Her Kind of Man (7 page)

A
llina woke up with a start, practically tumbling out of the bed, arms swinging like she was fighting. She didn't even realize she was screaming until Kent charged into the bedroom. It was the second time since Kent had left her that she'd drifted off to sleep and had a nightmare.

She glanced at the clock on the nightstand, grateful that it was finally morning, albeit early morning. It had been a horrible night.

Kent approached the bed tentatively. “Allina, it's going to be okay. It was just a bad dream.” He sat down on the bed next to her, his presence immediately putting her at ease.

“It was so real,” she whimpered, clutching the thin sheet to her chest. “I thought he was going to…”
Kill me
. She didn't even want to say the words out loud. It was ridiculous.
Wasn't it?
It made more sense for him to just let her go. Would he?

Kent pulled her into his arms. “I won't let him hurt you,” he promised. He'd told her that countless times, but he couldn't be there every minute of every day. Allina didn't doubt that Kent would do everything he could to protect her. She knew he would, but she had to start making wise decisions herself. Staying away would work for only so long. It just wasn't realistic since her parents were in Ohio. She wouldn't allow herself to let her guard down anymore.

Lying back on the bed, she stared at the ceiling. “I need to get myself together.” Even though her words were directed toward him, she was talking more to herself.

“Allina, it hasn't even been twenty-four hours since you left. There's a lot that has to happen. It's going to take time.”

Aunt Laura had disrupted her sleep for years. It had taken years for her to work through everything that had happened then. It was hard, but she'd done it.

But now, it seemed Aunt Laura was back, taking up residence in her dreams. Except this time, she was with Isaac. He was chasing her, and Aunt Laura was helping him. Laura had promised to destroy her if she told anyone. Isaac had basically done the same thing. Two people who were supposed to love her had threatened to kill her. It was no wonder she was terrified. For a long time, she'd thought her life was ruined.

“I just don't have it in me to go through this again,” she said, her voice cracking. “What did I do wrong? Why did God let this happen to me?” Allina had done what she was told—went to college, worked hard, and didn't turn her back on God, even though there were times when she thought she'd buckle from the pressure. “I've always tried to do the right thing—no cheating or stealing—and I thought Isaac was the man that God sent for me. And even with him, there were things I didn't do. I waited…” She was unable to finish her sentence and reveal that she'd avoided random relationships with men, never even went to second base. “It feels like God is punishing me for something.”

A flicker of something passed through Kent's eyes before he lowered his gaze. “I don't know what to say to that, except you know that's not true,” he murmured. “You're stronger than you give yourself credit for.”

“You don't understand. It has been years since I've felt this…fear in the pit of my stomach. I don't know if it's because of Isaac himself or the fact that his words mirrored things that my aunt told me. Now I keep thinking about my past, that night.”

It was true. Allina had been transported back in time ten years ago. She remembered it like it was yesterday, because the events of that day had changed her life. Her parents had gone to a charity event. As usual, her aunt had come to sit with her. Allina had been old enough by then to stay home by herself, but her parents had unknowingly encouraged Allina and Laura to stay close.

It had started out like every other night. Allina would lock herself in her bedroom, like it mattered. And her aunt would unlock the door and come in. This particular time, Laura had brought a camera, told Allina that she wanted to take pictures. Allina had decided enough was enough and fought back. She told her aunt that she would tell her mother. Then, Laura told her that if she did, her father's career would be over and her mother would be dead. It was the first time she'd threatened violence against Allina's mother. All this had surprised Allina because her father had always taken care of Laura. She gave in to protect them, but things went horribly wrong when her mother entered the room.

Things escalated quickly when her mother jumped on her aunt. They fought and Allina scrambled to call her father. Everything had happened so fast. One minute, Aunt Laura was punching her mother, and the next her mother was standing over Laura's lifeless body. Allina still remembered how bright the blood had been, flowing from her aunt's head.

When her father arrived he screamed. It was a piercing, loud wail. She'd never heard her father even raise his voice, because he was so mild mannered and even-keeled. Allina had been rooted to her spot, glancing back and forth between her dead aunt and her mother. Mom was holding a bloody baseball bat, chest heaving, tears streaming down her face. There were no last minute apologies, no struggling to survive; her aunt was just gone. Died instantly.

