Authors: Aliyah Burke
―You okay there, Kacy?‖ Brett asked, looking at her over his shoulder
as he removed the faceplate he knelt before.
―Sure. I just don‘t like the feel of this room.‖
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Brett sent her a wry smile. ―You wanna go and see if there is no long-
er a signal at the breaker box?‖
―Hell, yeah.‖ Kacy turned around and froze.
―What, Kacy?‖
―Be careful, Brett. Just be extra careful down here.‖ Her words were
full of concern.
Half past eight they were done. The house had been a nightmare—
bad switches, wild wiring. It was floating, which meant there was no ground
on the service.
At least it was set so Brett could now rewire safely. Handing Brett a
list of what she used, since he‘d insisted on replacing those items, she
slammed the door of her van shut. ―I am so frickin‘ hungry I could eat an
elephant,‖ Kacy complained.
―Wanna grab dinner?‖ Brett asked.
―Yeah, that would be great. Where do you want to go?‖ Kacy opened
the driver‘s door and looked at Brett over her shoulder.
―There is that little Italian place just off of Twenty-First that looks
good.‖
―Pasta sounds excellent. Meet you there.‖ She slid behind the wheel
and shut the door, driving off and waving over her shoulder.
Brett pulled in moments behind her at the restaurant and they
walked in together. It was a quiet place that wasn‘t too busy. A warm
welcome greeted them as they were shown to a nice table.
―Thanks for this idea, Brett,‖ Kacy said as her copper gaze looked
over the menu.
He smiled in return. ―Hey, I owe you so much for coming out to help
me.‖
They placed their order and sat back to wait for the appetizers. ―Tell
me, Brett, how is Lisa?‖
Lisa was Brett‘s girlfriend. ―She is doing okay; comes back to town
next week.‖
―When are you gonna marry that woman?‖ Kacy asked with a smile.
A faint blush crept over his cheeks. ―Actually, I am going to ask her
when she gets home.‖
―For real?‖ Kacy squealed.
―Yes. It‘s about time she made an honest man of me.‖
Kacy touched him gently on the arm. ―Congratulations, Brett. You
two make a wonderful couple.‖
The two friends had a light-hearted dinner. It was after ten when
they parted ways in the restaurant parking lot. Kacy finally drove home with
a full stomach. The one thing that would have made the night better was
having Ernst with her.
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Shaking her head, she grinned at how pathetic she was. Easing into
her garage, she shut the door behind her as she walked into her home. Kacy
stopped off at her fish tank to feed her babies before going to her room to
shower and change.
Padding in boxer shorts and a tank top to the kitchen, she went to the
freezer. Ice cream time. Noticing the light blinking on her machine, she
pressed play as she grabbed a bowl for her nighttime snack.
The first few messages she knew were for work. As she dished up the
chocolate treat she heard two hang-ups. Shrugging them off, she reached for
her toppings and began to add them liberally.
The patter of rain on her windows made her look up.
I didn’t know it
was supposed to rain.
Soon her attention was back on the toppings as another
person asked for a bid on her answering machine. Leaning against her
counter, she began to eat the ice cream when the next message began to play.
The bowl fell to the floor and shattered as Kacy bolted toward the ga-
rage.
Ernst had set the phone back in its charger after hanging up with Ka-
cy. Turning on some AC/DC, he‘d begun making himself some dinner. After
his dinner had finished cooking, he sat down on his couch and turned off the
music and to watch a baseball game.
His phone rang, jolting him out of his trance. ―Hello?‖ He hoped it
was Kacy.
Nope.
―Hello, Son,‖ Nonnie Zimmermann said.
―Hello, Mother.‖ Ernst shut off the television and ambled back into
his kitchen. ―What‘s going on?‖ It was nine o‘clock.
―Calling to check on you. You haven‘t called or come home in a
while,‖ she reprimanded.
―Been busy, Mom, sorry.‖
―We are having a gathering on Sunday. Come.‖
Images of Kacy and Adam on horseback flashed through his head.
