Dare to Dream: The Maxwell Series

by S. B. Alexander

  The blood froze in my veins. “Kel, calm down.” I came to a screeching halt at a stop sign and was thrust hard against my seatbelt. “The lights aren’t on at her house?”

  “I called the cops.” He sounded out of breath. “It looks like someone broke in.”

  My body went numb. I felt as if someone had taken wire cutters and clipped my brainstem, severing my ability to function.

  “Kade, are you there? Kade!”

  Headlights came up behind me. Then a horn blew.

  I checked the road to my left before giving the truck some gas as I made a right. Kelton was freaking out. I couldn’t freak too.

  “I’m here. What happened?”

  “We pulled into her driveway. The lights weren’t on, and she panicked, shaking her head, banging her shoulder against the inside of the passenger door. When I ran around to get her out, she fell into my arms. Then she started petting my head, tapping on my face. Bro, just get here.”

  “Where is she?” My heart rate was all over the place.

  “She’s still out and lying down in the backseat of my truck. Cops are checking out the house. How far out are you?”

  Too far. “Five minutes.”

  He sighed as the phone went dead.

  After bends, curves, turns, and stop signs, I turned onto Lacey’s road. Sweat coated my skin. My pulse thrashed in my ears. Red-and-blue lights flashed in the distance, and all of a sudden I was transported back to the day I’d gotten home from school to find a medic zipping up a thick black bag before lifting the body onto the stretcher.

  I gulped in air, shaking the past from my mind. A cop car blocked Lacey’s driveway. I parked my truck alongside the house next door and jumped out. I had to be strong. I had to be confident. I had to reel in all my emotions. I couldn’t let Lacey see me in turmoil. She’d always said that one of the things she loved about me was my confidence. When she’d first told me that, I was taken aback. Last September she’d seen me in a rage when I’d gotten a call from Kelton that Kody was in the hospital again because of Sullivan. I didn’t have an ounce of confidence then, and I didn’t now.

  Push past the fear. She needs your strength.

  I flew past the cop car and straight to Kelton’s truck. The spotlight from the cop car shone on the yard and Kelton.

  He was pacing back and forth. “Man, thank God, you’re here.” His face was paler than I’d seen it in a long time, though it might have been the lighting. He hugged me. “I didn’t know what to do.” Then he eased back. “Wayland’s dad is on duty tonight. He wanted to call an ambulance, but I explained her situation. He checked on her before he went in with his partner. Then I told him her father is in California and you would be here. She’s still out.”

  I was grateful we knew one of the cops. Mr. Wayland’s son was our team’s catcher. Otherwise, we could be here all night answering questions, and I wanted to get Lacey to my house where she’d wake up in a place of light and warmth. “She may be out for a long time.” It was always hard to tell how long her blackouts would last. “The first time I saw her have one, it started in her driveway, and she was out for almost two hours.”

  I peered into his truck. Lacey was lying across the backseat, sleeping soundly as though nothing had happened. I wanted to open the door, carry her into the house, get her comfortable, hold her, and not let go, like I’d done the first time. Her old man had instructed me to let her come out of it naturally. “Kel, she’ll be okay. Her major trigger is a dark house.” I always held my breath whenever I brought her home at night from a date.

  “Easy for you when you’ve seen one of her blackouts before.”

  “You have too. Remember on the ball field during tryouts?”

  “Yeah, man. But this was different. On the ball field she just fell flat forward. This one she was acting out, petting me, calling for her mom.”

  I gently grasped his shoulders. “This is why I worry my fucking head off. Seeing her in a state of panic shreds me into a million pieces. I don’t want to baby her. I want to protect her from shit like this.”

  “Whatever you need, Kade. Whatever the fuck you need. I’ll do it. I can’t see her like that. Not that I wouldn’t help.” He walked away then came back, blinking rapidly. “Sorry.”

  “I get it.” I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen water in Kelton’s eyes.

  Voices peppered the air. Mr. Wayland made his way toward us. The other cop went around to the side of the garage.