Her father made a decision in that moment that would put all of them at risk. Instead of calling the police right then, he took the bat from her mother's hand and disappeared. A few minutes later, he came back. The bat was gone. He ushered them out of the room and told them to get in the shower. Once they were done, he collected their clothes, gave them money, and told them to leave and not come back for a few days. They did exactly what he said.

A few days later, they returned home to yellow police tape, news trucks and detectives swarming the house. Her aunt's death was labeled a random act of violence by an intruder. The reporters speculated that it could have been a criminal that her father had punished exacting revenge. Soon, with no leads, the case was closed. It was over. Her father, the judge, had covered up a murder. They never spoke of it, or her aunt, again. Every trace of her, every picture, was removed. It was as if her father had never even had a sister. It was that act, that sacrifice, that had propelled her to give her life to God. She didn't want her parents' sacrifice to be in vain. She owed it to her parents to excel, to never do anything that would disappoint them.

“What do you want to do?” Kent's voice pulled her out of that memory.

She shrugged. “What can I do? Before yesterday, Isaac had never done anything to make me feel so afraid of him. Yes, he was controlling at times, but never abusive. I keep thinking about that woman in the church, flashing to the look in his eyes when he threatened me.”

“Maybe we can hire a private investigator,” he suggested. “Just to keep an eye on him, make sure he stays where he is. Who knows? It might help turn up something on that woman.”

We?
He kept saying the word, and Allina couldn't help but feel comforted by it. She wasn't alone; that much was clear. It made her heart swell.

Lying down on the bed, she stared up at the ceiling. Maybe Isaac would just lick his wounds and move on. But deep down, Allina knew better. “I know this is going to sound strange, but I have this feeling that he's never going to give me up.” She met his gaze. “He's going to come back for me. And that puts you and everybody else I love in jeopardy.”

His jaw tightened. “He can try something, but I promise you this…if he brings his ass here, I'll send him to the hospital. I'm not playing. Don't worry about Syd and Cali. I'm pretty sure Morgan and Red will feel the same way. We're not going to let anything happen to you.”

Allina turned away, stared out the window.

“I understand,” Kent said softly. “Something of this nature has brought up a lot of feelings and memories of your past. And it's because you're afraid in a way that you haven't been in a while.”

Kent rubbed her knee and a familiar feeling settled into her stomach. With everything going on, she hadn't had time to really think about how she still felt about him. Sitting there in front of him, staring into his dark eyes, she wondered if her canceled wedding would change anything for them.

Shaking her head as if to clear her mind, she asked, “Do you think I can use your computer? I want to e-mail my boss and let her know that I won't be coming back.” It was a spur-of–the-moment decision to quit her job, but she knew she'd never go back to the chain bridal store she'd been working at for the last few months as an alterations associate.

“Sure.” He stood up, glancing at his watch. “Use the one in the office. I'm going to run out to the store to get a few things. Will you be okay here?”

“I'll be fine. Go ahead.”

He nodded and shot her a quick glance before he left her alone.

She stared at the door for a few minutes after he closed it. They'd never been this close, physically. He'd never really invited her to his place much. The majority of the time they'd spent together was at her place or in a public setting. There was a stark difference between how he treated her as opposed to Syd, and even Cali. She used to wonder why, but figured it was because Syd was with his brother and Cali was…well, Cali. And her friend had been firmly and obviously fooling around with Red for most of their adult lives.

She scooted out of the bed and headed down the hall toward the office. Pushing the door open, she stepped inside. Kent was very clean, almost to the point of being obsessive. She knew he hired a service to come in, but he hated dust because of his severe allergies and spent a lot of time cleaning. He hated clutter, so he didn't have a lot of extra stuff lying around. The office was neat, with a drafting table, a large desk, two chairs, and a small cabinet that likely held his files. In the far corner of the room there was an easel with a covered painting on top. Two big monitors sat on the desk.

Kent was a techie, a computer engineer at his day job. But he was also an artist. He loved being in front of a canvas or on his computer designing graphics. She'd tried to convince him to go into business for himself, but he'd balked at it. Which was a shame because he lit up when he was working on his passion. They had that in common, spending evenings curled up with a pad and a pencil, drawing sketches—sometimes together.

She sat down at the desk and powered on the computer. Drumming her fingers against the desk, she waited for the system to come up. After a few seconds, she was able to log in to her e-mail.

