Chasing Daylight

by Carey Heywood

  “Can I help with anything?”

  He shakes his head. “Grab a stool. Want a beer?”

  We talk about nothing important considering what he brought up earlier while he cooks. Before the food is ready, I do what I can and set the table for the four of us. Kenzie chatters while we eat. She’s a master of keeping the conversation going and not allowing any awkward silences.

  We linger at the table, even after all our food is gone. It’s as if neither Rachel nor Alec wants us to leave, and we can tell. When it becomes late and obvious there is no other reason for us to stay, we leave.

  When we hit the main road, I tell Kenzie what Alec said to me in their bedroom.

  She sucks in a breath, slowly exhaling it. “I hate this. I hate this so much.”

  I reach across Zeus to set my hand on her thigh. She twines her fingers with mine. When we reach Gramercy Square, I’m surprised to hear music blaring from one of the units given how late it is. After parking, it becomes obvious which unit.

  “I’m so fucking done with that asshole,” I growl.

  “Who?” McKenzie asks, her eyes wide.

  “Frank fucking Gayton.” I point to his open balcony door and the source of the loud music. “Stay here.”

  “Mitch, what are you going to do?”

  I take three steps toward his apartment; but I glance back at her to answer. “End this shit.”

  Zeus is on my heels as I charge up the stairs to his apartment. I cross the landing and pound on his door. It takes a couple of minutes for him to open it. He’s shirtless, wearing a pair of undone jeans. I can smell the whiskey on him before he even opens his mouth. Through the open doorway, I can see into his living room; it’s a mess of fast food and delivery containers.

  “What the fuck man?” he asks, glaring at me.

  I tilt my head and scowl down at him. “You have three seconds to turn your fucking music off.”

  “Or what?” He rolls his eyes.” You’re going to give me another warning?”

  My fist flies and his head snaps back with the force of it, knocking him to the ground. There’s a shriek behind him as a pretty girl wearing only a robe cuts off the music before running to kneel down next to him.

  Frank glares up at me, his hand covering his nose, blood rushing from it. “You’re going to regret that.”

  I shrug. “Keep the fucking music off. Consider this your warning.”

  McKenzie is where I left her, her mouth hanging open. “Did you hit him?”

  I nod and unlock my door. Zeus heads down the stairs first and McKenzie slowly follows me down them. It’s not until we’re in my apartment that she speaks again.

  “Why would you punch him?”

  “There is something wrong with that guy, and I’m sick of his shit.”

  She presses her hands to her eyes and rubs them before dropping her hands to her sides. “You can’t just go around punching people who piss you off. He could be calling the cops right now to arrest you for assault or sue you or something.”

  I shake my head. “There’s no way he’s calling the cops.”

  She raises her hands in frustration. “How do you know that?”

  “He’s a pothead. We’ve never reported it because Diane and I don’t know if he has enough on him at any given time for the police to care.”

  Her nose wrinkles. “Really?”

  As annoyed as I was two seconds ago, her expression wipes that all away and makes me laugh. “Really, baby.”

  I reach for her, pulling her into my arms.

  “You still shouldn’t punch people that piss you off. It isn’t very nice.”

  I kiss the top of her head. “Okay, but just know that punch was at least two years coming.”

  “I guess you can only hold back for so long,” she mutters.

  I loosen my arms around her and lean down to kiss her. Even though it’s late, it quickly turns hot in a way that has us both stripping as she pushes me backward to our bed. There’s no foreplay, no pause or hesitation. The moment I’m able to, I power into her and don’t stop until we’re both satisfied.

  I’m following her lead and now sleep naked. I’m stretched out in bed waiting for her to finish washing off her makeup and brushing her teeth so she can join me. She seems to be the secret ingredient that I was missing to sleep.

  I’m still not able to sleep straight through; but now, most nights I only wake once, or at the most twice. She teases me about it, because when things first started getting serious for the both of us, she asked me once how often I thought about her; and I told her the truth, that the only time I don’t think about her is when I was sleeping.

