“Yeah, I see what you mean. It’s a large shoeprint. Appears to be a print of a boot.” Kelsey paused, excited of the several evidences this time around. “Captain Jackson, I need you to call me as soon as you get the results. It would be a huge victory for us if we have the killer’s DNA.”
“Yes, I will, Officer Taylor. Like I said earlier, I will help you as much as I can. Please don’t repeat any of this information to anybody. If it’s leaked at all, it would compromise the investigation. I feel obligated to help a fellow officer since this killer is clearly obsessed over you.”
Needing to get out of there, she said, “Thank you. Let’s head back to the station, so I can look over that file.”
When they reached the police station, the captain let her use his office to review the file. Kelsey parked herself at his desk as she examined every report. It was difficult to get through, especially the horrible pictures. Captain Jackson had waited for her and offered to drive her to the hotel when she finished. Kelsey was more than willing to take on the offer, not wanting to take a cab so late at night.
Once they arrived in front of the hotel, she turned to the captain and said, “Thank you for all your help. I’ll be flying back tomorrow, but here’s my cell number. Please contact me if there’s anything at all.”
Alone in the hotel room that night, Kelsey couldn’t help but miss Damien’s strong arms. Visions of Lisa haunted her. The tears she had been holding back finally flowed. She cried for the young girl she had saved for a short time. She cried for her broken promise that no harm would come to her. She cried that Lisa had to face that evil again. Did he go after Lisa because of her? Was he trying to prove a point to her? Was it her fault that she died? Of course it was. He was sending her a message.
Unable to take the agony in her heart any longer, Kelsey somehow made it to the toilet just in time to vomit. It had all gotten to be too much. She wanted to torture him just like he did the others. She wanted to watch him beg for mercy. And finally, she wanted to slowly suck his life out of him.
He was getting inside her head, and she knew it. This was exactly what he wanted. When she lifted her head to look in the mirror, Kelsey didn’t recognize her own reflection. The woman who stared back at her was angry, bitter, and lost.
After washing her face with cold water, she crawled back into bed. Making sure her gun was right under her pillow, she stared at the ceiling for the next hour. This bastard was playing a cat and mouse game, and he was on the offense. She only hoped that the DNA from under Lisa’s nails would give them some leads.
Finally falling into a restless sleep, she dreamed of a soft hand caressing her cheek. Instinctively, she turned toward it, liking the way it made her feel. As she began to awaken, Kelsey felt a presence in her room. Her eyes flew open, and she grabbed her gun, pointing it to nothing. There wasn’t a soul in her room, but she felt a light breeze blowing through an open window. She sprung out of her bed anyway and crept to the bathroom to double check. When she found absolutely nothing suspicious, she glanced outside her window to see if there was anybody lurking. Even though her room was on the fourth floor of the hotel, she slammed the window shut. Kelsey knew her behavior was completely irrational, but she wasn’t willing to take any chances.
Trying to catch her breath, she willed her heart to slow down. Was she completely losing it? She could have sworn she felt a hand touch her and somebody staring at her. She even sensed a weight of somebody sitting on her bed. Was she dreaming so deeply that her dream felt like reality?
She desperately needed to talk with Damien and wished she had gone through with her threat to get him a cell phone. She was sure he must be upset with her for leaving with no warning. She did explain in her note not to worry, but she had to go to Virginia for Lisa and would fill him in when she returned.
Knowing Damien, he was not going to be happy with her decision.
Twenty
He smiled as he inhaled a deep breath, remembering her scent. Yes, Kelsey Taylor always smelled beautiful. She had somehow managed to get under his skin. Oh, but he enjoyed this game they had started. He hoped she liked his gift to her.
He knew he was getting into her head. He would slowly draw her to him. He couldn’t hold back the smile as he fantasized of the things he could do with her. It would be one of the happiest and the saddest day for him when he had her. She would finally be his. But, once she was out of his system, he’d have to finish her off, just like the others. Yes, it would be a sad day indeed to say goodbye to her.
