Bryn Morrow (7 page)

Chapter 23

Celeste was eating scrambled eggs and bacon at the kitchen table when there was a knock on the door.
 
She had woken up at sunrise after fitful dreams she couldn’t quite recall and decided to cook breakfast when she was unable to get back to sleep. She walked to her front door, dressed in a pink nightie and slippers, peeked through the curtain to see who it was, and then unlocked and opened it.
 

“Celeste.”
 

“Bryn? You can’t be outside. It’s daytime!” She pulled him inside and closed the door.

“It’s okay. I’ve been working on my polymer.” Bryn was wearing long pants, dark sunglasses, a white T-shirt and a black leather jacket, minimizing his exposed skin.
 

 
“Sit down and talk to me. It’s been a long night.” Celeste walked into her kitchen and sat at the table in front of her plate and glass of orange juice. “Do you need anything?”

“Just you.” Bryn sat, removed his sunglasses, and tucked them into an inside jacket pocket. His gaze took her in, and he smiled.
 

She ate a bite of eggs, and washed it down with juice. The coffeemaker on the counter steamed and hissed as it finished brewing. “Jason and Tommy are in the hospital.”

“What happened?” Bryn gripped the edge of the table and leaned forward, his eyes narrowed.

“Simon happened. They saw him on Lake Drive and things didn’t go well. I don’t know all the details; Tommy is in a coma.”

“I’m sorry. How badly is Jason hurt? I know you care for him.” He touched Celeste’s shoulder.
 

“Jason has a broken hand and leg. He got off easy.” She finished her bacon and orange juice, then got up and poured herself a cup of coffee. She held up another cup and looked at Bryn; he shook his head.

“Simon hasn’t come here?” He asked. He looked around as if expecting to see damage.
 

“I haven’t seen him.” She sipped her coffee. “I can’t believe you are day walking, Bryn. You’re crazy.”

“I don’t have much time. Maybe an hour.” He looked at his watch. It had a digital dial, a black metal band, and looked expensive. “But I wanted to make sure you were safe.”

She said, “Why don’t I give you a tour of my bedroom?”

He smiled and stood up. “That sounds nice.”

“It’s upstairs. Come on.” She got to her feet, took Bryn’s hand, then pulled him into the hallway and led him to the upstairs.
 

He watched the curve of her ass under the flimsy fabric. They went into the first room on the left. She slid her nightie over her head, stepped out of her slippers, and spun around in a circle. She was wearing red lace panties and a matching bra. Her bedroom window faced east; a thin shaft of light was coming in through an opening in the drapes.
 

“See anything you like?” she asked with a big smile.
 

“You know I do. Your beasts are perfection and your dark skin contrasts enticingly with the red lace.” He crossed the distance between them in one step and took her into his arms. He squeezed her bottom while kissing her. She melted into his arms and bit his lip.
 

“You are so firm and strong.” She ran her hands up his chest, under his T-shirt. “Put your lips on my breasts.”
 

He yanked her bra down, freeing her dark breasts, and began sucking on them. Her nipples were darker than her skin. He traced her back muscles and pushed against her spine, stopping at the triangle above her bottom. He rubbed the small of her back in a circular motion while sliding his lips down to her neck. His sharp teeth scraped her skin but he didn’t bite.

She arched her back and moaned. “Man of my dreams. You are so beautiful. I can’t believe I found you.”

“You were meant to find me.” He locked eyes with her and squeezed her breasts. Then he slid his hands down to her thighs and kissed her again.

She reached down and unfastened his belt. “Now come to bed before you burn up in the sun.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Chapter 24

Celeste touched Debra’s shoulder. She jerked awake and looked up. “How’s Tommy?” The paperback she had been reading was on the floor next to her chair. It was a fantasy about swords, muskets, and magic by someone named McNally.
 
It was almost noon on Saturday. Deb had fixed her makeup and looked better, but tired. “You’ve been here all night?”
 

Debra nodded. “He still won’t wake up. They say he’s stable but there’s swelling on his brain. They can’t tell me if he will ever wake up. They are going to keep monitoring him.”
 

“I brought you a mocha,” she said, handing Debra the Perky’s cup. “I’m sorry about Tommy. I blame myself.”

