They had gone snorkeling and horseback riding along the sandy white beach. They had stayed up late by a roaring fire one night while an amusing native had recounted wild stories, making Abby laugh in abandoned wonderment. Her innocent happiness was contagious. They had been so joyously happy, a real family, Casey's first, since her parents’ demise, leaving her all alone. It had been absolute heaven.
Casey allowed her tears to fall uninhibited. She was so alone now, so lost and afraid. She knew Wolf was coming for her; if she could just figure out why. Stopping suddenly, she cocked her ear to the side, listening intently at the familiar noise which invaded her thoughts.
Moving hopefully towards the sound, she cried out when she spotted the small waterfall. It could not have been more than eight feet high, surrounded by a small clearing. The foliage about seemed to caress the water pooling below into a tiny pond, the ferns swayed in a quiet breeze of gentle mist.
Casey reached out to cup a mouthful of the clear liquid and, bringing it to her lips, she ventured a tiny taste. Gratefully, she drank more through her parched lips. She cupped her hands, tossing the water onto her body, rinsing her face and neck, ridding herself of the sticky sweat that bathed her. The water was cool and refreshing. She felt a moment's apprehension, knowing the water should be boiled before drinking, but how could she? She didn't have a pot. She could not risk a fire. Wolf would see it. He would come for her and kill her.
Casey sat and immersed her injured toe in the water, thinking hard. What if the island was deserted? What if she and Wolf were the only ones left alive? She wondered how long it would take rescuers to find them; it would be impossible to hide from Wolf forever. If Wolf killed her out here, he could easily bury her body and claim he had been the only one on the island. She knew he would track her relentlessly, nonstop. She would crumple from fatigue and hunger before long. She would not even be able to light a signal fire. What was she to do? It all seemed so hopeless. Casey's head slumped forwards in defeat. Wolf was so big; she was so powerless against him.
An image of David came into her mind—David holding her, his magnetic smile lighting candles behind his eyes; David making love to her with painstaking tenderness. He would be so heartbroken to lose someone else in his life. Casey could not just give up. She needed to make it home alive for him. She must think of something.
The only way for her to live would be to stop Wolf. She swallowed hard. She knew she could never kill him. Slamming him with the coconut and seeing his prone body and slack features before her had been bad enough. Perhaps she could capture him and then start a signal fire. Her shoulders slumped even lower. How was she going to capture a man twice her size? She couldn't just throw him over her shoulder and demand he behave himself, like he could undoubtedly do with her. She highly doubted a man like Wolf ever behaved. He was terribly angry with her. She knew he would now not only kill her, but would take great satisfaction in torturing her first.
That thought made her shudder. No doubt he would take great pleasure in being able to cause her excruciating, merciless pain.
Casey looked around, wondering how she could trap him without getting herself killed in the process. Noting the vines on the tree, she moved to yank one down. Holding either end securely within her grasp, she yanked on it hard. It held.
She took a deep breath, thinking. She hoped enough of it wound around the man's wrists and ankles would hold him. Casey knew she would only be able to get close enough to tie Wolf if he were to be unconscious. That thought gave her pause. He would be expecting a tree attack. No doubt he had decided not to underestimate her again. No, this time she would need to be closer. The thought was terribly frightening, he was so intimidating. Perhaps she could use her extreme vulnerability to her advantage as some kind of weapon. Maybe it could work for her.
Gathering more of the vines, Casey went to work swiftly. There was no other way around it. She didn't want him dead, yet she wanted to live. This Wolf going to have to be muzzled!
Wolf squatted on the path Casey had been following. He doubted it was a human trail and he wondered just what kind of animals were on the island with them. Wolf picked up a small piece of palm leaf. There was blood on it, a lot, and it was fresh. She was injured. Perhaps that was why she hadn't killed him, she might be too weak. Wolf noted she was no longer running. Her steps had slowed to a less harried pace. She was tiring.
