02 Turn to Me - Kathleen Turner

by Tiffany Snow

  “What the hell?!” I yelled, grabbing onto his leather jacket as the ground swung wildly under me.

  “If you’re not going to wait for me to play bodyguard,” Kade said calmly as he climbed the stairs, “then I’ll have to keep doing things my way.”

  “I. Don’t. Want. A bodyguard,” I gritted out.

  Kade swung me back onto my feet outside my door. “Then we’re in agreement,” he sneered, “because I don’t want to be one. Now give me your keys.”

  I glared at him, groped for my keys and handed them over with ill grace. The corner of his mouth curved up in a smirk which I longed to wipe off his face. Pushing me into the corner of the building which was sheltered from anyone who might be watching, Kade unlocked my door, pulling his gun before he went inside.

  I waited, the toe of my boot shoving at the snow as I wondered how long I’d have to endure this arrangement. I had to figure out who was doing this, not only for my continued existence, but also for my mental health.

  As I fidgeted, I saw that the mailman had left a small package for me. Scooping it up off the ground, I brushed the snow off it. I hoped whatever was inside wasn’t ruined now from sitting outside.

  Kade came back, motioning me inside with a jerk of his head. I brushed past, trying not to touch him. I hurried into my bedroom, closing the door gratefully behind me. I leaned against it with a sigh. I had to talk to Blane tonight, get him to make Kade leave.

  I tossed my things on the bed and pulled off my boots and slacks that were now wet at the hems. I heard the shower turn on in the bathroom. Kade must’ve decided to make himself at home, I thought with annoyance. The package caught my eye and I climbed onto my bed to open it. I rarely received packages in the mail and I wondered who had sent it.

  I examined the outside carefully, but there was no return address. With a shrug, I tore open the tape and opened it. Inside was another little white box with a lid. Bemused, I tipped the packaging and the lid fell off, the contents tumbling out onto my palm.

  It was a bloody, human eye. For a moment, I just stared at it in stunned horror, the gelatinous mass staring back at me. Then I started screaming, dropping the eye and scrambling off the bed. Blood was on my hand and I frantically swiped at my shirt. I couldn’t stop screaming.

  Seconds later, my bedroom door crashed open and Kade came tearing through, his gun in his hand. His eyes fixed on my shirt and a second later he stood in front of me.

  “Kathleen, what happened?” he asked urgently. “Where are you hurt?” His eyes examined me, searching.

  I couldn’t process his words, my mind in turmoil. I’d stopped screaming and now stood numbly, tears wet on my cheeks. Wondering why Kade thought I was hurt, I glanced down, seeing the blood smears on my shirt.

  “Get it off! Get it off me!” I sobbed, yanking my shirt over my head and throwing it away. My knees gave out and I slid down the wall to the floor.

  “Kathleen, talk to me!” Kade demanded, crouching down next to me. “Are you hurt?”

  I shook my head. “The blood’s not mine,” I said hoarsely. “It’s from the eyeball.”

  “From the what?” He looked confused. I wordlessly pointed to where I’d flung the jellylike blob.

  Kade got up and I watched him retrieve the box and the eye. He examined both, returning the eyeball to the box, then reached into the packaging and pulled out a folded piece of paper. Opening it, he read it, then folded it back up and returned to where I still sat huddled on the floor, knees pulled tightly to my chest.

  “What did it say?” I asked. Of course there was a note. When had this freak not left a little love note with his gruesome tactics?

  Kade wordlessly handed it to me. With shaking hands, I unfolded the paper.

  Kirk –your girl’s baby blues are next. I’m always watching.

  Nausea bubbled inside and it took a great deal of effort to swallow it down. Tears blurred my vision again but I blinked them back. How dare this bastard threaten me! I should feel angry, furious at what he was doing. And I would be, just as soon as I got my terror under control. After all, it wasn’t every day a girl got an eye in the mail.

  Kade took the paper from my numb fingers as he sat down next to me, his back against the wall. Setting his gun on the floor, he pulled my unresisting body into his arms. Distantly, I noticed his skin was wet, his jeans pulled on hurriedly and not even fastened. He must have been in the shower already when I started screaming.

