Authors: Alicia Dean
“Hey,” he’d soothed. “It’s okay.” At twelve, Jaxon was two years older than she, but ten times more mature. He’d been like the brother she never had, the father she never had...and eventually, the lover she would never really have.
“Okay?” she’d railed at him. “You have two parents who love you. Not a dead mom and an asshole for a dad.”
Jaxon usually smiled when she said swear words. He wasn’t brave enough to say them himself, but thought it hilarious when she did. This time, he didn’t smile. He gazed at her with sympathy.
A few seconds later, there was a rush of wind louder than a freight train, and a crack like the world was splitting apart.
Jaxon looked past her and his eyes rounded. “Audra, watch out!” He grabbed her arm and jerked her off her feet just as the huge oak toppled and fell over the creek. They tumbled to the ground together. When she was able to catch her breath, she raised halfway, resting back on her hands, gaping at the tree.
“You saved my life,” she said in wonder. She already had a tiny bit of a crush on Jaxon, and now that he’d made like a super hero, it bloomed into full-blown love. Or, at least as much love as a ten-year-old could feel.
Since that time, this had been
their
tree, a symbol of the miracle of life, the bond of friendship.
She trudged her way across the wet ground until she could grip a branch. Putting one foot on the trunk, she pulled herself up and tightrope-walked across the trunk until she reached her favorite spot—the forked branches that seemed to have been created for her to nestle in. In the colder seasons, she didn’t hang out as long, but somehow, coming here and just
being
in this place brought her peace, comfort.
She lay back and wrapped her coat more tightly around her. Closing her eyes, she listened to the wind sigh through the leaves above her head. Before long, winter would take away the leaves and open up the sky. Nighttime was the best, when she could stare at the stars, make wishes that would never come true.
“I thought I’d find you here.”
She jerked, nearly toppling into the water as she rose to a sitting position. “Jaxon, you scared the shit out of me.”
He was coming toward her, already on the trunk, and she hadn’t heard him approach. What could those reapers have done while she’d been so distracted? Hell, they could probably do whatever they wanted, even if she was on high alert.
“Sorry about that. Sorry about earlier too.” He settled across from her, straddling the tree trunk. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
A lump rose in her throat. “No. I’m sorry.” She reached out and squeezed his forearm. “I was a bitch for no reason.”
“When you’re a bitch, there’s usually a reason.” He grinned. “Tell me what’s up, and I’ll make it better.”
She sighed. Releasing him, she rubbed her fingers over her forehead. “Don’t think you can make this better, but I appreciate the offer.”
“Can’t you tell me? We tell each other everything. Guy trouble?”
She shook her head.
He smiled. “Girl trouble.”
She laughed and slapped his arm. “Wrong again. I guess I’m just having problems adjusting. You know, being back at work, Trevor’s leukemia coming back, knowing those assholes who attacked me are still out there.” Truth was, she’d almost forgotten about the beating. She had much scarier assholes to deal with now.
“Hey, it’ll be okay.” Jaxon scooted closer and pulled her in for a hug. “Dunham’s on it. He cares about you. Marshall Dillon will ride to your rescue, save the day, carry you off into the sunset. All that hero in a white hat stuff. You’ll see.”
She returned the hug. “Thanks, Jaxon. I feel better already.”
He rubbed her back and squeezed tighter. “That’s what I’m here for.” Still holding on, he murmured in his movie quote voice, “I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve.”
“We’ve known each other longer than that,” she said.
“Do you know the movie or not?”
She leaned back to look him in the face. Smiling, she said, “
Stand By Me
.”
-~*~
Gaylen crept through the trees, keeping behind Audra. The gay-doctor-ex-husband couldn’t see him anyway, so no need to stay out of his line of sight. But he didn’t want Audra to spot him right now.
He’d show Dimitri who was in control. Did the asshole think he could take any woman he wanted? Did he think Audra was his to claim? Even if Audra wasn’t aware of it yet, she was succumbing to Dimitri’s charms, whatever the hell those were.
Personally, Gaylen didn’t see it. But Audra did. She’d given Dimitri a certain look. Gaylen had seen the same look in Louisa’s eyes. A look that said, although she knew she shouldn’t, she wanted the bad boy. That had been right before the bastard had stolen Louisa from him. Not long before Dimitri killed her.