  “Hey, Kade,” Mr. Wayland said. Like his son, the man was stocky. “The house is clear of any intruders, although it’s been trashed. The big items like the TV and the other electronics are intact. My partner is checking the electrical panel. I’d suggest not staying here tonight.”

  I hadn’t planned on it. I didn’t know if Lacey would panic more if she saw that the inside was trashed. I did want to go in and poke around.

  “You know, my brother developed panic attacks in Iraq,” Mr. Wayland said. “I know how debilitating they can be.”

  His partner stalked up. “They cut the main electrical line into the house.”

  Kelton mumbled a cuss word.

  “Any other break-ins around the neighborhood?” I asked.

  “Not here. We’ve had a couple though on the other side of town in the last month,” Mr. Wayland said. “Does Lacey have a place to stay tonight?”

  “She’ll be staying at my house. I need to call her father.”

  “We’ll have a car here for the night. I’d suggest you return in the morning.”

  I opened the front passenger door of Kelton’s truck, and Lacey’s phone was on the floor. I peeked over the seat. Her chest rose and fell slowly as a soft noise escaped her nose. Then I gently closed the door and punched in her passcode to unlock the screen. I’d seen her enter it numerous times. I scrolled through her contacts until I found her father’s name and tapped on the screen. It rang twice.

  “Hey, Sweet Pea,” he said.

  “This is Kade, sir.”

  “What’s wrong?” Unease wove through his tone.

  “Lacey’s fine. But she had a major blackout. Your house was broken into tonight before she got home.”

  “Fuck,” he said under his breath. “Will this ever end? I’m on the first flight I can get.”

  “She’ll be staying at my house. I’ll text you my number. Call me when you have your flight details.”

  “Kade, please keep her safe.”

  “Don’t worry, Mr. Robinson. Just get home. Oh, and we need to have a man-to-man talk first thing.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Lacey

  My eyes fluttered open, and Kade’s cedar scent seeped into my nose. I pressed a hand to his stomach as I slowly peered up at him. The dim light of his bedroom licked his worn-out but handsome features.

  One corner of his mouth curled, and a dimple emerged. “Hey, there.”

  “Oh, my God. I blacked out.” I pushed to get up. Embarrassment heated my cheeks.

  He held me firmly to him. “I’m in this with you. You have to get used to that, baby.”

  “Kelton. Is he okay? Everything happened so fast. He drove up to the house, and I went into panic mode instantly. The last thing I remember was the fear in Kelton’s voice as I scrambled to get out of his truck.” Kelton had witnessed one of my blackouts on the pitcher’s mound. Even so, my episodes were never the same twice. Dr. Davis had explained that different memories could elicit different reactions depending on the triggers. I was concerned about Kelton and embarrassed with myself. I’d been doing great. Blackouts weren’t easy for me—or for whoever was with me, particularly when they didn’t know what to do. I made a mental note to thank Kelton.

  “He’s fine. I’m just glad he was with you. Your house was broken into.” He loosened his arm. “They cut the power line. That’s why it was dark.”

  I gulped. “Was anything taken? Did you call the police? Did they catch the person?”

  “Slow down, baby. We didn’t go in. Mark
Wayland’s dad was on duty. He and his partner checked out the house.” He stroked my arm. “No one was inside, but the house has been ransacked. He stationed a cop outside your house for the evening. We’ll survey the damage tomorrow. Oh, and I talked to your dad. He’s catching the first flight out.”

  A knock sounded on the door before it opened. Mr. Maxwell sauntered in, all six feet of him. He reminded me so much of Kade—honey-brown hair and the same copper eyes, but not as broad in the shoulders. “How are you feeling?”

  I sat up. “I’m a little tense.” Okay, I was tense times ten.

  Kade rubbed my back.

  “Has Dr. Davis counseled you on breathing exercises?”

  “He has.” That was my problem last night. I didn’t get a chance to think or breathe. As soon as Kelton had driven up to the house, the darkness triggered my panic attack so quickly I didn’t have time to stop the spiraling motion.

  “If you need anything, you let me know,” he said softly. “Son, take the couch in the theater room tonight.” He tipped his head at the door. “Let Lacey rest.”

