Blood Kiss (Savage Security Series Book 1) (19 page)

Life was like that. Rule followers, rule breakers, and those who thought the rules didn’t apply to them. Whoever her stalker was didn’t think the rules applied to him. In his sick and twisted mind he believed that what he was doing was acceptable. He’d justified his actions to himself. The monsters always do. They don’t worry about the lives they destroy. They just leave a wide path of destruction without a backward glance of concern. Well this monster was going to be stopped, and it was going to hurt.

Mike followed Jack into the parking lot as they headed for the limo. He looked around to make sure there were no kids present. “You really fucked that up,” Mike barked.

Jack knew it was coming. He walked over to his side of the limo and opened the passenger side door. He slipped onto the leather seat. “What did you expect me to do? Drop the man in front of a bunch of seven year olds?” He looked incredulously over at Mike. “The hallway was full of kids when he showed up. I didn’t have a lot of options. And, uh, did you forget, we’re both carrying? The last thing we needed was for someone to call the cops.”

Mike started the engine and drummed his fingertips on the wheel. “You could’ve figured something out.”

“Yeah, I made a shit ton of noise so you’d know we were coming in. You plant the tracker?”

“Yes.”

“Then mission accomplished. You can stop bitching at me and focus on the real problem.” He snorted a laugh. “I can’t believe you’re leaving her in there. You’re clearly thinking with your cock. After seeing her, I’m back to my original opinion. You need zip tie her ass to a table at Savage Securities.

“Fuck! Jack!” Mike barked. “You think I haven’t thought about that all morning. I want to throw her over my shoulder and drag her to work and lock her up tight, but she’d hate me forever. And I can’t have that.

Jack rested an arm on the door and turned so he faced Mike. “But you can have her kidnapped? Raped? Killed?”

“Shut the fuck up!”

Jack hated to see his friend like this. Mike really was in a ‘fucked if you do’ and ‘fucked if you don’t’ position. “She’s what? I’m guessing around one ten. Even a pansy-assed pussy should be able to drag her skinny ass to his fucked up lair. I’m just saying.” Jack shrugged casually. “You need to deal with reality.”

Mike needed to do what was best for Alisha, not what Alisha wanted to do. If she died, would Mike ever be able to forgive himself? He still carried his sister’s death on his shoulders every day, and he hadn’t even known Amy was in trouble. What would Alisha’s death do to him when he’d taken on the responsibility to protect her?

“You think I’m not dealing with reality?” Mike snapped in disbelief. “I know the reality. I live with it every day. I see the pain of reality in my parent’s eyes every time I’m with them. There is no escape from reality for me.” Mike gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white from his death grip.

A battle waged in Mike’s head. He wanted to go back in and get her. She’d gotten lucky this morning, and he didn’t know if her luck would hold. Would she be there waiting for him to pick her up after school? His heart burned in his chest. He hadn’t felt pain like this since he’d heard about his sister’s death.

“Well, I’ve said my peace,” Jack said. “And when all this goes to Hell, and you know it will, I’ll have your back, and you won’t even hear me say ‘I told you so’.”

“Is that a promise?”

Alisha’s afternoon went smoothly. Lunch led into recess which gave her time to talk with the other teachers while the kids played. She anxiously awaited Mike’s texts, happy each time her phone vibrated in her pocket. She quickly replied, knowing that if she didn’t that he’d freak on her. She wasn’t sure what he’d do when he ‘freaked’, but she knew it couldn’t possibly be pleasant. He was intimidating enough in his ‘everything is fine and dandy’ mode.

As the students packed up to go home, she sent him a text even though she doubted that he‘d reply. She knew he had to drop the client off at the airport before he came back to get her. When she’d asked him about the man, Mike explained that he was unable to talk about him. The client hired them to protect his privacy while he attended to business here, so Savage Securities had signed a nondisclosure agreement. Mike assured her that this was pretty standard for them. They even had doctors, nurses, flight crews, and other various specialties that they frequently worked with that had signed nondisclosure agreements with them.

The world of nondisclosure agreements was so far removed from Alisha’s reality. Gossip spread like lice at a slumber party around the school. She frequently heard things about people’s lives that she wished she didn’t know. She wondered how much of it was true or even if parts of the rumors were true. She tried to remain immune to the effects of gossip, but that was easier said than done. The nasty gossip bugs burrowed their way into her life and carried bits and pieces of information on to others. A nondisclosure agreement would never work at a school. The gossip bug would hungrily devour the paper it was printed on.

She chuckled as she set her phone on her desk and looked at the bushy haired girl shoving everything in her backpack. Alisha hoped the girl’s parents had truly gotten rid of the lice. Those buggers were hard to get rid of, and that little girl had a
lot
of hair. Alisha didn’t understand why the mom didn’t put that magnificent mane in a braid to help prevent the lice from spreading. The day after the letter went home about the lice in the classroom, all the other girls in the class came to school with braids. Even girls from other classes showed up sporting braids of all kinds. Alisha chuckled. The one girl who needs a braid is the one girl who doesn’t have one.

