by Julia Gray
Dead silence.
Everyone else must also be in bed.
I sit up and rub my eyes. I can think a little clearer now. My head has stopped buzzing. I open my suitcase and search for pajamas. The clock on the nightstand says it’s two in the morning.
There’s a scratch on my door followed by a tiny knock.
My heart jumps. I put my hand on my chest to catch my breath.
“Dane,” I whisper. “We’ll talk in the morning.”
There’s another light knock on the door.
“Dane,” I say a little louder. The doorknob slowly turns. I take a step back. My stomach starts churning.
Something’s wrong.
A shadow steps into my bedroom. My entire torso freezes. My head starts spinning.
Those devilish eyes.
I don’t want to remember them, but I’m forced to. A thin man smirks.
“Found you,” he says in a low voice.
It’s him. The skeleton man from my nightmares. The man I saw shoot someone at Bristlecone.
NO.
I open my mouth to scream, but nothing comes out. My entire body refuses to move. It’s like I’m stuck in a dream. The man steps closer. The more his face comes into view the clearer my memories are.
He wants me dead.
I force my toe to wiggle.
A voice in my head screams.
Get out of here, Mikki! Run!
I finally have the courage to sprint to the door. My heart is beating a million miles a minute. My chest feels tight. I don’t have time to breathe. I leap over my bed and pray that I make it to the door. I feel a hand clasp around my ankle. It pulls me to the floor. I hit the carpet with a loud thud. A burning sensation shoots up my ribcage, making my eyes water.
I yelp from the pain.
The sound of my voice breaks the night’s silence. I scream, this time as loud as I can manage. It forces all the air out my lungs, and I cough. The man pulls me across the carpet. My ribs are still burning. I kick my legs as hard I can. The man is a lot stronger than his thin frame reveals.
“Stupid girl,” I hear him laugh. I turn to see the shiny edge of a blade near my face. My entire body freezes again. “This won’t take long.”
Chapter Forty One
“Kade.”
The cold blade is against my skin, and I’m scared to move an inch. This can’t be it. I can’t be going out this way. All my muscles tighten as I feel his arms flex. The blade begins to put pressure on my neck. It happens so fast I don’t have to time flinch. A loud noise blasts past my ears.
The blade falls to the floor.
I’m breathing so fast I can hardly lift my head and concentrate. A hand touches my shoulder. I look up to piercing eyes - stern yet comforting. Mr. Haskell has a straight look on his face as always.
“It’s over,” he says quietly. “Forget what you saw back in Colorado, and forget what you saw tonight.” He pauses and waits for me to answer.
“Yes sir,” I gulp. He helps me up. I’m tempted to turn around and look at the man on the floor.
“I would advise you to not,” Mr. Haskell says before I have the chance.
How does he know what I’m thinking?
“Not to what?” My voice is shaky. I hear footsteps thundering down the hall.
“Don’t turn around,” he advises. “No matter how much you want to, some things can never be unseen.”
Mr. Haskell leads me out of the room and shuts the door just as my aunt Scarlett wraps her arms around me. I see Dane, Paige, and Lucy lingering behind her. I catch a glimpse of the bewildered look on Dane’s face.
“Matt,” Scarlett says through her teeth. “What the hell were you-“
“It’s over now,” he responds calmly. “Leave it in the past.”
“You used her as bait!” She tries to keep her voice down, but she ends up yelling. I can hear her heart beating almost as fast as mine.
“Not here Scarlett,” Mr. Haskell continues. “Back to bed. All of you.” Lucy and Paige obey his command. Dane doesn’t move.
“You too son,” he adds. “Now.” Dane reluctantly obeys.
“Come on.” Aunt Scarlett pulls me away. “You’re sleeping in my room.” She glares at Mr. Haskell.
I feel myself shaking as Scarlett takes me to her room. Her arm is still around me. My head is spinning from all the excitement.
“Take a deep breath,” she whispers. “It’s all over honey. Just breathe.”
