“You’re my guest here.” He should have just taken her back to her hotel room. They could have gotten a roll-away or something.
“Well I won’t be able to sleep with you sitting in that chair staring at me all night.”
“I won’t be staring. I’ll be sleeping.”
“Right. Not in that thing.”
“Fine. What’s the solution?” He crossed his arms and waited for her to answer. She looked confused. He wasn’t sure why, but the perplexed look on her face aroused him. Hell, everything she did aroused him. She was downright naïve, he thought. It was in direct conflict with the image she tried to put forth. She tried to look tough. She’d spent her entire life separating herself from people, avoiding relationships and putting up walls. But the walls were coming down between them and she didn’t know what to do.
“Wipe that stupid look off your face.”
He scowled at her. “Is this better?”
“No.”
“You still haven’t told me your solution to our sleeping problem.”
“Do you have a bigger bed?”
“No,” he lied. The bed in his bedroom was bigger but he had no intention of letting her sleep in his bed. It’d be the end of him and his resolve. He’d had too many dreams about her in that bed.
“Fine. We managed before; we can do it again. We’ll sleep in this bed.”
“I barely fit in it by myself. It’ll be tight.” He wasn’t sure he could handle it. Being that close to her again with her running through his veins was going to be tough.
“I can handle it. I resisted you the first time,” she laughed.
Barely. He could still see the heated look in her eyes as she studied him. He could tell she was still a little drunk. “What would you have done if I hadn’t been there to drive you home?” he asked, changing the conversation.
“Walk it off or sleep in the Jeep. I don’t drink and drive.” She crossed her arms defensively over her chest.
“I wasn’t accusing you. Just asking.” It worked. His question stopped them both, a verbal cold shower. She shrugged as if it didn’t matter but he could tell it did. He was learning to read her a little better. Not that she hid her thoughts or feelings very well. It gave him a measure of comfort.
She snatched the t-shirt and toothbrush from his hands. “Where’s the bathroom?”
“Next door. Can you leave the door open a crack? Linda said it was important that you weren’t alone tonight.”
She nodded and left. Looking around the room he tried to use some of the techniques Linda had taught him to protect the space. It felt awkward and clumsy but he had to try. Linda had asked him to protect her tonight. He’d do everything in his power to protect Chaos, that’s what he was reborn to do - protect. Of course, he didn’t know who was going to protect him from her. With any luck Bill wouldn’t show up tonight and tomorrow they’d get rid of him once and for all. Linda had a plan. All he had to do was get Chaos through tonight and then she could go home. And that’s what he really wanted, right? Linda theorized that every time Chaos saw and interacted with Bill it made him a bit stronger. They didn’t want him strong. It’d make him harder to get rid of tomorrow.
Chaos emerged from the bathroom wearing his t-shirt. Sure, it hung to the middle of her thighs but it left ample space for his imagination. He dug the heels of his hands in his eyes. He needed space. “I’ll be right back,” he said without looking directly at her.
He glanced over his shoulder just before walking out of the room and saw Chaos bent over the bed tugging the covers back. The hem of her t-shirt rose to expose her rear and white lace panties. “Shit,” he grumbled.
Leaving the door to his bedroom open a crack, he grabbed a pair of sweats out of the closet and headed into his bathroom. Dakota splashed cold water on his face hoping it would do something to cool his blood. He stripped off his t-shirt and removed the holder from his hair. Please let her be asleep, under the covers. Taking a deep breath he emerged from the bathroom.
Dakota stopped short. Chaos stood in the middle of his bedroom. “Did something happen?”
“No.”
“Then what are you doing in here?” he growled.
“We needed some more pillows,” she shrugged. “I knocked.”
“I didn’t hear you.”
“Apparently.” She turned and looked at his bed. ‘What are these?”
Dakota stood, numb and unable to move as Chaos walked over to his bed and picked up his drawings. He’d forgotten and left them scattered on his bed. He should be able to move, to stop her, but he was frozen. He watched as she looked at the drawing in her hand.