  My answer stunned her, and her reply that I didn’t sleep was immediate. So I said exactly. Now, since I have somewhat of a normal sleep schedule, she jokes that I don’t think about her as much anymore. I agree which annoys her until I add that now I not only think about her, but I dream about her too.

  She crawls over me, tucking herself under the sheets and to my side. “I’m so sleepy.”

  I press my lips to the top of her head. “Do you still ever wonder why I was there that night? The night Tyler attacked you.”

  She lifts her head, her palm pressed flat against my chest. “Yes.”

  “When I couldn’t sleep, I would drive to the Critter Haven and Spa, park behind Bellissima’s, and watch your window.”

  She gulps, her eyes locked to mine. “Why would you do that?”

  “Not only that; but after I met you, I started eating there hoping to see you.”

  She shakes her head. “You started eating there after we met?”

  I nod.

  “But, everyone who works there knows you.”

  I ease my hand up her back and into her hair. “I ate there almost every day after I met you.”

  “Why? Why would you do that?”

  “Before I met you, I ate nothing but microwave meals in here all by myself. I had no friends other than Zeus. I barely spoke to my Aunt Cathy and Diane. I pushed everyone away until I met you.”

  “I don’t understand. Why me?”

  I ask again, “Why me?”

  He lifts his hand to cup my face. “For years, I went through the motions of living. That night, even though I was freaked about Zeus, your beauty, your bravery, and your kindness caught me off guard. I was hooked and each day since, you haven’t made me regret a thing.”

  I cover his hand with mine and lean further into his touch.

  “I swore off men before I met you.”

  He laughs, his eyes warm. “How’d that work out for you?”

  I suck my lips between my teeth as my eyes start to sting. His words were in jest; but they still make me consider what my life would be like at this moment, if he wasn’t a part of it.

  “Hey,” he coos, bringing his face closer to mine, concern erasing the earlier teasing light to his eyes.

  I release my lips so I can press them to his. “I’m happy, I swear. I got sad imagining my life without you. Even with worrying about Rachel, I’ve never been this happy or secure. You have given that to me. You’ve never doubted me; and even before I could understand what could be between us, you watched out for me and protected me.”

  He cradles me against him as though I am the most precious thing he’s ever held.

  His voice is gravelly as he replies, “You gave me hope and a reason to try.”

  I turn my face to kiss his chest. “Thank you for seeing all of those things in me. I didn’t know they were there until you did.”

  He squeezes me, his mouth at my temple. “So, you’re not freaked I was basically stalking you?”

  I giggle. “When you put it like that . . .”

  He stills and I shift until I’m straddling him.

  I place my hands on either side of his face and look him dead on. “Thank you for telling me. I’m not freaking. I’m nothing but grateful that you were there. You’re like my personal dark angel.”

  One side of his mouth tips up. “Dark.�
�

  I press my lips to his. “For all the dirty things you do to me.”

  His eyes heat and I’m on my back in his bed, his powerful body looming over me. He spends the next hour showing me how bad he can be.

  I wake before Mitch. We haven’t moved from how we fell asleep the night before. His arms are banded around me and my legs are tangled with his. My full bladder is trying to get my attention.

  The last thing I want to do is get up; but I don’t want to hold it either. While I’m in the bathroom, I brush my teeth and try to tame my hair by pulling it up and into a bun. Zeus lifts his head when I walk back into the room and I figure he probably needs to go out.

  I tug on a tee and a pair of shorts and take him outside. He isn’t ever on a leash around the apartment complex. I lean up against the side of the building and wait for him to do his business. When he’s done, we move back toward the doorway to Mitch’s place.

  “Where’s your dickhead boyfriend?”

  I gulp and spin to see the guy Mitch punched behind me. He looks awful. His nose is swollen and one of his eyes blackened.

  I ignore him and double time it to the door. He catches up quick and grabs my elbow, spinning me around to face him.

