Like a Bird (10 page)

“It’s shallow on this end, even for someone as short as you.” Gareth smiled.

Sky took another deep breath but didn’t move.

“I’ll be right here,” he said.

Sky slid one foot just a few inches closer to the edge. As she moved a chill ran through her.

“It’s OK, you’re doing great.”

Sky blinked and tears rolled down her face, taking her black eyeliner with them. “I don’t know if I can do this,” she said, blinking away more tears.

Gareth moved in closer and held her. He kissed the top of her head. “You don’t have to go in the water today. We can try again later.”

Sky narrowed her eyes at her watery opponent. “No.” She pulled away from Gareth. She began inching forward again, her fist tight and shaking.

Gareth stepped in front of her to guide her to the wide steps leading into the water.

There was no hesitation as she placed her feet on the first step, the water circling around her ankles. Sky stopped to breathe before she descended to the second step. Each time she paused before continuing downward, the water line rising up her legs. She clenched her teeth to stop them from chattering.

When she touched the pool floor, the water was at her chest and she looked up at Gareth, his hand still holding hers and the other against her back.

He smiled broadly. “You did it!”

Sky put her arms around him, pressing her face into his chest as she sobbed, the tears washing away what was left of her eyeliner.

Chapter 10

Kitty dropped onto the sofa and put her feet up. Daniella sat in the easy chair with her laptop.

“Did I tell you Gareth is taking me to a movie tonight?” Kitty said.

“Who?” Daniella replied.

“Gareth, Mr. Mystery. The one who likes to meet at crappy hotels.”

“You make him sound like quite a catch. I’m starting to get jealous. Although, I prefer calling him Scarface.”

“I don’t. I think he’s quite sensitive about it. He pretends he’s not but deep down he’s just a vulnerable little boy, like most men, really.”

“Well that explains a lot.” Daniella flicked a dried chunk of food off the armrest of her chair, hitting Kitty in the arm. “Maybe I should follow you to the theater and snap some shots of your boyfriend, then post them to
Stalker.com
.”

“Oh gawd, he would kill me! Seriously, you shouldn’t.”

“I’m kidding. Like I could be bothered.”

Kitty leaned into the sofa and sighed. “There’s something really primal about him. It makes me anxious and wet at the same time.”

Daniella wrinkled her face but said nothing.

“He’s like a vault with thick walls. It’s fun to try and figure out the code, you know?”

“No. Not really. Sounds like an awful lot of effort.”

“Mm, if it’s fun it’s not work.” Kitty peered sideways at her roommate.

“So what are you going to do when you get him all figured out? Move on to the next broken man?”

Kitty stared at Daniella with her mouth gaping, as if this was the most profound question she had ever been asked. “I don’t know. I guess it will depend what I find.” She smiled, deeply satisfied with her response. “Well, it’s time to rally the troops.” She stretched and went to her bedroom.

Sitting at her computer, Kitty answered a few chat questions and posted an update to her profile, then checked her stats to discover someone had ordered another fifty T-shirts. “Why would someone want fifty shirts?” she wondered aloud and fired off an e-mail to her supplier for more. Kitty fluffed up her hair and applied more lip gloss before she turned on her camera.

“Hello Prowlers, it’s your friend Kitty, collector of mischievous misfits, renegades, and rabble-rousers. How you all doin’ tonight?” Kitty waved to the camera and shrugged, squeezing her breasts together with her arms to emphasize her cleavage. “My darlings, I have some good news. I’ve got a sexy movie date tonight and the new T-shirts are selling like hotcakes! This is all very exciting. I’m wearing one now that Ember in LA cut up special for me, making it even sexier.” Kitty leaned back and pulled on her shirt to show it off, revealing more of her cleavage in the process. “Thanks Ember, you’re a darling!” Kitty blew kisses into the camera.

“Tomorrow we’re going to have a special guest on the show, an exclusive, live interview with the experimental artist, Creep. He’ll be talking about his running show at Spin Gallery, and you’ll have a chance to win a photo print. He’s also got a top-secret project in the works. Maybe we can convince him to give us some details.” Kitty narrowed her eyes at the camera. “But tonight, we’ve got important things to do. World-changing activities . . . like playing dress up!” Kitty threw her hands in the air.

- -

Where are we with the proposal? Are we gonna fund these guys? I’m getting antsy.