―Sorry, Mom, I have plans if we are still here.‖
―Doing what?‖ the dubious voice asked.
―I am spending time with my girlfriend and a child from an orpha-
nage,‖ Ernst claimed, happy as hell he could actually call Kacy his girlfriend.
There was a moment of silence on the line. ―Well, what is she like?‖
―Beautiful, smart, and sexy,‖ Ernst replied immediately.
―Do we know her? Her family? Anything about her?‖
―Mother, you don‘t know her or her family. I promise I will bring her
out there to meet you but not this Sunday. I‘m sorry.‖
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―I guess I understand. You don‘t want to see your family,‖ she be-
moaned.
Ernst rolled his eyes and put his dishes in the dishwasher. ―I want to
see my family. But we have plans for this Sunday and I am not going to ask
her to change them.‖
Nonnie sighed heavily. ―If I can‘t change your mind, then fine. But
I‘m not the only one who hasn‘t seen you in a while, you know.‖
―I will come out as soon as I can mother. Please stop trying to make
me feel guilty,‖ Ernst begged as he saw the toppings Kacy had brought over
last night.
She put in one more dig. ―You know Adolf is here.‖
―Yes, Mother, but he lives at home. I don‘t.‖ Ernst shook his head.
Their conversations were always like this. His mother wanted him at home
living under her roof so she could run his life.
―He is home with his mother; there is nothing wrong with that,‖ she
snapped.
―He is a thirty-eight-year-old man. Adolf should be married and rais-
ing his own family.‖
―Your brother just hasn‘t met the right woman yet,‖ she insisted.
For you, Mother, he hasn’t met the right woman for
you
.
―Okay, Mother. I
have to go. I will be home soon and I will bring Kacy with me.‖
―Kacy? Is that her name?‖
―Yes. Now goodnight, Mother.‖ Ernst hung up the phone, only
slightly exasperated with his parent. She hated what he did for a living and
always tried to get him to stop and work with their father in the warehouse.
But manufacturing machine parts wasn‘t Ernst‘s idea of a fun job.
Ernst worked out again and showered before heading to bed. It was
eleven-thirty and he was getting up early to go running. Not to mention,
dealing with his mother made him tired.
Sliding between the sheets nude, he closed his eyes and dreamt of
Kacy Travis in his arms, in his bed and in his life.
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
The fierce pounding had Ernst bolting out
of bed. Drawing on his pajama bottoms, he ran to his door.
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
―What the hell?‖ he swore as he wrenched
the door open.
Kacy stood there drenched to the bone in boxers and a white tank top
that was plastered to her body. She wore no bra, a fact he couldn‘t help but
notice. Her hair was flattened to her head, but it was her eyes that caused him
great concern. They were so full of fear and hopelessness.
―Kacy? Jesus, sweetheart, get in here. What‘s wrong?‖ Ernst reached
for her only to have her launch herself into his arms, pressing her wet body to
his dry one.
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Backing up into his apartment, he carried her now sobbing body
straight to the bathroom. She was shivering. Setting her down on the floor, he
had to pry her hands off him. ―
Liebling
? Sweetheart, what happened?‖
Kacy just climbed closer to him again. Her teeth chattered so much
Ernst wouldn‘t have been able to understand her if she had been talking.
Reaching around her, he turned on the shower and walked them both into it
when it was warm enough.
The spray soon began to sink into her bones and the chattering
slowed down. Ernst held her, allowing her to cry out whatever was bothering
her. Finally, she moved back from his embrace and looked up at him.
―Kacy, what the hell happened for you to come out in the rain in this
little bit of clothing?‖
Wiping away the water that ran down her face, her eyes met and
held his. ―I‘m sorry for barging in on you.‖
―What happened?‖
Trust me, please, Kacy.
―After work, Brett and I went to dinner. I got home about eleven. I
took a shower and changed. I went into the kitchen for…‖ she paused and
gave him a tremulous smile, ―…for ice cream. Anyway, I hit the playback on
my machine and
he
was on there. Threatening me.‖
A switch flipped in Ernst. Gone was the lighthearted and carefree
man; a battle-hardened warrior took his place—one who wanted blood. His
eyes were blank and deadly as he looked at the frightened woman in his
shower.