The plan was to e-mail her boss, let her know that she would not be coming back after her planned two-week vacation, and apologize for any inconvenience she may have caused. But when she saw the e-mails from Isaac, she felt sick to her stomach.

She clicked on the first one.
Where are you? You better call me as soon as possible or else.

There were dozens, mostly one liners, ranging from
I can't believe you actually think you're going to get away from me
to
I told you I'd ruin your life. Don't make me
. With each message, the tone grew more menacing, threatening. The one surefire way to hurt her would be to hurt her family. The big skeleton in their family closet involved murder and impeding a murder investigation. If he had somehow found out about her aunt's death it would change everything. She'd do anything to protect her parents.

She moved the messages to a separate folder as she read, but the last and most recent e-mail gave her pause. The hairs on her arms and neck stood up as a shiver ran up her spine. He'd stepped up the intimidation with another one-line e-mail. His intent was clear and she had to do something. She read the e-mail one last time. The sound of her heartbeat thrashed in her ears as each word came into focus.
Don't worry, maybe your friend Sydney will tell me where you are.

K
ent had spent the majority of the night pacing the hall outside of his second bedroom door. He'd tried to go into his own room. Really. But the first bloodcurdling scream from the room where Allina slept woke him up, and he couldn't relax after that.

When he'd barged into the room to check on her, she'd held on to him like he was her savior. It took almost an hour to calm her down, but he'd done it with low whispers and soft caresses. Eventually, she'd drifted back to sleep, but he was left with that uneasy feeling.

Once he realized that getting a good night's rest wasn't in the cards for him, he'd tried to work on a project he was painting for the bar. When he couldn't concentrate on that, he'd busied himself cleaning and rearranging his refrigerator. That's when he first realized he didn't have much food. He'd given her the last of the cheese and he was pretty sure she wouldn't want crackers for breakfast. So he'd pulled on a pair of sweatpants, intending to jump in his car and sneak off to the twenty-four-hour Super Walmart when he heard the next scream. This one was louder than the last.

Throughout his lifetime, the urge to beat someone up had come and gone. Sometimes he'd end up fighting, other times he didn't. But there was only one other time when he'd known if he saw the person, he'd do him serious bodily harm. And Isaac was up there with the predator who'd raped Syd years ago on campus.

He wanted to hurt him, envisioned pummeling him until he couldn't stand, let alone walk. Who the hell did Isaac think he was anyway? The fact that Allina was scared and anticipating the day that fool would come back to get her made his blood boil.

Now, Kent was racing back to his condo. He knew he was going to get a ticket. Then he was going to have to explain to the officer why he was doing fifty-five on a twenty-five-miles-per-hour street. He'd taken too long. A simple trip to the store to get yogurt, berries, and granola for his terrified friend had turned into a full shopping trip. Allina had called his cell and told him to get home as soon as possible. He had to get back to her.

Once he made it home, he rushed in, dropping the grocery bags on the floor by the door. “Allina!” He paused to listen for her. When she didn't answer, he started down the hallway leading to the spare bedroom. “Allina,” he called again.

“In here,” she shouted.

“Hey?” he asked, stepping into his office. Her eyes appeared damp, but bright. “What's wrong? Are you okay? Did something happen?”

“I-I got a…” she stuttered. She swallowed visibly, then sighed. “Isaac e-mailed me.”

His hands tightened into fists. “And? What did he say?”

She gestured to one of his computer monitors. Giving her a quick glance, he leaned in and read the e-mail. It was clearly a threat, one that made him want to find that motherfucker and…Sighing, he dropped his head. She didn't need his rage; she needed his comfort.

He extended a hand to her and pulled her up and into his arms. They stood like that for a while, swaying back and forth. When she started to pull away, he let her.

She wiped her eyes and pressed her hands to her cheeks. “We have to call Syd. I told you—”

Kent squeezed her arms. “Look at me,” he told her softly. “Don't worry about Syd. She's fine. I talked to Morgan not even an hour ago and he was home with them. Okay?”

“But we have to warn—”

“Allina? We will. Your father has someone on him. He would know if Isaac was here. He would've called you, right?”

She nodded rapidly. “Yes.”

“It's just an idle threat, something he's using to manipulate you. It's okay.”

She slumped forward, resting her head on his chest. “You're right. I just…I panicked when I saw the e-mail. I'd never forgive myself if something happened to Syd because of me.”

