Tangled Fury

by K. L. Middleton

  I was not going to go there with her. Not even try. The last thing she needed was another asshole in her life.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Sera

  I tried forgetting about everything that had happened, or almost happened, back in Thane’s office, and concentrated on my next client’s nails. It wasn’t easy, however. The fact that I was the one being crucified as a child abuser, and Ray was an actual murderer, enraged me. All I could do was thank my lucky stars that Fred had been able to pull some strings to help us disappear. The only thing that concerned me now, however, was the fact that Ray had been seen around the diner again. I was frightened for Sam’s safety, and didn’t know what to do.

  “I have to make a quick phone call,” I said, as my client’s nails were drying. “I’ll be right back.”

  “No problem,” said the quiet young woman, named Amy.

  I got out of my chair and removed the mask from my face. “Thanks. I’ll try and hurry.”

  “I’m not going anywhere,” she said, smiling.

  I took the cell phone out of my purse and noticed that I’d had three missed calls, one of them from Sam, the other two numbers labeled “Private” again. Sam had left a message, so I listened to it. It basically confirmed everything that Thane had told me, about Ray being seen in Seattle. I tried calling him back, but it went to voicemail after several rings. Biting the side of my lower lip, I called Fred.

  “Did you hear from your brother?” I asked, when he answered.

  He sighed. “I spoke to him. I’m a little worried, to be honest. If Ray found out that your mom was dating him, then he could be in hot water. This isn’t good.”

  I closed my eyes and groaned. I was hoping that he would have told me not to worry. That Sam would be fine. “We have to do something. I’ll die if anything happens to him.”

  “Now, don’t go stressing out too much, young lady. I’m actually trying to talk him into coming out here. At least for a few weeks, until we can figure something out.”

  “Oh, good,” I answered, sighing in relief. “I hope he does.”

  “Me too. He said he’ll think about it, which is a good sign. One thing about my brother, however, he doesn’t like to run and hide. So, asking him to do just that probably isn’t sitting right with him.”

  “Maybe not, but he needs to realize that Ray is not only insane, but unpredictable. Sam is just not safe there,” I said, feeling a strong sense of foreboding, similar to the last time Ray had showed up in Seattle.

  “I’ll try calling him at the diner,” he said. “Since he’s not picking up his cell phone. Maybe if he knows how worried you are, it will help make his decision easier.”

  “Whatever you have to do. And if you can’t reason with him, I’ll try talking to Sam.”

  He chuckled. “Or, I’ll have Emma. She can talk anyone into anything. That girl has more people twisted around her little finger…”

  I smiled. “She certainly does.”

  After I hung up with Fred, I dropped my phone back into my purse and headed towards my booth.

  “Where did this come from?” I asked, noticing a small grocery bag on the shelf, next to my table.

  “Oh, that’s from some guy named Thane,” said Amy, pulling out her wallet. “He said that he hopes you like roast beef.”

  I raised my eyebrows and looked inside of the bag. There was a deli sandwich, a small bag of potato chips, and a large bottle of water.

  “That was nice of him,” I murmured, closing the bag.

  “He was nice,” said Amy, lowering her voice. “What I wouldn’t do to have that guy bring me lunch.”

  I laughed. “Well, he is single. Maybe we can arrange that.”

  She reached into her jean pocket and pulled out a wedding ring. “I’m married. I just took it off so that you wouldn’t get any acrylic on it.”

  “I understand. Wow, nice ring,” I said, noticing how large it was.

  She looked down at it. “Thank you. I’d still trade it in for a few nights with Thane, though.”

  I looked at her in astonishment. Wasn’t anyone happily married anymore?

  “Really?”

  She handed me fifty dollars. “I’ve been married twelve years. Unfortunately, my husband forgot that he was twice in those twelve years. Needless to say, I wouldn’t feel too guilty about it.”

  “I suppose not.”

  “Keep the change,” she said, putting her purse around her shoulder.

