I woke up in a cold sweat.
And terrified.
I didn’t even think.I couldn’t coordinate my limbs.So whenI moved, I fell off my bed, right to the floor.I crawled half the distance tothe door to my bedroom before I found my feet.
Once I did, I sprinted to the dinette where I’d left mypurse.I snatched out my cell and sprinted back to my room, slamming the door,locking the lock, so lost in my head, when I ran across the room, I thumpedinto my bed, falling on top of it, but I didn’t hesitate.
I scrambled over it and off the other side, hitting thefloor on my hands.The cell digging into my palm, I just kept going.My kneesfalling off the bed, crashing into the floor, I crawled to the corner, turned,pressed my back in, lifted my knees up protectively in front of me, and fumbledmy phone as I brought it to my face.
I flipped it open and saw it tremble in my hand as Isearched for the number I’d programmed in no matter I knew it was a fool thingto do.
I was glad I’d done it then.
I hit it, put the phone to my ear, and felt it shakingagainst the shell.
I heard it ring.
It rang four times, and with each passing one I wanted toscream before I heard a deep man’s voice say, “Yes?”
“M-M-Marcus, I do-don’t…I just had a…” I gulped, “Ic-c-can’t—”
“Daisy,” he stated urgently, “is someone there?”
“I, no, I…y-y-es…um, no.”
I was making no sense and didn’t even know it.I was toobusy realizing that my teeth were chattering, and worse, I couldn’t do a thingabout it.
I sensed vaguely he sounded like he was on the move as heasked, “Where are you?”
“B-b-bedroom.”
“Stay there.In a few minutes, the man I have on yourapartment will be in your apartment.His name is Louie.He’ll call out his nameso you’ll know he’s there.He won’t approach.I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“O-o-kay.”
“As soon as I can, darling.Yes?”
“Y-yeah.”
“I have to let you go now.”
“Yeah.”
“Be right there,” he whispered.
“Yeah,” I repeated, unable to say anything else, tremblingso badly I was quaking.
I heard the disconnect like it was far away instead of rightat my ear but I didn’t take the phone away.I held it there until my handfloated down, the phone still flipped open, and I stared through the dark atthe door.
“It’s Louie!”I heard yelled from my living room and Ijumped, crying out quietly, tucking my knees tight to my chest, wrapping myarms around them.“All clear!”he shouted.“All good!Mr.Sloan is on his way.”
I didn’t say thank you.I didn’t say anything.
I didn’t think anything either.
I didn’t think how I’d been a bitch to Marcus after he’dbeen nothing but kind and patient with me.Sending me daisies.Bringing me Dom.Being gentle and sweet.
It had been a week since that night and I’d heard nothingfrom him.Saw nothing of him.
