Running From Forever

by K. Aten

  Running From Forever:

  Book One in the

  Blood Resonance series

  K. Aten

  Mystic Books by Regal Crest

  Copyright © 2018 by K. Aten

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,

  including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. The characters, incidents and dialogue herein are fictional and any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  ISBN 978-1-61929-398-4

  eISBN 978-1-61929-399-1

  First Edition 2018

  9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  Cover design by AcornGraphics

  Published by:

  Regal Crest Enterprises

  Find us on the World Wide Web at http://www.regalcrest.biz

  Published in the United States of America

  Acknowledgments

  I was extremely excited to meet my Regal Crest team at GCLS in 2018. It’s one thing to communicate via phone and email, it’s another to actually meet someone face to face. Cathy is funny, wise, and full of good advice. Patty is supportive and patient (and probably really glad there were no maps in this one). And my editor, Micheala, is just really good at what she does. Thanks for supporting me so well and helping bring my books into the world. My babies are your babies, or… it takes a village to raise a novel.

  Dedication

  Running From Forever was the first novel I ever started and consequently the first one I completed. Even if that completion took me 8 years, with 7.5 of that as a hiatus from my stuttered and stalled fledgling interest in writing. My inspiration for the book was an album by Katie Reider called Wonder. Katie was a talented singer and songwriter from Columbus Ohio, and each chapter of my novel coincides with the songs of the record. We would take road trips to see her play at least four times a year. We joked that we were her biggest fans and she would greet us with a huge smile as soon as we walked into her shows. One evening in Chicago, she snatched my winter hat off my head and wore it for the gig. You know the kind, a trapper hat with the crazy furry ear flaps? Then she gave it back a few songs later because she said she couldn’t hear anything while singing. She even let us help her write the set list once.

  I cried the evening she sang a new song about the mother of her best friend who passed away from breast cancer. I felt Katie’s pain when she spoke of her own mother’s multiple bouts with cancer, because I too had lost people very close to me from the disease and the subject was particularly hard.

  It broke my heart the day I learned that Katie herself had been diagnosed with a rare type of tumor. She fought for 2 years as it ate into her jaw and face and stole her voice. Then as if to taunt her more, it left her blind in one eye and finally killed her in 2008. She was 30 years old and left behind a beautiful wife and two young children. The world lost something with Katie’s death, but we will always have her music.

  Also…mom? This one is really steamy. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

  Prologue

  Columbus, Ohio

  September, Two Years Ago

  TWO WOMEN STOOD next to a freshly-washed RAV4. The older one was about five feet ten and had long dark hair plated back in a French braid. Sarah Colby’s green eyes were full of tears as she hugged her younger sister and gave her a watery smile. “I won’t be gone forever, Annie. And I’ll call all the time.” She held up two fingers. “Scout’s honor.”

  Annie wiped her own tears and pushed her sister’s hand down. “Oh stop! You were never a scout.” Before Sarah could reply, Annie had a hand over her mouth. “Not one word about brownies either!”

  They laughed, easing the sense of loss both felt. Still, Sarah swallowed the lump in her throat and looked at the girl she had raised for the last five years. Their parents were killed in a car crash when Annie was only fifteen. Sarah was twenty-five and working at a charter academy as a music instructor at the time. In the blink of an eye, she became Annie’s legal guardian and a fulltime parent. It wasn’t easy and she still feels guilty for that time of her life. She was trying to deal with her grief, juggle a career, and raise a hormonal teenager who had also just lost her parents.

  The first two years were especially hard. Annie became angry and rebellious and Sarah, never wanting children, resented putting her life on hold to become a parent. But everything turned out fine in the end with the help of some solid therapy and a few good friends. Standing in front of her was a beautiful young woman who was surprisingly well adjusted and happy. Annie was a junior in college working on her business management degree and working part-time as the server/bartender at a local club downtown. Sarah could not be prouder of her. As for herself, at the ripe old age of thirty, she was finally able to pursue one of her dreams. She quit her stifling job at the school and was ready to see the country and sing her own songs. With many friends in the music industry, things went surprisingly smooth. Sarah shrugged free of her memories and picked up her battered guitar case. At her feet, an eight-month-old rescued Husky mix was peering out from between her legs. She smiled at the dog then looked at her sister with fondness. “Looks like we got him trained just in time, huh?”

  Annie’s gaze switched from the person who was closer to her than anyone else, down to the dog's unique display of peek-a-boo and laughed. “I’d say Duke’s probably the best present I’ve ever gotten you.”

  At the sight of tears on the younger woman’s face, Sarah said, “Annie, please don’t cry.”

  “I can’t help it; I’m going to miss you so much!”

  “I know, me too.” Sarah sniffled.

  Annie smiled with her own sad hazel eyes and reached down to pat the timid dog’s head. “You take care of each other now, okay?”

  They juggled their way into one more hug. “Sure thing.” Once in the SUV, Sarah rolled the window down. “I love you, Annie, and I’ll call as often as I can.”

