“Dan served in the military, just as my father did, and neither of them took any crap from us as we were growing up.But they also made sure we always knew we were loved.All in all, I think we turned out pretty darn good.”
They sat in silence for a few minutes, alone in their own thoughts.Moriah’s heart rate and anxiety were still elevated after seeing KC squatting down near the wood pile.She’d panicked, thinking he would find the duffel bag, and blurted out the first thing she could think of.While he’d seemed skeptical at first, she’d been relieved when he changed the subject to something safe.
Huh ...safe...will I ever feel safe again?She doubted it.
KC shifted in his seat, drawing her attention back to him.After he had taken a sip of his coffee, he brought up the one subject she wished he hadn’t.“So, tell me about this ex-boyfriend.What was the fucking asshole’s name?”
Caught off guard by the question, she gave the first “fucking asshole” name that popped into her head.“Leo Simmons.”
Oh, my God!
She couldn’t believe she just gave KC the name of her sister’s drug-dealing boyfriend.How could she be so stupid?She had to end this conversation before she said something that would get her in trouble.“I’m getting tired.I think I’ll head up to bed and read for a while.”
When she stood, ready to run upstairs, KC also got to his feet.“I’m sorry, Maura.I didn’t mean to upset you.”
Moriah held up her hand to keep him from saying anything more.“It’s okay.I would just rather not talk about the past.Thanks again for dinner.I’ll see you in the morning.”
He watched as she turned and headed for the stairs.“Hey, Maura?”
Pausing, she glanced over her shoulder at him but remained silent.
Sympathy filled his eyes.“I just wanted you to know that I think you’re doing fine.You’re a strong woman.I’m sure everything will work out for you.”
She couldn’t tell him how wrong he was, so instead, she nodded.“Thanks, KC.Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.”
Chapter9
Blood.Oh God, so much blood.Splattered across the room.On the floor, the walls, the furniture.Crimson red blood everywhere.The raw stench of death hung in the air, surrounding her like a thick, suffocating blanket.What happened?Momma?Susan?Nicholas?No!Oh God, no!They can’t be dead!This can’t be happening!Why?Oh God, why?It's my fault, all my fault.I killed my family.They didn’t deserve to die this way.They’re all dead because of me.Run!Hurry!Run before it is too late!
Moriah woke up terrified, covered in sweat, and gasping for air.She fumbled for the lamp next to her bed and turned it on, her gaze darting around the room.
The beach cottage.
She was at the beach cottage in North Carolina—not her family’s Chicago apartment—and the walls here were pale blue, and the carpet was ivory.Not dark red.Not covered in her family’s blood.There was no lingering metallic odor, just clean, salty ocean air.Momma, Susan, and Nicholas weren’t tied to kitchen chairs, sitting there with dead stares and riddled with bullet holes, the souls already drained from their mortal bodies.
Sitting up, she wiped the tears from her eyes and cheeks.Her grief was just as strong now as it had been the exact moment she’d found her family in the apartment and then fled.Would she ever be able to think of them again and not picture how they died?It was all her fault.Well, mostly her fault.She could never forgive herself for the part she played in their deaths.If there was an afterlife, she hoped her family would forgive her.However, she would always blame herself.
Focusing on the small alarm clock on the nightstand, she sighed with frustration.It was five-thirty in the morning.She would never fall back to sleep at this hour, not with the gruesome images of her family occupying her thoughts.
Slipping out from under the covers, she stood, pulled on a clean pair of jeans, and fastened them under the navy blue T-shirt she had slept in.Stepping into the attached bathroom, she used the toilet, flushed, and then washed her hands and face at the sink.
As she stared at her reflection in the mirror, she noticed her face was thinner and paler than usual.With the dark circles under her eyes, she could pass as one of those “before” advertisements for some amazing new beauty cream.She hadn’t slept more than five hours a night in months, and it was taking its toll on her body.She refused to try an over-the-counter sleeping pill because she didn’t want to be groggy if she suddenly had to run again.They had managed to find her twice, and both times, she had been able to escape—barely.Learning from her mistakes, she adapted as best she could.
Walking barefoot, she exited the bedroom and went down the hallway into the kitchen.She moved on tiptoes so she wouldn’t wake KC.A little coffee and some fresh air would help vanquish the terror that always accompanied the nightmare.She just wished she could find something that would erase the ghastly visions from her mind permanently.
A few minutes later, she headed for the back deck with a coffee mug and granola bar in hand.Closing the door behind her with a soft click, she turned and jumped in surprise.KC climbed the stairs in cotton shorts, a T-shirt, and sneakers.Despite the chilly morning air, his body was drenched in sweat.And what a body it was.His T-shirt clung to him, and she longed to run her hands across the taut plains of his torso and down to his muscular thighs.
A flush of arousal hit her, and she felt a pang of desire low in her belly.She tried to keep the huskiness out of her voice, but she wasn’t too successful and prayed he didn’t notice.“Hi, where were you?”
Halting at the top of the stairs, he grabbed the towel he must have left on the railing earlier and wiped his face and neck.“I couldn’t sleep, so I took my morning run a little early.”
She couldn’t tear her hungry gaze away as he dragged the towel up both of his strong arms.Her mouth watered.“You ...”Clearing her throat, she tried again to speak.“You look like you just ran a marathon.”
Hanging the towel around his neck, he shrugged.“Nope, only ten miles.Five out, five back.”
Moriah’s mouth hung open as she gaped at him.Had the man actually just run ten miles?Holy shit!Well, at least now she knew how he kept his perfect male physique and squeezable ass.