Wolf followed the trail more slowly. He had noted the coconut tossed off, opened, to the side. Apparently she was now weaponless. He would not be caught unaware again. He checked the trees and sniffed at the air. She was close. Tilting his head to the side, Wolf listened. He could hear the unmistakable sound of water trickling. He hoped it was fresh; he was parched.
Instinctively, he knew that was where he would find her. In her exhausted state, she would need to make a stand sooner rather than later.
Casey started to shake when Wolf entered the small clearing. His dark eyes settled upon her. She huddled back against a tree. She watched as he took in her disheveled appearance. There was a bloody cloth wrapped around her head. Part of her shirt was missing and she had made sure he could see the bruising on her ribs. Her waist heaved in and out. When she backed up farther against the tree, she limped heavily, and she whimpered loudly in pain. Wolf reached out for the water from the falls, cupping it in large hands, taking a long, refreshing drink. He ran some through his hair, over his face and neck. He was unhurried.
“Please go away,” Casey begged to Wolf, splaying her bloody hands before her. It had not taken much to coax more blood from her injured toe. She was desperately counting on him thinking she was absolutely helpless.
“I'm not going anywhere.” He advanced slowly towards her after first slaking his thirst.
Casey sobbed softly. She was so afraid. She could see the tiny droplets of water running down his throat to soak into his t-shirt. His muscles flexed as his fists clenched and unclenched. He looked even bigger than she remembered. She desperately hoped her plan would work, or she was about to die a horrible, painful death.
“Please, what do you want?” Casey cried.
“You,” Wolf reminded her once more.
“Why? I don't even know who you are.” Her body trembled so hard she was surprised she was even able to stand.
“I know who and what you are,” Wolf informed her.
He stalked her, a dangerous predator advancing. She knew she wasn't going anywhere this time. She admitted to herself he was in control of her every movement.
“Please, please just tell me why. I don't want to die. I'm so very frightened of you,” Casey begged, and she was. Wolf was only a few feet away from her. Casey slid to the ground, crouching at the base of the tree, looking up at him, watching his merciless approach with trepidation, their eyes never breaking contact. She felt helpless, trapped by his intense gaze.
“Was Abby frightened?” Wolf demanded.
“What?” Casey breathed out slowly. She stared up at him in horror.
“Are you surprised? Did you think your deed would go unpunished?” Wolf snapped. Casey covered her face with her hands, whimpering softly. What was going on? How could he know Abby?
“I don't understand,” Casey sobbed softly, confused. Wolf was directly before her, an arm's length away.
“Then let me explain it to you in great detail,” Wolf said, stepping closer.
The trip line was attached to the biggest branch Casey could carry and lift. It didn't take much for Wolf to trip the vine strung across the foliage at ankle level. He did not have time to duck or even throw up his arms. The limb crashed down onto his head, rendering him senseless once again. Casey didn't hesitate. She grabbed at the nearby vines she had stashed close by. Gripping his clothing hard, she heaved him onto his belly and soon had his ankles and wrists firmly tied. It was not long before Wolf stirred. Casey scooted back away from him.
When Wolf came to, he thrashed and flailed to no avail, spewing vile, angry words in a voice so loud Casey covered o
ver her ears and scrunched her eyes shut. When he finally settled, resigned, he eased himself up into a sitting position, propping himself against a tree. He glared furiously at Casey, who was now peeking at him with trepidation.
“You might have persuaded me into granting you a small mercy, but I think we have passed that point now,” Wolf said menacingly. She shuddered as his eyes bore into hers.
“You are going to kill me no matter what I do or what you think I did. I don't want to die. Please don't kill me,” Casey said softly. She had removed the bloody wrapping from her head and was gently wrapping it around her bleeding toe once more.
Wolf took note of that. “You're a cunning little thing, aren't you?”
“I'm a desperate little thing,” Casey countered.
“Not for much longer,” Wolf told her snidely. “Why didn't you just kill me? Or are you only capable of murdering helpless children?”
“I did not kill Abby,” Casey said heatedly, hurting deeply inside, her tears once more falling. Her fierce stare settled onto him. She was tired of the accusations.
“I was told you did,” Wolf countered.