  Kade got up, kissed me softly on the lips, and said, “I’ll be downstairs. We’ll get through this. Okay?” He lingered a minute, hovering over me.

  He didn’t want to leave. I didn’t want him to either, but he seemed to need rest more than I did. Kade carried the weight of the world on his shoulders, and at that moment, I was a huge weight drawing the energy out of him. I couldn’t keep relying on his strength to pull me out of the darkness. I had to somehow push those pesky demons down into the deeper depths of my psyche.

  “I’m good. I’ll see you in the morning.” I kissed him back as I forced a smile.

  When Kade and Mr. Maxwell left, I called Dad.

  “Sweet Pea, how are you? I’m just getting on the red-eye. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” Worry threaded through his every word.

  “I’m at Kade’s. I’m not hurt. Kelton was there with me when I blacked out.” I hoped I sounded confident and strong. He was another person who carried the weight of an army of men on his shoulders. “Do you think the break-in has anything to do with what Detective Fisher told us?”

  “I don’t know. The doors are about to close. We’ll talk when I get home. I love you.”

  “Ditto.”

  The line went dead.

  I didn’t have Detective Fisher’s card with me. Otherwise I’d call him and let him know about the break-in. I knew he couldn’t do anything from three thousand miles away, but I wanted to pick his brain about the lead he was working on and keep my mind focused on the future—not thinking of a dark house and blackouts.

  I curled up and thought about what Dad could possibly have that was so valuable. I kept coming up with nothing. My dad made money from his nightclubs and record label. Maybe he owed a client, and they were looking for money. Or maybe one of his clients knew Dad kept valuables and wanted to hold those over Dad’s head until he paid.

  * * *

  * * *

  After a restless night, I woke up in a heap of sweat with my clothes sticking to me. When I’d finally dozed off, I had one of my recurring dreams. Anytime something bothered me, I found I dreamed Kade and I were sitting on the ball field in a thunderstorm. Neither of us spoke. The dream had been repeating over and over for the past several months without change until last night when words fell from Kade’s lips. Words that were on a constant loop in my head when I awoke: “Storms will roll in, the sky will grow darker, the clouds will release their tears, but through the thunder, the lightning, the rain, the sleet, and the snow, the world will right itself.” I didn’t understand what it meant, although I’d take that scene over any nightmare.

  I wrote Kade a note letting him know I was headed to my house to change. I didn’t have any clean clothes, and I didn’t want to shower at Kade’s then slip back into sweaty underwear. I snatched his keys then slipped out around six a.m., careful not to wake anyone. Kade said there was a cop at my house. So this was my chance to find out how I’d react without Kade. I couldn’t have him babying me every time I was faced with a challenge. Besides, he needed rest.

  As I drove home, twilight waned and dawn set in. The streets of Ashford were dead. Rolling into my driveway, I concentrated on my breathing. With every intake of air, the sky grew lighter and my pulse slowed. A police car was parked in front of one of the garage doors. The cop got out of his car. I grabbed my bag and hopped out of the truck.

  “Ma’am, do you live here?” a baby-faced man asked.

  “Yes, sir.”

  We went through the normal identification process. Once he was satisfied, he said, “I’m Officer Yancey. I’ll go in with you. But the power is still off.”

  Oh, damn. I’d forgotten. Kade had mentioned someone had cut the power line. No shower. I’d get my clothes then head back to Kade’s.

  My phone rang. I retrieved it from the front of my backpack. “Hey, I’m just getting clean clothes. I didn’t want to wake you.”

  “You should’ve waited for me,” Kade said in a sleepy voice. “I’ll get dressed and—”

  “No, I won’t be long. The officer is here with me. I’ll be fine. Seriously, it’s not dark.” The sky was turning a brighter blue.

  The sound of an engine disrupted the morning quiet of the neighborhood. Officer Yancey and I turned. A black SUV rolled past my house. I didn’t recognize it. I lived on a street with a cul-de-sac, and none of the houses surrounding mine owned a black SUV. My pulse sped up.

  “Lace, are you still there?” Kade’s voice rose. “Is everything okay?”