True to her word, Kelsey attended Lisa’s memorial service, which had less than ten people present. It wasn’t fair this poor girl had suffered so much in her life. It was obvious Lisa always felt alone in the world, and even at the end, only strangers—with the exception of her aunt—were there. Although Kelsey didn’t know much about Lisa’s childhood, she was disappointed to see that her own mother was not there.
After she showed her respects, Kelsey quickly wiped her tears and left for the airport. She needed to get out of this town and back home to Tom and Damien. Although Kevin didn’t approve of her being alone, at least he understood her desire to be down here herself.
By the time she landed and arrived at her apartment, it was already nine o’clock at night. Luckily, she had left enough food and water for Tom, but that didn’t stop him from complaining to her as soon as she walked in.
“I’m sorry, Tom. I had to go, okay? But, I told you I’d be back soon. See, I’m home now.”
Tom continued to meow, as if he had a million things to say to her.
“Please forgive me, Tom. I need a long, hot shower. I’m hoping that helps a little.”
Kelsey heard the pounding of the door as soon as she stepped out of the shower.
“Kelsey, it’s me. Open the door!” Damien’s voice echoed.
Wrapping herself in a robe, she raced to the door. “Damien!” she yelled as she swung the door open. Throwing herself into his arms, all she wanted was to feel safe and secure.
Damien clutched her tight in his arms. “Kelsey, don’t ever leave like that. You nearly killed me.”
Kelsey grabbed his face and kissed him hard. “Please, I need you. I need you to take me away from this reality.”
“What happened? Why would you leave for Virginia?” He led her to the sofa.
“It’s been horrible, Damien.” The tears rushed down her face. “I wish I could have contacted you. I needed to talk to you. Tell you everything. I was angry, scared…I wanted to scream and cry at the same time.” By then, her voice was quivering.
Damien sighed. “I can’t stand that you weren’t able to contact me. I’m going to change all that, I promise. Tell me what happened.” He kissed her tears away and held her tighter.
“She’s dead. Lisa is dead. He found her in Virginia, Damien.”
“What happened? Tell me everything,” Damien demanded. “How did you know?”
“My captain told me. He showed me the pictures. Oh, Damien, they were horrible. And the killer left me a personal message with Lisa’s blood. A gift for you, Kelsey Taylor.”
“What? He left that message for you? Kelsey, this is not good. He is playing games with you, and he’s waiting for the right opportunity to come after you. You know that, right? I’m gonna find him. And when I do, I promise you, I’m going to kill him.”
“Damien, stop. We need to think rationally here. No mistakes can be made.”
“This is way too dangerous for you. You need to stop now, Kelsey! He is hunting you. Don’t you see that?” Damien held her face with both hands and begged her to understand.
“There’s hope. Lisa had blood under her nails. They may have his DNA.” Kelsey knew he was very upset.
“So what? What does that even mean? That they’ll know who the killer is just because they have his DNA? They have no suspects, do they? And why did you leave like that? Don’t you realize it could have been a trap? That he could have done that to draw you there?”
“I owed
it to Lisa, Damien.”
“It could have costed your life. Has your captain provided protection for you?”
“He said he’s going to have a patrol car make rounds around here, and apparently, he has also assigned some officers to keep an eye on me. I wasn’t too happy about it.”
Damien shook his head, exasperated. “Kelsey, let me ask you this. Do you want to live?”
“Of course I do.”
“Your actions don’t show it. What you’re doing is like committing suicide. Don’t you understand?”
Kelsey remained quiet and looked away. She sighed and whispered, “Suicide. Seems so long ago. But I was saved that night. Do you remember that, Damien?” She glared straight into his eyes, challenging him to deny it.
Damien stood up and put his hands in his pocket. “We are talking about the here and now, Kelsey. I don’t want to lose you. I can’t lose you.”
