Hide My Memories: A Romantic Suspense Thriller Series (Hide Me Series Book 1) (17 page)

He didn’t say the words. Instead, he pushed harder, until he was seated fully inside her. She gasped at the sensation, then moaned lightly as he pulled out and thrust back in again. His rhythm said he had all day, and he was intent on using it. She stared into his eyes, drowning herself, losing herself, gaining herself, and surrendering herself. He brought her to orgasm again, then one more time, until her muscles fluttered weakly and she felt complete, whole, faultless.

West thrust harder and faster, still staring into her eyes. He pushed against her one last time and stiffened, a soft noise of approval and rightness coming from his throat.

“Yes, West, yes,” Katerina urged him quietly. He collapsed on top of her and she hugged him close, spent, exhausted, and ready to rest well for the first time in a week. He’d done that for her. She sent her gratefulness out to him energetically, and tried not to think about what the rest of her life would look like. It was enough that she was here with him now, that life had triumphed over despair, that she had stolen a few precious moments of happiness and normalcy.

Katerina listened on the phone to Lieutenant Masterson tell her she was cleared to come back to work the next day if she felt up for it. Relief and disbelief battled inside her for supremacy. West cocked a finger at her and winked.
I told you so.

She stuck out her tongue at him, then pulled her focus back to Lieutenant Masterson’s words. “Katerina, no one expected you to come back to work as soon as you got out of the hospital. And we all know none of this was your fault. You didn’t ask for it, but you did the right thing. Because of you, that man will go to prison for the rest of his life, where he’s no longer a threat to anyone. You didn’t ask for it, but you finished it, and I admire that in you. Don’t worry one more second about your job. We’ll pick up tomorrow like you never missed a day.”

Katerina bit her lip, trying to keep her emotions in check. She felt a single tear slip down her cheek. She still had a job. “Thank you, Lieutenant, thank you so much.”

“Anytime, see you tomorrow.”

Katerina hung up. West took the phone from her and put it on the table, then pulled her into his arms.

“Do you think she knows about us?” Katerina asked, laying her head on his chest. She hadn’t told him a thing yet. She wanted to, but she didn't have the courage to face him walking out of her life forever. Instead, she’d pretended it wasn’t true. She’d pushed the ability down deep and vowed to never use it again. Swore to forget how to do it.

Too bad it was becoming easier for her to do, and sometimes she did it to West without even realizing until it was too late. Luckily, it didn’t make him tired. In fact, it energized him and made him look at her with lust in his eyes. They’d spent the last two days making love almost constantly, stopping only to eat, sleep, and shower. Katerina was slightly sore, but happy. As happy as she’d ever been in her life.

West answered her question. “She’s a smart woman. Probably.”

“But she’s still going to let us work together?”

“Seems like it. She and I go way back. She knows I wouldn’t lie about your horrible paramedic skills just because I was getting a little action on the side.”

“Horrible paramedic skills!” Katerina cried, mock outrage in her voice. “I’ll be a better paramedic than you in six months!” she teased.

West only smiled. “I know. I told her that the second day I worked with you.”

Katerina’s mouth dropped open. “Really?”

“Scout’s honor.”

West dropped his mouth to hers, stopping any murmurings of appreciation in their tracks. They spent their last free day in bed, pleasing each other with every touch, every word, every desire.

Katerina’s last thought before dropping off to sleep was,
Maybe we can make it work.

<<>>

Epilogue

Katerina felt strange about driving West to work early the next morning, like they had big signs on their foreheads that said SLEEPING TOGETHER, but his truck was still at the repair shop. Luckily, no one gave them any sidelong glances or whispered behind their back. In fact, the few people they did run into treated Katerina warmly.

Katerina plodded through her pre-shift checklist, soaking in the sights and sounds of the ambulance and the radio and the yells and greetings of the paramedics going on and off-shift. She was thrilled to be back at work. Guilty twinges about sleeping with West, practically being his live-in lover, hit her occasionally, but she tried to ignore them. She hoped she didn’t have to see Lieutenant Masterson today. Her face would give her guilty conscience away for sure.

