Jacy
Hey, Beth, here’s your daily e-mail. I’m fine. Better than fine. I don’t work for a narcissistic rapist, nor do I think he’s a sociopath. Avery’s emotions are real, not faked. He did come home the other day with a weird look on his face, like he’s worried about something. Since then, he’s been sweet, kind, cheerful, even though I can sense something bothering him under the surface. No, it’s not a plan to skin me alive and make lampshades.
Declan is the best kid ever. I wish he was mine. I’d love to have a kid like him. Maybe someday when I find Mr. Right. If, that is. I hope whatsisbucket isn’t too hard on you guys at the restaurant. Tell him I don’t miss him at all. Love, Jacy.
I sent my note via my cell phone as I didn’t have a computer. Maybe I’ll get one with my first paycheck. Sitting in the near darkness of my spacious and comfortable room, I thought about turning in. Though it was nearly midnight, I wasn’t sleepy. Declan had gone to bed hours ago, sleeping the sleep of the innocent.
Avery, too, had yawned sleepily over a cable movie before finally leaving for his room two hours ago. Alone, I sat in the TV room for a while after he’d gone before deciding I should try to sleep. Instead, I sat, wide awake in the dark and played a game on my mobile.
The walls in the house weren’t exactly thin, but I heard Avery’s door open and snick softly shut. Listening, I heard his tread on the carpet as Avery passed my room, then fade as he went down the stairs. Unable to sleep and in need of warm milk? Getting a late-night snack? Too curious for my own good, I opened my door to listen to whatever Avery was up to.
He left by the front door.
Okay, this is weird. Where’s he going? He didn’t go through the garage to get his car.
Pacing to my window, which faced the street below, I parted the curtains just enough to peer out and down. On foot, Avery walked quickly down the street and vanished around a corner. Weirder and weirder. I watched for a few more moments, then started to turn away.
Something big, a dark shadow I thought, passed over the house. I quickly stared out again, my gut twisting with nervous fear. What was that? It certainly wasn’t a cloud passing over the moon and stars. Clouds don’t move that fast. Whatever it was, and I’m certain I didn’t imagine it, was huge. Flitted across the night sky and cast it all into brief and absolute darkness.
Too unsettled to go to bed, I paced my room for a time, nervous and upset. With Avery gone, wherever he was, I was now Declan’s only protector. Not that – that thing – would somehow break into the house and abduct us, of course not.
Still, I left my room to quietly open his door a crack.
Declan slept under the faint light of a Scooby-Doo nightlight, his right hand fisted and tucked under his chin. Outside his room’s window, the property’s security light gleamed through his curtains. Finding him safely asleep didn’t ease my worries, however.
Creeping downstairs like a burglar, dressed in nothing more than my shirt and panties, I patrolled the darkened house. Every room remained dark, silent, empty. Somehow, that made it all the spookier. If whatever that was out there managed to come inside, I had no weapons, no means of protecting Declan.
Where is Avery? Why did he leave in the middle of the night? He didn’t drive, he walked.
Okay, a midnight walk sort of made sense. He’s unable to sleep, restless, he goes out for a walk to settle his mind. I could dig that. I peered out the front picture window and saw nothing alarming. No horrifyingly big shadows crossing the night sky. No Avery striding up the sidewalk toward his house. If the neighbors also saw the big shadow, I failed to see them peeking out of their doors or windows.
It's your imagination running into overtime.
Taking a deep breath, I walk into the kitchen, and open the fridge. Taking the milk jug from it, I seized a glass from the cabinet. After pouring a glass, I put the milk back. I took a long soothing drink, then turned –
Avery stood in the kitchen doorway.
“Shit,” I exclaimed, shocked, and nearly dropped my glass. “You scared me. Dammit, don’t do that.”
He eyed me up and down with a slow grin. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to. I just walked in.”
I watched his gaze travel down to my nearly naked body. Suddenly horrified, I realized I had nothing to cover myself up with. And he stood between me and escape. No, I wasn’t a swooning virgin. I’d had lovers in the past. This was my boss , however, my employer . And I stood in his kitchen, half-naked, a glass of milk in my hand, blushing like crazy.
“Uh,” I began, frantic to get back to my room and away from his knowing gaze. “I need to, er, get to bed.”
Avery graciously stepped aside, his eyes now on my face and not my bare legs. “Yeah, me, too. Big day tomorrow.”
“Goodnight.”
I edged past him, smiling nervously, ordering myself not to pause to ask where he’d gone off to. Not your business, girl, and it doesn’t matter. Just scoot up the stairs and lock the damn door.
“Goodnight,” he replied.
I knew Avery’s eyes followed me as I strode up the stairs, watching my ass the entire way. I knew because I felt him staring. Behind my closed and unlockable door, I leaned against it, almost forgetting the glass in my hand. Holy shit. He’s too damn hot for you to be prancing around him nearly naked. His bones are far too jumpable for words.
