Praying for Daylight (11 page)

“Okay, if it will make you feel better.”

She snorted, knowing I’d caught her, “I just don’t want to find your maimed body when I wake up.”

“Sure,” I grabbed my sleeping bag, trying to hide a grin. “Why can’t you just tell me you don’t want to be alone? Things would be so much easier.”

“I don’t know…but since you’re so skilled at reading my mind, you can just fill in what I’m really trying to say from now on. How about that?”

I shook my head and crawled in, zipping the tent closed. Kate turned, laying on her side with her back to me. I rolled out my sleeping bag and dropped on top of it.

For a while, I stared at the poles keeping the tent together, feeling the silence stretching between us. I wished she would tell me, but one thing I loved about her was her stubborn attitude. So I’d just have to bide my time until I learned more.

“Thanks for staying with me,” Kate whispered.

“You’re welcome.” I smiled. “Come here.”

She glanced over her shoulder at me, “Why?”

“Because you want to,” I waited and lifted my arm, watching her. She sighed heavily and turned over, scooting so she was curled into my side, and rested her head on my chest. I wrapped my arms around her and closed my eyes. “There, now we can sleep.”

“You are not telling anyone we cuddled.”

“It’s no one else’s business.” Out of old habit, I kissed the top of her head.

“Lips to yourself, O’Brian,” She laughed.

“Okay, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize.”

“Only if you stop trying to act so tough. I’m tough enough for the both of us.”

“Sure you are,” she was really laughing now. “Now go to sleep.”

“Not sleepy,” I yawned. “So do you have plans Sunday night?”

“Why?”

I shrugged, “Thought maybe we could have dinner.”

“You know I’m free,” she sighed. “We can talk more in the morning.”

“Nah, tomorrow you might change your mind. I like this warm, cuddly Kate.”

“Fine, what do you want to do for dinner?”

“Chase and Briar are having a dinner Sunday night, we’re invited. And don’t worry, no one will know you’re there.”

“Uh-huh,” she slipped her arm over my stomach and up to my ribs, digging in.

“Stop!”

“Still ticklish? What happened to the big bad, tough guy?” she got both hands into my ribs. “Say uncle.”

My eyes were watering. I was out of breath. So I grabbed Kate’s hands and pinned them behind her back. “Nope, you say uncle.”

She struggled, but she wasn’t getting out of my hold for anything. “Come on, let me go.”

“Hey, you started this. I’m not the scrawny kid I used to be either.”

She continued to struggle, but it didn’t take much for me to keep her held down. I hefted sacks of feed and worked full time on the ranch now. My muscles had muscles.

“Uncle!,” she finally snapped. “Now we will both go to sleep, keeping our hands to ourselves…hey!”

“Yeah, I’m not letting you go,” to prove my point I turned on my side and curled myself around her. She was flat against my chest with no wiggle room. “Now sleep.”

“Since when did you get so bossy?”

“I learned from the best.”

She was quiet for a while, and then she snorted, “Family dinner is Sunday night at Chase’s house. If I’m invited, this means Millie and Jerry know I’m here.”

I winced. “Yeah, Jerry invited me, told me to bring a friend, and then suggested I bring you.”

“How do you think they found out?” she wondered aloud.

“No clue,” I closed my eyes. “Let’s get some sleep.”

Before too long, Kate was out, and I slowly retrieved the tracker from the box in my pack. I reached around, freezing when she mumbled in her sleep. I had her locket open, and the little device concealed inside before she stirred again. I went to sleep shortly after.

And much to my surprise, it was downright peaceful.

I’d made the right choice.

For me.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Kate

I woke before sunrise. Dustin was sound asleep beside me, his face relaxed. He had such smooth skin, aside from morning beard stubble, and his face looked happy and peaceful in sleep.

I sat back, watching him.

I wished I could tell him everything.

But now it was clear I had to go.

Jerry and Millie knew. When Dustin told me, I panicked inside, and forced myself to stay calm. I slept restlessly, feeling comfort being with Dustin, but knowing that I’d be leaving soon. Leaving him again. It felt even harder this time, but if I was going to live through this, I had to go.