Gaylen wouldn’t let things end that way again. Wouldn’t let Dimitri win.
He was about to unleash a whole lot of hell on everyone in his path.
Of all the people Audra loved, who should he take first? Whoever his choice, they had to be in jeopardy, of course. But there were ways to bring that about.
Audra and her ex-husband broke apart, and she leaned back into the crook she’d occupied a few moments ago. Gaylen moved behind a tree, just in case she caught him in her peripheral vision.
A breeze blew the scent of her to him and he inhaled deeply.
Yes.
So delicious. He had to have her.
Soon.
What to do, where to begin… Should he start with the doctor? The best friend?
An image of the tiny blonde girl with whom Audra shared a mutual worship formed in his mind. What was her name? Sandy? Sadie? That was it. Sadie. He chuckled, pushing away from the tree and heading back the way he’d come. Ah yes, the sweet little girl, Sadie.
But he wouldn’t start with her. Someone Audra wasn’t quite as attached to would be better. After all, when you start at the top, there’s no wiggle room, nowhere to go with negotiations. He needed an example to show her he meant business. If he didn’t get her attention with that, he’d move on to bigger—or should he say, smaller—things.
“Oh, God. I’m dying,” Riley moaned, shouting above the sounds of clanging weights and music blasting from the gym speakers.
“Quit whining.” Audra scowled. “This was your idea.”
Riley pursed her lips and blew a breath out. “Yeah, well. Next time, shoot me. We should have taken the Zumba class.” She twisted the handles of the treadmill like she was revving up a motorcycle. “At least they play peppy music while we’re being tortured.”
“So true.” Audra panted. “I say we take it down to a leisurely stroll.” She slowed her machine to ‘cool down.’
Riley did the same, then took the towel hanging on the handle of the treadmill and used it to blot perspiration from her face. “Nice. This is more like it.”
Across the room, a woman wearing a tight pink sports bra and black workout Capri’s did curls in front of the mirrored walls, grimacing in concentration. Sweat glistened on her tanned flesh, and her Jean Claude Van Dam-like biceps jumped with every repetition.
“Wish I was that dedicated,” Audra said, motioning toward the woman with her chin.
“You want to be built like a man?”
“Well, maybe not
that
dedicated.” Audra grinned.
“We haven’t talked much the past few days,” Riley said. “How are you? How has it been, being back at work? You seen much of Shane lately?”
“Geez. Are you interrogating me, counselor? How about one question at a time?”
“Okay. The Shane one.” Riley slid her a look from the corners of her eyes.
“I saw him once.” She didn’t mention the drinks and dinner. Riley would grill her like she was on the witness stand.
“I think he still likes you. You should go for it.”
Audra rolled her eyes. “The man’s been back in town for two months and you think I should pounce on him?”
Riley nodded vigorously. “Pounce the hell out of him. He’s gorgeous.”
“I’m absolutely not looking for a relationship. Things didn’t exactly go great the last time.”
“That was almost fifteen years ago. You’re divorced. He’s back. Kismet.”
Audra let out a sigh. Kismet. Right. The man had suffered some terrible tragedy in Cincinnati, moved back to his home town to heal, and Kismet wanted Audra to circle him like a vulture. “Can we talk about something else?”
“Sorry. Just think about it, okay?”
“How about I at least wait until he shows some interest?”
“You haven’t noticed the way he looks at you?”
“You mean like a concerned cop looks at a victim? Come on, Ri, you’re reaching.”
“Speaking of victim. Guess who came to see me today?”
“I have no idea.”
She blotted her face again, then draped the towel around her neck. “Maria.”
“Maria? What for?”
“About a divorce. We filed a petition.”
Audra dialed down the treadmill until it stopped. Her legs felt like they might fall off. Damn. She was more out of shape than she realized.
She turned to face Riley. “No way.”
“Yes way.”
“Wow. After all this time.” She chewed her lower lip. What had Scott done to send Maria to a divorce attorney? If beating the hell out of her weekly wasn’t enough, what was? “So, you think she’ll go through with it?”
Riley stopped her treadmill. “Let’s take a break.”
