Rebound: Passion Book 2 (15 page)

I
slept like a baby that night knowing that I’d set shit off, and first thing in
the morning I called her up to see what time she was coming over. After making
sure she had passed the night well without incident I went in search of dad. I
found him on his way out the door heading for work. “Dad I need a favor.” He
stopped with his hand on the door and gave me his full attention.

“What do
you need son?”

“It’s about school…”

“Don’t tell me you’re taking
time off from school Matt that I won’t tolerate…”

“Take it
easy old man it’s for Kadyn, I need you to get her into the university with us.
I know it’s a bit late but her scores are amazing she…”

“Say no
more son I was expecting something like this after my talk with her father
yesterday; I’ll take care of it don’t give it another thought.”

“Thanks dad and thanks for going
to see Stan that was way cool.”

“Hey that’s just what I do.”

“Get
outta here.”

After
breakfast I put on my thinking cap, I was mapping out our dating agenda like
some sort of chart but it’s what was needed for now. I had to keep coming up
with ways to bring her new life. A life where the most important thing on her
mind was what she was going to do for
fun.
With anyone
else I would find this shallow and weak but for someone who’d been robbed of
even the barest semblance of joy it was just what she needed. Today was going
to be pool day, just a quiet day hanging by the pool and relaxing. That way
we’d get to spend time together and she’d get used to being around kids her
age. I would also use the time to break the news to her about school. I had no
doubt dad would work his magic and get her in, if not I’ll just have to change
my plans as to where I was going because there was no way she was putting her
life on hold any longer and no way in hell we were going to be apart.

KADYN

“Kadyn
you up?” I rolled over in bed and stared up at the ceiling. Matthew had just
called to find out when I was coming to his house. Between yesterday and this
morning I’d been waiting to awaken from the weird dream I’d fallen into but the
mountain of clothes on the daybed across from my bed was testament that it had
all been real.” Yeah dad I’ll be right out.”

It
was near to impossible for me to accept that any of this was real, that my life
could change so drastically in a complete three sixty degree. Things like this
just didn’t happen in real life, it certainly hadn’t happened in any of the
cases I’d researched looking for hope. Why should it happen for me? I had given
up believing in miracles a long time ago, when no one could help me at every
turn, when the law that was supposed to protect seemed more interested in
protecting my tormentor and his rights than mine. I’d pretty much resigned
myself to a life of hell. The best I could hope for was to make it out alive
when all was said and done.

The
fear was not only for me, I’d feared for my mom as well. What would become of
her, stuck because of finances in a house right next door to someone so evil?
There wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t think of these things. Now this
Matthew Steele was giving me something else to think about. Could I trust it,
but how could I? What about the first time Bruno finds me? Matt might think he’s
willing to deal with this now but the reality is way different. No one wants to
be caught in the crosshairs of a madman and I had no doubt that he was crazy.
That was part of my fear, how do you reason with someone who was so convinced
that he was right? The very thought of him makes my skin crawl. I hate knowing
that he thinks he owns me or that he has any control over my life. But each
time I gear up myself to fight, to move out from under that shadow of darkness,
I lose the battle and fear wins out.

It
sure would be nice to give into Matt though, to allow myself to believe that it
were possible to have the life of a carefree young woman. Going off to college
and doing all the things I longed to do; but it would hurt more to taste that
life only to have it snatched from me again as it surely would. I looked over
at the beautiful things he’d bought me yesterday and my heart ached. It
couldn’t be, as much as I might want it to be I couldn’t let him destroy his
life like this. Things had moved so fast in such a short time, and though the
attraction was instantaneous it could go nowhere.

He
would be one more thing in a long line of things that I would deny myself. My
life wasn’t meant to be normal, I wasn’t meant for days of sunshine and
laughter. I ignored the pain in my heart at the lost, it just couldn’t be. I
could never put that beautiful person in danger; and he was beautiful. He’d
given so much of himself already, so aimlessly, without seeking anything in
return. Not just the shopping, but also the things he said, the way he was
willing to stand between me and the dark. I felt anger that this man was once
again robbing me of yet another thing that I so badly wanted, but even the
anger wasn’t enough to overrule my fear. It was like I’d told Matthew, I’d learned
that lesson well,
there
was really no point in fooling
myself or in getting my hopes up.

Taking
a deep breath I prepared myself to face the day. Dad had told me last night
when he came up that he’d given the job to someone else. I was happy for the young
woman who dad said had fallen on hard times but now with my newfound resolve I
was at a lost as to what to do with my days. Dad was sitting at the table with
his coffee and had one waiting for me next to him. He seemed much lighter this
morning and I was sure it was because of Matt and their talk. If anyone wanted
me to have the life of a teenager I knew it was my dad.

I
slumped down in the chair next to his and laid my head on his shoulder. He
kissed my hair and hugged my shoulder before I lifted it again. “What’s the
matter princess?”

“I can’t see Matthew again.”

“What
why?” he looked so broken by that, like I’d taken away his light or something,
it was crushing to see the light go out of his eyes but it was better this way.

“Dad you
know it’s only a matter of time before he finds me, what then? Do you think
it’s fair to involve Matthew in something like this? I’m living on borrowed
time dad…”

“Kadyn no, come on you’re safe
here, please don’t throw away your chance at happiness. Don’t you like Matt?”

“Of course I do, he’s gorgeous
he’s kind and he seems to like me more than a little bit. But how long will
that last when this all comes to a head? No it’s better this way.”

“Did
something happen? I heard your phone ring did Matthew say something to you?”