  “Let me go,” I shout, twisting in his grasp.

  The second Zeus hunches his back and emits a low, menacing growl, the man releases me, lifts both of his hands, and takes a step back.

  “Easy,” he breathes, his eyes not leaving Zeus.

  “What do you want?” I snap, wondering why he stopped me in the first place.

  His eyes flick up to mine. “To find out what his problem with me is.”

  I shake my head. “I can tell you that. Let’s see, you’re creepy, looking at the girls who live here; you blast music without consideration for your neighbors, and you’re just disrespectful in general.”

  He rolls his eyes. “That’s such shit.”

  I shrug. “You wanted to know why he doesn’t like you; well, there it is.”

  “Everything okay here?”

  I look up to see Diane approaching us, her eyes on him with a wary expression.

  He frowns in my direction before muttering nope and walking away. He continues to grumble under his breath until he’s out of sight.

  Diane comes to stand next to me. “Are you okay?”

  I nod, relieved her showing up made him leave. “Yes, thank you.”

  She holds my gaze before nodding in return and moving toward the leasing office. Her opening the office reminds me I need to get moving so I can get my butt to work on time.

  Mitch is still asleep by the time I’m back in his place. I use the time to get ready instead of waking him. That way I don’t have to worry about him making me late by being all sexy and stuff.

  By the time I’m dressed and ready to leave, he starts to wake. I come and sit on the edge of the bed to watch him. It’s not fair how sexy he looks when he’s sleepy. His hair looks like a stylist professionally set it that way to look perfectly rumpled without appearing matted or overly messy like mine does in the morning. He bends, curling his body around mine until his head is resting on the bed next to my side.

  Lifting the hem of my tee, he kisses the skin at my waist. I comb my fingers through his hair and look down at him.

  “Good morning, baby,” he murmurs.

  “Hi, honey,” I whisper back.

  “Want me to pick you up for lunch?”

  I nod, pouting that I have to leave him at all.

  He smiles lazily up at me, amused by my pout. When I move to stand, he tightens his arms around my middle and doesn’t let me go.

  I’m jostled awake. I try to blink away my sleep, but it clings to me. Groggy and confused, I stare forward. Where am I? It’s dark and hot, and there’re muffled sounds coming from all around me. I’m on my side, my legs tucked in to me, lying on what feels like rough carpet. Everything hurts. I try to move and can’t. There’s something pinning me down. My throat is dry, it pains me not only as I try to suck in air, but also as I try to clear it.

  “Help,” I attempt to call out and am shocked by how weak my voice is.

  What happened to me?

  There’s movement and noise but I can’t understand either. My hands are behind me and caught on something. I try to turn but can’t move either of my legs. The grogginess covering me like a veil is shed and replaced with panic.

  “Help.” My shout is louder than my first try but still without strength.

  I’ve never been so scared. My thoughts drift to my friends and family as I wonder what might happen to me. Will I ever see any of them again?

  As my eyes further adjust to the darkness around me, I am able to determine that I’m in the trunk of a car. My hands aren’t caught on something; they’re bound behind my back. The pain radiating from my legs stems from whatever has been used to tie them together. My circulation is cut off, my thighs pulse in agony near my ties. Each bump of the car I’m trapped in results in waves of pain.

  I gasp, my mouth hanging open as I try to withstand it. My mind searches frantically to recall my last conscious moment. I remember waking in Mitch’s arms and taking Zeus out. I pinch my eyes tightly at the memory of that man grabbing my arm. Is he the one who has done this? If so, what does he plan to do to me?

  I remember getting ready for work and saying goodbye to Mitch. My eyes fill with tears as I imagine his arms around me, not wanting to let me go. I remember going to work. Alec and Rachel were there. She helped me shampoo two smaller dogs and kept me company while I groomed them. Since coming home from the rehabilitation clinic, it was the best I had seen her.