  “Yeah. I’m good. I promise. I’ll be back within the hour.” Then I hung up before he protested. If I knew Kade, he’d be here within five minutes, even though we lived about twenty minutes apart.

  The black SUV came back and stopped at the edge of the driveway. A faint buzzing started in my head. Suddenly, I wasn’t sure I wanted to go into the house. I eyed Officer Yancey. He had his hand poised to retrieve his gun at a moment’s notice.

  The driver rolled down his window. “Yancey, everything okay?” a black man asked. “Wayland wanted me to check on things.”

  Wayland? Then I remembered Kade telling me the officer on duty last night was Mark Wayland’s dad. I sighed.

  “We’re cool,” Yancey said, then he turned to me. “One of our detectives.”

  My lungs expanded.

  “Radio if you need anything,” the man said before driving away.

  I started for the house then hesitated, not sure I was ready to see the damage. I knew I wouldn’t find any dead bodies. I could do this. It was just a messy house.

  Officer Yancey was being patient behind me. He touched my arm lightly. “Why don’t you let me sweep it real quick.”

  Not a bad idea. As the officer went in ahead of me, I waited outside for a minute before I peeked in. The couch in the front living room was sliced, its stuffing poking out. I hedged back. It’s just stuffing. Yeah, but the creep had a knife. He’s not in the house. Slowly, I stepped over the threshold and gave the front living room a once-over. The furniture was completely torn to pieces. Shuffling deeper into the room, I found the corner bookcase was knocked over, the contents of the shelves scattered on the floor.

  The swishing sound of Officer Yancey’s gait kept me in the present. I quickly checked the rooms downstairs. The house was freezing, and so was I. The TV and the electronics on the entertainment center were untouched, although the DVDs and books that had been on the shelves covered the floor. The kitchen had fared better than the other two rooms.

  “It’s all clear,” Yancey’s voice boomed from above.

  A shiver crept up my spine as I picked my way down the hall. The sunroom was undisturbed, but there wasn’t much in there except wicker furniture. In Dad’s office the couch cushions were sliced in half. File folders, pens, a calculator, the house phone, and the music awards he cherished littered the brown carpet. Suddenly, I was transported back to the LAPD and Detective Fisher’s words: “Wh
oever invaded your home was after something specific.”

  I was standing in the office doorway when heavy footfalls scuffed the hall floor.

  “Are you okay, Ms. Robinson?” Yancey asked. “The upstairs wasn’t touched. They might’ve heard your vehicle last night and taken off.”

  My body felt numb as my mind worked to figure out what my dad had that those creeps wanted. It could be that some random person had broken in. But if that were the case, then the TVs and other electronics would’ve been stolen.

  “Do you have any idea what they wanted?” Yancey asked.

  “No clue.” I diverted my gaze out the French doors beyond the desk. The snow was melting, giving way to the brown of the wooded lot. “Maybe they found it. Maybe that’s why the upstairs isn’t trashed.” A ray of hope coursed through me.

  Yancey’s radio crackled, and a voice blared through it.

  “I’ll be out front,” he said before he answered the radio call.

  I wandered through the sea of office items, my gaze scanning the floor. I started snapping pictures with my phone to send to Detective Fisher so he could see the mess. I squatted down at a pile of folders. Eko Records’ contracts were scattered about with pictures of bands Dad had signed. I picked up each one as though I was playing a game of Go Fish, though I knew I wouldn’t find a matching hand. Then I came across one folder with a lone picture of a handsome man with gray hair and a gray beard. I studied it. Why did he look oddly familiar?

  Chapter Fifteen

  Kade

  Knowing Lacey had slept in my room last night while I slept on the couch sucked. She did need rest, and I knew sleeping with her we wouldn’t get any. When we’d finally gotten back from her house, I’d told my father about the break-in. I was thankful he was home in case Lacey needed to talk with a doctor, even though she always came out of her blackouts like she had awakened from a restful sleep. On the other hand, my brother had been rattled when we got back to the house. So, I’d asked my father if he could check on Kelton. Man, I understood what he was going through. I didn’t care how many times I’d seen Lacey black out or panic, a pain always gripped my chest so tight I couldn’t breathe.