Gareth stood in the garden and glanced at Louis’s message. He typed a reply.

Everything checks out. Set up a conference call.

So that’s a yes?

No. I want to grill them live.

OK! Will set a time.

Sky crept along the stone path toward Gareth. Her pants rustled the branches of a shrub, and he turned to her.

“Is this a bad time?”

“No.”

“I was wondering if you might like to take me swimming again?” Sky rolled a pebble around with her bare toes.

“I can’t. I’m actually going downtown shortly . . . for a meeting.”

“Oh,” her voice barely a whisper. She took a few steps backward and then hastened to the house.

“Maybe we can go tomorrow?” he shouted after her.

Sky turned her head and nodded over her shoulder before she disappeared inside. Gareth collected his laptop and cup and followed. The house appeared empty and silent. Gareth headed toward the basement stairs, stopping to verify there was no one around before he descended like a cougar.

Sky, a pale ninja, watched him from behind a pillow on the living-room sofa and tiptoed to the top of the stairs. She peered around the corner of the open staircase and saw Gareth enter the code at a secure door.

Sky snuck into the library right behind her. She picked up a magazine from the pile of fashion rags Denise had given her and dropped into a comfortable chair. She flipped through the pages, watching the doorway.

Wisdom walked past and Sky called out to her in a raspy whisper. The wolf trotted into the room and stood at Sky’s feet to receive a good neck scratch. Sky ran her fingers through Wisdom’s thick coat and pressed her face into the soft fur on her head. Sky returned to browsing the magazine and Wisdom settled on the rug.

When she had finished with the first magazine, she curled up in the chair with her head on the armrest. One foot dangled over the edge and she tickled her sole against the fur on Wisdom’s back.

Abruptly, Wisdom perked up and looked out the window. Sky, hearing nothing at first, craned her neck to listen. After a moment she heard beating helicopter blades. She whipped back to the doorway but saw nothing.

- -

Kitty walked into the theater wearing a fitted blue dress and silver heels. She looked around for the service desk and marched over, everything about her bouncing with each step. She batted her eyelashes at the teenager behind the glass. “I’m here to pick up a ticket.”

“Um, OK. Um, what’s your name?” the boy stammered with his hand nervously rubbing his thin scruff.

“Kitty Andersson.”

“Hmm. Um, I only have a Katherine Andersson?”

Kitty rolled her eyes. “That’s me.”

Kitty pulled her shoulders back as she walked toward the girl ripping tickets next to a pointless podium.

“Theater four, down the hall to your right,” as she waved her arm in the general direction.

The theater was sprinkled with a few patrons, but there were no dark, brooding men sitting alone. Kitty chose an aisle seat halfway up. While she waited for Gareth, she checked her e-mail, responding to a dozen or so. Kitty scanned the theater, which was filling up. There was still no sign of him. She went back to her phone to peruse one of her favorite fashion sites.

As the commercial reel began, Kitty’s usual cheery expression dulled to a pout. “Just five more minutes,” she whispered to herself. The commercials wrapped up and the trailers began. As a car exploded on the screen a large figure shrouded by a hood approached. Kitty picked up her phone to use as a flashlight. Gareth blocked his face with his hand and grabbed her phone with the other one.

“Sorry,” Kitty whispered.

Gareth squeezed past her and sat down. He handed her phone back. “Remember to turn off all devices,” he rasped.

As Kitty pressed her face into his shoulder, he leaned down to give her a kiss on the top of her head.

Kitty hugged Gareth’s arm and he rested his hand on the inside of her bare thigh, stroking slowly with his thumb. Kitty gave his arm a squeeze and he squeezed her leg in return. He kept his hood up, his profile indiscernible in the low light. Kitty reached up and guided his hair and hood back just enough to run her fingers along his cheek. Gareth turned his eyes away from the screen and stared into her blue eyes before he pressed his lips firmly into hers.

He slid his hand further until it swiped the satiny fabric between her thighs. She twitched, pressing into his hand, which he moved away.

Kitty grabbed his hand and pulled it back into the satin folds that were becoming damp with her pleasure. She moaned softly and ground into his hand, indifferent now to her surroundings. When the person behind her kicked her seat, she ignored the interruption and brought her hand to locate Gareth’s zipper, rooting around to find it hidden under the band of his sweater.