“I don't know who told you that; it's a sick, disgusting, cruel lie. David forgives me, he said so. I don't know who is filling your head with these vicious falsehoods. It was a horrible, awful accident.”
“You were with her,” Wolf challenged.
“Yes,” Casey whispered, nodding her agreement. She sat quietly before him with her head bowed in thought. Her anger receded. She had been with Abby.
“Then why don't you tell me what happened,” Wolf coaxed.
Wolf had found a sharp-edged rock and was tediously rubbing at the vines holding his wrists. If he could keep her talking he would not have to trail her again and risk another trap. His aching head couldn't take much more. For a little thing, she was strong. The branch that had nailed him had been huge. Wolf was surprised he had come to so fast. He was even more surprised at still being alive; once more he had been sloppy. The fact the woman was before him, trying to talk to him, was indeed a mystery. She should have been swimming by now. She was terrified of him.
Head still bowed, Casey began talking slowly, unsteadily, her words painful. “Abby and I were out shopping. We had just come from dinner, a girls’ night out. We had started doing it months ago; it was our own special time. It was dark and raining steadily. Not too hard, but I was being very careful.
“Abby had bought her father a new lure with her allowance money. She was so proud. I knew David would love it; he loves to fish, and so did Abby. But the fact she had saved her own money to buy something for him would be priceless. She was sitting in the backseat, admiring it, when the car skidded on a slippery patch of road. I got the car under control easily enough, but Abby had dropped the lure. It had rolled under the seat in front of her, out of her reach.
“I told her to wait, we could get it when we reached home, but she had already taken her seatbelt off to retrieve it. She had dropped down out of my rearview mirror sight, and I called for her to get up. I told her the weather was bad and I wanted her to be safe, I needed her to be safe.”
As Wolf listened, he could hear her terrible anguish radiating from within. After placing a quick, shaky hand over her mouth, Casey began again. “I know I should have kept my eyes on the road and not on the rearview mirror, but it was only a second, just a split second. I wanted to make certain she listened.
“Just as she sat up, another car came from out of nowhere. The high beams blinded me, and it skidded into us and crashed into Abby's side. The impact was deafening. I was slammed into my door, the airbag exploded into my face. Abby screamed a wrenching, painful scream and was thrown out through the glass on the other side of the car.
“My car and the other slid and skidded along the road, and when we finally stopped, my door was pressed against a telephone pole. I couldn't open the driver's side door, it wouldn't budge. I fought against the airbag. My body ached so badly from the crash but I had to get to her. She needed me, she needed my help. I crawled out the broken glass on the passenger's side and over the crumpled hood of the other car. I was screaming for her, 'Abby...Abby!' I couldn't find her. Where had she gone? Oh please, God, where?”
Casey was sobbing hysterically as she recounted that horrible night in her mind. Her arms wrapped protectively around her heaving middle. “I saw her blond hair peeking from under my car, close to the telephone pole, and I tried to get to her. She was pinned under a wheel. I wasn't strong enough, I couldn't lift the car off her. I tried and tried, but it wouldn't budge.
“I crawled under the car to reach her, and burned my shoulder on the tailpipe. But I kept crawling and calling to her. 'I'm coming baby, Mommy's coming, hold on, please hold on, oh God, hold on.’ When I reached her, she didn't move. There... was... blood... everywhere. 'Abby, wake up, please open your eyes, baby, for me open your eyes, look at Mommy.' She wouldn't, she... couldn't.”
Casey's voice trailed off as no more than a ragged squeak. She moved her arms about in a soft, flailing gesture, seeking something, caught up in her terrible grief.
Wolf strained to hear as Casey continued, her words rambling. From what he could understand, the paramedics had finally had to sedate her to take her away to the hospital. David had not even come in to check on her. The nurses sadly informed her every day that he never called to find out her condition. When she had returned home, he had verbally attacked her, screaming at her it had been her fault, she was to blame. She had murdered his baby girl. David had forbidden her to even attend the funeral. Casey had been completely devastated. She had loved the child, too.