They stepped off the machines and dropped onto the hard wooden bench that lined the wall behind them. The smell of sweat and tanning lotion hung in the air. A Lil’ Wayne song played from the speakers in the ceilings, punctuated by occasional grunts from the weight lifters.
“Ahhh. This is more like it.” Riley leaned her head back. “I thought for a minute I would pass out. Next time Sadie’s at dance class, let’s go to a movie or something. This working out thing sucks.”
“You were saying about Maria?” Audra prodded impatiently.
Riley shrugged. “I can’t say much about our consultation. Now that she filed, it’s public record, but I can’t give you details. I just wanted you to know because I’m worried.”
“Worried? Was she hurt? What did he do to her?”
“She was fine. I’m worried about you. That asshole husband of hers has it in for you just for trying to help his wife. When he is served with the papers, there’s no telling what he’ll do. He’ll blame you, I’m sure.”
Audra waved a hand dismissively. “I’m not afraid of him.”
“Well, you should be. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had something to do with what happened to you.”
“He was in jail.”
“So. He could have put someone up to it. Nothing he’d do would surprise me.”
“I just hope Maria finally gets away from him.”
“She’s taken the first step. We’ll see.” She raised her brows at Audra. “Any more of those hottie ghost sightings?”
Audra’s heart jumped. “What?”
“The ghosts you saw after your accident. Still seeing them?”
In an effort to avoid Riley’s gaze, Audra bent to re-tie her shoe.
Maybe she should tell Riley the truth. The door had been opened, why not let her walk through?
Because, knowing the truth could possibly put her in danger. And, there’s no way in hell Riley would believe her, anyway.
“No more sightings,” she answered, sitting back to face Riley as she told the lie. “Guess it was just the trauma of the accident and the lingering effects of the pain meds. The apparitions are gone.”
Riley slowly nodded. “That’s good, right? Means you’re not losing your mind.”
“Right.”
Instead, she was faced with a reality more frightening than insanity could ever be.
-~*~
Trevor’s mother, Cheryl, sat next to his bed. She was in her late thirties, short and round. Her bright pink fingernails caught the light from above as she twisted and kneaded a wad of tissue. All the times Audra had seen her before, her blonde hair was poofy, teased at the crown. The past few days, it seemed to have wilted, hanging limp and lifeless around her plump cheeks. The desperation in her eyes was evident. She wasn’t even pretending to think her son would live.
“How you feeling today, Trevor?” Audra came over to stand beside his bed. He’d grown paler and thinner than he’d been only a few days ago. Was it the illness or his lack of hope that was taking such a toll?
The young man dragged his gaze from the ceiling and turned his sullen expression on Audra. “Like shit.”
“Trevor, please. Language,” his mother admonished.
He whipped his head toward her. “Really, Mom? You’re upset that I said
shit
? I have poison eating me from the inside out, and you’re worried about my language?”
Cheryl dropped her head and pushed a hand against her mouth. A sob wrenched from her, but she didn’t speak. Trevor cast her an irritated look, then returned to staring at the ceiling without apology.
Teenagers.
Most of them had attitude problems, but this was beyond the norm. In all his trips back and forth, Audra had never seen him this bitter. Maybe he knew, like she did, that this could be his last visit. She blinked back tears as she checked his IV. The tape was damp. He’d been sweating...side effects from his medications. She took a roll of tape from her pocket and tore off a few strips, then began re-taping his IV.
“I was finally going to have a shot to make Varsity,” he said quietly. “Starting fullback. Two practices is all I made. Then it came back.” He sniffed and tried to hide it by gritting his teeth and crying out, “Watch what you’re doing, okay? That hurts.”
Audra smoothed the tape over the needle and gently rubbed his arm. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, locking gazes with him.
His lips tightened, but she could see them quiver as he tried to hold back tears.
The silence in the room was oppressive. He and his mother didn’t seem to converse much. Audra hadn’t seen any friends stop by. Poor guy was probably lonely, bored, not to mention, scared out of his mind.
“So, tell me what’s been going on besides football,” Audra said while she charted his vitals. “You have a girlfriend?”
Trevor barked a laugh. “Right. A girlfriend.”