“First of all, it wouldn't be
because
of you. So don't put that on yourself.” He ran a hand down her back. “And Isaac doesn't want to die. Morgan would kill his ass.”

He realized his little attempt at humor hadn't worked when Allina peered at him quizzically. “Oh God.”

“I'm just joking,” he assured her. “Nobody's going to die.”

Allina seemed to suck up all her emotion. She tugged at the T-shirt she had on and scratched her forehead. “I'm sorry. Did you get what you needed at the store?”

Grateful for the change of subject, he replied, “I did, and I got you a few things too.”

He grabbed her hand and led her through the house to the kitchen. Once she'd settled into a chair, he went to grab the bags he'd left by the door.

“I figured you would want to change clothes.”

He unloaded the groceries and a few necessities that he'd picked up for her. Shopping for a woman wasn't his forte, but he'd managed to grab a pair of yoga pants, a few T-shirts, and some sneakers. He'd passed the bra and panty aisle three or four times, going back and forth with whether he should try to get her something. Finally, he'd just grabbed a pack of Fruit of the Looms and a sports bra and tossed them into his cart.

She eyed the stuff laid out on the table and picked up the pack of underwear. She shot him a quick glance before focusing her attention on the boy shorts.

“I hope I got the right sizes,” he said, smiling at the blush that worked its way up her neck.

Allina explained that he'd done pretty good on the yoga pants and shoes. According to her, the panties were a little big and the bra was a little small, though. But they would work.

“Thank you,” she whispered. “I appreciate everything you've done.” Allina rubbed a hand over her bare leg. “Maybe I should get dressed.”

“Good idea,” he agreed. “I'll fix you something to eat.”

She slid off the high bar stool, giving him an unabashed view of her upper thigh. He turned his head quickly and focused on the clock on the stove. It was still early enough to go for a run. Although he hated to leave her, he needed to let off some of the tension that had set in. Maybe she would go with him?

He knew it was a long shot. Allina did not run. She likened running to walking a plank. As thin as she was, she hated to exercise. And she didn't do it often.

He let out a strained breath when she walked out of the kitchen. Between Isaac, her aunt, and his hormones, it was going to be a long day.

As he waited for her, his phone dinged and he glanced at it. Syd. His future sister-in-law had texted him an outright threat of bodily harm if he didn't call her back. He sighed. Grumbling a curse, he turned his phone off and tossed it on a table.

Allina came out fully dressed and he smiled at her. There was something about a woman in yoga pants. The ones he'd purchased fit her like a tight glove, showing off all of her curves. “How about we go for walk? Clear our heads a little?” he suggested, food forgotten.

Smiling, she asked, “What about breakfast?”

He shrugged. “We can eat when we get back.”

She wrung her hands together and swept a hand across her forehead. “Okay. That sounds good. A walk,” she added, pointedly. “Not a run.”

He barked out a laugh. “Maybe a little one,” he joked.

She shoved him. “You know how much I hate it.”

“Okay, okay.” He held his hands up in surrender. “No running. Besides, I don't even have on my running gear.”

About an hour later, they re-entered his condo. He headed to the kitchen to get two bottles of water. He tossed one at her when he walked back into the living room.

She dropped down on the couch. “Oh my God, you're so wrong for that,” she said, taking off her shoes. “‘I don't even have on my running gear,'” she mocked with a scowl on her face. “I knew you were going to do that. These shoes you bought me were not made for running.”

He chuckled. “I'm sorry. I couldn't resist. It was just a little sprint.” He took a long gulp of his water, then joined her on the sofa. “We have to get you to the store so we can buy you another pair of gym shoes and more clothes.”

“Or I can just go with my first inclination and not go on another
walk
with you—ever.” She giggled and he smiled in response.

“Lina, stop fronting. You know working out does wonders for your mood. I bet you feel better, don't you?”

She shrugged. “I'll give you that. It was definitely good to get out of the house. I'm so happy the rain stopped. I almost panicked when I thought it was going to start up again.”

“I run in rain, sleet, and snow,” he said.

“Whatever,” she said, untwisting the cap to her bottle and taking a sip. “I don't do inclement weather.”

They settled into a comfortable silence as they both finished their water. His stomach growled and he glanced at her.

“Hungry?” she asked, arching a brow.

“I guess so,” he said. He started to stand up, but her hand on his wrist stopped him.