“Earlier, you said you were going to change things so I can contact you whenever I needed to. What did you mean by that?” Kelsey asked.
“I will explain all that to you. Soon, you’ll be able to see me whenever you’d like.”
“I’m so tired of all these secrets. I thought I could be patient, but everything has been really frustrating lately. I should be able to call you whenever I please. How long do you expect me to understand this?”
“Baby, please, just give me a little more time. I’ve been working on this for years, and it’s almost done. Trust me on this.” Damien’s hand brushed through his hair, feeling helpless.
“What have you been working on, Damien? A messy divorce? Just tell me!”
Sitting back down, he took her hands into his own. “Don’t you know how I feel about you? Don’t you know I love you? I’ve loved you since the first day I saw you, Kelsey. I would do anything for you.”
“You love me? You would do anything for me?” Kelsey snatched her hands away and walked to her bedroom. When she came back out, she had a folded piece of paper in her hands. “This note. That night when I jumped off of the museum…well, somehow, I was saved. When I woke up in my room, I found this note. I know you wrote it. Can you explain to me what happened that night?” Her eyes ablaze, she was determined to make him tell her the truth once and for all.
Damien glanced away at first and then taking a deep breath, he strolled toward her. He took the note out of her hand and read it. “I can’t explain to you what happened that night. You’re not ready to hear it.”
“I want to know. I know there’s a lot I don’t understand. I want to know you, Damien. Not only what you want to share with me. I want to know all of you. The man I love.”
Damien sucked in his breath. “What did you say? You love me?”
“Of course I love you, you foolish man! Why do you think I’ve tried to find you for the last four years? Why do you think I went into law enforcement in the first place? I thought somehow it would get me access to more resources, so I could find some answers. So I could find you.”
Damien held her face and searched her eyes, as if somehow he could look into her soul. He lowered his lips to hers and kissed her with all the passion and love he possessed for her.
“Tell me, Damien,” she whispered in between their kisses. “Tell me what you did that night. I know it was you who saved me.”
Damien pried away from her and braced himself against the far wall. As if he was torturing himself, he closed his eyes, fighting some inner battle.
“Tell me,” Kelsey encouraged him.
Opening his eyes, he said, “You really want to know? Fine, so be it. I simply don’t have the will to do the right thing any longer.” He squatted down to the floor, and before Kelsey could react, a monstrous beast stood in Damien’s place.
Her instincts kicking in, she dashed into her room for her gun. Had she officially lost her mind now? Was she really staring at this thing in the middle of the living room? The gray giant was terrifying with its large teeth, powerful muscles, and dark eyes. It even had wings.
“Where’s Damien? What are you?” Kelsey tried to keep her voice strong as she continued pointing the gun at the horrendous creature. The monster kept his arms up in surrender mode, but she didn’t care. She was terrified, and her legs wobbled, threatening to collapse from under her. Kelsey forced herself to remain focused, knowing that in a split of a second, he could rip her apart. “What did you do to Damien?” she screamed.
When the monster stepped forward, Kelsey squeezed the trigger. It collapsed to the floor, and it was all she could do from not crumpling down herself. She was about to shoot again when she saw Damien, completely naked, lying where the creature had been.
“Damien? Oh my God! Damien!” She ran to him and crashed down next to him. Relieved that he still had a pulsed, she yelled, “Talk to me.” That’s when she saw the blood gushing out of his shoulder. “Dear God, what did that thing do to you?” Kelsey knew she had to get him out of here in case the monster returned.
Damien slowly opened his eyes. “You shot me,” he whispered.
“I didn’t shoot you. That thing hurt you. We have to get out of here. Come on! There was a monster here. It might come back. I know I sound crazy, but you disappeared, Damien. Somehow, that thing took you.”
“Good thing you only shot my shoulder. You could’ve killed me if you shot through my heart.”