“David forgave me, he said he did. We only needed time alone for a little while.” Casey whimpered up at Wolf. “Please, Wolf, tell me who wants me dead. Who hired you? David will explain to them he still loves me. David needs me. He would be so hurt if he were to lose someone else. Please, I beg you, don't destroy him. He hurts enough. We both hurt enough. Please no more pain,” Casey pleaded brokenly.
“Please tell me who, I need to know,” Casey whimpered again.
“There's a picture of the man in my front pocket. It's water damaged, but you will know who it is,” Wolf told her grimly.
Casey crept towards him slowly, warily, clearly very frightened of him. Wolf shifted slightly, and Casey eased her hand into his front pocket and pulled the picture out. Slowly she unfolded it, and he saw her hands shaking. He watched as understanding fought denial in her eyes. Her head dropped. She then looked up at Wolf; her red-rimmed eyes looked into his .
“No,” she whimpered.
“Yes,” he replied.
Slowly she rose to her feet. Wolf now unhurriedly removed the bonds around his ankles; he had gotten loose.
She walked over to the water, wondering if death hurt. She doubted anything Wolf was about to do to her would cause her greater pain than what she was already experiencing. Hopefully it would not take him too long. Perhaps he could still be coaxed into a small mercy. At least Abby would no longer be all alone. The thought comforted her. She would like to see and hold the beautiful little girl once again. She would cuddle her closely while running her hands through her silken hair. They would exchange butterfly kisses while laughing.
Casey heard Wolf approaching her. He no longer needed his stealth to catch her unaware. She would not, could not run from him. She was too tired. Her body had ceased shaking; it took too much effort. Her arms hung limply at her sides, her head bowed in acceptance. Exhaustion had settled in; her mind was slowly shutting down. She was in emotional and mental agony. Casey was almost beyond the threat of fear. A man she loved beyond reason wanted her dead.
He had wanted her to die drowning in the ocean. He had wanted not only her death, but also that she die terrified and alone, perhaps whimpering his name while waiting for her end. She turned slowly, accepting in her agonized mind this must be her destiny, and faced the powerful man who now stood inches before her. His look was impassive as he gazed down onto
her helpless, shattered form.
“Please, will you bury me here, by the trickling, clear water? The sun shines through the treetops with warm, dancing lights. The sound of the flowing water is so comforting and reassuring. The taste is so sweet and cool. Like an oasis of hope for the lost and alone; it's so very beautiful, Wolf. Abby loved beautiful things. She said that was one of the reasons she loved me so much.” She gazed into his eyes , begging his mercy that he would not tarry overlong with her as they glazed over in her absolute terror of him and of what was now to come.
The sound of the water suddenly overwhelmed Casey; her mind once more searched for the surreal, quiet calmness. She was so tired. The last two months had been so long and exhausting; she felt emotionally and mentally incapacitated. The powerful man standing before her looked so strong and now somehow welcoming, inviting, as she embraced her fate.
Casey moved forwards and stepped into Wolf's arms. She suddenly collapsed against him into merciful unconsciousness.
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* * *
Chapter Four
* * * *
Wolf held the woman's small, limp body against him easily, his one arm draped around her tiny midriff. He had been contracted to kill her; her life was literally now in his hands. Wolf was angry, furiously so; he had never before killed an innocent. He knew now this woman was an innocent. The contract had been made under questionable circumstances.
But Wolf was a professional. He had a job to do. He had been hired out, and it was a done deal, his reputation was on the line. Wolf looked into her placid, tear-streaked, pale face. She felt so petite and helpless clutched to his chest. She was completely at his mercy. She had tried so hard to live until the end, until she had been overwhelmed with the agonizing truth of her betrayal.
Wolf had been certain he had watched her heart disintegrate right before his eyes. She looked like she was dying and would welcome death. This was not a merciless murderess. This was an agonized, shattered woman, who had thwarted his efforts in an attempt to spare her beloved husband more pain, the very man who sought her violent agonizing end.
My Assassin Lover Page 4