Shattered Rules

by Allder, Reggi

  “Where are you? Are you ready to go?”

  Silence.

  She walked down a short hallway into the kitchen. An odor of fish assailed her. The open refrigerator door lent light to the room shuddered room. The trout lay on a platter in the middle of the kitchen table. Ted’s fishing pole leaned against the wall near the back door. He was nowhere in sight.

  She started to shout his name but stopped. A shiver ran through her. Sudden fear warned her to keep quiet. She backed out of the room into the hallway.

  For the first time, she noticed the hall door to the garage was open. The fender of Ted’s Ford truck could be seen. She heard a shuffling sound and then the distinct sound of the garage door opening.

  She relaxed. He was in the garage. Maybe he’d decided take his truck. She walked quickly toward the garage.

  “Ted, I came through the house. Do you want to take your truck?”

  “Run Kelly ru…

  The killer’s knife sliced Ted’s carotid artery cutting off his words. He dropped to his knees holding his throat, blood spraying through his fingers. He dropped face down on the cement floor.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Frozen in shock, Kelly watched a river of Ted’s red blood run toward the open garage door. Her stomach retched. No one could lose that much blood and live.

  “Hey you,” the killer shouted.

  The intruder who’d attacked her in her home glared at her, a bloody knife in this hand. He lunged for her.

  Just then the Lab ran to the garage. The killer tripped over Yeller.

  She heard him swear at the dog as she sprinted from the garage to the house. A scream stuck in her constricted throat. The footfalls of the man as he chased her were getting closer. She sprinted down the hall and out the front.

  At the car door, she fumbled to get her keys out of her jean pocket. She stared the engine and grinding the gears, she struggled to force the car into reverse. The Honda jumped and spit gravel from the back wheels.

  Before she would drive away, the killer yanked open the driver’s side door and grabbed her. Her foot popped off the clutch. The engine died.

  She fought to stay in the Honda. He yanked so hard they both fell to the driveway. He grunted as her full weight landed on top of him. She fought to get up. Just when she was able to stand he grabbed her. She kicked him in the groin. He grunted and let her go. She sprinted down the long driveway toward the road, screaming all the way.

  Brick’s car pulled onto the property. His side window was open He leaned out and shouted, “What the hell are you doing here? You promised to stay at your cabin.”

  “Agent Simmons is dead. The killer was here. I saw him.” Bile rose in the back of her throat. She came to a halt next to his car and gulped for air. She glanced back toward the house.

  “Get in your car. Lock it and wait for me.”

  He didn’t ask who Agents Simmons was. Did he already know?

  “We can’t just leave Ted lying there.” She swallowed hard. “Dead in the garage.”

  “I’ll have the FBI take care of him, but you can’t be involved. We need to get out of here before they arrive.” He paused. “You’re shaking. Can you drive?”

  “Yeah.” She forced her body to be still and folded her arms so he couldn’t see her hands were still trembling. “The killer was here. I saw him. But now—”

  “Get the hell into your car and lock the door! Be ready to drive.”

  She walked on wobbly legs toward her car but didn’t get in.

  Brick jumped out of his car, ran to her and grabbed her. “What the hell are you doing?” His voice was low and menacing.”

  “Ted’s dead, but his dog is in there. I can’t just leave him to starve.”

  She yanked her arm out of his grip and ran toward the garage.

  “Damn it Kelly”

  With trepidation she entered the garage. Yeller lay near the agent’s body. The dog’s tail wagged when he saw her but he didn’t leave his master’s side.

  Her stomach rolled and tears blurred her vision when she saw Ted.

  “Yeller,” she called to the dog. His tail continued to wag, but he refused to move. Finally, she went to him and pulled on his collar. “Come on Yeller. You come home with me. Don’t worry. I’ll see your master’s taken care of.” She wiped a tear from her cheek. “Come on boy, you’re going to be alright.”