  “Thanks.”

  “Are you married?”

  “Uh, no,” I lied.

  “Good. Take my advice and stay clear of it. It’s overrated and full of unwanted surprises.”

  From my own experiences, I had to agree.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Sera

  After Amy left, I walked back over to Thane’s office and knocked on the door.

  “Come in.”

  I cleared my throat as I stepped inside.

  “Thanks for the…” I stopped abruptly when I noticed him on the phone and then lowered my voice. “Oh, I’m sorry.”

  He was sitting behind his desk with his headset on, listening to someone speak.

  I motioned back towards the doorway, to let him know I was leaving but he held up a finger, to stop me.

  “Listen, Tony, I’ll call you back and let you know tomorrow. I like the estimate you gave me; I just want some time to think about what I’d like to have done, exactly.”

  I folded my arms under my chest and waited.

  “Okay,” he said, still staring at me. “Talk to you soon.” He hung up and tossed his headset onto the desk. “So, what can I do for you?”

  I smiled. “I just wanted to say thank you for buying me lunch. You didn’t have to, you know.”

  “I know, but I did promise you food, today.”

  “Still, thank you. I am starving and I do love roast beef.”

  “Good,” he said, standing up. He cracked his neck - first one side, and then the other, then stretched his arms out, while I stood gawking.

  He looked at me again. “Is there anything else?”

  Great, he could probably tell that I was ogling his Olympian body. I turned towards the doorway and began walking. “No, I’m just a little lightheaded from lack of food and being around that acrylic. I’m going to go and eat before my next customer arrives.”

  “Listen, about earlier…”

  I turned back around. “Thane, seriously, it’s fine. I can even understand why you’d question me. I’d have done the same.”

  “I’m not talking about that.”

  “Oh. What are you talking about, then?”

  He was silent for several seconds and then his eyes darkened. “I’m talking about what I said to you earlier, about you having beautiful eyes. You do, don’t get me wrong. But, looking back, it almost sounds like… a come-on. And, I just want you to know, I wasn’t trying to flirt with you, or anything. I was just stating something that popped into my head at the time.”

  I laughed nervously. “Oh, hah… No, I didn’t think you were flirting at all, so don’t worry about it.”

  He shoulders relaxed. “Okay. Well, good. Just wanted to make sure you knew that. Thinking back, I thought it just sounded a little funny.”

  “No, I understand. And thank you. For the compliment.” Surprisingly, I felt a twinge of regret. Not that I wanted to get involved with him.

  “Of course. You know, I think it’s important to hand out compliments to others. Sincere ones, obviously. It’s good for morale. Don’t you think?”

  I nodded. “Yes. Definitely.”

  He gestured towards the door. “You should probably tackle that sandwich before you get too busy to enjoy it.”

  “Yes. Thanks again,” I replied, watching him shuffle around some papers on his desk. “Thane?”

  He looked up.

  “You’re… a good man,” I said, surprising myself.

  He didn’t say anything.

  “An honorable man,” I went
on, feeling that I really needed to tell him this. That it was urgent that he knew. “And you need to let go of the guilt.”

  His face paled.

  “It wasn’t your fault,” I said, hearing the words echo through my mind as I repeated them. The words that weren’t mine, although I was definitely saying them.

  “What are you talking about?” he asked, his voice strangled.

  I opened my mouth to say something else. Something that was on the tip of my tongue, but the words failed me.

  He stood up and moved towards me. “Sera. Where is this coming from?”

  I put my hand against my lips and backed away. “I’m sorry. I don’t know.”

  Which was the truth.

  I’d always gotten ‘feelings’ or ‘impressions’ before, but nothing like this. This time it almost felt like I was being guided, which was new and very frightening.

  He looked as bewildered as I felt. “You’re very pale. Maybe you should sit down?”

  My mouth suddenly felt so dry that it hurt to swallow. I smiled weakly. “You know, I think that I’m just going to go and eat that sandwich.”