Typical. Oh well, she shrugged to herself, good luck to the others.

She dismissed the carpool students and checked her phone again. No reply from Mike. She figured he was on the road. She’d asked him not to text and drive, so she wasn’t surprised when he didn’t reply.

She set the phone down on her desk and graded a few papers while the bus students slowly trickled out. When the phone chirped, she set down her red pen and snatched up her cell.

Running late. Accident on Interstate. Dropping him off now. Will text when on the way.

Her heart sank. She was thankful for the update and glad that he was fine, but she was a little disappointed. She was ready to see him in minutes not wait another half-hour or more. She had no idea how long it would take at the airport. Did he just drop the client off, or did he have to wait until the client’s plane departed?

Thanks for update. See you soon. ♥

She wasn’t sure about the heart emoji, but she left it there and hit send. She did care about him, and he would just have to deal with it. Besides, she was an emoji person. That’s just who she was. Her day had been great so far, and the heart reflected her feelings. She hadn’t received any strange notes or gifts, and Mike would be with her soon. Those were two excellent reasons to use the emoji.

The final bus was called, and the last students rushed out the classroom door, slinging their backpacks over their shoulders. Alisha followed them, picking up scraps of paper and pencils that lay scattered on the floor. She tossed the trash into the trashcan and peeked into the hallway. Students powerwalked past each other. Their backpacks collided into other rushing students as they fought to be in the lead.

“No running in the hallway,” Alisha called out. Some students pretended to slow down, while others barreled through the mass of kids flooding the hallway.

Alisha shook her head and closed the door, glad the day was done. She grabbed her phone from her pocket and opened her favorite music app. The music flowed, and a smile eased across her face. She straightened the tables and chairs as she made her way back to her desk. She settled herself on the cushioned seat and grabbed her math book. Opening her lesson plan book, she finished planning the math lessons for later in the week.

A knock sounded at the door. Alisha looked up in time to see the door slowly open.

“Hey there,” Cara called out as she peeked her head into the doorway.

“Hey,” Alisha sang out. She closed her math book and smiled up at one of her best friends. Cara was a talker, and Alisha knew what she was there to talk about.

Cara strode through the room, her long legs cutting gracefully through the air. She always reminded Alisha of an elf. Not the Keebler kind, but the Tolkien kind. She was so tall and lithe that she almost didn’t seem human. She was pretty, but in a different way. Her narrow face, high cheek bones and fair skin either made her look sickly or sexy. Alisha could never quite decide. It depended on what Cara was wearing and the mood she was sporting.

“I know you gave us the edited version of your relationship with Mike at recess,” Cara teased, a huge smile brightening her face. “I’m here for the unedited version.” Cara leaned against the top of one of the desks and let her long legs sprawl out in front of her. “The dirtier the details, the better.” Her wide smile easily stretched across her thin face.

Alisha set her pen down on her desk and leaned back in her chair. “Don’t look at me like that. You know everything you need to know.” She fiddled with her cell phone, willing a reply from Mike.

Cara snorted. “Hardly. You did
not
meet that man shopping.” She raised an eyebrow and waited for Alisha’s reply.

The seconds ticked by as Cara kept her gaze locked on Alisha. Alisha hoped her silence would elicit a different question from Cara, but it didn’t. She just continued to stare, her light blue eyes refusing to blink. Alisha finally had to answer just to save herself from Cara’s intensity. “I did meet him shopping.”

“Where?” was Cara’s quick response. “And if you tell me the grocery store, I’m going to assume it was Victoria’s Secret.” She giggled and added, “That would make a better story.” At this she gave a smile and secretly hoped it was Victoria’s Secret. Alisha needed a little man and some hot lingerie in her life.

Alisha pushed back her chair and stood. She scowled at Cara as she walked briskly to her classroom door. She peeked into the hallway, making sure no one was around, and shut the door.

“Wow,” Cara drawled out. “This must be good if you’re closing the door.” She stared as Alisha made her way back to her desk. She tucked her straight, dark brown hair behind her ear and waited for Alisha’s response.

Alisha wasn’t sure why she always looked for points on the tops of Cara’s ears. They were never there. She wasn’t really an elf.

Alisha plopped down in her chair and closed her planning book, setting it on top of the math book. She looked at the mess that was her desk. Piles of papers needed to be graded and filed, writing samples needed to be edited, and art work needed to be hung on the walls. “Look at all of this.” She waved her hand over her desk.

“Yes, I know. My desk is just as bad,” Cara replied. “Stop procrastinating. Don’t try and change the subject. There’s a story here. I want to hear it.”

Alisha stared at the phone that refused to chime with the arrival of a text. She was nervous to say too much to Cara since her relationship with Mike was so new. But in all honesty, she wanted to talk to Cara about Mike, and then go home with him to do all kinds of fun things that did not involve school work.

“So,” Cara said, tilting her head and casually flicking her wrist, “give it up.”

