Greeley's Spyce (15 page)

―You okay there, Kacy?‖ Brett asked, looking at her over his shoulder

as he removed the faceplate he knelt before.

―Sure. I just don‘t like the feel of this room.‖

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Brett sent her a wry smile. ―You wanna go and see if there is no long-

er a signal at the breaker box?‖

―Hell, yeah.‖ Kacy turned around and froze.

―What, Kacy?‖

―Be careful, Brett. Just be extra careful down here.‖ Her words were

full of concern.

Half past eight they were done. The house had been a nightmare—

bad switches, wild wiring. It was floating, which meant there was no ground

on the service.

At least it was set so Brett could now rewire safely. Handing Brett a

list of what she used, since he‘d insisted on replacing those items, she

slammed the door of her van shut. ―I am so frickin‘ hungry I could eat an

elephant,‖ Kacy complained.

―Wanna grab dinner?‖ Brett asked.

―Yeah, that would be great. Where do you want to go?‖ Kacy opened

the driver‘s door and looked at Brett over her shoulder.

―There is that little Italian place just off of Twenty-First that looks

good.‖

―Pasta sounds excellent. Meet you there.‖ She slid behind the wheel

and shut the door, driving off and waving over her shoulder.

Brett pulled in moments behind her at the restaurant and they

walked in together. It was a quiet place that wasn‘t too busy. A warm

welcome greeted them as they were shown to a nice table.

―Thanks for this idea, Brett,‖ Kacy said as her copper gaze looked

over the menu.

He smiled in return. ―Hey, I owe you so much for coming out to help

me.‖

They placed their order and sat back to wait for the appetizers. ―Tell

me, Brett, how is Lisa?‖

Lisa was Brett‘s girlfriend. ―She is doing okay; comes back to town

next week.‖

―When are you gonna marry that woman?‖ Kacy asked with a smile.

A faint blush crept over his cheeks. ―Actually, I am going to ask her

when she gets home.‖

―For real?‖ Kacy squealed.

―Yes. It‘s about time she made an honest man of me.‖

Kacy touched him gently on the arm. ―Congratulations, Brett. You

two make a wonderful couple.‖

The two friends had a light-hearted dinner. It was after ten when

they parted ways in the restaurant parking lot. Kacy finally drove home with

a full stomach. The one thing that would have made the night better was

having Ernst with her.

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Shaking her head, she grinned at how pathetic she was. Easing into

her garage, she shut the door behind her as she walked into her home. Kacy

stopped off at her fish tank to feed her babies before going to her room to

shower and change.

Padding in boxer shorts and a tank top to the kitchen, she went to the

freezer. Ice cream time. Noticing the light blinking on her machine, she

pressed play as she grabbed a bowl for her nighttime snack.

The first few messages she knew were for work. As she dished up the

chocolate treat she heard two hang-ups. Shrugging them off, she reached for

her toppings and began to add them liberally.

The patter of rain on her windows made her look up.
I didn’t know it

was supposed to rain.
Soon her attention was back on the toppings as another

person asked for a bid on her answering machine. Leaning against her

counter, she began to eat the ice cream when the next message began to play.

The bowl fell to the floor and shattered as Kacy bolted toward the ga-

rage.



Ernst had set the phone back in its charger after hanging up with Ka-

cy. Turning on some AC/DC, he‘d begun making himself some dinner. After

his dinner had finished cooking, he sat down on his couch and turned off the

music and to watch a baseball game.

His phone rang, jolting him out of his trance. ―Hello?‖ He hoped it

was Kacy.

Nope.

―Hello, Son,‖ Nonnie Zimmermann said.

―Hello, Mother.‖ Ernst shut off the television and ambled back into

his kitchen. ―What‘s going on?‖ It was nine o‘clock.

―Calling to check on you. You haven‘t called or come home in a

while,‖ she reprimanded.

―Been busy, Mom, sorry.‖

―We are having a gathering on Sunday. Come.‖

Images of Kacy and Adam on horseback flashed through his head.