  Mitch was going to pick me up for lunch. I went out the backdoor of the Critter Haven and Spa and waited for him. The last thing I remember is feeling a pinch at my neck.

  I swallow a sob, fear striking me like a solid blow. Who would take me? Was it that man Mitch fought with? Or could Tyler have escaped and kidnapped me?

  Silent tears stream down my face as I think about Mitch, Rachel, and Alec. What I would give to see them again? All I know is that I’m in the trunk of a car. I don’t know where I’m being taken. I’m not sure how long I was out. It could have been minutes or hours. I’m comforted by the sounds of traffic around us. I can only hope I’m near some place populated. If I could move, I would try to knock out one of the taillights.

  Why not try anyway I decide. If I die today, I don’t want my last regret to be that I just lay here and did nothing. Even though pain slices through me with each inch I shift, I try to lift and press my feet to one. My ankles and thighs are bound but together I’m able to kick at the taillight closest to them.

  The clogs I had worn to work this morning are gone. The pain at the impact of the blow to my bare foot to the back of the taillight rises bile in my mouth. It would be a miracle if I did not break one or more of my toes. Each kick drains what little energy I have. I take a moment to catch my breath and squint in the direction I’ve been kicking to see if I’ve managed to loosen it at all.

  Doubt begins to creep into my thoughts. Is the energy I’m expending with each kick going to weaken me to the point where I won’t be able to fight off my abductor should I need to?

  I have no idea what to do. Be rational, I tell myself as I try not to panic. My thoughts are interrupted as the car I’m in abruptly brakes, sending my body crashing into the back of the car. With nothing to shield my face, the impact stuns me. My face is wet and I am unable to discern if it’s blood or tears that’s the cause. My heart thunders in my chest as worry that we are stopping almost overwhelms me.

  As horrible as my current circumstance is, I am somewhat safe where I am. I try not to even think of what my abductor has planned for me when we do stop. Bound as I am, I could be thrown into a lake or river, and I could do nothing to save myself. I would drown. Or perhaps that death would be too compassionate compared to what is actually intended for me. I could be raped, tortured, stabbed. Each theory my mind produces is more horrific th
an the one before it.

  Even though I risk using all of my energy I am determined my chances for survival are highest if I can be rescued before my abductor has a chance to get me alone. The car is moving again though not as fast as before the braking that caused me to fly into the back of it. Perhaps we were on a highway and now we’ve exited.

  That thought alone has me kicking at the taillight again with all my might. Did it move? I inhale sharply, filling my chest with the first glimmer of hope I’ve had since I found myself here. With less force this time, I push at the back of the light. It does move. I pull my feet back and kick at it repeatedly.

  My force increases as I feel the car begin to slow. No, we can’t be stopping, not when I’ve almost succeeded in knocking the taillight free. In vain, I continue to kick at it even though I’m certain the car is no longer moving. I can only hope we’re at a light and a car is behind me that will see.

  The light finally pushes free. Light fills the hole and I wiggle my feet into the cavity I’ve created. Because my ankles are bound, I cannot push them far. The opening, though small has allowed some fresh air into the trunk. It’s hot, but cool in comparison to the stale air I’ve suffered until now. Can someone see my feet? Will someone now come and rescue me?

  The car moves again but before long the sensation of moving backward comes. We’re going in reverse. My eyes close when it becomes clear that we are parking. I pull my feet back and fear my actions now may have caused me even more harm once my abductor learns what I have done. Sounds that were muffled before are clearer now.

  I hear the slam of one door and then another. Does that mean there are two? I pull my legs back, intending to kick out when one of them opens the trunk. I make out footsteps and they sound as though they’re coming toward me. I hear a click and I’m momentarily, blinded by the sun when the trunk opens. I still kick out and my feet are swatted down by a heavy hand.

  I’m lifted; a hood is placed over my head, a hand covering my mouth, as I try to scream and bite.

  “Fuck. Look at all this blood,” a voice I do not recognize says.