“You didn’t make them confront Simon. They just made a mistake.” Debra drank a big gulp of mocha.
 

“A big mistake,” said Jason. He swung his legs off the bed and sat up. Stretching his arms above his head, he winced at the pain in his ribs. His left hand was in a full cast, and they had plastered his left leg. There was a walking boot on the bottom, and the cast ended below his knee. A pair of crutches was propped against the wall near his bed.
 

“Hey, take it easy. Are you supposed to be sitting up?” Celeste rushed to his side and steadied him so he wouldn’t fall.

“They’re letting me out today. Can you drive me home?” Jason asked.
 

She nodded. “Sure. It’s the least I can do after—”

“It wasn’t your fault, Celeste. It was mine. I thought I could reason with him… convince him you left town.”

“You always did play with fire.” She touched his face and looked at his eyes. They were still glazed from the medication, but he looked determined.
 

“And this time I almost got Tommy killed.” He looked at the floor and clenched his right hand.
 

“Tommy made his own choice,” said Debra. “He could have gone for help, but he didn’t.”

Jason nodded, but his eyes showed he was unconvinced.
 

“Does your mom know you are getting out today?” asked Celeste.
 

“Yeah. I called her. But you know she doesn’t drive.”

“No worries. I’ll take you. Let me check with the nurse and get you a wheelchair.”

“No wheelchair,” said Jason. “I can walk. I just can’t drive until the medication wears off.”

“Okay, tough guy. I’ll be right back,” said Celeste.

Jason watched her leave. She was wearing blue jeans and a black T-shirt. She hadn’t bothered putting on any jewelry, and her only makeup was red lip gloss and purple eyeliner.
 

He pushed himself off the bed and limped over to Tommy’s side. “Stay with us, Tom. I’ll come back and see you every day. You just get better and wake up. Okay?” He squeezed Tommy’s pale hand.
 

“I’ll call you if he wakes up,” Debra said, then stood and gave Jason a hug.
 

“Thanks, Deb. I’m sorry… about everything.” Jason looked down at Tommy’s still form and then over at the monitors tracing his life signs.
 

“It’s not your—”

“Stop. Just stop. I don’t want to hear that until Tommy wakes up.” Jason turned to face the door, continuing to ignore the crutches.
 

“Okay. Take care of yourself.”

“Do you think Tommy would mind if I borrowed some of his tools and his welder from the shop?” Jason asked her, keeping his expression neutral. “It’s the weekend, and the shop is closed anyway. I need to build something.”

“I’m sure he would loan them to you anytime,” said Debra. “Go ahead, and I’ll let him know when he wakes up. Don’t overdo it. You are still weak.”

“Thanks.” He bent down, groaning in pain, and gave her a hug. “Don’t forget to eat.”
 

He limped out of the room, heading toward the nurse’s station where Celeste was waiting for him. His hand cast was white and only went up as far as his forearm, so he could still bend his elbow. The cast on his leg was almost up to his knee and had a couple of rubber pads molded into the bottom so he wouldn’t slip and fall. He couldn’t walk fast in it, and he damn sure couldn’t run.

“Ready?” asked Celeste. “You’re all signed out.”

“Let’s hit it,” he said. He let her put an arm around his shoulder and help him to her car.

Chapter 25

Bryn nodded at the nurse and kept walking. He looked left and right as he passed open doors on the ground floor of the hospital and stopped when he saw Debra. She was holding Tommy’s hand and sleeping in her chair, head on her chest. An open paperback was on the table next to her, along with a pitcher of water and a half-full glass. The other bed in the room was rumpled but empty. There was a pair of crutches against the wall near it.
 

He looked both ways down the hallway, saw no one, and entered the room. The clock on the wall read nine-thirty, and the sky through the window was turning darker by the minute. It hadn’t taken him long to drive down from Lake Saul. Lanston and Corwin didn’t have much in the way of traffic on a Saturday night. Just people headed to the local watering holes or looking for dinner—one of the benefits of being up in the north woods of Minnesota, not far from the Canadian border. He placed a small bouquet of flowers on the table near Debra’s book. They were dark velvet dahlias with white-tipped petals and gave off a pleasantly powerful aroma that masked the antiseptic smell of the room.
   