―Sorry, Mom, I have plans if we are still here.‖

―Doing what?‖ the dubious voice asked.

―I am spending time with my girlfriend and a child from an orpha-

nage,‖ Ernst claimed, happy as hell he could actually call Kacy his girlfriend.

There was a moment of silence on the line. ―Well, what is she like?‖

―Beautiful, smart, and sexy,‖ Ernst replied immediately.

―Do we know her? Her family? Anything about her?‖

―Mother, you don‘t know her or her family. I promise I will bring her

out there to meet you but not this Sunday. I‘m sorry.‖

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―I guess I understand. You don‘t want to see your family,‖ she be-

moaned.

Ernst rolled his eyes and put his dishes in the dishwasher. ―I want to

see my family. But we have plans for this Sunday and I am not going to ask

her to change them.‖

Nonnie sighed heavily. ―If I can‘t change your mind, then fine. But

I‘m not the only one who hasn‘t seen you in a while, you know.‖

―I will come out as soon as I can mother. Please stop trying to make

me feel guilty,‖ Ernst begged as he saw the toppings Kacy had brought over

last night.

She put in one more dig. ―You know Adolf is here.‖

―Yes, Mother, but he lives at home. I don‘t.‖ Ernst shook his head.

Their conversations were always like this. His mother wanted him at home

living under her roof so she could run his life.

―He is home with his mother; there is nothing wrong with that,‖ she

snapped.

―He is a thirty-eight-year-old man. Adolf should be married and rais-

ing his own family.‖

―Your brother just hasn‘t met the right woman yet,‖ she insisted.

For you, Mother, he hasn’t met the right woman for
you
.
―Okay, Mother. I

have to go. I will be home soon and I will bring Kacy with me.‖

―Kacy? Is that her name?‖

―Yes. Now goodnight, Mother.‖ Ernst hung up the phone, only

slightly exasperated with his parent. She hated what he did for a living and

always tried to get him to stop and work with their father in the warehouse.

But manufacturing machine parts wasn‘t Ernst‘s idea of a fun job.

Ernst worked out again and showered before heading to bed. It was

eleven-thirty and he was getting up early to go running. Not to mention,

dealing with his mother made him tired.

Sliding between the sheets nude, he closed his eyes and dreamt of

Kacy Travis in his arms, in his bed and in his life.

BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
The fierce pounding had Ernst bolting out

of bed. Drawing on his pajama bottoms, he ran to his door.

BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
―What the hell?‖ he swore as he wrenched

the door open.

Kacy stood there drenched to the bone in boxers and a white tank top

that was plastered to her body. She wore no bra, a fact he couldn‘t help but

notice. Her hair was flattened to her head, but it was her eyes that caused him

great concern. They were so full of fear and hopelessness.

―Kacy? Jesus, sweetheart, get in here. What‘s wrong?‖ Ernst reached

for her only to have her launch herself into his arms, pressing her wet body to

his dry one.

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Backing up into his apartment, he carried her now sobbing body

straight to the bathroom. She was shivering. Setting her down on the floor, he

had to pry her hands off him. ―
Liebling
? Sweetheart, what happened?‖

Kacy just climbed closer to him again. Her teeth chattered so much

Ernst wouldn‘t have been able to understand her if she had been talking.

Reaching around her, he turned on the shower and walked them both into it

when it was warm enough.

The spray soon began to sink into her bones and the chattering

slowed down. Ernst held her, allowing her to cry out whatever was bothering

her. Finally, she moved back from his embrace and looked up at him.

―Kacy, what the hell happened for you to come out in the rain in this

little bit of clothing?‖

Wiping away the water that ran down her face, her eyes met and

held his. ―I‘m sorry for barging in on you.‖

―What happened?‖
Trust me, please, Kacy.

―After work, Brett and I went to dinner. I got home about eleven. I

took a shower and changed. I went into the kitchen for…‖ she paused and

gave him a tremulous smile, ―…for ice cream. Anyway, I hit the playback on

my machine and
he
was on there. Threatening me.‖

A switch flipped in Ernst. Gone was the lighthearted and carefree

man; a battle-hardened warrior took his place—one who wanted blood. His

eyes were blank and deadly as he looked at the frightened woman in his

shower.

