Stolen Time

by S. A. Ichigo

  “But you have the footage...” my voice breaks.

  “Yes, but you still need to confirm it was him. Procedures.” He says shortly. “He won’t see you.”

  But I will see him. I will have to face him. I let out a sob. I will have to face my parents killer. My hands shake.

  “Miss, Wood, are you still there?” an officer asks concerned.

  I don’t respond. I cannot speak. I just want to hide where no one can find me. I can’t face him. I just can’t. Seeing him on the footage is one thing. Seeing him in person and looking into his eyes – it will destroy me.

  A single tear escapes my eyes.

  “Just let me know when.” I whisper and disconnect.

  I’m sitting on the passenger seat on my way to the police station. I should feel relieved they have arrested him – but I’m scared. I’m scared to look him in the eyes even though he won’t be able to see me. It’s like going through that night over and over again.

  Matt squeezes my hand gently but says nothing. His eyes are focused on the road. Traffic is huge and the first time in my life, I am grateful for it. The sooner I get there, the sooner I will have to face my parents killer. And I’m not ready to do it.

  When we arrive at the police station, Agent Miller is already there speaking with officer Brooks. The conversation seems tense. It looks like they are arguing. Judging by the face of officer Brooks, whatever he’s saying can’t be any good. I walk towards them, my legs feel like jelly.

  “You’re late.” Agent Miller snaps at me the moment I step beside them,

  “Traffic is horrible this hour.” I say politely.

  He says nothing more, just points me in the direction of the viewing room. I take a deep breath and squeeze Matt’s hand. I don’t want to go there. I don’t want to see him. I want to run away as far as I can. I want to forget.

  But I can’t.

  I step inside the room. There is a big long window in front of me and I freeze on the spot. I swallow hard and look at Matt. He kisses my forehead and places a hand on my back. Officer Brooks and Agent Miller follow us inside. Officer gives me a quick guide of what will happen next and I listen to him terrified.

  “I need you to focus now, miss Wood.” Says agent Miller. “Take as much time as you need. This is very important.”

  I look at him, fear painted all over my face. I feel like I‘m going to pass out. I can’t make it. It’s too much. It hurts too damn much. I squeeze my eyes shut and wait as another officer calls suspects inside the room behind the glass. I know they cannot hear or see me, but it doesn’t make it any easier. Matt is rubbing my back gently, holding me as close as he can.

  I open my eyes and my heart stops.

  There he is. Standing in between two other men. A beast that murdered my parents. He’s looking directly at me. I shiver. He cannot see you. I tell myself. He doesn’t know you are here. But I know he does. I can see it in his gaze. He is furious.

  “Turn left.” An officer orders to them. “Now turn right.” They move and I can feel his gaze all over my body. “Now to the front again.”

  I try to focus, but it feels like all the blood has been drained from my body. My hands are shaking, and my body feels like jelly. Tears roll down my cheeks and my mouth dries. Minutes pass and I just stand there, looking him deep in the eyes. And all I can think about is why. Why did he take them away from me?

  I draw my shaking hand in front of me, pointing at his direction. My voice is barely a whisper when I finally manage to speak.

  “It’s him.”

  And just a second later, he smiles.

  A few moments later we move to another room where officer Brooks offers me a glass of cold water. I take it and drink all. I’m shaken up even more than I used to be the night my parents died. Seeing him brought the memory of it all back.

  As we wait, I feel that time has stopped; I start to panic nervously walking around the room. What if he will get away with it? What if the worst is yet to come?

  After what seems like an eternity, Agent Miller enters the room with two other men dressed in black suits. He introduces them briefly. Another FBI agent and someone from the prosecutor's office. We shake hands and exchange looks. I try to force a smile but I’m as good as dead. I’m not even able to speak.

  The representative of the prosecutor's office turns towards me.

  “The prosecutor will press charges against Juan Martinez and demand the death penalty for a double homicide and illegal possession of a weapon.” He announces. “Hearing will take place in four weeks from now.”