“Let me make you breakfast.”

Frowning, he shook his head. “Allina, you don't have to cook for me.”

“I want to.” She scooted closer to him, her eyes on him. She was radiant, glowing. They'd taken the scenic route. He figured getting her to focus on something other than her circumstances made her feel better. On their way back to the house, he took off on her, forcing her into a little race. The walk seemed to have done wonders for her, though. She seemed relaxed, smiling from ear to ear. Her face was flushed and her hair was piled on top of her head in a messy bun. “I want to do something for you.”

I can think of a few things
. Clearing his throat, he stood up, gently pulling his arm from her grasp. “There's no need.” He walked to the thermostat to check the temperature, to make sure it wasn't just him that felt hot. It was.

She walked over to him. “I'm cooking for you. Case closed.” Then she hugged him. Tight.

For a moment, he forgot about everything else. All that mattered was her in his arms, the electricity in the air, and the peace he felt that she was with him. When they finally pulled apart, he stared at her, sucked in a deep breath. A
thank you for offering to cook, I want some bacon
would have been appropriate—if he wasn't tongue-tied like an immature school boy.

She patted him on the shoulder. “I hope you have bacon.” She winked at him, as if she'd been reading his mind. “Let me get a shower, then I'll get started.”

After she disappeared down the hall, he rolled his eyes, muttered a long curse, and peered up at the ceiling. Since when did he get all giddy about a hug from his friend? Not only was he amazed by her strength, he was drawn to her now even more than he was last night. There was something about her spirit that he couldn't get enough of.

For the first time, he wondered if he'd actually be able to keep his distance and maintain the “strictly friends” status quo.

A soft knock on the front door jarred him from his thoughts.
Who the hell is that?
He glanced at his watch. It was early as hell. He stomped to the door, intent on cussing someone out, releasing some of his pent-up tension. He yanked the door open and whatever curse word he'd been ready to use died on his tongue. Syd was standing there, arms crossed and a deep furrow on her brow.

Sydney Williams had been in his life for many years. They had their own relationship, outside of hers with his brother, based on mutual respect and unwavering support. When he introduced her to people, he didn't feel the need to quantify her as his future sister-in-law. She was his sister in every sense of the word.

The fallout from her “affair” with Morgan had affected the family dynamic, but he was glad his relationship with Morgan and Syd remained as strong as it ever was. Unfortunately, he couldn't say the same for Den. His other brother had pretty much distanced himself from everyone, except Mama. Kent had reached out to him many times, but Den had refused to talk to him. It saddened him, but he hoped Den would come around eventually.

“Where the hell have you been?” she hissed, stepping past him into the house.

He glanced down the hall quickly, then back at Syd. “What? What are you talk—?”

Syd smacked him on the shoulder. “I've been calling you all night!” she shouted. “All night.”

His sister looked like she had been through the ringer. Her dark curls were wet and wild, and she had on a pair of blue jeans, a huge sweatshirt, and a pair of flip-flops. Her cheeks were flushed and her hazel eyes wide.

“I mean, why haven't you answered any of my calls? I've been worried sick. I couldn't sleep.” She paced the floor, murmuring curses under her breath. “My friend is missing and you're choosing this time to screen your calls. I can't believe you. Like this is not an emergency,” she babbled on. “I just want to punch you.”

Her fist against his shoulder startled him. “Ouch,” he grunted, rubbing it. “I'm sorry, Syd.”

“Sorry?” she asked, throwing her hands in the air. “I don't want your apology. We're supposed to be working together here. We need to find Allina.” She huffed as she paced the floor in front of the door.

“Allina is—”

“Anything could have happened to her.” She whirled around to face him. “You know, I've been thinking about this all night. She could be lying in a ditch somewhere. And you just decided to ignore my calls and texts.”

He glanced back down the hall, hoping Allina would pick that moment to walk out because Syd was not going to shut up long enough for him to get a word in. Not when she was riled up like this.

“Kent?” Syd shouted, snapping him out of his thoughts. “You didn't even hear me.”

Nope, I didn't.
“Syd, I told you I was sorry. My phone was turned off,” he lied. “But—”

“What were you doing?” she demanded. “Why would you turn your phone off knowing Allina skipped out on her wedding and we don't know where she is? I tried to call her parents again, and it keeps going to voicemail.”