  “You all right?” he asked, after a few minutes of us just sitting there. His hand slid comfortingly up and down my back.

  I nodded. “I’m fine,” I said. I wanted to throw up whenever I saw that eye in my mind, which was every time I closed my eyes, and my entire body was still shaking, but other than that, I was perfectly fine, thank you very much. “Sorry for the screaming.” From the little I knew about Kade, he wasn’t one with a lot of patience for hysterical women.

  “You’re entitled,” he replied evenly.

  I thought I should probably move, but couldn’t make myself. Pathetic that all it took was a strong, capable man holding me to make me feel safe, but there you have it. I didn’t want to give that up. My courage had taken a beating the past few days.

  I tipped my head back so I could look up at Kade, who obligingly looked down at me as I lay pressed against his side.

  “Thanks for being here,” I said. I meant it. It would have been much worse if I’d been alone when I opened the box.

  His mouth tipped up at one corner. “No problem,” he said.

  I smiled a little. Another truce would be good. I couldn’t handle the terror of wondering what this deranged lunatic would do next and fighting with Kade.

  Kade brushed my hair back from my face and our gazes collided. The deep blue of his eyes momentarily robbed me of breath and I couldn’t look away. I became uncomfortably aware that I was only wearing my bra and underwear. His hand still slid up and down my back, but the touch wasn’t so much comforting now as it was a caress. His chest was lean, hard sinew under my hands and my eyes caught on a droplet of water that slowly trailed down his neck to his chest, following the ridges of his abdomen. I jerked my eyes back up to his, their blue depths seeming to burn now as he looked at me. His gaze dropped to my mouth.

  “You know, if I didn’t know what a shit load of trouble you are,” he drawled lazily, “I might be persuaded to get the wrong idea.” His hand dropped down my back as he spoke, sliding over the thin satin fabric of the panties I wore.

  I jumped up as if I’d been burned, my cheeks flaming in both embarrassment and anger. Kade’s gaze leisurely wandered over my body and I practically ran to my closet, throwing a robe on to cover my nakedness.

  “You’re vile and repulsive,” I spat at him as I belted the robe. I was furious at his insinuations.

  “I’m not the one throwing themselves at me,” he protested mildly, a smirk on his face.

  “Throwing themselves?!” I spluttered, rage making me nearly incoherent. “You bastard! And to think I thanked you for being here!”

  The smirk remained on his face as he got to his feet. I wanted more than anything to see that smug grin disappear. Looking around, I grabbed the first thing I found, a scented candle, and launched it at his head.

  He dodged it easily and my groping hand found something else, I didn’t even look to see what it was before I threw that too. My anger burned white hot and with each projectile I threw at him, I felt better. Kade suddenly came at me through the barrage and I found myself pressed against the wall, my arm pinned above my head. His grip was like iron around my wrist as he loomed over me.

  By the look on his face, it probably would have been smart for me to be afraid. But I wasn’t. Fury still burned inside, its flames banked but not doused.

  “Enough,” he ordered.

  “Fuck you,” I snarled.

  His lips twitched at my defiance. He moved his face even nearer to mine, our lips inches apart.

  “You feel that?” he nearly
whispered, his voice low and intent. “You feel that rage inside? Burning hot in the pit of your stomach?”

  Confused, I hesitantly nodded. What was he doing?

  “That’s what’s going to keep you alive,” he said. “Hold on to it. Fear will only sign your death warrant. Stay mad, princess.”

  His lips brushed my forehead before he abruptly released me. I watched in stunned silence as he grabbed the offending box and note and left the room, closing the door behind him.

  Chapter Seven

  I stood there and stared at the closed door for a full minute before I could wrap my head around what had just happened.

  Kade infuriated me even as he bewildered and perplexed me. I didn’t understand. One minute, he acted as though he hated the very sight of me. The next, he was comforting me and kissing me on the forehead. Which was real?

  My fingers absently touched the place where his lips had brushed. Memories I had deliberately pushed to the back of my mind sprang forward.

  Kade gently washing my cut and bruised feet in Chicago.

  Kade’s arms around me as he rested his head in my lap.

  No.

  I shook my head, trying to dislodge the images. I didn’t want to think about that night. It had meant nothing. I shouldn’t try to pretend that Kade didn’t actively dislike me and want me out of Blane’s, and consequently his, life. No matter how much it depressed me to know my boyfriend’s little brother hated me, there was nothing I could do about it. There wasn't time to think about it anyway. I had to get dressed or I was going to be late for work.

  Fifteen minutes later, I’d changed into my uniform. Winter wear was black pants and a long-sleeved shirt. Tonight I wore black on black, it suited my mood. Romeo Licavoli, owner of The Drop, made up for the lack of skin showing on his employees in the colder months by giving us low-cut v-neck shirts to wear. Joy.

  I scowled at my reflection. Too much cleavage on display and all of it white. If I could afford it, I’d tan in the winter. The paleness of my skin contrasted markedly with the black fabric. Nothing I could do about that either. I hurriedly yanked my hair up into a ponytail and shoved my feet into my shoes. Usually during the holidays I would wear something Christmassy like my Rudolph pin with the light up nose or my Christmas tree earrings. Tonight I couldn’t bring myself to fake Christmas cheer.

  When I came out of my bedroom, Kade was just hanging up his cell phone. He’d gotten dressed and I noticed a suitcase sitting next to the couch. His gaze swung to meet mine. Even from the distance across my kitchen, his gaze was penetrating and I quickly looked away.

  Kade’s shifting demeanor toward me made me feel nervous and wary. I had no idea what he might do or say from one moment to the next. I didn’t know if I could relax or if I should keep up my guard.

  “I called a buddy of mine who works for the FBI,” Kade said. “He’s going to get the eye and note examined, see if there’s anything we can find out about where it came from.”

  I nodded as if this was a perfectly logical thing to do with a gouged eyeball one received in the mail, which I supposed it was. I swallowed heavily before asking, “The person...the eye...they're dead, aren't they.” It wasn't really a question.

  Kade got up and walked toward me, stopping when he was a few feet away. He reminded me of a cat, the way his body moved – fluid and silent. In contrast my body felt like a violin string pulled too tight.

  “I'd say so, yeah,” Kade answered.

  I nodded wordlessly, my fists clenched as I struggled not to imagine the specifics of what had been done to the poor person whose body had been violated.

  “I talked with Blane,” Kade said, abruptly changing the subject. “He’s had a bad day.”

  “That makes two of us,” I said dryly.

  “He said he'd come by the bar tonight and that I’m to tell you to ‘play along.’”

  “Play along?” I repeated, confused. “What does that mean?”

  Kade shrugged. “I have an idea but I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough.”

  I didn’t reply, wishing I’d had the chance to talk to Blane myself. I wondered if I’d get the chance to talk to him tonight when he came by The Drop.

  “Is there anything else that’s happened?” Kade asked, drawing my attention back to him. “Anything that you haven’t told Blane?”

  I hesitated, thinking about the possum. My answer must have shown on my face because Kade was suddenly much closer than I was comfortable with.

  “Tell me,” he demanded in a tone that I couldn’t disobey.

  “It was yesterday,” I admitted grudgingly, “in the morning. I went out to my car to go to work.”

  “And?” Kade prompted when I didn’t continue.

  “And there was a dead possum,” I said flatly. “Someone had slit its little throat and they’d used its blood to write in the snow on my car.”

  “And it said?” Kade’s demeanor had changed, his face taking on that shuttered, expressionless look that was becoming too familiar.

  “It said ‘Kirk’s Whore,’” I blurted. I raised an eyebrow, adding sarcastically, “Maybe a friend of yours?”

  Kade’s eyes narrowed, but I ignored him, ducking past to put some space between us. I didn’t get very far. His hand snagged my arm tightly as he jerked me back toward him.

  “You didn’t think that was something you should’ve told Blane?” Kade snapped at me, his face inches away. His blue eyes blazed the way they had in my bedroom, only this time in anger.

  “Since you haven’t been around to notice,” I sneered back, “Blane’s been a little busy. The last thing he needs is for me to be laying more crap at his doorstep.”

  “Usually, I would agree,” Kade replied, his voice cold. “But he’s been shot at twice now, and I’m not willing to let him get hurt if you’re the target.”

  “Gee, thanks for the support,” I retorted, heavy on the sarcasm. “With a bodyguard like you, I might as well just slit my wrists.”

  I jerked my arm out of his grip, immediately fearing I’d left some skin behind, and shrugged into my coat before snatching up my purse. I didn’t wait to see if he followed me, I just headed for the door. Kade was there before I’d finished opening it, shielding me as we stepped outside.

  To my surprise, Kade wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me close to his side. I noticed his gun was in his other hand. I stiffened automatically, alarms going off inside my head at the press of my body against his.

  “Is this really necessary?” I hissed, trying to push away from him. My efforts were futile, he was too strong and held me in place easily.

  “Shut up and walk,” was Kade’s only response.

  We made it to the car in this fashion and I climbed into the passenger seat. I didn’t speak as he got in and drove to the bar, the silence thick between us.

  Kade hustled me inside The Drop in much the same fashion. I was relieved to get away from him once the door had swung closed behind us.

  “I have to leave for a while,” Kade said, “meet my friend and give him the package. What time do you get off?”

  “I work until close tonight.”

  “I’ll be back before then.”

  “That’s just great,” I said with a saccharine smile. “I’ll be counting the minutes.”

  The look in his eyes said he didn’t appreciate my sarcasm.

  “Try to lose the bitchy before I get back,” he said dryly, and before I had a chance to retort, he was gone.

  I was relieving the day bartender, Chad. He was new and had only been working at The Drop for a couple of weeks. About my age, he was married with a toddler daughter. I’d gotten the impression he and his wife had married right out of high school. He took classes at night at the local community college, getting some kind of business degree, but I couldn’t remember what he’d told me.

  “Hey, Chad,” I greeted him, as I stowed my purse under the bar. My blood pressure was still up from my anger with Kade, but I strove to be pleasant. Being i
n a foul mood wouldn’t help my tips tonight.

  “Hey, Kathleen,” he said with a smile. “How are you?”

  “I’m good,” I lied. “You?”

  “Great,” he said. “Business was good today. Holiday shoppers and all. Hopefully tonight will be, too.”

  “Yeah, that would be nice,” I sighed. Business had been slow the past couple of weeks and my bank account was dipping dangerously low. “You and Holly have plans tonight?” Holly was his wife.

  “Nah,” he said, “just studying for a final tomorrow. But we’re planning on taking Amber to see Santa Claus Friday night at the mall.”

  Amber was their little girl, and from the pictures he’d shown me, she was as cute as could be with little brown curls and soft brown eyes.

  “That sounds like fun,” I said with a genuine smile this time.

  Chad filled me in on the few customers that were currently in the bar. Tish and Jill were waitressing tonight and I saw them come in to relieve their daytime counterparts.

  After Chad left, it was slow for a while, then people started trickling in with more frequency. A group of five guys came in and sat at a table near the bar. They ordered a few rounds of beer and were soon laughing loudly and sounded like they were having a good time.

  We were busier than Romeo had planned for and soon I was coming out from behind the bar to help Tish and Jill deliver drinks to tables. A lot of people were ordering food as well so Jeff, the cook, was moving fast as he tried to keep up. I was glad I didn’t have time to think and my pocket was getting heavy with tips, which was a relief.

  I was delivering another round of beers to the group of five guys when they decided to pay more attention to me than usual.

  “Hey sweetie,” said a big guy, catching hold of my arm, “don’t run off. We could use a little company.”

  I smiled tightly. This wasn’t an uncommon occurrence for a woman bartender. I’d had my share of overzealous drunks coming on to me over the years.

  “Sorry,” I said, “gotta work, guys.” I pulled my arm out of his grasp and turned away, only to have him wrap his arm around my waist and yank me toward him. The move nearly upset the table, which would’ve spilled all those beers and really pissed me off.