  ***

  In the cabin, Yeller lay on the floor near the foot of Kelly’s bed.

  Was there someone from Agents Simmons’ family who’d want to take care of Yeller? Did Ted have a family, wife and children who’d mourn him? Brick would find out.

  Now what was she going to do about the flash drive? It was still hidden and without Ted she didn’t know who to trust. She never should’ve taken it. Damn Ted for talking her into grabbing it in the first place. Oh God, what am I thinking? Trying to do the right thing, Ted died.

  She sat on the bed and sobbed, finally able to let out her emotions. Yeller came to her and put his head in her lap as if to comfort her. She patted his head. “I know you’re sad too. Aren’t you boy? Don’t worry. We’ll find Ted’s people and take you home.” She rubbed his ear.”If they can’t keep you, you’ll stay with me.” She patted his head and then he licked her hand.

  Maybe she should leave the flash drive in its hiding place and hope no one found it. Not a good plan. The intruders said she’d die if she didn’t return it. She pictured Ted blood gushing from his wound. She wouldn’t let him die in vain and she didn’t intend to be the next one murdered.

  Her head ached. Her stomach growled. Hunger, proof she was still alive. It felt like a betrayal of agent Simmons to want food. She groaned. Don’t think anymore.

  After a quick shower, she hurriedly put on a white cotton blouse and a short jean skirt.

  Brick was waiting for her in the dining room. He was probably pissed.

  “You look lovely,” he said when she entered the room.

  “Uh, thanks.” She didn’t feel lovely. She felt numb. How could he even think of saying something like that after what they’d seen this afternoon? She gazed into his clear, steadfast eyes. Was he trying to keep her calm?

  There was no criticism in his expression. She’d expected to see a reprimand for leaving the cabin. “How did you find me?” She sat at the table.

  “I put a tracking device on your car.”

  “You didn’t trust me.”

  “Did you earn my trust?”

  She flinched and turned away without answering.

  “I made dinner.”

  “I can’t eat. I thought I could, but thinking of Agent Simmons, there’s no way.”

  “You have to. Everything’s ready.” He waved at the food on the table then pulled out a chair and sat down.

  The aroma of the meal wafted to her. Still, the thought of eating sent a wave of nausea washing over her then her stomach growled.

  Without conversation, he plated her food, Caesar salad and barbecued chicken bought, along with a bag of dog food at a market on the way back to the cabin. He sliced the famous San Francisco sourdough bread that was trucked in everyday over the mountain pass, when Donner summit wasn't snowed in and put a slice on her plate and handed it to her.

  She found a bottle of bottle of Napa Valley Chardonnay and opened it.

  He refused the wine. She filled her glass. “After the events of today I need it.”

  She forced down a small piece of chicken and ate a few bites of lettuce, washing it down with the wine.

  He ate everything on his plate.

  She watched him, stunned that he could eat as if today was just another day at the office. She took a gulp of wine and swallowed slowly.

  Ted’s death seemed to heighten her senses, made her aware of how short life was and how quickly it could be snuffed out.

  Her feelings for Brick intensified as well. She started at him. He’d changed his clothes and was now wearing a blue silk dress shirt. It accented the color of his eyes. What i
t would feel like to run her fingers over the soft fabric of his shirt and feel the taut muscles that lay underneath?

  A jolt of guilt hit her. She was surprised to discover the proximity to Ted’s death caused her to need to prove she was still alive. Making love to Brick would do that.

  In the living room after dinner, he started a fire in the fireplace and then sat in a wing chair across from the sofa.

  A glow from the wine swirled in her. She leaned back on the sofa, still holding the half-full glass of wine she’d brought from the dining room. Determined to relax from the horror of the day, she sipped more of the white wine. She'd probably had too much of a good thing at dinner and would pay for it in the morning. She didn’t care. How many evenings did she have left before the intruders killed her too? Just like they murdered Ted?

  One night to remember, that’s all she wanted and because of the timeline of the intruder's threat, it would have to be tonight.