***
“Dad looks at you when you’re not looking.”
I couldn’t halt the hot blush that stole up my neck to invade my cheeks. Not daring to turn from the kitchen sink where I scrubbed the breakfast pots, I merely shrugged. “Looking is free, isn’t it?”
“I guess so.”
At the kitchen table behind me, Declan played a game on his tablet, but when I sneaked a glance over my shoulder, I caught him staring at me. What does a five-year-old know? Far too much in my opinion. He’s too intuitive for his age.
“I think my dad likes you.”
“Good. He’s my boss. Things are easier when boss and employee like each other.”
“You like him?”
“Sure,” I answered lightly. “He’s a nice guy.”
My face continued to burn as I recalled the hour when Avery busted me in my shirt and panties. How his gaze traveled up and down my nearly naked body, how the look in his eyes made me both embarrassed and exhilarated. I also remembered the shadowy thing, and my blush died away.
“Have you ever seen anything strange around here?” I asked, turning toward Declan.
“Like what?”
“I’m not sure, it’s hard to describe. A big shadow in the sky.”
“No.”
Interesting. He just lied to me. Declan returned his attention to his tablet, obviously hoping I wouldn’t ask anything else. I’d never been much of a body language reader, but Declan’s face and stiffness informed me he knew something. Nor was he willing, or was perhaps not allowed, to talk about it.
“Okay,” I said. “No biggie.”
I carried on with my kitchen cleaning, yet sensed a strange tension emanating from Declan. I found it not just odd, but suspected that if I demanded he tell me, I’d upset him. As I put the pots away and wiped the counter, I asked, “What do you want to do today? Go to the library? A park? If either are close by as I don’t have a car to drive us.”
Declan brightened instantly. “Can we go to the library? Please, please, Jacy? You can teach me to read.”
I laughed. “Okay, it’s a deal.”
With the warm weather outside, Declan wore small cargo pants that came to his shins. My shorts were once jeans, and exposed more of my legs than perhaps was wise. We held hands as we walked toward the downtown area where the library stood. A few cars honked as they passed by which I happily ignored.
I smiled at the young librarian at the desk, then took Declan to the children’s section. Mothers with their youngsters sat in the bean bag chairs, many eyeing me with what I thought was suspicion. After selecting a few books Declan showed an interest in, we took them to a table well away from everyone else.
“Okay, show me you know your letters,” I said as we sat side by side, an open book between us.
Declan half sang each letter he recognized, indicating each one with his finger. “But what’s this one?”
I looked. “It’s a Q. It looks like an O, but has the squiggly thing.”
He looked at me. “What’s a word with a Q?”
Pondering a simple word he’d instantly recognize, I pursed my lips. “‘Quick’,” I replied. “You know what that means? Fast.”
“But it sounds like a C word.”
“True, and good point. That’s what learning to read is all about. Learning that because a word sounds like a different letter doesn’t mean it’s always spelled that way.”
Declan frowned, then slowly recited a few words he knew. In this particular book, he found the word “quick”, and studied it for nearly a full five minutes. He moved on at last and asked me about several other words. I explained each and every one, and how to correctly pronounce them. Declan soaked up the education like a thirsty sponge, learning one word thoroughly before moving on.
I didn’t have much cash on me, but I took him to a local diner for lunch. He clutched the books we’d checked out to his small chest as though fearing a random stranger might yank them away. At the table, he placed them with near reverence on the seat beside him.
Over burgers and fries, I quizzed him on certain words he’d memorized. “How do you spell ‘puppy’?”
“P-U-P-P-Y.”
“Yay,” I cried, my fists lifted. “That’s great. High five.”
Grinning, Declan slapped my palm with his. “I remembered.”
“Your memory is phenomenal.”
In truth, it was. Declan had a knack for remembering small details that even I would forget within minutes. Munching my burger, I absently wondered what his IQ was. He’s certainly a smart kid, and more articulate than any other little boy I’ve ever met.
“Ready, kiddo?”
Declan burped, and belatedly covered his mouth. “Scuse me.”
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
I paid our bill, left a decent tip, and took his free hand. “I can carry those for you.”
He shook his head, his cherished books once again held to his chest. “I want to.”
“Okay, let me know if you change your mind.”
Outside again, we strode toward home amid the small-town traffic, the few other walkers on the sidewalk. My attention on Declan and his propensity for tripping as he couldn’t see what was in front of him, I paid little heed to what went on around us.
Hence, when the slick, black sedan drove toward the curb and paced us, I didn’t notice at first.
I’m not sure how long it tagged along before I finally glanced around to view it.
The driver smiled.
I glanced into the icy, bitterly cold gray eyes. My step faltered. The pleasant smile only made the soulless gaze that much deadlier. He offered me a quick salute with two fingers to his brow, then accelerated. The sleek car pulled into the traffic and vanished around a corner.
Shivering with dread, I frantically glanced around for other black sedans, more henchmen – for him .
He’s found me.