Cheryl lifted her head. Her expression was as bitter as her son’s. “Trevor had a girl he was seeing, but—”
“Tell me something, Miss Perky,” Trevor cut his mother off, glaring at Audra. “Would you want to go out with some dude who’s too weak to carry the equipment when there’s a field full of healthy, able-bodied guys?” His voice rose to a shout. “Would you, huh?”
“Trevor—” his mother began.
“It’s okay.” Audra took a step back. “I understand. It was stupid of me. I shouldn’t pretend everything’s normal in your world.”
Trevor jerked a nod and bowed his head. He was on the precipice of being a man, but death was looming and made him a scared little boy. Suddenly, an image of Gaylen or Dimitri taking him away came to her. They would rip his soul right from his body and—
“Audra? Hey, Audra?”
Trevor’s voice penetrated, and she shook off the images. He looked at her curiously. “You okay? I said, like, ten things to you but you were totally zoned out.”
“Sorry. A lot on my mind. So, what were those ten things?”
He gave a small smile. “Maybe it wasn’t quite ten. And only one is worth repeating. I’m sorry.”
She smiled back. “It’s okay.”
Over Cheryl’s shoulder, a shadow flickered. Dimitri materialized, and Audra gasped involuntarily. She opened her mouth to speak, but he lifted a finger to his lips, gave a brief headshake and pointed to Cheryl and Trevor.
Of course. What was she thinking?
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Trevor asked.
“Nothing. Sorry. Everything’s fine.” She tugged his blankets, smoothing them over his legs. “You need anything?”
“No.”
“Call me if you do. I have to go check on some of my less charming patients. I’ll let you visit with your mom.”
“A couple of my friends are stopping by after school.”
Audra grinned at the hopeful lilt to his voice. “That’s great. See you soon.”
She headed toward the supply closet, assuming Dimitri would follow. He was obviously here to talk to her. Unless...Trevor.
Dear God, surely it wasn’t his time this soon. Dimitri couldn’t take him. Panic gripped her heart. She whirled, intending to rush back to Trevor’s room, to try to talk some sense into Dimitri, to beg, plead—
If he’d been solid, she’d have run right into him. He was there, behind her, close enough that she should have felt that cool spark of electricity, even when she hadn’t known he was there.
He lifted his brows. “What’s the matter?”
She let out a breath. She couldn’t answer him, not in public like this. She turned and continued to the supply closet.
Once they were inside and the door was shut, she still kept her voice low. “What are you doing here? Are you...reaping someone?”
His lip curled. “Not today.”
“Not today at all?”
“Well, not right now. Not at this moment. I never know when duty will call, but that’s not why I’m here.”
“Why are you here?”
“I wanted to check on you. Sorry I had to leave so abruptly the other night.”
“No problem. I’m sure you had someone to kill.”
“I don’t—” He shook his head, not finishing the sentence.
“This is all just so crazy.” Her voice quivered, and she swallowed hard.
I will not cry in front of a reaper.
“Why did you come here, really? If it’s not to take someone, why?”
He moved closer, staring down at her.
The cool sizzle reached out to her, and for a moment, she couldn’t breathe. She flinched and drew back, stopping when she made contact with the shelf behind her. What was wrong with her that this creature could incite sexual longing every time he was near?
“Something the matter?” he asked softly.
Ignoring the understatement of the century, she said, “Why do you always have to get so close?”
“Sorry.” He lifted his hands and backed away. “My bad. Sorry.”
He hadn’t answered her question, but at least he’d given her some breathing room. “Again, why are you here? The real reason.”
“I told you. I wanted to see if you’re okay. I regret having to leave you with Gaylen.”
“Oh yes, the
dangerous
harbinger of souls. As opposed to the safe one. Wouldn’t want that.”
He grinned. “What did he say to you? He didn’t try to...” He trailed off and frowned. “Well, no. He couldn’t have really harmed you at that time.”
“Why? What do you mean, at that time?”
“He can’t take someone unless they’re in jeopardy.”
“Jeopardy? As in, they’re going to die anyway?”
“Not necessarily. They can be ill, injured, any kind of momentary peril that they’d normally recover from. If Gaylen gets to them while they’re in that state, he can take them.”