I sit on her bed as she shuts and locks her bedroom door. Scarlett chose a bigger bedroom with a king size bed and sitting area.
I sit on the sofa and rub my shaking arms. Scarlett sits gently next to me. She strokes a strand of my hair and continues telling me to take deep breaths. My eyes are blurry from the tears. I wipe them away and rub the raw spot of skin on my neck.
“I’m so sorry,” Scarlett says quietly. “I had no idea this was going to happen.” I glance at her, thinking back to what she said to Mr. Haskell only minutes ago.
“But . . . you thought something might happen?”
Her gaze settles across the room for a minute before she answers.
“Possibly,” she admits. “But nothing like this.”
“What?” I gasp.
“Mikki.” She nods reassuringly. “I know what happened in Colorado. Matt told me everything.”
“Of course he did,” I mutter. Even after my nightmares had come true, I still feel uneasy about the relationship between Scarlett and Mr. Haskell. It makes me sick to my stomach.
“Mikki,” she says sternly. “There is nothing going on between us. At least not in the way you think.” She sighs. “Our relationship is purely business.”
I sit up straighter.
“I . . .” She stops herself and presses her hand to her forehead. “I deliver things for him. I’m not proud of it.”
“What kind of things?” I raise my eyebrows. My heart continues pounding. I would never have pegged my own aunt as a drug dealer.
“I don’t know,” she responds. “But that’s how I get the majority of my catering gigs. I show up, set up, and pass along what Matt tells me to.”
“You’re joking.” I pause, but she slowly shakes her head.
“I told you.” She puts her head down. “I’m not proud of it. I've been trying to quit working for him, but it has been hard. That night you saw us we were arguing about a job.”
I gulp.
“Mr. Haskell isn’t just a wealthy businessman, is he?” The things I’ve seen him do don’t add up. The spying, the tracking, the killing.
Another thing Dane lied about.
“No, honey, and I'm pretty sure Mrs. Haskell things we are having an affair. She doesn't know about our business arrangement.” She glances around the room with a worried look on her face. She scoots closer to me. “I think it would be best for both of us if we distanced ourselves from them.”
A sinking feeling fills my chest. A part of me refuses, and a part of me knows she’s right.
“You mean-“
“I mean,” she continues. “Now that the psycho guy has been caught I’ve been thinking. You and I need a fresh start. Somewhere else.”
“You want to leave Seaside?”
“I think we should consider it.”
I don’t know how to respond. I want to be near Dane but what he said to me shattered my heart. I still don’t understand how he could kiss Lucy if he really loves me so much. But I love him back, and when we’re apart, he’s never far from my mind. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to move on.
“What will you do for work?”
“You let me worry about that okay,” she answers. “My contract with Matt is over.”
“Where will we go?”
She shrugs.
“Well, I do have a friend that we could stay with for a while until we figure things out. How do you feel about Colorado?”
My eyes go wide.
“Don’t worry,” she quickly adds, reading my expression. “I
’m talking about city living, not a mountain town.”
Because of what happened at Bristlecone she misunderstands my reaction. Going back towards the mountains wouldn’t just remind me every day of what I witnessed, but it would put me closer to another thing I’ve been avoiding for a long time.
Kade.
DANE
Chapter Forty Two
“It’s a pregnancy test . . .”
I can’t believe I told Mikki about Lucy and me. I was just trying to be honest for once. No secrets. I guess Haskells aren’t capable of that. And secrets are the very thing that almost got Mikki killed tonight. I knew Dad was planning something, but I didn’t know it was this big.
I think all of us are still in shock over what we heard last night.
I’ve heard my fair share of gunshots. Dad used to take us to the shooting range when we were kids. I’ve never heard that sound in the house before.
That sound changes you. Makes you either panic or do things you would never think of just to survive. It also reminds you what is really important. Mikki deserves to know the truth. I splash water on my face and look in the bathroom mirror. I have to make things right with Mikki. I don’t care if I have to move in next door just to convince her how I feel.