West opened the side door and looked at her. “Why don’t you drive today?” he said, handing her the keys. Katerina smiled at him and took them, walking through from the back to the front and settling into the driver’s seat. Once West was in place next to her, she started the ambulance and pulled out. West called them in service.

“Want to try to get coffee?”

“Sure, where?”

West gave her directions to his favorite coffee place and she started that way, a sense of contentment settling over her. Their call sign came across the radio and her calm, relaxed demeanor shattered instantly.

“Standing by,” West said.

Relax, don’t be jumpy. You're going to have a good day,
she told herself.

“Respond to possible DOA, 129 Farragut Street. Police responding.”

“Here we go,” West said with a grin. “Maybe we’ll have time for coffee later.”

Katerina tried to grin back at him. She turned the ambulance down a side street and took a deep breath. Three minutes later they turned into the industrial area of Westwood Harbor and drove through the empty streets. All these buildings would be full of people on Monday, but today, Saturday, they looked like an abandoned city inside a city.

West called out the numbers to her and they finally turned in the parking lot of a large red, brick building. Katerina parked close to the door and they got out. West grabbed the aid bag and walked to the building.

“Looks pretty empty,” he said. He tried the door. Locked. He knocked, then looked around the parking area. There wasn’t even a car in sight. West got on the radio. “Central, nobody is here. Is there any more information?”

“Negative, caller said there was a dead body in the parking lot and hung up.”

West grimaced. “Must be a prank caller.”

Katerina looked around, her unease finally easing a little. A prank caller. Not anything evil.

A police car rolled into the parking lot and parked next to them.

“Anything?” the pretty female police officer asked.

“Nobody is here,” West said.

“Okay,” the officer said. "I’ll take a spin around the parking lot and then we can clear." West nodded and he and Katerina got back in the ambulance. The officer drove to the left first, looking at the side of the building, then she drove to the far right where a dumpster stood. As she drove past the dumpster she stopped suddenly, then honked her horn.

“Crap,” West said. “Drive us over.”

Katerina nodded, her heart in her throat again. As they pulled past the police vehicle they could see a pair of legs sticking out from behind the dumpster. “Damn.” West said, shaking his head. He got out and Katerina watched him go. Slowly, as if in a dream, or maybe underwater, she opened her door and slid out to the ground. She didn’t want to see this. She had to see this.

As she walked in front of the ambulance, the dumpster still obscuring her view, she heard West swear. “Shit!” then he came for her, his eyes wide. “Katerina, stay back. Don’t come over here.”

Katerina’s eyes went from West to the body, to West again. In two more steps she would be able to see all of it. He tried to get between her and it, but she sidestepped him.

It was a woman. She was naked. Some sort of a mask covered her face.

West caught her. He enveloped her in his arms and pushed her backwards. “You don’t want to see it, Katerina. I don’t know what’s going on, but we’re getting you out of here.” He walked her backwards all the way to the ambulance. She tried to side-step him again, but he wouldn’t let her. “No, Katerina. Listen to me please.”

She could hear the pleading in his voice, but she couldn’t heed it. She pushed at him, trying to knock him backwards a step so she could get around him. She might as well have been pushing a solid wall.

West opened the ambulance door and bundled her inside. Without thinking, Katerina did the one thing she swore she’d never do on purpose again.

She put a hand on his arm and pulled in his knowing.

She saw it. The mask on the dead woman’s face was really a picture held with string. A picture of Katerina’s own face.

Katerina stared at the image in her mind and started to scream, her sanity ripping loose with a horrible shredding noise.

***

Book 2 of the Hide me series, Hide My Thoughts, is here

http://www.amazon.com/Hide-My-Thoughts-Romantic-Suspense-ebook/dp/B00UC7NJKO/

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About the Author

Lisa became a full time author in the summer of 2014, fulfilling a childhood dream. She lives in the Inland Pacific Northwest, and is married with 2 sons. She is a U.S. Army veteran, plus former paramedic, 911 calltaker/police radio dispatcher, and volunteer firefighter. Her husband is also a veteran, and a retired police officer. Connect with her on her facebook page at
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or email her. [email protected]