―I didn‘t know where else to go,‖ Kacy babbled on.

It took a great deal of effort for Ernst to control himself. Forcibly

calming himself, he tipped Kacy‘s face towards his. ―First thing is we get out

of this shower and into some dry clothes.‖ His mouth quirked. ―No matter

how long I have wanted to get you in the shower.‖
And I am not even going to

think why she was at dinner with Brett.

Kacy smiled, but it didn‘t reach her eyes. ―Let‘s get out and get you

dry,‖ he said as he shut off the water.

It was like dressing a puppet. Kacy stood on her own, but she seemed

vacant. Ernst stripped her clothes off and wrapped her in a big, fluffy towel.

Putting another towel around his waist, he left her in the bathroom to get her

something to wear.

She remained in the exact spot he‘d left her, fingers clutching the to-

wel like it would run away if she loosened her grip. ―Here,‖ he said. ―Put this

on.‖ Ernst handed her a tee shirt and a pair of boxers. He had changed into

another pair of pajama bottoms.

Kacy dropped the towel and put them on in record time. His pale

eyes moved over her standing before him in his clothing. A gray shirt and

blue boxers, she had never looked so enticing.

The second he saw that haunted look on her face, his lustful thoughts

took a backseat to finding out exactly what had happened. He made sure

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their wet clothes were hanging so they would dry. Holding out his hand he

said, ―Come to bed and tell me what happened.‖

Obediently, Kacy put her hand in his and allowed him to walk her

down the hall to his room. She stood like a statue as he pulled back the covers

on one side for her. ―Kacy,‖ he said.

It was like she blinked and was back in his time and place. ―Com-

ing,‖ her low voice said.

In seconds, Ernst was in bed with Kacy. Her body curled up to his

immediately and she shook for a bit until she got her emotions under control.

Her bare legs brushed against his cotton-covered ones.

―Tell me what happened,‖ he ordered as his hands locked around

her, securing her to his body.

C H A P T E R F O U R T E E N

―He said he was coming for me. That his face would be the last thing

I saw.‖ Kacy‘s body shuddered. ―I don‘t know what else because I ran.‖

Ernst‘s eyes closed in prayer to have five seconds with that man.

They opened when she said, ―I ran to the garage to hide like I had in the past,

but it didn‘t make me feel safe.‖

Like I had in the past.
Ernst wanted to kill this guy. It was obvious

someone wasn‘t doing his or her job to protect her. Now it was his job, and he

would do it correctly. ―Then what?‖ he prompted.

―I jumped in my car and came here.‖ It was on the tip of his tongue

to ask why, but she continued. ―You were the only thing that came to my

mind when I tried to figure out a safe place.‖

A warm feeling began to thaw the coldness that had filled him at her

revelation. ―I‘m glad,‖ his honest admission came. ―I didn‘t think it was

raining so hard out.‖

―I paced outside deciding if I should come up or not,‖ she breathed

into his neck.

―My door is always open for you,‖ he whispered. ―I want you to go

to sleep now.‖

Kacy nodded and did just that.

Ernst stayed in that same position until he knew for certain she was

in a deep sleep. After that, he carefully removed his body from bed and went

to workout.

Pounding the heavy bag, he imagined it was the man who did this to

her. He wanted to go to her house and listen to the message, but didn‘t want

her to wake up alone.

―Ernst?‖ Kacy‘s sleepy voice asked from the doorway a few hours

later.

Spinning around, he flowed towards her like a ghost, one reason why

he had his nickname. ―Did I wake you?‖ His eyes were once again gentle as

he looked over her exhausted body.

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Aliyah Burke

―No, I got up to use your bathroom.‖ Kacy yawned. ―What are you

doing up?‖

Ernst trailed one hand down the side of her face. ―Just getting rid of