“Are you listening? I didn’t shoot you. I shot that thing!” By then, Kelsey was having a full-blown panic attack. Her heart wouldn’t slow down, she was perspiring, and she couldn’t seem to get enough air into her lungs.
“That thing is me, Kelsey. I’m that monster you shot.”
Kelsey closed her eyes, shaking her head. “No, you don’t understand.”
“No, you don’t understand, Kelsey. I’m a gargoyle. I’m the same gargoyle you talk to on top of the museum.”
“No, what are you saying? Did that creature do something to your head?” Kelsey whispered, still gasping for air. “That’s a statue.”
“I knew you’d freak out. I told you that you weren’t ready to know everything about me.” Damien stood up, holding his shoulder wound.
“We have to get you some help. I have to call an ambulance.” Kelsey was too shocked to understand what Damien was saying. At that point, she focused on something she could understand—to stop the wound from bleeding.
“I don’t need help. I heal fast. See?” When he showed her the wound, she was stunned to see it was already closing.
Kelsey stood up and swallowed hard. What had she gotten herself into? She stepped back away from him, needing the distance.
“What do you want from me?” she finally asked, trying not to fall apart. She pointed her gun at him once again.
Damien stared at her for a full moment, noticing immediately that her eyes didn’t hold the same feelings for him. “Kelsey…” he whispered, holding his hand out to her. His eyes were full of torment as he pleaded with her.
Somewhere in the back of her mind, she heard the phone ring. When she realized it was the doorman calling, she grabbed her phone, her eyes and gun never leaving Damien.
“Miss Taylor? Is everything okay? Somebody called down here thinking they heard a gunshot.”
Kelsey swallowed, quickly contemplating what she should say. Damien continued to stare at her, leaving his fate in her hands. She couldn’t involve anybody else into this mess. Knowing she needed more time to figure things out, she said, “No, no. Everything is fine up here.”
“Oh, good! I figured somebody must have been just watching TV too loud or something. Sorry to bother you,” the doorman answered, chuckling to himself.
Once the call ended, Damien begged, “Please, Kelsey. Let me try to explain things to you.” He tried to step toward her, but she held her gun firmly in her hand, stepping back away from him.
“Stay away from me. What do you want from me?” she repeated, her eyes cold.
Holding his head down, Damien released a tormented breath. “Nothing. I guess nothin
g.” He turned around and walked out of the apartment.
Twenty-one
Kelsey collapsed to the floor, trembling so bad that her teeth chattered. She couldn’t deal with the reality Damien had just thrown at her. She must have gone into a shock because she had no idea what was happening around her. Eventually, rolling herself into a fetal position, she permitted the emotions to crash into her.
When Tom rubbed his body against her face, she finally registered what was happening around her. She forced herself to stand up, but needed to hold onto the kitchen countertop to steady herself. Why was this happening?
“What am I going to do?” she said out loud, trying to think clearly.
She felt Tom rubbing against her legs. When she looked down, he had a piece of paper under his paw. “Meow,” he said, looking up at her and kicking the paper closer to her.
Bewildered, she knelt down to pick it up. Immediately, she noticed the note from many years ago that Damien had written. He had saved her life that night and given her hope.
“Meow,” Tom said again.
Sitting down next to him, she pulled him into her lap. “If I remember correctly, you used to hate him. Was it because you knew he was different?”
Tom rubbed his face against hers.
“And now? Are you trying to tell me something with this note?”
Tom purred, this time rubbing his face against the note she was holding in her hand.
She had told Damien that she loved him. Five minutes later, she had shot him and then kicked him out. Kelsey permitted herself to finally face the truth. All these years, she had gotten so attached to him, even when he was nothing but a stone statue. Kelsey had continued to go to that rooftop after she no longer worked at the museum. At least several times a month, she somehow would end up there. It wasn’t to contemplate jumping off. She simply went there to talk to the statue—to share her inner most secrets with him. Why would she have done that? How did she get so attached to the statue? Did her subconscious somehow know it was Damien?
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