A Reason To Breathe (20 page)

“My story?”

“You wanted to be a real reporter, you whined and cried you wanted to get out of working the events page. I gave you that, and you thanked me by being a whore.”

“You’re crazy, oh god, this isn’t happening.” My back hit the dumpster as the killer turned and picked up his knife. Mark was lying on the ground barely moving, his face pale in the dim light of the alley. I reached behind me and searched blind for the board, at the same time wondering why no one had heard me scream?

Finding the end of the board, I wrapped my fingers around it and pulled it up in front of me like a baseball bat, then moved out from the dumpster to keep from getting pinned.

“I’m sorry I upset you, I didn’t know how you felt.” My stomach churned at that apology; I was hoping to keep him distracted until someone came along. I remembered my phone in the pocket of my jacket, but couldn’t hold the board without both hands. The killer ignored me and lunged with his knife high; I swung and connected with his side; he grunted, and I jumped back out of the way of his knife when it swung towards me.

“Help me,” I screamed, and took off running back the way we’d came, hoping to reach the end of the alley before the killer could recover. I made it five feet from the end, when I was tackled from behind. He pulled my head up and slammed it down on the cobbled stone surface of the alley. Stars sprung to my eyes, but I heard a male voice in front of me shout, “What the fuck,” and then the killer was gone. I heard his loud footsteps retreating behind me, as the man who had shouted, ran up to me and put a knee to the ground near my head.

“You okay? Mike, dude, call the police, some guy just attacked this woman.” I tried to move, and he helped me sit up.

“Call an ambulance, there’s a man in the alley who’s been stabbed in the back.”

“Holy shit, hold on, Mike, call an ambulance, some dude in the alley’s been stabbed.” I pulled out my phone, and handed it to him, unable to clear my vision enough to see, “Check my call list, find the caller “Bossy,” and hit redial please.” The Good Samaritan found Jack’s number, and actually snorted when he realized there was, in fact, a caller named “Bossy,” handed the phone to me, and then turned and ran down the alley to Mark. I braced for the reception I’d get, but was surprised when he calmly answered, “You keep this up, and you’ll live in that cell.”

“Jack, the killer—” was all I got out.

“Where the fuck are you?” he growled.

“The Nickel in Crested, Jack, he stabbed a man.”

“I’m ten minutes out, be there five,” was all he said and ended the call. My head was pounding, but I no longer saw stars, so I pushed myself up and headed back down the alley to check on Mark.

Lying in a pool of blood, but breathing, his eyes were closed but they opened when he heard me approach. There were several people gathered around him, so I stopped at his feet.

“You ok?” He grunted through the pain.

“I’m fine, don’t worry about me.”

“Was that one of the men you wanted to put a bullet in?” I cried out a laugh that was thickened with tears and nodded, “Yeah definitely one I want to put a bullet in.” kneeling down, I got close to his face.

“You saved my life tackling him, I won’t ever forget that.” I whispered in his ear.

“I had to do something to get your attention away from the other men.” I nodded and chuckled at his foolishness then grabbed his hand and squeezed.

“An ambulance is on the way, you hang in there, ok?” His eyes lifted over my head, and I could feel the energy behind me change. Mark looked back at me and said.

“Is one of your problems a pissed off Sheriff?”

“Yeah, is he behind me?”

“Yeah, I have a feeling it’s a good thing I’m already injured.” Before I could answer him or turn to Jack, an ambulance pulled in the alley, and the Techs jumped out and headed to Mark.

Jack grabbed my arms and pulled me up and out of the way, then walked me over to the side.

“Talk to me,” he seethed

“I came for a drink to think, had dinner, Mark—”

“He a
 
friend
 of yours?”

“No, I just met him—”

“You picked him up in the bar?” he hissed.

“If you’d let me explain, I’d tell you.” I hissed back. Jack crossed his arms, and his pissed off eyes met mine, then he raised one eyebrow and waited.