“It’s me, right?” she asked, not looking at him.
He didn’t answer her.
“Why are you drawing me? Why do I have a dog?”
Chaos turned to look at him. Dakota shoved his hands in the pockets of his sweats. “It’s a coyote.”
“Okay.”
She looked at him, waiting for more. “I had a dream.”
“About me?”
“Yes. Before you came to town. Before we met. It was a warning from my ancestors.”
She set the picture down on the bed and brushed her hand across the others, as if she was looking at them with her fingertips. Dakota had had enough. He didn’t want her in his room and he didn’t want her in his thoughts. He scooped up the drawings and set them in a drawer. He shouldn’t have left the drawings out. He’d been trying to figure out what the dream meant. To find a better clue. He should have known she’d find them.
“Why would your ancestors warn you about me?”
“You tell me.”
“I should go.”
He watched her walk through the bedroom door and step into the hallway. “If you go, keep going. Drive home or to Montana or anywhere but don’t come back here. Don’t bother Linda with your ghost.”
“Or what?” she said. Turning, she pinned him with a defiant stare.
He could tell he’d hurt her feelings. He’d done it intentionally, hoping she’d go home. But the other half of him wanted to test her. To see what she’d do. She was a fighter; he could see it in her eyes. “Or stay,” he said. “Let me do my job.”
“Your job is to protect me, right?”
“Right.”
“But you don’t trust me.”
“I can’t afford to.”
“You shouldn’t.” She stepped back into his bedroom. “I don’t trust you either. You lied. This bed is bigger.”
“And we’re not sleeping in it.” He grabbed the pillows off his bed, walked past her and out the door.
He didn’t look at her when she walked into the guest bedroom. Ignoring her, but acutely aware that she was climbing into the bed; he opened the closet and pulled the extra blanket down. Dakota looked at the clock and then looked back at her. It was 2:30. Still plenty of time for Bill to make an appearance. “Scoot over.”
He felt the bed sink as he sat down on it. It was too small. He should have insisted on sleeping in the chair. At least there he wouldn’t have to feel her body pressed against his. He lay down, pulled the blanket over him and closed his eyes. “Good night, Chaos.”
“Night, and Dakota?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you. I know you don’t like me very much and I don’t know what your dreams mean but thank you.”
Dakota didn’t know what to say so he didn’t say anything. Instead, he lay there listening to her breathing as she fell asleep.
Large black clouds rolled in the sky. A coyote barked a hysterical warning. Dakota looked up to the sky. His hair whipped violently around his face. As he looked to the sky the clouds took shape. A skull. It looked down on him with empty black eyes. It bore no human expression and yet he could tell it was smiling at him as if it had won a victory. A body lay on the ground at his feet. He looked down. Chaos lay motionless in the dirt. Her golden braids dimmed as the life left her. Dakota screamed in fury at the clouds, shaking his fists at the now empty sky.
His rage spent, he leaned over and picked up her limp body. He’d failed. The most important time in his life and he’d failed. He walked down a seemingly endless highway that stretched out in front of him as far as he could see. The world around them was grey. A coyote followed behind them.
Dakota rolled over and felt her against his body. Pulling her close he inhaled the fresh scent that he’d so quickly associated with her. He pressed his face against her. Her lips were warm and soft. She moaned in her sleep. The sound of her pulled him from his sleep. A dream. Relief filled him. She wasn’t dead. He hadn’t failed. Still holding her tightly to him, he didn’t release her. He couldn’t bring himself to. He felt her breathing increase. She was awake. Tipping her head back, Chaos looked up at him. Dakota, unable to breathe, waited. Her lips, just millimeters from his. His heart hammered in his chest. He wanted her badly. The dream, he reminded himself, but the thought slipped away as Chaos pressed her lips against his. Her mouth opened and possessed his with a fire so intense he was helpless to resist.
Rolling toward her he held her head in his hands and kissed her. He controlled the interaction and she didn’t complain. Pressing her body into his, Dakota responded. His hand dipped beneath her blankets. He needed to touch her skin.