  Brick scrutinized her, his eyes stopping where her denim skirt ended. She looked up to see the firelight flashing in his eyes, unreadable emotions flared and his eyes narrowed. He turned away before she could try to decipher their meaning.

  He might be experiencing the same craving that was pulsing in her. A hope that he might yearn for her as much as she hungered for him made her brave. I need to show him how much I want him.

  The log in the fireplace flared and sent sparks flying. He rose to stoke the fire. He added another log.

  “Sit on the couch with me,” she said surprised by the sound of passion in her voice.

  “I'm fine here.” He sat in a chair across from her.

  “It's lonely over here.”

  “Looking as beautiful you do right now, you don't make it easy to say no.”

  “Then say yes.” She held out her hands.

  “There's no use denying I'd like to. I can't. Nothing in our situation has changed.”

  “Make love to me,” she said pretending she hadn't heard a word he said.

  “You've had too much wine and too much stress. Be sensible.”

  “I don’t want to be sensible. Just once I want to make passionate love to you and let tomorrow take care of its self,” she whispered.

  A perplexed expression spread across his face, but desire soon replaced it, and fire burned in his eyes.

  “Brick.”

  “Kelly, you've got to be practical. If I took you tonight, you'd regret it in the morning.”

  “No I wouldn't. If I’m practical where does that get me?”

  “You're young, what’s the hurry?”

  “The intruders tell me I won't live to see next week, let alone my next birthday.”

  He cringed.

  “I want something to show for my time on this earth.” Still holding her wineglass, she drank the last drop and put the glass on the coffee table. She adjusted her shirt and tossed her hair back from her face. “I want you. Don't be afraid I'll be gentle.” She grinned.

  His lips remained firm, even though a smile shone in his eyes. “I can't give you what you want.”

  “Yeah you can. I want you to take me. I don’t want a commitment, no strings and no plans for the future. For all I know tonight is all I have.”

  “Don’t talk like that.”

  She stood up and came toward him. Just a breath away, she whispered, “Don't turn me away. Can't you see how much I need you?”

  He opened his mouth to answer and she kissed his open mouth, tongue to tongue.

  He pulled away. “Stop Kelly.”

  She glanced down and saw his need grow. On her tiptoes, she reached up to kiss him again and then said, “I know you think you’re doing the right thing pushing me away me, but you’re not.”

  She held his face and kissed him again. His hands were at his side, his body unyielding. Nonetheless, she continued to kiss him, her hands running through his hair and down his taut backside.

  With a groan he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.

  She clung to him. Since she was a teenager she’d wanted him, only him. She’d feared there’d never be a chance to be with him. Tonight was her opportunity. She wouldn't let it go.

  Her breasts pressed against his hard torso.

  His muscles tensed. She arched her hips to get nearer to him. His breath caught and his need came to full attention.

  He tore his mouth from hers. “We shouldn't be doing this.”

  She didn't answer. Instead, she undid the buttons of his shirt and ran her hands over the warm skin of his chest then moved downward. His abdominal muscles flexed as she did. As she continued to experience the planes of his hard body she let her tongue lick his tightened nipples. She gazed up to see raw hunger reflected in his eyes. Was it a manifestation of her need or was she finally seeing his longing?

  “I could do better if I had a little help,” she whispered before kissing him again.

  He seized her and kissed her hard. She moaned as the intensity of his kiss filled her. He forced his tongue deep into her mouth, and she opened to accept it. He pulled her firmly against him, making her move with the rhythm of his shifting body.

  His fierceness surprised her. Maybe he wanted to scare her away. Instead, her need flared. She met his demanding kiss with demands of her own. His stubble rubbed against her skin. She didn't care.

  He yanked the snaps of her shirt and they popped open one at a time. Then he released her breasts from their pink satin and lace restraints. Her nipples were hard, begging for his touch.

  His mouth found one, and sucked on it.