“As I was saying, I was eating, Mark was eating, we were leaving at the same time and since it was dark, he offered to walk me to my car. We made it half way up the alley; the killer attacked, stabbed him in the back and then came after me. Mark got up, tackled the killer, and then I backed up, grabbed a board, and when the killer attacked again, I hit him in the ribs and took off running for help.” I didn’t think it was possible, but the whole time I was talking Jack got even more pissed off.

“Did the killer say anything?” he barked. Oh yeah, he said a lot, but I was sick to death to even repeat it. Jack waited while I gathered my thoughts. Then got tired of waiting.

“Talk to me goddammit.”

“Fine, he called me a whore, said I was impersonating some woman named Annie and that I should have died instead of those women he killed, for me, I might add, so I could have a fucking story.” Jack looked over my shoulder, studying Mark, then looked back and narrowed his eyes.

“Why’d he call you a whore?”

“Because I slept with you.”

“Sleeping with one man doesn’t make you a whore, why’d he stab this Mark person?” I paused too long, and he narrowed his eyes even more.

“Fine, you win, Mark was hitting on me all night, and I told him it was a lost cause, I was too old for him, but that didn’t stop him from being charming and flirty, and clearly the killer must have seen it, and when he walked me to my car he assumed I was going home with the guy, are you happy now?”

“Not in the fuckin’ least, but we’ll get to that later, so assuming that’s his reason for attacking, he had to of been in the Nickel watching you? I’ll have Barry talk with the wait-staff and see if anyone remembers a man alone with eyes on you and your.” His eyes moved to Mark, who was being moved from the ground to a stretcher and then came back to me, “Dinner companion we’ll call him.”  Jack’s jaw got tight as he searched my face, looking for what, I don’t know, but then his eyes stopped at my forehead.

“You hit your head?”

“Killer chased me and tackled me, then he slammed my head into the ground.” Pissed off Jack morphed into concerned Jack, when he heard this.

“Jesus, what am I going to do with you?” His face softened then, and he grabbed my neck and pulled me forward, kissing my head. He kept his lips there, and I wrapped my arms around his waist. The events of the last hour hit me once his strong arms circled me, and I answered his question while hanging on tight.

“Probably lock me up in a cell.” I whispered in his chest.

“Tried that and you see how well that worked?”

“Yeah, you should probably just get used to the fact I’m not going to listen to you.”

“Baby, figured that out five minutes after I met you.”

“Then why’d you throw me in a cell?”

“I’m trying to contain you, keep you safe from yourself.”

“I don’t need saving from myself.” I replied with the indignation any woman in my position would have had. Jack searched the heavens for an answer, not finding one; he looked back at me and let me have it. Swear to god this man has a speech for everything.

“
You
 need saving from your own innocence, the same innocence that attracted this killer in the first damn place. Men will take advantage; women will take advantage;
I
intend to fuckin’ take advantage of all that is you. Mandy said you’re a shiny new toy, but she’s wrong. You have a bright light that shines from you and it draws people in. You have no clue how people see you ‘cause you’ve got your damn head in the clouds, and you don’t see what’s happening right in front of you.” I was breathing heavy ‘cause all that sounded nice in an insulting sort of way.

“I’m not naive Jack.” I whispered.

“Innocent isn’t naive, Jenn, innocent means you trust people to do as they say. You give yourself away without expecting anything in return, and you think of others before yourself. Innocent, as in untarnished by this ugly fucking world, and I intend to keep you that way. ‘Cause honest to god, after all the shit I’ve seen in my lifetime, you’re the closest thing to perfect I’ve found. So stop fighting me and let me protect your fucking light.”

