“Hey, James. I’ve got - there’s another letter here. It wasn’t mailed. Someone dropped it in my mailbox. That means he’s- he’s here on the mountain, James! And I don’t have a phone. It broke and-”I took a deep breath. Don’t freak out.“I need to know. Did you hire Steve the handyman? ‘Cause there’s another resident here that says he’s never heard of him. Please, please contact me. The only other guy who knows who I am is the resident, Kevin, uh, Kevin Sykes. Contact me as soon as you get this, okay? Should I call the police? I don’t … I don’t know who to trust!”
Hoofing it up the stairs, I pulled the gun and clip from under the bed. I managed to slam the clip into the magazine and holding the gun up like I’d been taught, I slithered down the stairs. Grabbing my backpack, I ran out the front door and to the jeep.
“Oh, nonononono!” The jeep’s hood was open and it looked like a giant’s hand had reached in and casually ripped out half the engine.
Back into the house. Forcing myself to holster the weapon while I locked all the doors, checked the windows, and pulled the curtains closed.
I jumped when the pounding on the door started.
“Aura! Open the damn door! Are you okay?”
It was Steve. I didn’t know whether to be relieved or terrified. My treacherous heart was angling toward relief.
“What are you doing here, Handyman Steve!” I shouted at the door, picturing him impatiently pacing on the other side.
“I got a call from your agent. He was freaking out and talking about the stalker and a letter - I didn’t get it all because he was talking so fast. What is happening? Open the door!”
I shifted from foot to foot.James called him….
Opening the door, I stumbled back, pointing the gun at him. “Don’t move!”
He seemed even more gigantic with the shadows from the pines filtering the last rays of the sun, blond hair falling a bit into those vivid eyes as he looked at the gun with incredulity.
“Why don’t you put that down before you shoot yourself?” Steve said calmly, “Your hands are shaking.”
“No, I’m not putting the gun down,” I shaped each word carefully, making them firm and authoritative, like my self-defense coach taught me. “I got another letter from my stalker, he sent- wait. Did I really tell you about that or was that a dream, or...?”
I was blinking away tears.Oh god, maybe I am crazy.
“Yes, you told me.” His voice was suddenly deeper, and running his tongue along his lower lip, Steve leaned in slightly. “Now what did he say?”
But the blood was draining from my face, leaving me pale and I swayed a bit. “If I told you about the stalker, then that means-”
What,I thought,Steve really was a vampire? So I actually had sex with a vampire? Or, did I just tell him during a normal conversation but I don’t remember it because the dream was hotter than reality, or…?
I bit the inside of my cheek, hard, and straightened my elbows again, tightening my grip on the gun. “So you put up the big fancy perimeter security lights. They lit up for an owl last night, but not for whoever took a picture of me sitting in front of the window! He’s gonna carve me up, he’s…” Gritting my teeth, I looked at his dark eyes, brows drawn together in … concern? Confusion?
“Aura,” he said slowly, “put down the gun, and let’s talk. I will keep you safe.”
“Really,” I scoffed, “I’m not putting down my only protection.”
Steve made a noise. It was low, but it traveled up through my spine and set off warning bells all through my nervous system, making my overtaxed adrenal glands feel like they were exploding.
It was a growl. Something low from his chest and when I caught his expression, I took a step back. He was looking up at me from under his brows, chin lowered and fists clenched.
“Aura,” he was slow and precise, as if holding onto whatever still made him look human. “Put the gun down and listen to me. You’re shaking and you could hurt yourself.”
My eyes darted from him to my jeep, the hood still open. It would have taken a huge amount of strength to tear out whatever chunk of engine that was currently lying on the ground and leaking oil into my flowerbed.
“Steve, you are no longer welcome here.” His entire face darkened, like a shadow over the moon.
“Aura-”
“You are no longer welcome here. I revoke my invitation!” I slammed the door shut, feeling vaguely stupid for the dramatic gesture but I wasn’t sure what was supposed to happen. I could hear a roar of frustrated fury outside, but then silence. Locking the door, I went back to my laptop.
“James, where are you? Please contact me. I think the handyman, I think Steve is my stalker it all makes sense and if I also tell you what I think he is you’ll think I’m gone over the edge again so please-”
“So, if this was a book of mine,” I mumbled, a little dizzy from all the adrenaline and an empty stomach, “people would wonder why I haven’t called the police. How would the character explain that?”