  Chapter Five

  Kai

  Present

  I’m pouring another beer when I catch sight of a woman entering the bar. She is way overdressed for Jacksons’ standards – though she looks hot as hell. Tight grey dress highlights her perfectly shaped body. I glance over her posture, admiring her beauty. She has the face of an angel and body of a demon that may tempt a man and lead him on the path of destruction. She is just right, maybe a bit too slim, but the rest is perfect. She isn’t very tall, even with those enormous high heels she’s wearing. She has curves where she is supposed to and I bet every man in this damn bar noticed her already.

  I can tell she’s not from around here judging by the way she looks. Plus, I haven’t seen her before and I would remember a woman like this. Saying she is beautiful would be a big misunderstanding – she is gorgeous. Long brown hair falls smoothly over her shoulders when she moves around the room. She’s alone. She looks lost. Her eyes go wide and drift around the room in search of a space to sit. When she finds none, she walks in my direction.

  “Shit.” I swear underneath my breath.

  A beer I’ve been pouring has overflowed. I take a cloth and wipe it quickly from the counter. Damn it. I hand it over to the guy sitting by the bar and take the money.

  He noticed her as well. The hell, he would have to be blind not to spot a woman like this. She is moving gracefully in our direction. Her hips are waving rhythmically. I turn my head away. I don’t want to be caught staring at her. I move to another customer when I hear a smooth, sweet as hell voice coming from behind my back.

  Shit.

  “Double scotch with ice.” She says, her voice uncertain.

  I turn my head immediately. I look at her from behind my way too long hair and see the most miserable person I’ve seen in a really long time. She is breathtaking, but her eyes... - even though they are stunning - are filled with sorrow. Dark circles underneath them suggest she hasn’t slept well in days. She looks exhausted and yet she is so beautiful at the same time. So damn beautiful I’m not able to think clearly. I’m just staring at her without a blink of an eye.

  She clears her throat.

  Her eyes wander to mine and she smiles briefly. She holds my gaze with the intensity I haven’t felt in years. She bites her lower lip. Holly shit. I stare at her like an idiot, not lifting my gaze away even for a moment.

  “Double scotch with ice.” She repeats not sure if I heard her.

  I take another look at her.

  “May I see an ID first, please?” I ask.

  Her jaw drops with shock and she shakes her head in disbelief, but without a word, she reaches inside her purse. She looks irritated. After a few minutes of searching, she throws her ID on the counter. I take it slowly, check her date of birth, and peek in the name column. Mia Parker. That surname sounds familiar, but I can’t cope where I heard it – well, Parker is quite a popular surname.

  She throws me a deadly look.

  “May I have my ID back or do you need another minute?” she snorts.

  “Sorry.” I murmur and give back the document.

  I reach under the counter and take a glass. With one smooth move, I add some ice and pour a whiskey. She hands me a ten-dollar note. I feel electricity going through my body when our fingers touch for a split of a second. Her hands are freezing cold.

  “No change needed.” She says and takes a sip of her drink.

  We
ll, that went well.

  She sips her drink slowly for another hour. I watch her from the corner of my eye, serving customers in the meantime. Couple male alphas try to hit on her but she shoves them off before they get the chance to introduce themselves. I like her already.

  From time to time I ask if she needs a refill, but she only shakes her head and shoves me off as well. Damn it. It’s not like I’m trying to hit on her or ask for her number, but I guess she’s got that cold-hearted bitch attitude towards every male in the room – myself included.

  Just when she’s about to stand up, another man materializes by her side offering her his arm. She smiles at him politely but ignores his gesture. I know him. Mason Fuckin’ Allen – the biggest man-whore in the whole Tennessee State. Well built, tall, brown hair and hot as hell as most of the local women call him. In my opinion - fuckin’ douche. But let’s not get sentimental.

  He looks at her. His eyes wander straight to her boobs, then to her face and again to her boobs. She doesn’t move, just studies him with a bored expression. She sighs and excuses herself for a moment.

  I turn my head away, grinning like a teenage boy.

  I would give anything to have it on tape. Allen just got rejected – judging by the look on his face – the first time in his life. She did not show even a tiny bit of interest in him. That must have hurt.