I slipped out of the tent, wiping tears from my eyes. It was so much harder to leave him. He was the one weakness I had. The only thing that made me want to cry like I did when I lost my mom. He was my everything. I don’t think there would ever be anyone else that could mean as much to me as Dustin.

And here I was, leaving the one person I wanted to be with above all others, again.

It killed me inside.

But I saddled Cupcake and began the long lonely ride across the dark hills for my house. It took nearly two hours. Good thing I’d left so early.

I put Cupcake in the stable and gave her some water. Once I was on the road, I’d call Chase and tell him where she was. She’d be fine until he came and got her.

I packed my things, set them by the door, and then took a look around the kitchen. The one thing I wanted to do before I left, was make a final batch of pancakes in my home, in case I never got to come back.

I knew it was a risk, that there was a chance I might not make it out before Dustin found out I was missing and raced back here. But I decided I had to do it.

I’d make a quick batch and pack them up for the road. My stomach was rumbling, and as I stood over the stove, I nibbled on one of the more deformed pancakes.

My phone rang.

Dustin’s name filled the screen, and I ignored the call.

My phone rang again. It was probably best if I shut it off, but I didn’t.

I swallowed, and eyed the number flashing across the screen.

Dustin.

Well I just wasn’t going to answer it. And with that, I turned back to finish cleaning up my mess. I could ignore him.

The calls kept coming, and after the sixth one, I answered knowing I owed him an explanation.

“I have to go. Please don’t come after me.”

“Oh, you sound upset today.” It was Death’s mechanical voice. He sounded irritated. I hadn’t looked at the screen to see who it was. I assumed it was Dustin.

“I wonder why?” I breathed, my upset turning to burning hatred for him. “Oh yeah, there’s some psycho out there who wants me dead!”

His laughter sent chills down my spine. “I’m getting to you.”

“Actually I could care less,” I bluffed.

“I hope you enjoy those pancakes.”

I froze. “What?”

“Are they blueberry? I love the blueberry ones you make. But the banana are also to die for.” He didn’t sound like he was kidding. Clearly, I’d made him pancakes before.

“Can you see me?” I spun around, searching the kitchen.

“Maybe,” his laugh cut through me.

“Who are you?” I demanded. “Who the hell are you?”

“I told you. I’m Death. I’m your death. Only yours. The only thing that matters in your life is me. Nothing else. Not your singing. Not your sister. You answer to me now.”

I didn’t realize I was shaking until I dropped a pancake on the floor and tried to pick it back up. “Why are you doing this? I don’t understand.”

“That’s the problem. If you understood, I wouldn’t need to do this. But Katie, you took something from me. Deprived me of my life. And I’ll have yours as repayment.” The line went dead.

I dropped my phone and sank to the floor, trembling.

This was too much. I was in way over my head.

I stared at the wall across the kitchen, dazed. Scared. Confused. I didn’t know how to get my legs moving to stand up again. I could smell pancakes burning. There was a banging somewhere…but I felt numb to it all.

What was I going to do?

He hadn’t found me yet, but knew I was making pancakes.

Was I still safe here?

Should I run?

Hide?

I didn’t know where to go.

And how had he known I was making pancakes?

There was that banging again. I heard it, kind of. I was still too dazed to register. Until…

I realized they were footsteps.

They were in the living room. Heavy footsteps. Like boots. Pounding their way toward the kitchen.

I was up in a flash, racing across the room for the broom closet. I shut the door behind me, crouching in the corner. Holding my breath.

Please don’t let him find me.

God, I’d never been so terrified in my life.

I had to call for help…but I’d left my phone on the kitchen floor.

I pushed back further into the corner when I heard the footsteps in the kitchen. I smelled smoke, probably from the pancakes.

If he killed me, I hope he burned to the ground with this house.

The sink turned on, and I heard a loud sizzle.

God, what was I going to do?

I covered my head, thinking this was it.

I heard the boots tromp out of the kitchen, and I slowly crawled to the door and pushed it open. The frying pan was in the sink. I could see the handle sticking over the edge.

I peeked around the corner, wondering if it was safe to venture out.

Something shifted to my right.

A pair of black boots.

I surged to my feet, my heart slamming against my ribs. I ran as fast as I could for the door.

“Kate!”

I stumbled into the living room, going down on my knees, and scrambled around to see Dustin standing in the kitchen doorway.