“No
dad he was calling to see what time I would be coming over to hang out by the
pool. Shopping, hanging by the pool, these things sound nice but I know better
dad. Somehow he always finds a way to mess things up. It’s like he always knows
when I’m happy, when I’ve finally taken even the smallest step out from under
his shadow and then he pounces.” Dad didn’t say anything more but I could tell
he was disappointed, no more so than I. What Matt was offering was my every
dream come true but I knew it was not meant to be, not for me anyway.

I
wanted it too much, wanted everything, but most importantly I wanted it with
Matthew Steele, experience had taught me that it would never be. That truth had
been brought home when the only boy who had been brave enough to come to my
doorstep had been run off the road after leaving my house that night. He’d only
been there to study; he’d needed help with his chemistry class. Tommy Bruno
didn’t know any of that he didn’t care. Evan had lived but I had never allowed
another male to get near me after that for any reason. If he hurt my Matthew it
would kill me; my Matthew. Better stop thinking like that, I will hold onto the
memory of what little time we had together but I had to let go. I had no
choice.

After
dad left to go downstairs I cleaned up and went back to my room. I had to
figure out some way to get all of this tuff back to him and his jeep. I could
always drive over there but I didn’t want to, it would be too hard seeing them
all again so happy together, knowing that I could never be a part of that. It
was best to sever all ties now. I turned off my phone hoping that that would
send the message that I didn’t want to talk to him and decided that I’ll ask
dad to return the stuff later.

MATT

Where
the hell is she? It was way past the time she said she would be here. My first
instinct was to panic but I quelled that shit, I couldn’t ask her not to see
the boogeyman around every corner if I was going to start doing the same thing.
I called her phone and it went straight to voice mail. Maybe she was driving
and couldn’t answer the phone, good girl. I went about getting ready for her
day of fun, mom said she was going to fire up the grill and make a party of it
later in the afternoon. Everyone was onboard to make it a nice experience for
her. I was immensely proud of my family for the way they were acting, no one
was asking questions though I’m sure they were dying to know, they just
accepted that she was mine and that was enough.

By
the time enough time had gone by that she should be here and she was still a no
show I tried calling again and got the voice mail. Then I started worrying, I
paced the patio as I dialed the diner hoping that all was well and she was
safe. Maybe she got a late start or something had come up. “Stan’s Eats.”

“Stan
this is Matthew is Kadyn there?”

“Uh, you didn’t talk to her?”

“Not since I called her earlier
she was supposed to be coming over but she’s not here and she’s not answering
her phone did she leave?”

“Uh no son, I think you need to
talk to her.”

“Why
what’s going on?”

“Son I
don’t feel comfortable talking to you about this this is between you and her, I
think she should be the one to tell you herself.” I was starting to get a bad
feeling in my chest. “Talk to me about what?” I was already heading inside for
my keys. I had a pretty good idea what this was about and if I was right I’m
going to be so pissed.

“Like I said I think you two
should talk.”

“I’m on
my way.”

I
was going on pure fumes as I hopped into the closest car and peeled out of the
garage. No fucking way, she wasn’t doing this shit. It was time to take the
gloves off. If Kadyn Daniels didn’t think she deserved anything better than
hiding out for the rest of her life then it was my job to drag her ass out from
under that cloud. In my heart I knew I would never let anything happen to her,
I’d already taken steps to take care of that asshole hadn’t I? I wasn’t about
to lose her to her own fear, not when I’d just found her. No one was taking her
away from me not even she herself. Fuck that, I’d be fucked if I let some
pedophile asshole hundreds of miles away dictate my life and happiness, who the
fuck?

Her
father was standing near the door as though waiting for my arrival he just
passed me off the key to the upstairs door and without a word spoken between us
I headed towards the back and up the stairs. I held my breath for a quick
second to calm down before facing her, didn’t want to scare her with my temper.
I turned the key and called out for her so she’d know it was me. “Kadyn where
are you?”

“Matthew?”
she came out of her room with her hand at her throat. “What are you doing
here?” There were tear tracks on her face and she looked miserable, good, she
should feel miserable for putting me through this shit.

“Aren’t you supposed to be
somewhere?”

“Matt I can’t…”

“I don’t
want to hear that shit Kadyn, we talked about this. I’m willing to give you
time to deal with having me in your life but what I am not going to do is let
you chicken out on me. If you’re afraid to grab whatever happiness life throws
your way that’s your fucking issue not mine but you will not fuck up my shit.
Now get your bag and let’s go.”

“You
don’t understand…it won’t work, you’re…I don’t know, you come from this amazing
family who probably never had a day’s trouble in their lives can you imagine
how they’ll look at me if they knew about my past? If they knew what their
lives will be like if and when he finds me?”

“Kadyn
my family already knows about that shit and if you think that having money
protects us from the shit people do to each other then you’re sadly mistaken. I
almost married someone who set my sister in law up to be raped and almost
murdered. Yeah I see that caught your attention, Carrie was abducted not too
long ago by someone who’s in jail for the rape and murder of at least seven
women so don’t think you corner the market on sick assholes. Now get your shit
because none of this has fuck all to do with anything. I told you I’ll take
care of you, since you find that shit so hard to believe I’ll just have to show
you.”

Instead
of waiting for her to get her bag I snatched up the one I saw hanging on the
chair and grabbed her hand pulling her out the door behind me. “Wait Matthew
let me change my clothes at least.”

“No, fuck
it, you had all morning to get dressed.” I threw the keys across the counter at
Stan on the way out the door as his daughter looked over her shoulder at him as
if asking him to save her from the crazy man. He had the good sense to stay
where the fuck he was and not get in my way.

I
wasn’t too gentle when I seated her in the car and strapped her in. All my hard
work from yesterday was obviously in vain and that pissed me off. Bruno wasn’t
here so the problem was Kadyn; she was the one letting fear rule her, the one
not allowing herself to be happy. I sent James off to fight him looks like I
had to fight her too. So be it.