  I’m about to head over to another customer when I hear his rapid voice.

  “Scotch,” he snorts. “Make it two.”

  There is something about his facial expression that lights up a warning light inside my head. He is up to something. I can feel it. I glance up at him and he arches an eyebrow. From the corner of my eye, I see her entering the restroom. He follows my gaze and smiles stiffly.

  “Don’t even think about it, Russ.” he says. “She’s mine.”

  “It doesn’t look like she’s into you, Allen.” I respond harsher than I intended. “Suck it up.”

  “She may not be at the moment, but the night is still young.” He winks. “She will float all over my body before I get her home later tonight.”

  “Careful, Allen. You may kill yourself jumping from the level of your ego.” I snap trying to ignore his comment.

  Yet all I want to do is grab this douche by the collar and punch the shit out of him.

  Despite my need to smash that grin from his face, I have to keep my nerves on a leash. It won’t do me any good to beat this asshole. I don’t think this bar would have lasted without all the money he leaves here daily. But rich kids can do that. They think they own the world. And this one doesn’t take no for an answer.

  I grit my teeth and send him two glasses of scotch. Then I turn away and head over to the other side of the bar.

  By the time I make a round over the bar, she is back - sitting next to him. I sigh. I glance at her. Her expression softened. She is no longer ignoring him. They clink their glasses and he says something that makes her smile.

  I am furious. Even though I have no right to be. She's a stranger. I should not care. But seeing her with someone like Mason makes my blood boil in milliseconds. She could do better than him. She doesn’t occur to be a one-night stand type of woman. She’s not dressed like a hooker either. Yes, she looks sexy as hell but classy at the same time. Another reason she and Mason are not a match. And yet she’s there, laughing on something he said.

  I clench my fists.

  Calm the fuck down, Kai. Just calm down. Says a little voice inside my head. I take another look at her and our eyes meet. She knows I was staring at her, but she doesn’t seem to mind. I hold her gaze for a moment too long, but she smiles. And it’s the most honest smile I’ve seen in a while. Gentle, almost unnoticeable grin. Her cheeks flush red and she brushes her hair in embarrassment.

  Mason shots me a deadly look.

  The hell with you, fucker. Sending him the most contemptuous look I can do when inside my mind everything screams.

  I should not feel this way. She’s not Lisa. She doesn’t even look like her. She can’t replace her. Replace? What the hell am I thinking about? I don’t even know her. Maybe she is just a shallow big city girl – the one that looks good, lures a man into her trap, uses him and when she gets bored – leaves. But I can’t even cope to think about her that way. I can tell there is something odd about her, but it’s not that. I know there is more to the story behind those sad blue eyes. Beautiful blue eyes.

  I swallow, turning my gaze away from her.

  I don’t want to look at them, because if I see him brushing her hand with his fingers one more time, I will explode.

  It’s nearly midnight and only a few people are still hanging around – Mia included. Allen is trying his best to impress her. I’ve never seen him sweating so much to get into women’s pants before. If I didn’t know him, I might have thought he wants something more from her. But I know him. I see his vicious grin when he looks at her like I saw it million times before with other girls. And whilst he is picturing all the ways he wants to fuck her – I’m picturing all the ways I want to beat that shitty-pretty face of his.

  “We’re closing up in thirty minutes,” I say loud so everyone can hear me.

  She turns her face and smiles at me. I smile back.

  I smile.

  Crap.

  I slap my inner-self and turn my head away. Unluckily not fast enough. My eyes catch sight of Mason whispering something into her ear. I don’t need to hear what he said. I already know. I’ve seen this play before. I’ve seen the games. To my surprise, she shakes her head, pushing him away gently. His face turns red, but he doesn’t move. He forces a grin and brushes his fingers over hers. She looks confused, but she doesn’t move her hand away.

  Something’s odd about her.

  She didn’t drink much, but at the same time, she acts like she’s drunk – like she’s having flashes of consciousness. She turns him down, but only a moment later she lets him touch her. She smiles and then her smile fades so quickly you may not notice it was even there.