“I did meet him shopping.”

“Really?” Cara replied, her voice full of doubt and curiosity. “Don’t tell me. A bookstore,” Cara said flatly. It wouldn’t surprise her if Alisha did pick up a man at a bookstore. There was no shame in that. She just hoped it was in the action/adventure section and not the ‘I’m so boring my diary shredded itself just to get away from me’ section.

Alisha let out a breath and tilted her head at Cara. “No, not a bookstore,” Alisha replied. “And there’s nothing wrong with meeting a man at the bookstore. Lots of nice guys like to read, especially the smart ones,” she stated as if this was a new concept for Cara who only entered bookstores under duress.

“So I’ve been told,” Cara replied. “But Mike doesn’t look like he cuddles up with a good book every night. He looks more like he spends his time at the gym or some other macho hangout.” She paused and looked up thoughtfully at the ceiling then shot her gaze back to Alisha. “I can see him shooting darts and downing some serious alcohol in his free time. What do you think?” She cocked her head and narrowed her eyes. She wasn’t leaving until she got the true story.

“I think that in some bizarre ‘Cara’ world, that was a compliment.” Alisha laughed. “We met at a store, just not at a grocery store or anything that mundane.” She drummed her fingers on her desk. “I met him at a gun store.”

Cara’s eyebrows rose and her mouth dropped open. She hadn’t expected that. “If gun stores are hiding men like that, I may sign up to be the next Annie Oakley. Hmm,” she paused. “I thought only rednecks hung out at those places.” She chuckled. “He’s way too hot to be a redneck.”

“Cara,” Alisha sighed, “that’s very narrow minded of you.”

“I’m tall and skinny,” she shrugged, “I can’t help but have a narrow mind,” Cara teased back. “Don’t be a hater.”

Alisha rolled her eyes and let out a big breath in exasperation. “I don’t know why I even try with you.

“You try because you love me.”

Alisha raised an eyebrow. “No matter how hard you make it.”

Cara shrugged. “And I love you. But seriously, why were you at a gun store?” Cara asked.

“You know why.” Alisha picked up the phone and looked at the display. She wanted to hear from Mike again. She wanted to know that he was on his way.

“Your stalker?” Cara asked. Had Alisha actually turned to guns because of this Neanderthal? “I guess that makes sense.”

“Yeah,” Alisha nodded. “It got worse this weekend.”

“How so?” Cara lost her light hearted smile as her eyes filled with concern.

“He’s jealous of Mike?”

Cara’s jaw gaped open. “Seriously? How does he even know about the guy? You literally just met him.”

“The freak is following me. It feels like all the time.” Alisha drummed her nails on the screen of the phone. “He broke into my house.”

Cara’s stomach twisted. “Alisha, I don’t even know what to say. Did you call the cops?” Her eyes bugged as she stared at Alisha. “Do you need somewhere to stay? You know you can hang with me.” She held her hand over her heart.

“No,” Alisha shook her head. She knew Cara wouldn’t be able to solve this problem, and after hearing about Mike’s sister and Julia, she didn’t want to drag Cara into the mess. Besides, she figured Mike was her best bet. “Yes, I called the cops, but they can’t really do anything.”

Cara snorted.

“I’m staying with Mike.”

Cara’s eyebrows threatened to rise into her hairline as her eyes bulged and her mouth dropped open. “You’ve already moved in with him?” she said, leaning forward dramatically.

Alisha rolled her eyes. “Honestly, I wouldn’t be staying with him if it wasn’t for this stalker. But even taking that jerk out of the picture, we’re moving pretty fast.” Alisha couldn’t help but smile. Whenever she thought of Mike, tingles of excitement flit through her.

“He’s that good, huh? You’re relaxing your ‘rules’ for him.” Cara gave a low chuckle and shook her head from side to side. “You do look as happy as my snake after he scarfed down my brother’s hamster. I swear his beady black eyes twinkled as that tiny bulge made its way through the length of his body.” Cara teased.

“Ugh, gross!” Alisha scrunched up her face and laughed. She glanced at the phone again, wishing he’d text. “Yeah, he’s pretty awesome. And yeah, my rules have been thrown out the window. Actually, this is the fastest I’ve ever moved with a man, but I’m really comfortable with him. Everything just seems right.”

“I’m glad you have Mike helping you.” She couldn’t imagine the anxiety plaguing Alisha.
What was it like to have fear constantly course through your body? To always know that some crazy person wanted you?
“Let me know if you need anything. And I mean anything. You can call me, day or night.”

“I know.” Alisha nodded and the corner of her mouth turned up.

Cara stood from leaning on the student’s desk and walked towards Alisha. “Give me a hug,” she said, holding her arms out.

Alisha stepped into her arms, thankful that they’d been friends since their freshman year of college. Cara had helped her through the death of her parents, and Cara had been her rock during this stalker ordeal. She’d trusted her with the details, but now her trust shifted towards Mike. She knew it was just a matter of time until it would all be over, and she was counting on Mike to pull her through.