His fingers caressed her stomach. She felt like liquid silk beneath his calloused hand. Gently, he brushed the top of her nipple. Reality rivaled his dreams. More. He wanted more of her. He wanted to be inside her. On top of her. Around her.
“Oh god,” Chaos groaned. She moved against his body, licking whatever skin came her way. His neck, his shoulder, and his bicep. It was as if she couldn’t stop tasting him. He didn’t want her to. “More.”
Dakota responded. His hand caressed her bare thigh. He cupped her hip then pushing her t-shirt up, he traced his fingers from her hip across her stomach to her neck. He felt Chaos’s body stiffen beneath him. A chill zipped down his spine replacing hot pleasure with a deep cold fear. Dakota turned his head and looked over his shoulder. Bill stood over them with a look of dark hatred on his face. As Bill vanished, Dakota pulled Chaos closer to him, trying to stop her from trembling.
Chapter Twenty-Two
She’s Looking At Him Like Dinner
Chaos awoke tangled in the blankets and curled up against Dakota. For a few brief seconds she enjoyed the fantasy of normal life, a life where men and women hooked up, fell in love, and lived a long time, but it didn’t last long. Memories of what they’d done last night filled her with shame and guilt. Dakota was in danger if he was with her. Any moment a tree would fall through the roof and crush him. Maybe a burglar was slinking around the house right now, as they were lying here. He would burst into the room and shoot Dakota in the head. A hundred horrid scenarios ran through her mind until her heart was racing and she felt like ants were crawling over her body. She had to get out of here. She had to go. She should leave town and forget about the Spirit Savers being able to help her. She’d figure it out herself. Chaos knew that the moment she saw Bill hovering over them with pure hatred in his eyes, they’d pissed him off and perhaps made Dakota the target instead of her. Dakota didn’t deserve that.
“We’ll take care of it today,” Dakota said.
She didn’t look at him. She couldn’t. “You reading minds now too?”
“No, thank God. But the look on your face isn’t hard to read. It’s too early to wake Linda. Do you mind taking me back to Lyons to get my bike? I’ll buy you breakfast on the way.”
“If I stay with you any longer, you’re as good as dead.”
Dakota sighed. Sitting up, he turned his back to her. She stifled her gasp with her hand. His back was covered with long, deep scars. As if someone had beaten him with a stick or a belt.
“Did anything happen last night with Kat and Sheila?”
“No,” she said. Who had done that to him? She wanted to kill them with her bare hands. The scars looked deep enough that they must have cut through the muscles on his back.
“And we’ve been together for eight hours or so,” he glanced at the clock and then caught her eyes on his back. “I’m still here,” he said. “I’m fine. Maybe Linda is right.” He stood up and headed toward the bathroom.
“Right about what?”
“The problem isn’t you. It’s your necklace.”
Chaos realized she was afraid to hope. If it was the necklace that was cursed and not her, then she could live a normal life. Friends. Lovers. A family. “I can’t take the risk,” she mumbled, sure he didn’t hear her. He was halfway into the bathroom.
“You don’t have a choice,” he said. “Either you leave right now and don’t come back or I’m sticking with you until Bill is gone. I promised Linda I would and I keep my word.”
The door closed leaving Chaos alone with her thoughts. She was a job to him, an assignment. Whatever they’d shared last night, it had been nothing more to him than a physical reaction. It’d been more to her; she wished it had been just physical, but that wasn’t the way she was wired and that’s what scared her. That’s when people got hurt. She needed to get back home where she felt in control. “Then let’s go get your bike,” she said, loud enough for him to hear her. “The sooner Bill is gone, the better off you’ll all be.”
Dakota didn’t say much on the drive to Lyons. The sun shone brightly. They stopped for bagels and coffee at Big Daddy Bagels and munched in silence along Highway 36.
Chaos pulled into the Oskar Blues parking lot across from Dakota’s motorcycle. Dakota opened the door and stepped out. “See you at Linda’s” he said. He paused. “We’ll get rid of him today.” And that was it.