I wipe my face with a crisp, bathroom towel. The downstairs bathroom in the study is quiet and far away from the chaos upstairs. I came down here to gather my thoughts and be alone for a while. No one ever uses this bathroom. I take a step and end up kicking the tiny trash can below the sink.
“Dang it.”
I kneel down and push the pile of papers and tissues back in. My eyes stop at something unusual. Something I’ve never actually seen in person. A long plastic stick with two lines.
It’s a pregnancy test . . . and it’s positive.
I drop the test back in the trash can. My heart is pounding. All I can think about is my wild night with Mikki on the beach. We only did it once. She can't be pregnant from that one time. I shake my head and splash more water on my face.
Mikki has been in her Aunt's room all morning. I doubt Scarlett will let me talk to her even if I beg. I walk down the hall and glance at the second story railing. The bottom level is empty, but Mikki will have to come down here for breakfast sometime. I decide to sit and wait.
I take a seat at the kitchen table. My chest tightens when I hear footsteps. I stand up and see Scarlett making her way to the fridge. My chest sinks. She glances at me and then focuses on making two cups of coffee.
"She's not coming down," Scarlett comments.
"Excuse me?"
"Mikki decided to stay upstairs. I take it you were waiting for her?"
"I just want to talk," I respond calmly.
"You'll only confuse her, Dane."
"She is eighteen years old, Scarlett." I take a deep breath and take a step towards her, my chest wide and sturdy. "Why don't you let her make that decision?"
Scarlett tilts her head and stares down at her coffee mug.
"Well," she says. "We are leaving Seaside anyway. I guess one last conversation won't make a difference. But if she says she doesn't want to talk to you-"
"I know," I interrupt. "I'll leave her alone."
Scarlett doesn't smile, but she gently nods in agreement.
With her approval, I race upstairs. My heart pumps adrenaline through my body as I knock on Scarlett's door. The door knob turns, and Mikki looks at me. She frowns.
"Dane," she responds. "I was wondering when you would show up."
"I want to talk."
"Of course you do." She sits down on the bed and waits for me to follow her. I close the door behind us. "We always sit down to talk, but we never seem to get anywhere."
"This time will be different," I reassure her. I gently touch her shoulder, imagining her with a baby in her arms. I don't know if she's in pain. I don't know if what happened last night hurt the baby. I hate it that she has not told me that she thinks she is pregnant.
"Dane, I love you, but I feel like I don't know you at all. Maybe Lucy moving into town was a good thing."
"No," I reply, rubbing her shoulders. "Don't say that."
Mikki glances at my hands looking confused.
"Dane, you won't even tell me what happened the night you were kidnapped. If we can't be honest with each other then-"
"I'll tell you," I blurt out. Since last night one thing has been solidified in my mind. I can't lose her. When I saw the look in her eyes after being attacked during the night, I knew I never wanted to see her suffer like that ever again. And I want her in my life.
"I'll believe it when I hear it," she mutters. I take a long, calming breath and think back to the night Dad called me. The night Dad reported me missing. The night all this started.
"Remember the night I asked you to run away with me? We met at our spot at Riptide Park."
"Yes.
"My Dad called me," I continue. "I told you I had to go."
"I remember," she responds.
"I went home that night, packed my bags, and left town with Rig, my dad's right-hand man." I wait as she processes the information. She wrinkles her nose.
"What?"
"Mikki, I wasn't kidnapped. That's just what my dad told the police. That is what he wanted the media to report to the public, but it was all fake."
"I don't understand," Mikki says. She folds her arms. No tears. That is a good sign.
"My dad used to work for . . . the government." I gulp. I hate mentioning the CIA out loud. I always feel like might start listening in if I do. "For the past few years though he has gone freelance. That's the best way I can put it. A year ago he made a deal that went sour and ever since these nasty psychotic ex-clients of his have been trying to retaliate. Someone tried to kidnap Paige the night I came home from school. They didn't succeed. My dad stopped them."
"Dane," she gasps. "I had no idea."
"My dad told me the night I left for Colorado with Rig. He said he was going to make it look like I had been taken instead to confuse the kidnappers and flush them out. I waited around at Bristlecone while he went off to hunt them down. Unfortunately, they found us first."
"The skeleton man," Mikki mutters. "I guess I ruined everything when I showed up."
"No," I correct her. "I screwed up when I texted you. But I couldn't help it." My pinky fingers shakes a little. It is hard for me to tell the truth, but it is worth it if will help Mikki warm up to the idea of us again.
"And what about Lucy?" She keeps a look of composure on her face, but her eye is twitching.
"She kissed me," I admit. "And for a second, I kissed her back. I don't know why, but I don't have feelings for her anymore. I don't think I ever did."
"Paige seems to like her, though," Mikki adds.
"Paige likes anyone who makes my life difficult." I take a breath, hoping my honesty will be enough to get a confession from her. I don't know if I can bluntly ask her if she is pregnant. "So . . . do you hate me?"
Mikki looks down at her feet for a minute. She clears her throat and grabs a strand of her long, dark hair.
"I have something to say to you too," she responds.
I eagerly lean forward. She is going to tell me she is pregnant. I feel beads of sweat forming on my forehead. I anxiously wipe them away. I don't know how I should react when she delivers the news. And most importantly, I'm not ready to be a father. I can't force some poor, innocent kid to become the one thing I hate being.
A Haskell.
MIKKI
Chapter Forty Three
"I'll always be here for you."
I can't believe Dane confessed. He is sitting next to me in Aunt Scar's room looking like he's about to pass out. He's twiddling his fingers, and his forehead is so sweaty that I bet his face feels like it is on fire. He's nervous. Extremely nervous. I have never seen him this vulnerable before. It makes what I have to say even harder.
It is time to tell him about Kade. I hear Zanna's voice in my head. It's not a big deal. You'r
e exaggerating. Just relax. I clear my throat and try to think of the right words to use. I was careless. I was stupid. I didn't know what I was doing because I can't hold my liquor.
"I have been meaning to tell you this, but I'm scared."
"Don't be."
"You'll think of me differently after I say this," I respond. I am surprised when Dane gently places a hand on my knee. He has been treating me different ever since he came to talk to me. He is acting like I'm made out of porcelain.
"I promise I won't."
His response makes me feel even guiltier for sleeping in Kade's bed.
"Okay," I gulp. "I'm just going to come out and say it." Dane's forehead looks sweatier. "When Zanna and I went to Vail to find you, we stopped at her cousin's place." I hesitate. "I drank too much and-"
"What?" Dane looks wildly confused.
"Zanna's cousin, Kade . . . I woke up in his bed, and I don't know what happened exactly." My heart is racing. I watch Dane's eyes grow wide.
"You mean it isn't mine?" he responds. He stands up and begins pacing.
"Huh?" I don't understand what he means. "What are you talking about?"
"I know about the baby, Mikki." He shakes his head in frustration. "I saw the pregnancy test."
"Whoa!" I gasp. "Dane, I am not pregnant. At least, I don't think so."
"But I found a pregnancy test in the bathroom downstairs. It was positive."
The two of us look at each other.
"It wasn't me," I say quietly. That narrows it down to three other people, and I am pretty sure Aunt Scarlett isn't expecting. She hasn't been sick or moodier than usual lately.
"Then whose test is it?" Dane asks. I shrug.
"Maybe it's your sister's," I suggest.
Dane is quiet for a minute. He raises his eyebrows and then rubs his face repeatedly. I haven't seen him lose his cool like this. I can't help but smile. It has been a long time since the two of us have laughed together. Dane looks at me and smiles back. The two of us chuckle and then begin laughing.