Bryn reached past her, taking care not to wake her, and grabbed the pitcher of water. He raised it to his lips and drank the whole thing. Then he set the empty pitcher down. His skin glowed a faint amber, and the whites of his eyes turned blue. He trembled, and his skin rippled. He walked over to the far side of Tommy’s bed, near the softly beeping monitors, and placed the fingertips of both hands on Tommy’s forehead.
 

“It’s my fault you got hurt, Tommy. He followed me here.” Bryn kept his voice low. Debra stirred but didn’t wake up.

“I can channel energies,” he explained. “You might die, but if I do nothing, you’ll never wake up.” A glow spread down his fingers. He closed his eyes. He willed his life force to course down into Tommy. His skin grew hot, and he felt a pulse of energy crackle down his arms. Tommy’s body jerked as if he’d had been electrocuted. The air smelled like rain after a thunderstorm.
 

Bryn stepped back, staggered, and fell to his knees. His skin was white and grainy, like sand. Cracks ran across his face.
 

Debra woke up and rubbed her eyes. “What was that?”

“I’m not sure,” said Bryn. His voice was a dry whisper, like the rattle of leaves over pavement. “I had to come see him. See if I could help.”

She looked over Tommy’s bed at him. “Bryn? What happened to you? Where’s Celeste?”

“I’ll be okay. I came alone.” His face shimmered and his skin smoothed. The cracks vanished. He struggled to his feet. He was pale, and his pupils were dilated, making his eyes look like black pools of oil. “I brought some flowers.”

“Thank you. I’m sure Tommy appreciates it even if he can’t say so.” Debra took Tommy’s hand in hers. “He feels warmer.”

“I hope he wakes up soon, Debra.” Bryn walked around the bed. He put his hands on her shoulders and squeezed. “I’m sorry you have to see him like this.”

“It’s not your fault. Simon did this.” She stood and embraced him. He was trembling.
 

“Simon is like me. I should have known. I should have stopped him.” He wrapped his arms around her so he wouldn’t fall down and waited for the shaking to subside. The lights in the room were incredibly bright and stabbed at him.
 

“Protect Celeste. I’ll stay here with Tommy.” She released him and took his hand in hers. “I know you’re not like Simon.”

Chapter 26

The sun was down and twilight had settled over the landscape. Celeste was sitting on her front porch sipping iced tea, facing east. The smell of hyacinth filled the air. She saw him before he reached the steps but held still. He was fast. Faster than any man.
 

“Celeste?” He was taller than Bryn and solid. His hair was sandy brown and his eyes were dark brown. He was dressed in blue jeans and a red T-shirt with a leather jacket over it. The jacket was studded with silver. His hands were scarred.
 

“Simon?”

“Yes. I’m happy to finally meet you. May I sit?” He looked at the circular glass table and the four wooden chairs around it.
 

“Please do.” She gestured toward a chair across from her. Her heart began to race, and she could feel adrenaline creeping up her spine. She kept the panic off her face.
 

“Thank you. I’ve come a long way to find you.” Simon pulled out the chair and sat down, leaning back against the padding. He placed his hands on the table, fingers folded together. He wasn’t wearing a watch, but he had a gold ring on his left hand with a black stone in the center.

“That’s what I hear.” Celeste tried to calm down by taking a deep breath, and then letting it out slowly.
This is the guy who almost killed Jason and Tommy. He’s dangerous.

Simon smiled, revealing four silver-tipped teeth among the rest. They were pointed, with a pair on the top and bottom. His eyes locked onto Celeste with great intensity.
 

“Would you like some iced tea?” she asked, taking a glass off the tray and getting ready to pour.

“Certainly, love.” He smiled wider, like a shark approaching a school of fish. His eyes traveled down to her breasts under the black T-shirt and lingered.

She poured with one hand, slipping her cell phone out of her pocket and onto her lap under the table with the other one. She pressed mute on the phone and hit the speed dial number for Bryn while sliding the glass of tea toward Simon. Then she slipped the phone back in her pocket without looking at it.

“Why me?” she asked. The hair on the back of her neck was standing up, and she was wishing she hadn’t sold her Colt 44 last year. She slid her chair back a little in case she needed to get out of it in a hurry.