Blackout (26 page)

“You’re bad,” he says, catching me staring. He pinches my butt, so I yelp.

I try not to blush, but heat scorches my entire body. He laughs.

After I dress, I pad out to the kitchen to fix breakfast. Lulu is up, sitting outside with a cup of tea on the screened-in porch. I fix scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. Dare smiles at that and sits down to dig into the meal.

Lulu comes inside. “Who’s this? Stand up, sweetie.” Her hand reaches for his face, and her fingers trace along his jaw. She pats his abdomen. “Firm. Oh, I wish I were younger. I think I like him.” She winks at me. “What’s your name?”

“Darius.”

“That sounds familiar. Darius what?”

He uneasily glances my way. “Tucker.”

Her lips curl down, and she shakes a finger at me. “Your daddy wouldn’t like this one bit. I have a mind to call him this minute. You stop seeing this boy, right now.”

I don’t want to lose Dare when I believe he holds the key to my sanity.

For the moment, I talked Lulu out of calling Daddy by promising I’d call him later. I spoke only briefly to him on my birthday. With Dare’s help, I’ll get a copy of my transcript and the court records, and Miles will go over them and fix my life. That’ll make Daddy see Dare differently.

“You’re going to have to tell your dad sooner or later about us,” Dare says, dropping the anchor into the Alligator River. The bass boat has a shallow hull good for the shoals along the bank.

Later would work better than sooner. “I know.”

A light breeze keeps the heat at bay. The bass fishing boat rocks in the gentle rippling of the tide. The odor of brackish water fills my nose as I snag a live cricket onto the hook and cast the line. Before the bait hits the bottom, a bluegill hits the line. Grinning, I snag the fish and reel it in.

“Already?” Dare’s hand runs along my waist, sending a shower of sparks into my chest.

I stop reeling the fish in, and it jumps off. “Shoot.”

He laughs. “I shouldn’t distract you, though I enjoy doing so.” He noses my hair that’s pulled up into a ponytail.

“See what you made me do.” I re-bait and toss the line out while staring at the dark strands of hair trailing into his Maui board shorts. To think I was there this morning. I can’t wait to go there again.

Another fish latches on. “I got one.” I’ve missed fishing with Dare. It’s something I used to be pretty good at.

“You need some help reeling it in?” he teases.

“No.” I pull up another bluegill, unhook it, and toss it into the cooler. “Going for a flounder next. You better catch up.”

He lands two flounders on a double hook. I drop to the bottom to catch one myself and snag on something. I wiggle my line to and fro to unsnag it, but it’s securely caught. Leaning over the boat, I tug on the rod again. It’s not a fish. It finally breaks free, so I haul it up. I study the long, white…bone sparkling in the bright sun, picked clean by fish.

I tense all over, clutching the pole. My head swims. I swallow down the fear closing my throat. The loud roar of an engine fills my ears.

“Teal. Sit down. Now.” The boat rocks to and fro. “Sit the fuck down.”

I glance back at him, and he’s waving his arms at a large speedboat zooming past us in the no wake zone. The wake put off by the boat could swamp ours, but it’s too late for me.

Dare reaches for me.

A huge wave rolls into the boat, tipping it. The water slams into me, and I tumble into the river. The thighbone I’d caught sticks into me when I hit bottom. I pull it up and stare at the dismembered joint, screaming under water. My escaped bubbles of air float to the surface.

What looks like a skull rests in the murky silt beside me. Looking up, I see the sun filtering down. I want to push off the bottom, but I can’t. The jagged edges of the bone scratch my arm. Why is it jagged?

Crimson fills my vision. The whine of a machine roars in my ears. My hands clamp over them to drown out the sound. A man and woman wear masks. The bones.

Black spots fill my vision. A panicked laugh gurgles out because my cast is soaked, and it’s not supposed to be. