by Kristy Marie
“The same way you do everything else, Levi. You have a knack for taking care of people in a unique way. You always come out looking like a hero that didn’t know what he was doing but doing it great all along.”
I know she is referring to herself, and I just shrug. Helping her is easy. I do it out of normal instinct. I’ve been doing it for so long. Helping others can be a challenge. Kathleen’s issue is pulling at me, though. It’s pulling me in. She’s pulling me in. I don’t know if I like that.
“Take it slow, Vi. That’s all you can do. Figure out what is going on and just get to know her as you do it. You may be surprised at what happens.”
“I don’t need a woman in my life, Mi.” I walk away from her and pace over the grass in her backyard. I walk around toys that are all over the place. Feeling like I’m walking through a maze, I keep pacing.
“I know that. You don’t really need anyone, but don’t you want someone?”
“I need you, Kelly, Macy, Z, Chance and the kids. That’s it.”
“Again Levi James… don’t you want someone?”
I stop walking and keep my back to her. Do I want someone? Do I want someone like Kathleen? I don’t even know her? How can I want her?
“I don’t know her,” I whisper.
“That’s the point,” Micah whispers back.
Micah and I stay outside talking for a little while. Kids come and go. The others check on us, but we are content just to catch up, vent, and talk things out.
Before we start to head inside, my phone vibrates in my pocket. I stand, help pull Mi up with one hand, and pull my phone out with the other.
I’m expecting Ron or Dale.
It’s neither.
Unknown number: Don’t keep my prize from me too long, Levi. She’s going to get me a lot of money that someone owes me.
Micah has gotten to the door, so I call out to her. “Mi.” She turns back to me. “Tell Zant to come out here.”
“Sure thing.” She walks in and shuts the door.
“What’s up man?” Zant steps out the back door and sees my phone in my hand. I turn the phone around to show him the message. He reads it a couple times before looking at me. “I can only imagine what he means by that.”
“What does he mean?” I don’t have the slightest clue as to what he’s talking about, but I don’t like the tone of his voice or the look in his eye.
Zant runs his fingers through his short blonde hair and looks at the ground. I know he doesn’t want to tell me, but knows I need to know.
“Spit it out, Z.”
“He’s probably going to sell her if he gets his hands on her.”
“Sell her?”
“Human trafficking. Sex slave. There are several things going on in Martinsville from what I heard.”
I feel like the wind has been knocked out of me. I don’t live in a hole. I know what those things are, but I’ve never known anyone that has been in there or related to it. Kathleen is beautiful, and I can only imagine the things that someone as evil as those monsters could do to her. My blood runs cold and I feel like I’m going to puke. Knowing that I literally ripped her out of the arms of Satan himself makes my knees week. I think I may pass out, but as soon as that passes, I feel rage.
It starts to consume me, and I feel Zant behind me. “Stay in the light Levi,” I hear him say. He’s known me long enough to know what is coming and I don’t know if I can stop it. I feel myself slipping.
Chapter 18
Kathleen
Sitting on the couch, I’m completely engrossed in playing babies with Nova when Zant comes in and touches my shoulder. “Hey,” he says. “Can you come with me?”
I look at Nova and tell him yes. I’m not sure what he would need me for, but I have a feeling like it’s a good reason. “I’ll be right back Nova.”
“Ok, Ms. Katie. I’ll feed your baby for you.” I smile at her and follow her dad to the back door. Before he opens it, he turns and faces me.
“I don’t know if this is going to work, but I need to try.”
“What are you talking about?”
“It’s Levi, he needs your help.”
I immediately feel my heart start to beat faster. What’s wrong with Levi? And what could I do to help him?
I do know one thing… whatever it is, I’ll do it.
“Ok,” I say and Zant opens the back door that leads to outside. By this point, the sun is going down and the sky is a beautiful orange and blue color. Zant is sitting on the ground with his back to us. I have no idea what I’m walking into, but by the look on Zant’s face, it’s serious.
“What am I supposed to do? What’s going on?”
We stay close to the house and whisper. I don’t know why I’m whispering, it just feels right.
Zant lets out a deep breathe before he speaks. “Levi has a lot of demons that he fights daily. I don’t know how much you know about him, but Levi did say you’re a racing fan.”
“I am. I only know what y’all have told me and what I have read in articles.”
Levi is a very private person. Before coming here, I had no idea these people existed. Nothing has ever been said about them in association to Levi and from the looks of it, they all wanted it that way.
“Ok. I can’t tell you everything. You know what his parents did to him. Now, he gets lost in the dark when he’s overwhelmed. Eventually he comes out and he’s better now at getting himself out, but I don’t know how to help him right now. When he gets lost in there, he turns into someone else. Someone dark and angry. I want to try something with you.”
I ponder over his words. I’ve never seen someone lose themselves like he’s describing Levi. I know that I will try to help in any way I can, though. I don’t know what it is about Levi, but I’m drawn to him.
“What do you want me to do?”
“This is a trial thing. I will be right here so don’t worry. Go up behind him, put your hand on his shoulder and whisper in his ear. Tell him you’re here. Tell him to stay. Just say something. See what happens.”
When he said not to worry, I immediately started to worry. What could go wrong? So many things are going through my mind and none of them are good.
I slowly walk up behind him and watch as his shoulders rise and fall with his breathing. He is inhaling and exhaling heavily. I can hear it as I get closer. I wonder what is going through his mind, but then again, I don’t really know if I want to know. I also wonder what set him off. He was just fine when I came out here earlier. He was talking to Micah and everything was cool.
Once I get right behind him, I turn and look at Zant over my shoulder. He’s came a little closer, but not much. He’s giving us space. Whether I like it or not, I decide to trust Zant.
I turn back around and slowly put my hand on Levi’s shoulder. I feel his muscles as they almost vibrate under my palm. This must be what pure rage feels like. Leaning down so my mouth is right next to his ear, I hold my breath for a few beats. Then I start whispering.
“Levi, hey. It’s Kathleen. You’ve got to come back to me. We need you out here.” I wait a little bit to see what happens. When nothing does, I say something else. Something that could be very close to the truth. Despite the fact I just met him, and he rescued me from being kidnapped, I feel something for him. Being in the car with him for two hours and chatting with him – he’s easy to talk to. He’s funny and laid back. He’s a genuine guy.
“Levi, I need you out here. Come back to me.” I whisper it so softly that only he can possibly hear it.
Suddenly, he takes a deep breath and lets it out. I slowly pull back from him but not removing my hand just yet. Watching as he blinks, I see Zant walking towards us from the side.
Levi looks up at me then at Zant. “It happened again, didn’t it?”
“Yea man. It’s ok though. How are you feeling?”
He rubs his hands over his face and I remove mine from his shoulder. I wonder if he heard me.
“Tired.”
; “Let’s get you inside,” I say, stepping back from him. I don’t know if I need to touch him anymore. I want to. The musty, manly smell of him is still in my nose, and I would really love to put my nose to his neck and just inhale him. I don’t though.
He stands up and I walk ahead of them back inside. Zant probably wants to talk to him, and I’m not sure if they want me out here.
Chapter 19
Levi
“How long was I out for?”
“About ten minutes. Once Katie started talking to you, you came out pretty quickly. I didn’t know if she was going to work, but I’m glad she did.
“Micah used to be the one.” Zant nods his head. The last couple of times I’ve lost to the darkness, Mi hasn’t been able to help. It upsets her and that makes it worse.
I hate this shit. It’s like the demons just come and smother me. They won’t let me out and no matter how much fighting and yelling, they just keep piling on top of me. I’ve gotten better, but I would love to be able to keep them away for good. To function normally when I get angry. It has everything to do with my parents. I know it does.
When I was home and they would get high, they would beat me. I learned at an early age to retreat into myself. At first, it became a coping mechanism. I would check out. They would do whatever they wanted, and I had no clue until I woke up later. I would have blood and bruises everywhere. That made me angry and after a while, the anger would take me into the darkness too. Now, anything to do with anger, evil, or my parents sends me into the dark.
I take deep breaths to lower my heart rate and then I look at Z.
“So, what do we do now?”
“I don’t know. He doesn’t know where y’all are right now, so as long as we keep it that way, you’re both safe. We’ve got to figure it out, though. They don’t give up easy.”
“Yea. Neither do I.”
Suddenly my phone starts to ring, and I pull it from my pocket. I see Ron’s name across the screen and I swipe it to answer.
“Hey man.”
“Levi,” Ron say, out of breath.
“What’s up Ron? What’s going on?”
“I don’t know how to tell you this, but…” I grip the phone as I wait for him to finish.
“The shop was broken into. Your bike.” He doesn’t say anything else and I can imagine him scratching his beard then removing his cap only to put it right back on again.
“What’s wrong with my bike, Ron.”
“It’s all messed up, Levi.”
Again, I feel like I’ve just been sucker punched. This time I feel the darkness coming and I focus. I stay in the light. I hand my phone to Zant, and I run inside. I make my way through the kitchen where Kelly is getting something to drink. She isn’t who I’m looking for. In the living room, Micah and Chance are sitting on the couch, looking at their phones. They aren’t who I’m looking for either. I spin around in a circle searching for her. I need her. I need to find her.
The darkness is coming, and I need her. She brought me back. She needs to help me stay.
“Where’s Kathleen,” I croak out.
Chance stands up quickly and comes towards me. “What’s wrong?”
“I need Kathleen.”
“She’s in the bathroom.”
I spin around and walk down the hall to the bathroom. I try the nob. I don’t bother knocking. The door swings open and she’s standing at the sink. I watch the look of surprise cross her face before she sees the look on mine.
She spins towards me and I whisper, “touch me.” She places her hands on both sides of my face and doesn’t let go. I watch her beautiful brown eyes as they melt like chocolate. Confusion and compassion swim in their depths and I get lost. This isn’t a lost like I’m used to. This isn’t a lost in the dark. This is a lost in the light. A lost in her. A complete lost in everything Kathleen. I heard her earlier say, ‘come back to me’. She has the power to help me stay. I want to stay with her.
I don’t know this girl from Eve, but for some reason, I want to. Getting to know her these two days has been somewhat surprising. I’m surprised that I actually want to know more. Wanting to protect her is one thing. I do that out of nature. It’s ironic since I was a victim of horrible child abuse for years, but it’s the way I am. Wanting to know her is a different thing all together. I don’t let people in. I placed walls around myself a long time ago. Select few have been let in and I have always felt like that was enough. I didn’t have room for anyone else.
Maybe I was wrong.
I start to breath normal again, but she doesn’t let go and I don’t let go of her hands. I slowly move closer to her. Kathleen’s lips are perfect – rosy and pouty. Just how I like them. I want to know what they taste like, but I know we aren’t there yet. I know I’m not there yet. She probably isn’t either. That still doesn’t stop me from wanting them.
She’s only seen the messed-up parts of me. She doesn’t know the good parts, the funny parts, the better parts.
Before I can get any closer to her lips, Nova runs past us. “Don’t kiss her Unc. That’s gross!” she yells.
We both chuckle, but it quickly dies away. “Are you ok?” she says.
“I am now. Thanks.” She slowly pulls her hands away from my face and I immediately miss her touch. I shake it off, grab her hand, and pull her from the bathroom. “Come on. We need to talk. Something has happened, and I need to go back.”
“You mean we?”
Nope. She isn’t going back. She’s staying right here with Micah.
“No. You’re staying here, where it’s safe.”
“What happened? Why are you going back?” She has her hands on her hips and I’d be lying if I said her irritated look isn’t hot.
“Because, the fu…, the guys that want you, messed up my shop and my bike.”
She gasps and slaps her hands over her mouth. “Oh my gosh,” she muffles.
“I want you to stay here with Micah, Kelly, and the kids. Chance, Zant, and I are going back. I think we know what’s going on, but we need to go see. I need you safe. Ok?”
She nods her head and doesn’t even blink her beautiful eyes. They look like they may pop out of her head, but they are still beautiful.
“Please be careful, Levi.”
I grab her hand and walk her back down the hall to Axel’s room. He’s in the living room so I know we will have a little privacy in here. I pull her inside and shut the door.
“I’m going to be straight with you. I think this may have something to do with my father and human trafficking or sex trafficking.” Her eyes grow round, and another gasp leaves her lips. Tears start to swim, and I can’t take it. I grab her and pull her to me. “Don’t worry. I’ve got you. Nothing is going to happen to you.”
“Why do they want me?” Her arms are wrapped around me and she’s squeezing with all her strength. She needs something to keep her grounded and after she brought me back from the darkness and kept me from another trip, I’m glad it’s me.
“I don’t know that yet. I think it’s about money. I don’t know how everyone is involved, but I’m going to find out.”
She doesn’t say anything else, and we just stand there for a little longer, gaining strength from each other. Completely melting into each other.
We walk back out into the living room and the guys are ready to go. Nova runs up to me and I catch her as she jumps. “Why you leaving so soon?”
“I’ve got to go take care of something, Princess, but I’ll be back.”
“Soon?”
“You know it.” She kisses me on the cheek, and I put her back down. I watch as she walks to Kathleen and takes her hand. They stand side by side, my niece and this woman I just met, holding hands, and I think my heart comes alive.
Zant, Chance, and I walk out and climb into the Demon. It’s time to fight.
Chapter 20
Kathleen
As soon as Levi pulls out of the driveway, I pull my hand from Nova’s, rub it down her hair, and then
take off for the bathroom. I need space. I need time to think. My mind is running a million miles a second and I know I’m going to be sick.
Human trafficking? I keep replaying the man grabbing me and taking me towards the car. I keep thinking how helpless I felt, but also how I needed to fight. I think about how I kicked and screamed and how his big arms and muscles didn’t slip at all.
I think about what would have happened if Levi wouldn’t have been riding around. Would anybody else stand up, run up, walk up, put themselves out there to save me? I doubt it. That scared the crap out of me even more.
Thank God for Levi. Now that we know what was really happening, I’m even more indebted to him. Standing at the sink, I let cool water pool in my hands before bending down and splashing it on my face. I’m clammy from being cold and hot at the same time. As Levi was telling me his thoughts, my blood would run cold and my body would burn up from anger and fear. It was an incredulous feeling. Now, I’m just tired.
I hope it isn’t going to be an inconvenience for me to stay here. I wonder if one of them would take me back to Levi’s?
A knock comes to the door before I can walk out. I open it to see Micah standing on the other side.
“Sorry. I’m done. I was just about to come out.”
“Are you ok? Don’t be sorry. You can use it for however long you need to. There is another bathroom in this house.” I smile at her. The sass in her voice gives away her feistiness and I like it. She seems genuinely concerned with how I am doing and that makes me feel better. I was beginning to wonder if she liked me.
“I’m ok. Just shaken up.”
She looks at the floor and pops her knuckles – I’m sure out of nervousness. It humbles me to know that she’s a little nervous too and it’s not just me. “I can understand that,” she says. “It’s going to take a while for you to get over that, but you will. Eventually.”
I cock my head to the side. She talks like she knows how I’m feeling from experience. Not asking is my best option right now, though. I don’t want her to clam up on me. We are just now making a little progress.