Burkheart Witch Saga Book 1: Red Snow

by Christine Sutton

Kayla Burkheart had had enough of that job, anyway. After traveling across five states to deliver that Corvette Stingray, she was done with selling classic cars.

  In all fairness, the seventy thousand dollar car that she was delivering had arrived in Texas with a nine inch scratch on the passenger side door. Her boss had warned her that even one tiny scratch would be her undoing. Even if you happened to be a size queen, nine inches was not tiny.

  Of course, driving off-road through the desert while running from a fucking werewolf was not an excuse Mr. Groves had been prepared for. But, it was the truth after all. At least he was nice enough to give her the bonus and her overtime pay. She had left Groves Classic Custom Cars in Olympia, Washington with a check for ten thousand dollars, a bruised ego, an unbelievable story, and a big scratch on her right thigh.

  Oh well, she thought to herself, and headed back to her mother's house. She never thought of it as home, it was always 'her mother's house'. That bitch had never been anything but horrible to her. Her Dad had run off with another woman when Kayla was twelve. Her mother told Kayla that it was all her fault that he left them. She knew better at thirty-one, but at twelve, had believed everything her mom said. She knew now that her mother, Carolyn, was an evil, demonic shrew that no one could ever love.

  It's no wonder Kayla turned to alcohol and pills to numb herself from the constant barrage of abuse. Those days were behind her now. She had been sober for two years, and she had no intention of going back to that life. Besides, she had David now. At least she thought she did. She had not heard from him since the second day of her week long trek from Washington to Texas.

  After she settled back in at Carolyn's house, she was going to his apartment to see what the hell was wrong. She knew it had better be a damn good reason, or there was going to be a problem.

  When she tried to slip quietly into the house, Carolyn called out to her.

  "Kayla? Is that you?"

  "Yeah." She responded in a monotonous, drone-like voice.

  "Get in here."

  Kayla stomped into the living room where Carolyn sat every waking moment watching talk shows and soap operas.

  "What?"

  "Well, I thought that I would ask how your trip went, if that's alright with you."

  "Fine."

  "Just fine?"

  "Yeah."

  "Mr. Groves called. He said after he fired you, you forgot to take your jacket." Carolyn snarked with obvious self-satisfaction.

  "Shit!"

  "Watch it, Missy! This is still my home, and you will not be disrespectful! Can you tell me how you are planning on paying me the rent you owe?"

  "Don't worry, you'll get paid."

  "Really? How exactly does an unemployed, alcoholic, pill popper plan to pay rent? Are you going down to the corner to try and make some money?"

  Kayla just looked at her with the resignation that came with years of putting up with this type of bullshit.

  "Good luck with that!" Carolyn laughed at her own joke. A witch's cackle that grated on Kayla's nerves like nails on a chalkboard.

  "Gee, thanks."

  "Well, you might as well make yourself useful if you're gonna be an unemployed lay about. Make me a drink."

  "Seriously?"

  "Did I fucking stutter? Make me a damn drink. Vodka twist."

  "Bitch." Kayla muttered under her breath as she walked into the kitchen.

  "What?"

  "Nothing."

  The bottle of vodka was sitting on the counter, half empty. As she opened the lid, the smell that only a drunk could appreciate wafted up and filled her head with a craving that actually hurt in the pit of her stomach. She wanted to take a drink of that vodka so badly, but thought of what she would be losing, and just poured the old bitch a drink.

  After the obligatory dealings with her horrible mother, Kayla couldn't wait to see David. She was pissed that he hadn't answered her fajillion texts, but was hopeful that he had a good reason. The shitty, dumpy studio apartment that he rented was just up ahead. She pulled into a parking spot in front of the tiny broken down building and got out of her Honda. She always worried about parking here, afraid that her car might be up on blocks when she came out. Even the hookers stayed away from this part of town. She buzzed to be let in, and David's voice on the intercom released the knot that had developed in the pit of her stomach.

  "Who is it?"

  "It's me, Babe. Buzz me in."

  "Why?"

  "What do you mean, why? Buzz me in."

  "Sure, why the hell not?"

  She waited for the buzz so she could get upstairs and get the explanations needed for his behavior. She was greeted at the door by a David that was unfamiliar to her. He looked as though he had not showered or shaved for at least three or four days. It was the way he had looked upon his arrival at the rehab center where they met. He looked at Kayla and turned back into the single room, leaving the door open for her.

  "What the hell is wrong with you?" She asked him, starting to get pissed off all over again.

  "Well, Kayla, you tell me."

  "Have you been drinking?"

  "No." He lied. She couldn't smell it on him, so he hadn't been drinking that day at least.

  "David, why?" She wanted to cry. How could he be so weak?

  "When I hadn't gotten a message from you in like three days, I went to your mom's house. Carolyn told me all about your trip, and the guy you met on the road. How could you do that to me, Kayla?" He sat down in the one chair he owned, looking totally lost.

  "You believed her? You really believed that I would cheat on you with some random guy? How could you do that to me, David?" She was trying not to cry herself. "The actual truth is that I was attacked. Some crazy bastard basically kidnapped me and tied me up in the fucking desert and was going to kill me."

  "Oh my God, Babe, are you alright?"

  "Oh, now you're concerned? Just a minute ago, I was a cheating slut, now I'm 'Babe'? You really drank because you thought I was cheating?"

  "I didn't drink. Your mom poured me some fruit juice. I felt shitty after I drank it, but I didn't drink any alcohol. I swear."

  "You trusted her? That could have had Drano in it, or it could have been some kind of fucking magic potion. I'm pretty sure that's where the vodka went."

  "I'm so sorry, Kayla. I should have known not to listen to her. I was fine when I got there, then she gave me that apple juice and started talking to me. It all seemed so logical. I don't know what the fuck happened. Please forgive me. It's like I was under some spell or something. I'm so sorry." He placed his head in his hands and started to cry for real.

  "I just need some time to cool down, David. I'll call you in a day or two. I love you, but this is too much for me to deal with right now." She summoned up the last of her strength and walked out the door. She didn't know that she wouldn't be seeing David again for a long time.

  Chapter Five