me closure is a good thing. I get what she means, but it’s not the easiest thing in the world after what I saw and lost that night.
“Rest well, my sweet angels,” I finally finish as I get to my feet.
I reach my arm out to grab the door handle when a shuffling in the woods catches my attention. I glance to my right, squinting my eyes to see if anything is there. In the darkness, I can’t see anything.
“Is someone there?” I ask then wait for an answer.
Nothing.
I shake it off, then open the door and step inside. I flip the lock, making sure to keep everything locked up tight. With one last look through the window, I make my way back to the bed where Dean is lying, still sleeping soundly. I curl back up against him, pressing my lips against his chest then close my eyes. Oddly enough, it feels like peace settles over me. It’s not long before I’m able to doze off and sleep easily for the first time in years.
Chapter Five
I jolt up in bed not sure what woke me. Rubbing my eyes, I look around the room trying to pinpoint what’s going on. I can’t recall having a nightmare. I glance beside me and notice that Dean isn’t in bed. Surely, that’s what woke me. I must have felt him get up or heard him making noise.
I twist and settle my feet on the wooden floorboards. Instantly, I notice the heat. Running my hand over my face, I feel sweat sticking to me. The air conditioning must be out. Most likely, Dean woke up hot and went to see if he could fix the issue.
Wandering through the bedroom, I open the door and step through to the hallway that leads to the living room. The dark is a bit unsettling. If Dean is up trying to fix an air conditioning issue, wouldn’t he turn on some lights?
“Babe?” I call out in the darkness.
Movement to my left makes me whip my head and peer toward where I know the kitchen is. That’s when I realize the power is off. The clock on the stove, which has given us an accurate time since we arrived is gone.
“Dean.”
“Shhh.”
For the briefest of moments my mind messes with me. Although he’s not here, in the darkness surrounding me, something inside my brain is trying to convince me the familiar sound isn’t actually Dean. Cletus Fox is dead and gone. It’s not him but I can’t help but sh
iver at the thought.
I shuffle slowly toward the muffled noise. The closer I get, the moonlight dancing through the living room window begins to illuminate the furnishings and unfamiliar layout. It guides me somewhat.
“I gotcha.”
I feel a hand take my own and exhale loudly. The images in my mind are instantly gone. I know that touch. I know it well.
“What’s wrong?”
Instead of answering, Dean pulls me toward him. In one fluid motion, we’re crouched down behind the kitchen counter.
“Dean?”
“Shhh, keep your voice down,” he whispers.
“Tell me what’s happening.”
“I got up to take a piss. When I came back through the hallway, I saw something moving around on the front deck. I started over to check it when the lights went out. I think someone took out the breaker.”
My heart leaps into my throat. It’s him. I know it is. The boy, the one who tried to kill me, is here. It has to be him. There’s no way I can be so unlucky that someone else would stalk us at this cabin.
“Don’t panic. I think it may be that old man we saw. He may be trying to rob us or something.”
I try to convince myself that he has a point. It’s hard to do though. The terror from that night is too hard to fight. I can’t go through it all again. I just can’t.
He knows I’m freaking out. I feel his arms tighten around me. A soft kiss graces my forehead.
“I need you to wait here, though. I’m going to check it out.”
“Like hell you are,” I immediately argue.
“Sissy. Don’t do this to me, okay. I’m going to grab the gun and check things out. You can slip over to the phone and call 911. I’m sure by the time they get up the mountain I’ll have whoever it is scared off. Shit like this happens and people get robbed. That old guy was probably wandering the roads waiting for his chance.”
I know he’s right. No one knows we’re here. Dad wouldn’t have told anyone. Mom didn’t know until the last minute. Dean, knowing everything I’ve been through, would never brag about us taking off to any of his boys he hangs out with. It’s just not possible.
“Okay,” I whisper.
“You stay here. I’m going to slip back into the bedroom and grab your gun. It’s in your bag, right?”
“Yeah. Is the shotgun still in the truck?”
“I didn’t think about getting out. The truck is locked though. I’ll grab the keys too just in case.”
I nod in the darkness not thinking about him not being able to see me. I guess he doesn’t really need my affirmation. He moves away from me and even I, who knows where he is, can barely hear him. Anyone outside wouldn’t stand a chance.
I wait. The only sounds I can hear is my own breathing and the pounding of my heart inside my ears. The last thing I need is some kind of panic attack. I close my eyes and breath deep to settle myself a bit. The trembling lessens.
“When I’m out the door, you take back off to the bedroom and make that call.”
I hadn’t realized Dean was back. The sound of his voice makes me jump. In typical Dean fashion though, he doesn’t give me time to think about him sneaking up on me. Instead, he keeps moving past me, his silhouette now visible in the light of the moon.
I see his head nod in my direction as he grasps the doorknob. Wasting time isn’t an option. I don’t hesitate. I leap to my feet and scurry through the darkened cabin, my feet meeting with every piece of furniture I pass. I bite my tongue to avoid crying out. The last thing I want to do is put Dean in danger by alerting whoever is prowling outside to us being awake.
The dresser is my last obstacle and, of course, it’s the one that tears the hide off my big toe. I swallow hard to avoid throwing up. With my nervousness and the quick jolt of pain, it feels like that’s the option my body wants to take. I give myself a few seconds the fling my body onto the bed and clammer across to the phone on the nightstand.