One more firm jolt from behind, and someone shouted, “Get a room for chrissake!”

Gareth pulled away from Kitty and yanked his hood back. She put her hand out to stop him but he stood upright, a looming broad-shouldered brute and bared his teeth at the two boys sitting behind them. “Is there a problem?” Gareth growled. The two boys shook their heads in unison and Gareth glared at them, making his point. He slowly slid back in his seat.

Kitty whispered in his ear, “I think you scared the shit outta them.” She smiled and so did Gareth.

Having missed the beginning of the film, the pair could no longer follow the story, so they agreed to go to Kitty’s apartment.

Outside the theater, they caught a cab for the short trip to West Lawn Avenue. Gareth said nothing on the journey but paid and tipped the driver when they arrived at a three-story brick building with windows that should have been replaced decades ago. They climbed the stairs and Kitty knocked on her own apartment door before entering.

Gareth looked confused.

“It’s a courtesy. Just in case one of us has a . . . special guest.” Kitty said.

He nodded his reply.

Gareth noticed the apartment was dark and dated with fake wood paneling, yellowed linoleum, and shag carpeting. It was furnished with hand-me-downs, but the big-screen TV was a high-tech anomaly.

“Well, this is pretty much it,” Kitty said. She took Gareth by the hand and guided him to a door just off the living room. Kitty’s room was a bright contrast to the rest of the apartment. Even in the dark it glowed from the streetlights reflecting off the clean, white walls. Gareth tripped over a pair of shoes hidden under a silk slip.

“Careful, this place is booby-trapped.” She flicked on the light and started picking clothes up off the floor, then stuffed them in the closet. As she leaned over, Gareth noticed blond roots near her scalp that faded into her signature pink dye. A fiery impulse ran from his gut toward his head. He looked away from her in an attempt to suppress the bitter memories that rushed in.

He turned to shut the bedroom door and scanned the room he already knew from her videos. A blue sash lay on the bed and Gareth reached for it. Kitty grabbed the dangling end to toss the sash in the closet but Gareth held tight. He yanked back, pulling Kitty into him, and her blue eyes looked up playfully at him. Garet
h’
s face remained grim, his eye blank and distant as he grabbed the other end of the sash and swiftly gagged her.

Kitty reflexively brought her hands to her mouth, but the sash was pulled taught. A muffled scream forced its way from her mouth when Gareth pulled her onto the bed. Kitty’s eyes were wide as her unrecognizable lover reached for a belt and fastened one of her wrists to the headboard. She obliged out of curiosity as he secured the other with a wide strand of pink ribbon from the floor.

Kitty remained unusually quiet and bit down on the sash, tracking his every movement.

Both of his hands grasped her dress and he cleanly tore it in half. Kitty released a muted plea as Gareth jerked her underwear down, leaving red marks on her legs.

- -

Sky’s attempts to convince Wisdom to cuddle with her on Gareth’s bed had been unsuccessful, and the wolf was far too heavy and far too stubborn to be lifted up. The closest she would get was to lay on the floor next to Gareth’s side of the bed. Instead, Sky had hugged Gareth’s pillow all night, breathing in his scent as she drifted in and out of sleep.

Morning had arrived, and Sky still lay alone, her arms and legs stretched out as she looked up at the strange light hanging from the ceiling. It was always so dark in the room, she had never really noticed it.

Now that Gareth was away, she could open the curtains and explore a room she’d never fully seen. Sky ventured into the bathroom, eager to use the large tile shower with its glass wall, skylight, and a tower of nozzles. She slipped out of her T-shirt and stepped onto the cool tile floor. She turned a chrome handle. Nothing happened. She tried another handle and screamed as cold water shot at her from all directions. Sky grabbed at the first handle and the water instantly warmed up. She helped herself to some of Gareth’s shampoo from a dispenser in the wall.

While Sky was washing, Rose changed the bedsheets. Hearing the water, she left a towel for Sky on the silver warming bar next to the shower and then slipped out of the bedroom.

Sky lingered and let the warm water massage every muscle until her fingertips were wrinkled. She stood dripping on the mat. The towel caught her eye and as she wrapped it around herself the warmth radiated through her body.

After dressing and drying her hair in her own room, she met Rose downstairs, scurrying through the foyer with a pile of linens in her arms.