―I didn‘t know where else to go,‖ Kacy babbled on.
It took a great deal of effort for Ernst to control himself. Forcibly
calming himself, he tipped Kacy‘s face towards his. ―First thing is we get out
of this shower and into some dry clothes.‖ His mouth quirked. ―No matter
how long I have wanted to get you in the shower.‖
And I am not even going to
think why she was at dinner with Brett.
Kacy smiled, but it didn‘t reach her eyes. ―Let‘s get out and get you
dry,‖ he said as he shut off the water.
It was like dressing a puppet. Kacy stood on her own, but she seemed
vacant. Ernst stripped her clothes off and wrapped her in a big, fluffy towel.
Putting another towel around his waist, he left her in the bathroom to get her
something to wear.
She remained in the exact spot he‘d left her, fingers clutching the to-
wel like it would run away if she loosened her grip. ―Here,‖ he said. ―Put this
on.‖ Ernst handed her a tee shirt and a pair of boxers. He had changed into
another pair of pajama bottoms.
Kacy dropped the towel and put them on in record time. His pale
eyes moved over her standing before him in his clothing. A gray shirt and
blue boxers, she had never looked so enticing.
The second he saw that haunted look on her face, his lustful thoughts
took a backseat to finding out exactly what had happened. He made sure
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their wet clothes were hanging so they would dry. Holding out his hand he
said, ―Come to bed and tell me what happened.‖
Obediently, Kacy put her hand in his and allowed him to walk her
down the hall to his room. She stood like a statue as he pulled back the covers
on one side for her. ―Kacy,‖ he said.
It was like she blinked and was back in his time and place. ―Com-
ing,‖ her low voice said.
In seconds, Ernst was in bed with Kacy. Her body curled up to his
immediately and she shook for a bit until she got her emotions under control.
Her bare legs brushed against his cotton-covered ones.
―Tell me what happened,‖ he ordered as his hands locked around
her, securing her to his body.
C H A P T E R F O U R T E E N
―He said he was coming for me. That his face would be the last thing
I saw.‖ Kacy‘s body shuddered. ―I don‘t know what else because I ran.‖
Ernst‘s eyes closed in prayer to have five seconds with that man.
They opened when she said, ―I ran to the garage to hide like I had in the past,
but it didn‘t make me feel safe.‖
Like I had in the past.
Ernst wanted to kill this guy. It was obvious
someone wasn‘t doing his or her job to protect her. Now it was his job, and he
would do it correctly. ―Then what?‖ he prompted.
―I jumped in my car and came here.‖ It was on the tip of his tongue
to ask why, but she continued. ―You were the only thing that came to my
mind when I tried to figure out a safe place.‖
A warm feeling began to thaw the coldness that had filled him at her
revelation. ―I‘m glad,‖ his honest admission came. ―I didn‘t think it was
raining so hard out.‖
―I paced outside deciding if I should come up or not,‖ she breathed
into his neck.
―My door is always open for you,‖ he whispered. ―I want you to go
to sleep now.‖
Kacy nodded and did just that.
Ernst stayed in that same position until he knew for certain she was
in a deep sleep. After that, he carefully removed his body from bed and went
to workout.
Pounding the heavy bag, he imagined it was the man who did this to
her. He wanted to go to her house and listen to the message, but didn‘t want
her to wake up alone.
―Ernst?‖ Kacy‘s sleepy voice asked from the doorway a few hours
later.
Spinning around, he flowed towards her like a ghost, one reason why
he had his nickname. ―Did I wake you?‖ His eyes were once again gentle as
he looked over her exhausted body.
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Aliyah Burke
―No, I got up to use your bathroom.‖ Kacy yawned. ―What are you
doing up?‖
Ernst trailed one hand down the side of her face. ―Just getting rid of