  Annie left the new tears unchecked and leaned into the open window. Quietly, she said, “I hate that you’re leaving but I understand.”

  Sarah kissed her on the cheek and tugged her earlobe, just as she used to do when they were younger. “Thank you.”

  As the older woman drove away, the younger one walked into the house, lonely already.

  Columbus, Ohio

  October, Two Years Ago

  TWO WOMEN SAT in an office, separated only by a scarred oak desk. Both were wearing business suits, but that is where the similarities ended. The older one had stylishly cut short dark hair that was starting to turn gray at the temples, and the younger one had short blonde hair that was waxed into longish messy spikes. The interview was near completion and both seemed satisfied with the outcome. The older woman leaned forward to rest her forearms on the desk before speaking. “Well Ms. Keller, I don’t think I need to look any further. Although my first instinct was that you are too young, you have the education and experience the job requires, and all your references check out.” The woman smiled, “As a matter of fact, the mere mention of your name brought nothing but praise.”

  Noble Keller smiled in return. “Well I’m glad to hear that and please, just call me Keller.”

  Joanne Markham chuckled and replied, “Keller it is then.” She shifted slightly and a more serious look came over her face. “Now that I’ve made up my mind, I should probably go over a few things one last time. I know you heard all this on your tour, but humor me, okay? As you know, The Merge is two connected bars under one roof. Spin, is our dance club with two full bars, a dance floor, as well as a game area with pool tables and a dart board.” She stoppe
d for a second and smiled. “And Voodoo Pony is our music club where we feature local bands and artists. It is a lot more intimate with a single long bar across the back, a few leather couches and chairs on a raised dais along one side, and regular tables and chairs throughout the rest of the room, all of which face a low stage. There is a single outside entrance to each club plus a connecting door between the two. There is also a garage door near the stage that can be opened for equipment and supplies.” She looked into intelligent blue eyes, “Still with me?”

  Keller smiled, “Sure. Two clubs, three bars, four doors, dance and live music.”

  The older woman laughed and shook her head, “Of course you are. Anyway, Diamond Enterprises, a firm specializing in business ventures, owns The Merge. We buy, revamp, and sometimes sell again once a solid profit margin has been established. Sometimes, we even hold onto the business and reap the profits for a while.” Her brows drew together in consternation. “This is our least profitable venture to date. Even though the bar primarily caters to the LGBTQ community, I think there is a lot of potential here. We just need the right manager running things who can make it happen.” Keller nodded and Joanne continued, “We’re looking for a fresh approach and we’re willing to put money into it to see a return. I know in the first interview you said you were looking for a challenge, does this meet with your expectations?”

  A mischievous twinkle appeared in the blue eyes. “Yes, I believe it does. As you know from my resume, revamping is a specialty of mine.”

  The older woman stood and held out her hand. “Well then, welcome to the family, Keller.”

  The younger woman shook her hand. “Thank you, Ms. Markham, I can’t wait to get started.” For a split second, when their eyes met over the joined hands, Joanne saw something that made her breath catch. It lasted only a second but brought with it an instant flash of heat, arousal, and strangely enough, fear. She mentally shook it off and by the time she returned to her office ten minutes away, she had all but forgot about it.

  Chapter One

  Columbus, Ohio

  March, Present Time

  THREE STORIES ABOVE the street, a window was open just an inch. Outside, small moans and cries could be heard drifting from under the sill. Fainter yet was the low rhythmic beat of one of the latest dance songs, more sex than music. Inside, two women lay on a bed with sheets and bodies entangled. They were locked in a passionate embrace, bodies sweat-soaked and writhing. The women, one taller with long auburn hair and one shorter one with short blonde hair, were straining against each other. Their cries increased in intensity, matching the music in the background. The short woman with blonde hair was kissing along her neck when suddenly, the redhead’s body arched off the bed and she cried out. The other woman rode out the waves of her release and toward the end, caught one of her own. For a few minutes afterward both lay collapsed on the bed. Slowly the blonde rose and got dressed, aware of the half-lidded gaze of her companion. Before leaving, she knelt on the foot of the bed and crawled toward the other woman until the entire length of their bodies was pressed together. She leaned down and slowly trailed her tongue up the side of her neck until her breath caressed a warm pink ear. “Lover, I was never here…” As she left the room, the taller woman drifted into a sated sleep. Forgetting.

  Noble Keller walked along the quiet street toward her car, deep in thought. Somewhere a dog barked into the night and down an alley she could hear small animals scurrying away. A cat hissed at her from a doorway and she picked up her pace. Once inside her car she ran her hand through her short blonde hair and growled in frustration. She was sick of her life and tired of the rut she’d allowed herself to fall into. Over the years there had been too many women to count, but no love. Love was something she gave up long ago, but the yearning left her with a constant ache. What good was anything physical in life if your existence is spent guilt-ridden and alone? Unfortunately, she had no choice but to carry on the meaningless motions. Angry at her pathetic thoughts, she jammed the key in the ignition and started the car. With careless speed, she raced the rising sun home.

  IN A HOUSE just minutes away from that same apartment at roughly the same time, a phone was ringing. While one hand haphazardly grabbed for the cell on the nightstand, the other pulled the spare pillow over tousled dark hair. “Hlo?”

  A familiar, too cheerful, voice sounded over the other end. “Wakey wakey sunshine!”

  Suddenly the woman in bed was up and alert. “What the hell—Sarah? What’s wrong?” A laugh could be heard on the other end.

  “Chill baby sis, nothing’s wrong. Can’t I call just to talk?”

  Annie sighed and blew her messy bangs out of her face. “Jesus, you had me worried there for a minute. I mean, it’s like freakin’—” she glanced at the cell face “—five in the morning! What were you thinking? For that matter it’s Sunday morning, didn’t you have a gig last night?”

  “Yeah, but it was an early one so I could get an early start this morning.” Sarah waited a minute for the imminent question.

  A puzzled look crossed the younger sister’s face. “That’s not your usual routine, so where are you off to in such a hurry?”

  A shaky breath precluded a pause. “I’m coming home, Annie.” Sarah sighed, “I’m ready to come home.”

  Annie yelled in surprise. “Are you freakin’ serious? You mean to stay, right?”

  “Yeah, I’m coming home to stay. Are you going to let me stay with you for a while when I hit town?”

  Annie stood up on her bed and did a happy dance. The loose blanket wrapped around her feet, tripping her up, and she nearly bounced off the bed. “Ooooff!”

  Sarah pulled the phone away from her face and looked at it then put it back to her ear. “Uh, Annie? Are you okay?”

  “What do you think, you big doofus! I haven’t seen you more than a few days in the last year and a half. Why didn’t you tell me you were coming home to stay? And when are you going to be here?”

  Sarah’s heart swelled with love. She missed Annie so much, but the eighteen months of touring and singing were exactly what she had needed to ground herself again and to shake free from the tethers that bound her, but it was always nice to have someone you love welcome you home. “Well, I wanted it to be surprise. I’m still about two states away so probably sometime tomorrow morning. Is that okay?”

  “Yeah, that’s great! Actually, I have to go in early for a delivery so I’ll be working when you hit town. Just give me a call so I can give you a key to the house.” Annie thought for a second. “Actually, why don’t you just stop by the bar and pick up the key. Just ring the buzzer at the back door and I’ll let you in. You still have Duke don’t you?”

  Sarah looked at the Husky that lay at her feet. When green eyes met blue, she smiled and the dog wagged his tail. “Of course I do! He is the best gift you have ever given me. Besides, he’s my road buddy.” She scratched the big dog’s ruff. “Anyway, that sounds good to me. I should be there sometime between nine and noon but I’ll call if I’m going to be any later than that.”

  Annie laughed. “That’s better than the cable guy!”

  Sarah laughed with her and smiled affectionately, unseen over the phone. “Okay, sis, see you then.”

  As they hung up, Annie threw herself backward onto the bed then her eyes popped open and grew wide. “Oh shit, the spare room!” She glanced at the clock then thought about the fact that she’d only had a few hours of sleep since getting home from work. “Later.” The house was silent as sleep claimed her once again.

  A thousand miles away, woman and dog both shared a sigh. “Come on, Duke, let’s go home.” As she started the SUV and put it in gear, she thought to herself, “Cowtown, here we come.”

  SARAH PULLED HER RAV4 into the parking lot and glanced at the clock on the radio. The dim green numbers read 10:26. “Right on time.” She looked around the lot that only held a single white car, then at the bar’s sign. It was two interlocked stainless ste
el triangles with “The Merge” written in black lettering across them. Sarah remembered many good and bad times at that bar. She shook her head ruefully and opened the door, calling the dog as she got out. “Come on, Duke, let’s go see Annie.” Duke, who was already up and wiggling around on the passenger seat, jumped over the gear shifter and the driver’s seat in one bound. He sat patiently while she clipped the lead to his collar and engaged the car alarm.

  One thing she noticed while walking toward the back door was the landscaping and outside appearance of the bar. From experience, she knew that many places had a run down, dingy appearance on the outside not usually noticed at night by the revelers. This was especially true about many gay bars because they were typically in the seedier parts of town. The Merge, however, was very stylish and modern. When she drove by she saw that the front was finished in stainless steel and black textured blocks, and it had large full-length tinted windows along the street. The landscaping was incredible too, and none of this had been started the last time Sarah was here. She rang the buzzer and was brought out of her musings when the back door opened, revealing a smiling woman with shoulder length brown hair.

  “Sarah!” Annie wrapped her older sister in a fierce hug and then reached down to do the same to Duke. Only one gave doggy kisses in return though. Annie opened the door wider and invited them in. “Come on, I’ll give you the tour. I’m pretty sure you won’t recognize the place with all the remodeling we’ve done since you’ve been on the road.”