I felt my whole body fill up with something I couldn’t put a word to. It warmed me in a way that I hadn’t ever felt, like Jack’s words filled something that had always been empty in me. My head hit his chest again, and I nodded. Bossy was getting his way, no way could I ignore that as anything other than he cared about me and would do anything to keep me safe. And at the end of the day, if someone cared that much and wanted to protect you, you had a responsibility to help them keep their promise, and Jack promised if I listened to him he’d keep me safe… so that’s what I’ll do, I’ll listen to Jack… at least until the killer was caught.

Chapter Twenty-one

Poking The
 Viper

“You’re just like the rest, a whore.” “No, please, I didn’t know.” “You whored with the Sheriff and now you’re whoring with this man.” “No, leave him alone, he didn’t do anything.” The dark masked man turned his back to me, then reached for Mark’s head and pulled it back, his knife swiping across his neck in a single slice. I screamed, “No,” as Mark’s blood ran from his body in a river of scarlet.”

        “No, Mark.” I woke with a start, another dream about the killer, never to be erased from my memory.  I looked around then turned my head to see Jack staring at me. I let out a breath and rolled to my side and looked at him.

“Hey,” I whispered.

“Bad dream?” Jack replied.

“Yeah, the killer was after me.”

“And Mark?” Jack’s face told me he was pissed, but I wasn’t sure why?

“Yeah, he was in my dream.”

“Yeah, babe, I know, been lying here listening to you talk about him.”

“I talk in my sleep?” Jack rolled to his back, looked at the ceiling for a moment, and then rolled back.

“Yeah, you talk in your sleep.” Jack snapped. Figuring I’d said something he didn’t like, I bit my lips to keep from asking. Jack watched my mouth, then looked to my eyes; he narrowed his and without any segue started in.

“You wanna tell me again exactly what happened between you and this Mark guy?” I grinned at Jack; he was jealous; the green-eyed monster had bitten big bad Jack. If I didn’t think it would piss him off more, I’d have laughed. Actually, on second thought, this could be fun!

“Not much, Jack.”

“What does “not much” mean?”

“He flirted, tried to convince me I was meant for him even if I was older. Wanted to take me back to his hotel room, but I insisted I go home. He told me I didn’t look a day over thirty and would that get him into my pants?” The longer I spoke the angrier he got, and the more I wanted to laugh. I swear I could actually see his face turn green.

“You think this is funny?” Jack sneered.

“Yeah, I do,” I giggled, then threw my arms around his neck. Jack rolled me to my back then moved between my legs. I was smiling up into his face, but his was still hard.

“You don’t test a man like me, Jenn.” Watching Jack’s face, the angry scowl and ticking jaw, I realized I’d gone too far. My smile slowly fell, and he watched with satisfaction, now having my full attention. I watched close as his face moved from pissed to serious, and I felt like a harpy who plays with men for enjoyment, so I apologized.

“I’m sorry, Jack, nothing happened, it was harmless.” I realized my mistake as soon as the words left my lips. Jack narrowed his eyes and then grinned.

“Did you just say sorry?”

“Yes,” I whispered. Jack’s face dipped to my neck, his teeth nipped at my shoulder, then he kissed and tasted his way back to my ear.

“You’re gonna pay for that and, for trying to rile me up.” His hot breath whispered in my ear, sending a warm feeling between my legs at the thought of how I’d pay.

“I didn’t try, Jack, I succeeded.” I answered the voice in my ear. Thinking I was right to begin with about teasing him.

“You like playing dirty?” Jack whispered. Extremely turned on at this point; I answered him by lifting my hips into his obvious erection, and then followed that action by biting his neck.

“I’m going to teach you a lesson, Jenn.” Jack groaned in my ear as I bit him.

“What lesson would that be, Jack?”

“You dance with the devil, you pay the consequences. I’ve claimed you and you’re mine,” he stated. “You don’t drink with other men or flirt with other men and I sure as fuck don’t want to hear you say another man’s name in your sleep.” I ignored his comment and ran my hand down his back to grab his bare ass; I squeezed him, then ran my tongue up his neck, and whispered in his ear.