  “Okay. Good idea.”

  I quickly turned around and high-tailed it out of his office, before anymore psychic babblings got me fired.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Thane

  After Sera left the office, I stared at the computer screen blindly, thinking back to my last MMA cage match. Images flashed through my head of bloodied fists pummeling into Zack Mayer’s face, the crowd cheering me on. The way his head snapped back and forth each time my knuckles connected with his face. Even now I could still remember the rush of adrenaline as I beat the hell out of the guy who I thought had fucked my fiancé. The guy she’d implicated after hearing rumors that I’d been the one unfaithful to her. Bullshit rumors that had come out of nowhere. Sure, I’d cheated on other women in the past. Hadn’t given it a second thought, most of the time. But, never on Carrie. Not the woman I’d fallen in love with and wanted to marry.

  I closed my eyes, still hating myself for the way I’d lost control. Zack certainly hadn’t deserved any of it. Hell, even if he’d been with Carrie, he hadn’t deserved what I’d unleashed. The fight had been so brutal, fueled by hatred and rage. Truth was that the moment I’d stepped into the ring, he’d never had a chance. Not only had I knocked him out, but he’d ended up in a coma. Then, two weeks later - six feet under. If that wasn’t bad enough, he’d left behind a young child. A son he would never get to see grow up because I’d lost my fucking mind.

  No, Sera, I was not a good man, and definitely not an honorable one…

  Chapter Nineteen

  Sera

  I avoided Thane for the rest of the day and then at four o’clock, as I was getting ready to leave, I noticed that his office was dark.

  “Did Thane leave?” I asked Sinclair, as I walked towards her station. She was sweeping hair into a dustpan and muttering something to herself.

  She looked over her shoulder at me. “About an hour ago, I think.”

  “Oh. Are you okay?”

  Her smile didn’t quite make it to her eyes. “Yeah? Why?”

  “You just look… like something is bothering you.”

  She let out a haggard sigh. “Oh, just guy problems. They can be so damn clueless at times, you know?”

  I smiled. “I hear you.”

  “Anyway, I’m fine. Thanks for asking.”

  I nodded. “No problem and good luck with your clueless man.”

  She waved her hand. “Actually, he’s out of the picture now. It’s just… every now and then I think about the jerk and…” her eyes filled with tears and she smiled bitterly. “I just… God, he just pisses me off.”

  I set my purse down on the ground and then plopped into her chair. “Would you like to talk about it? I’m not in a rush.”

  Embarrassed, she looked away. “No. I’m sorry. I must be suffering from PMS or something. Normally thinking about him doesn’t affect me this way. I usually just get angry and not so… emotional. He definitely doesn’t deserve tears.”

  “Was he an ex-boyfriend?”

  “No, honestly, just a man I met a few weeks ago. A man who I hardly even know. Crazy, huh?”

  “Life is crazy,” I replied, smiling sympathetically. “And unpredictable.”

  “You can say that again,” she said, standing up taller. “Anyway, I’m over it now and I refuse to give him anymore of my attention. He’s a player and not worth it.”

  “A player? Well, then you’re lucky to be rid of him.”

  “I agree,” she said, beginning to sweep again. “I don’t need that kind of trouble in my life. Even his brother agrees. Reed’s bad news. Jesse warned me before I even met the guy.”

  “Reed? He’s the player?”

  “Yes. Jesse is his younger brother. One of my best friends.”

  “His brother obviously knows.”

  “Exactly. That’s why I’m not going to hold my breath and wait for his calls.”

  “You might suffocate,” I said, smiling grimly.

  “Exactly. Anyway, thanks for listening to me rant.”

  “Of course.”

  She didn’t say anything more and I could tell she wanted to be alone. “I guess that I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Actually, I’m off tomorrow,” she replied. “I’m back on Thursday, though. You working?”

  “Definitely. See you then.”

  “Bye.”