Lifting the phone from the cradle, I don’t even place it against my ear before I’m dialing 911. When I finally put the receiver against my ear, there’s nothing. I use my other hand to hang up and try again. Nothing. The phone is dead.
I lean over, following the phone cord. It’s plugged in and should be working. Whatever is causing the issue isn’t happening from inside the house. That means whoever killed the power, most likely cut the phone line. Fuck!
Switching into worry mode, I whip around to my bag Dean left open when he got my gun. I can’t see shit, so I just grab the nearest pair of shorts I can find to slip on. My instincts tell me to be quiet, but fuck that. Dean is out there, and someone is really trying to fuck with us. Instead, I take off at a run, not giving a damn about the pain in my toe.
Reaching the kitchen, I see the bit of light streaming through the window and use it to guide me as I frantically search for the knife block, I saw earlier. Feeling it, I pull out the biggest one and grip it tight. Internally, I kick myself for not getting my own hunting knife out of the truck. Both Dean and I should have our asses kicked for leaving so much out there.
Wishing I had a flashlight, or knew where to look for one inside, I step toward the door slowly. I want to call out for Dean but know how wrong that would be. I can’t give away his location. Of course, he’s smart enough not to answer me, so honestly, I would just be putting myself in danger.
Making it out on the porch, I duck down behind the hot tub. It’s the only cover I have. I should’ve come out when Dean did. If I had, I would have more of an idea about what’s going on. Instead, I’m literally in the dark, and he thinks help is coming. My only option is to be quiet and listen.
The sounds of the night are the same as back on the farm. I hear an owl in the distance, crickets, frogs, all the usual. What I don’t hear is footsteps or movement. Dean is a hunter. Most everyone around here is. He knows how to move silently. He knows how to take down a predator. That gives me some kind of hope. What I don’t like is the fact he has no idea what he’s stepped into. If this is some wanna-be robber, most likely, the person is armed.
The similarities to that night are more than I want to face. Cletus Fox was a hunter too. He didn’t just hunt animals to survive out on that rundown farm of his though. No, he hunted people. He was the animal. He did it for sport.
When I faced off against him, I had a will to survive. I didn’t want to lose. The pain I suffered, the injuries, the infections, it’s enough to change a person. I’m not sure if I can fight like that again. Hell, I know I don’t want to. All I want to do is live my life in peace. That’s it. I didn’t mean to run up on that bastard. I didn’t plan on watching my best friends die. It was just a day for saying goodbye to our high school years and hello to the real world.
I push my dread away and force myself to think like Dad taught me. From where I am, I have an advantage. If anyone walks past this hot tub, I can strike. I see no vantage point where they can see me. If I can swallow the fear, I can defend myself. But for some reason my hand won’t stop shaking.
A crunch in the gravel of the driveway makes me instantly freeze. Was it a misstep or is it Dean? I can’t be sure either way without looking. If I do that though, I give up my position. I’m not ready to do that. I need to keep my advantage, for now anyway.
I bite my bottom lip so hard I taste blood. I’m staying put unless I hear Dean. Until then, I can’t be sure of who or what is out there. Hell, it could be a raccoon cruising through the driveway unaware of what’s going on. Maybe even a bear. I’m sure as shit not taking one of those bad boys on.
The creak of the porch step sends me into full fight or flight mode. Whoever or whatever made the noise in the gravel is coming closer. I can’t let my fear win. Yes, I’m scared. I’m more scared this time than I was two years ago. That doesn’t matter though. The situation isn’t any different. Someone I love is out there, alone, and may need my help. I can’t cower like some chicken shit and let whatever happens happen.
The second creak makes me tighten m
y grip even more. I’m ready to pounce. I have no clue how sharp the knife I’m holding is, but I plan on finding out. If I can use enough force, even the dullest blade can do damage. Especially, if you twist it on the way in.
Without another warning, a body moves past my position in the dark, and I lurch to my feet, aiming directly for their chest. A strong hand catches my own, and I cry out in anger as my other hand levels a punch to their face.
“Goddammit, Sissy, it’s me.”
I drop the knife and wrap my arms around Dean tightly as a boom echoes through the night and one of the porch posts flies apart on impact. That’s when I know my entire world is falling apart again.
Chapter Six
“Get down!”
The force Dean uses to knock me to the floor of the porch is enough to knock the breath out of me. For a few seconds it feels like I can’t move; then, another gunshot rings out, and I realize I have no choice. I slither on my belly toward the door of the house. Once inside, I roll to my right to get out of the way and let Dean get in safely. Hearing the door slam shut, I know he’s in.
“What the hell is going on?”
“Fuck if I know. I didn’t see anyone. I looked around the cabin, but I didn’t go out in the woods. Hell, I couldn’t even find the fucking fuse box for this place. Did you call the police?”
“The phone is dead. I think someone cut it.”
“Goddammit.”
“Do you still have my gun?”
“Yeah, the other is still in the truck. I was coming in to get my keys, so I could get it and my flashlight.”
I run my fingers through my hair and try to collect my thoughts. It isn’t working all that great. “This isn’t happening again.”
“Sissy, this isn’t that punk kid. The person I saw on the porch looked like a full-grown man. Like I said, I think I saw a beard. It’s probably robbers.”
“No, sounds like killers to me. They’re shooting at us, Dean. If they wanted to rob us, they would’ve come up on the porch and held us at gunpoint. If you had taken a step back, they would’ve blown your goddamn head off.”