  She finishes her drink with one gulp and sets the empty glass on the table with a loud bang.

  “Sorry,” she mumbles.

  Her voice is different as well. She’s struggling to speak.

  I take a glass from the counter only to see Mason’s hand slipping on the small of her back. Tugging her closer to him. He hands me his credit card with the other hand.

  “A check, please.” He grins at me.

  I take a deep breath and grit my teeth.

  “I’m sleepy.” She mumbles again.

  This time she’s bubbling even more.

  “I’ll get you home, sweetheart. Just one more minute.” He says to her.

  Something’s not right. I can feel it.

  Her eyes meet mine. Her expression is empty. Her pupils enlarged.

  Something’s fuckin’ not right.

  I look at Mason with rage in my eyes. He sends me a questioning look, but I ignore him. I focus on her instead. Talk to me. I try to tell her, but she looks way beyond my eyes. Her eyes are unfocused.

  Mason stands up, dragging her along with him. She wobbles on her feet.

  “She’s drunk, don’t mind her.” He says sharply.

  Only I know she’s not. I’ve been watching her all evening. She’s had only two drinks. Even a woman with her posture can’t get drunk with only two glasses of whiskey. Especially when there’s more ice in the glass than alcohol.

  Chapter Six

  Mia

  Present

  I try to open my eyes, but my eyelids are heavy like two stones. I feel like a wreck. My head hurts, I feel sick in my stomach and I have the biggest hangover I’ve ever had in my entire life. I don’t remember a single thing from last night. I can’t recall how I got home from the bar.

  I reach for the nightstand, my eyes still closed and to my surprise – there is no nightstand. The bed seems oddly strange as well. And that’s when it hits me. It’s not my bed – not my house. I open my eyes wide with fear and stifl
e a moan.

  Holy crap.

  No, no, no, no, no! This can’t be happening. Instinctively I uncover myself, but I already know something is wrong – I’m not wearing my own clothes. The dress I had last night is gone. Instead, I’m wearing three sizes too big black T-shirt and a pair of man’s boxers. My bra is nowhere to be found as well. I swear under my breath.

  Fuck.

  I glance around the room. There’s not much in here besides a bed and a large wardrobe. No pictures, curtain hung carelessly on the window. The room is clean but strangely bleak. Grey bedding matches curtains and a rug covering the wooden floor. The walls and furniture are white. Holy Crap. This place looks like a hospital.

  I come to my senses and try to stay calm. My head is killing me, even slow movements make me feel like I’m going to pass out. I hear a hum coming from behind the closed door on the left side of a bed, then water starts running. He is taking a shower.

  Crap.

  What have I done last night? Why don’t I remember a damn thing and who is this guy? I’ve never drank so much to lose my memory. I’ve always had it under control. I went out for a drink first time in over five years and ended up in someone’s bed. Great job. So much for the socializing, I guess.

  Water stops running a few minutes later and I can hear a noise inside the bathroom. A couple of minutes pass and I’m trying to get up from bed, but my head is spinning so much I lose my balance and fall back. Looks like I won’t be sneaking out after all. I sigh.

  Seconds later door opens.

  I freeze in the spot looking at him, my mouth open with a surprise. Or satisfaction? Says a little voice inside my head.

  Well, at least he’s not some creepy looking guy. Not at all. He’s wearing a towel around his hips, the other one in his hand still drying his arm length, sandy blond hair. His head is down so he doesn’t notice me at first. He tosses a towel on the bathroom cabinet and freezes as well.

  I am glancing over his body, my jaw dropped to the floor. He is well built, muscular, his skin is tanned. His abs perfectly shaped, so are his arms and torso. He is around six feet three, maybe even taller. His full lips form into a perfect smile. This guy could easily play in commercials of toothpaste. He is so handsome every woman would buy that damn toothpaste without hesitation. His sandy blond hair covers his face, giving him a sharp and sexy look. His beard could use a little trim, but even like this, he looks damn hot. And then there are his eyes. Big, dark and hungry. Looking right into mine. He noticed I’m staring and I turn my head away, embarrassed.