  I walked around the partition, where Felicia was going over some hair products with a customer. I waved goodbye and left the salon, relieved to be leaving. It had been a crazy day and I still wasn’t sure what had caused me to tell Thane that he was a “good man” or that “it wasn’t his fault”. I wasn’t even sure what “it” was, but from the look on his face, I’d hit a nerve.

  As I thought about it, my phone began to ring. I took it out of my purse and noticed that the number was listed as “Private” again. I sighed and answered it.

  “Hello?”

  “Sera?”

  I stopped in my tracks, rigid with terror.

  Ray!

  “I’m sorry, you have the wrong number,” I mumbled, hanging up quickly.

  Shit, shit, shit.

  How had he found me?!

  With my heart pounding in my chest, I rushed to where my car was parked and locked myself inside. Within seconds, the phone began to vibrate in my hand and I dropped it in the seat next to me. I let it go to voicemail and then quickly picked it back up. I called Fred.

  “Hello Sera.”

  “Oh my God, Fred. Thank goodness,” I gasped, trembling.

  “What is it? What’s wrong?”

  “Ray just called my cell phone.”

  He swore.

  “What does that mean?” I cried. “Can he find us?”

  “I’m not going to lie to you. With his friends in the precinct, he will eventually, if he hasn’t found your location already.”

  I started the car, my eyes darting everywhere. Was he already close? Toying with me? “How did he get my number?”

  “He must have gotten it through Sam, somehow.”

  I pictured Ray trying to hurt him and felt sick to my stomach. “Do you think he’s done something to him?”

  “I don’t know. Let me try calling him again.”

  “Wait, is Emma there? Is she okay?”

  “Yes. The bus just dropped her off. She’s eating cheese and crackers in the kitchen.”

  I relaxed slightly. At least my daughter was in safe hands. “Okay.”

  We hung up and I drove out of the parking lot, still worried that I would somehow find Ray trailing me again. I turned north, into rush-hour traffic, and tried to calm down. Just because he had my number, didn’t mean that Sam was hurt or that Ray was already on my tail. That he was even in California.

  The phone rang. Fred.

  “I spoke to Sam at the diner when he didn’t answer his cell phone. He’s working and said that
he lost it.”

  “Ray has his cell phone,” I said, with absolute certainty. “He stole it. Make sure you call him back and tell him not go home. Under no circumstances.”

  “Wait a minute, now. How do you know that Ray really has it? Did actually he tell you?”

  “No. I just know he has it,” I replied. “Gut instinct. I didn’t talk to him at all. I told Ray that he had the wrong number and hung up on him.”

  “I’m sure he recognized your voice.”

  “Yeah. Probably.”

  Fred sighed. “My gut instinct agrees with yours. He somehow got his cell phone and found your name in the Contact List. Makes sense.”

  “Sam can’t go home. Ray’s waiting for him there.”

  He was silent for a few seconds. “I’m calling the police station in Seattle . Let them know what’s going on.”

  “Do you think they’ll do anything?”

  “They’ll probably check it out.”

  “Just don’t forget to call Sam back and tell him not to go home.”

  “If I do that, he’s going to do just the opposite. My brother wants to catch this guy almost as much as you do.”

  I bit my lower lip. “Hmm… Then maybe I should just call Sam myself. He might listen to me since I know Ray better than anyone.”

  “That might work. You know the number to the diner?”

  I thought about the times I’d called my mother there and my heart felt heavy. “Yes. I still remember it.”

  “Okay, good luck.”

  “Thanks. I’m on my way home so I’ll let you know what he says,” I replied and then hung up before he chastised me about talking on the phone while driving.

  ***

  Fortunately, when I reached Sam, it was easier than I thought to talk him into staying away from his home.

  “Your mother told me that you were psychic,” he admitted. “And if you’re frightened of me going home, well, I guess I won’t. I want this guy in jail, but I also want to live to see him be put there.”