“O-oh, God,” I sank to the floor, hugging my knees to my chest. I was so relieved, I could barely speak. It wasn’t Death. He wasn’t here. He probably didn’t know where I was. I was perfectly safe…for the moment.

“Katie,” I felt him nearer, and his fingertips brushed my elbow. “Honey, look up at me. Please.”

It took me a minute, but I lifted my head and met his concerned gaze. “Hi, Dustin.”

He sat slowly in front of me, “Hey, what’s…what’s going on? I woke up and you were gone. You ignored my calls.”

I shook my head, biting my lips, “I can’t tell you.”

“Why?” he asked, now rubbing my arms.

“I can’t. I can’t.” I just kept repeating those two words over and over. Like I was a broken record.

“Kate, I don’t want to have to call for a doctor, but something is seriously wrong.” His voice was stern, and his grip tightened on my arm. “Kate, you’re really scaring me.”

I drew in a ragged breath, trying to work something out of my mouth as an explanation, when my phone rang.

I looked past him to the kitchen. Inside my head was spinning a I felt like I was going to pass out.

“Don’t answer that,” I whispered, scooting closer to him.

He grunted, let go of me, stomping into the kitchen and flipping it open the second he picked it up off the floor.

“No!” I screamed. Shoving myself up onto my feet, “Dustin, don’t!”

“Hello?” He pressed the phone to his ear. “Who the hell is this?”

I watched, panicked, as his eyes narrowed. “Dustin, hang up.”

His eyes locked on mine, and he pulled the phone away from his ear. I watched, shocked, as he grasped it in both hands, and snapped it in half. It fell in two pieces on the floor.

“Kate,” he started toward me, his jaw tight and his throat working as if he was trying to swallow. “Katie, it’s okay.”

“It’s not!” I stared in horror at my phone. “Now he’s really going to be mad!”

“He’s just a voice on the phone,” he said calmly, too calmly. “We’ll go to the sheriff. He’ll know what to do.”

No, no we couldn’t go to anyone. “Dustin, you’re not understanding something here. I can’t get help.”

He frowned. “Kate, a crazy person that calls you is not something to ignore.”

“What did he say?”

“It didn’t make sense. He said he liked listening to you talk…just a bunch of creepy stuff about your music. How did he get your number?”

I breathed deep, “Did he tell you who he was?”

“No, why?”

So Death had tricked him into thinking that he was just another run of the mill freak? “No reason, just wondering.”

He grasped my shoulders, practically lifting me off the ground and he bent to look in my eyes. “Kate, if you don’t tell me the truth, I’m going to call the sheriff, and there is nothing you can do to stop me.”

I gulped, knowing I had no choice now. I did not want to drag him into this. “He was doing that as a cover up. He didn’t want to you to know who he really is.”

“Okay, and who the hell is he?”

I closed my eyes, not wanting to see the look on his face, “Death.”

“Death?” he repeated, his voice hollow.

“Yes, and he’s going to kill me.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Dustin

I wasn’t sure what part of me hit the floor first. My knees or my ass. But I went down hard. I needed to sit. I couldn’t make myself look away from Kate. She looked so small. So vulnerable. I had no clue what to do, or how to make her feel better, not when she seemed so sure someone was out to kill her.

“Kate,” I reached for her but she flinched away. “Come on, there has to be an explanation. Are you sure it’s not a prank?”

“Are you kidding me?” her voice cracked. “Who jokes about killing people?”

She had a point, but still. “You were probably safer with your family and that entourage you keep. You’ve got bodyguards.”

“Dustin, the reason I left is because I am convinced it’s someone close to me.” She sank to her knees, locking eyes with me. “Whoever is doing this has access to me that only the closest people have. He knows about pancake night. He was at the award show…close enough to take Cheyenne’s phone. Then he got Jake’s phone. It’s someone I know and trust. Part of me suspects it could be Jake…but I just can’t understand why he would do that!”

I took a deep breath, “Okay, you make it sound pretty real.”

“Oh Lord, what do I have to do to convince you?” she sat on her heels across from me, frowning. “What if I told you he threatened Cheyenne? Or that he knew exactly which days Ben plays soccer in the park?”