  “More.” She sighed holding his head to her breast. Sensations only he could make her feel coursed through her. The love for him she’d been hiding surged. Heat burned within her and she thought she would burst.

  His persuasive hands explored her, following her natural contours. He moved downward toward her core. “Yes, yes,” she said her breath ragged.

  His mouth reclaimed hers. He touched her inner thigh, moving ever closer to her feminine core. She clung to him, trembling.

  His staccato breathing echoed in her ear, sending a shiver of eagerness through her. Rational thought was lost, only feeling remained. Her body quivered in anticipation.

  Their movement and their breathing became harmonious, a single rhythmic motion, building toward a crescendo. He was in charge now and she willingly let him guide her toward release.

  Chapter Twenty

  The doorbell rang.

  Kelly struggled to catch her breath. “Who can that be?”

  “Don't know. You better go into the bedroom,” Brick whispered in a husky voice. “I'll take care of whoever it is.”

  The doorbell buzzed again.

  He tucked in his shirt and went to answer the door.

  She grabbed her blouse and ran from the room.

  In the bedroom, her body still ached for his touch. She looked in the mirror, her face was flushed and her lips were pink and swollen.

  She sat on the bed, closed her eyes and tried to bring her breathing under control.

  ***

  Brick looked through the peephole. A thirty something uniformed California Highway Patrol Officer stood at the front door.

  “Officer?” Brick said when he opened the door.

  “Are you the owner of this property?”

  “No, I'm just visiting.”

  “Is the owner available?”

  “I can get her if it is absolutely necessary.”

  “It is.”

  “Do you have some identification?”

  The officer held out his badge and gave Brick his card.

  “Thanks Officer Mullins,” he said. “I'll be right back.” He left the officer standing on the porch.

  On the way to the bedroom, he saw Kelly coming down the hall toward him. “It's a highway patrol officer. He wants to talk to the owner of the cabin.”

  “Why?”

  “I don't know. Go find out. Play it cool. Don't offer any information. Give short answers to his questions then
stop.” He looked down at her and could see she was still tipsy. “If he asks about me, just tell him I'm a friend. Don't tell him I'm an FBI agent. He doesn't need to know that.”

  “I don't see why, but if that's what you want—” She shrugged.

  “It is. Don't let him in the house. Talk to him on the porch. If he wants to come in, he can get a search warrant.”

  ***

  She switched on the porch light and went out to introduce herself. Brick stood at her side.

  “Hello Officer. How can I help you?” she asked. Her voice was a whisper.

  “There's been an accident on the highway. A young woman is badly injured.”

  “No!” She grabbed Brick’s arm.

  He held her close to him.

  “Are you all right, Miss?” Officer Mullins frowned.

  “I'm okay.” She pulled away from Brick “Please go on.”

  The officer stared at her for second, his narrowed eyes searching her face. He yanked a small pad of paper and a pen from his pocket. “As I was saying, there's been an accident and a woman's been seriously hurt. Looks like a hit and run. The odd thing is there was no ID on the woman or the car. We’re still searching but the only thing we’ve found so far is a scrap of paper with your address on it.”

  “This address?” Carrie wouldn't need the address to a house she’s been coming to since she was a kid.

  “Were you expecting anyone?”

  “No, that is—uh.” She faltered under Officer Mullins' stare. “Well, no I wasn’t.”

  “I have a favor to ask Miss. Take a look this photo on my phone. It's the young woman I told you about. I have to warn you she's none too pretty right now. Her face hit the steering wheel when her car crashed. But if you know who she is, it could help us find her family. She's going to need them.” He handed her the smart phone.

  A woman on an ambulance gurney stared at her. The female’s face was puffy and disfigured, eyes swollen shut, no way to see their color. Her short brown hair was matted with blood.

  Kelly recoiled. With her hand to her mouth, she pushed down nausea rushing up her esophagus. She shoved the phone at the officer and turned away.