He was beautiful, she thought, as she watched him pull his thick black hair back and put on his helmet. She’d never seen a man as stunning as he was. He made her heart ache for things she couldn’t have and the more she fell for him the more she knew she had to go, quickly, before it was too late. “Dakota,” she leaned out the window and yelled. He turned to look at her. “Be safe, okay?” He nodded. It was all she could do. He just had to make it home safe and everything would be okay. Chaos turned around and drove back down the highway toward Boulder and Linda’s house. Today was the day. They’d get rid of Bill and she could return to the life she’d made for herself. The lonely life. The life where no one was hurt because of her.
Driving back to Linda’s she tried to muster some excitement for going home but couldn’t find any. I just need a longer vacation, she thought. Maybe I’ll call Paolo and let him know I’m going to be gone another week. She finished the drive making mental plans for her next two weeks. She’d go on into Montana after this, stopping by Jackson Hole on the way.
By the time she pulled into Linda’s driveway her spirits were a little higher and she was almost looking forward to the next two weeks. Almost. Today was the day Bill would vanish from her life for good. She could leave the new friends she’d made and be sure they were safe.
Sheila met her in the driveway and tackled her with a big hug. “Where have you been? It’s almost ten…whoa girl. I’m getting… Wow. Sex.”
“What?” Heat rushed Chaos and she was sure she was the deep crimson color of a sugar maple leaf in the fall.
“God, I’m sorry. Foot in mouth syndrome. Kat must be rubbing off on me. Come on in. We have a lot to do today. We’re going to do a reading and try to figure out who gave your mom that necklace.” She paused, tipped her head and looked at Chaos. “You and Dakota, huh?” She shook her head. “Then we’re going to wait until dusk and get rid of your stalker ghost.”
Chaos followed Sheila into the kitchen and sat across from her at a heavy wooden table. Blocky and solid, it reminded her of something from the medieval times. Linda was making tea.
“You saw Bill last night?” she asked.
“Briefly,” she said not caring to elaborate. Heck, Linda could probably read her mind anyway.
“I can and we’ll take care of that today too. Now focus.” She pointed at Sheila and left the room carrying a large mug of
steaming tea with her.
Chaos took a sip of her take-out coffee. Her eyes were dry and stung from too little sleep. “Okay. This is weird. I’m not sure how you’ll be able to see who gave my mom the necklace. What do you need me to do?”
“Nothing and it's not weird. Remember last night at the bar you said everything is energy and energy doesn't die, it just changes?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, when I do a reading, I’m really just tapping into that energy.” She rubbed her hands together like she was trying to warm them up. “Most everyone has the ability, like eating or thinking. We’re born with it but it’s stronger in some than in others.”
Chaos doubted she had any innate ability to read anyone’s mind but kept it to herself. “I’ve never met my mom, though, so I don’t know how I could have any of her energy with me.”
“I said I could try. She’s connected to you more than you think. I might be able to connect to her through you and see events in her life. It’s not guaranteed but it is worth a try.” Sheila took a deep breath and began to twirl a strand of hair around her finger. “I want you to know that I will see things that are personal to you. I’ll do my best to stay on track but sometimes if I see something that I think may be relevant I might check it out. We’ll be talking the whole time and you can help guide me, okay?”
“Okay. You’re telling me you might see things I don’t want you to see?”
“Yes. Are you okay with that? I’m discreet. Whatever goes on during this reading is confidential. I won’t tell Kat, Linda, Dakota or anyone. Not unless you give me the okay.”
Chaos shrugged. At this point she was pretty much all in. She couldn’t back out now. And they knew most of the bad stuff anyway. “Do you need to hold my hands or do you need a personal belonging or something?”
“No. Just place your hands on the table with your palms facing up. What I’m doing,” she said holding her palms about two inches over Chaos's palms, “is feeling your aura, your energy. You know that scientists have taken photographs of auras. It’s called Kirilian photography. It’s so cool.”
Deadly Chaos Page 14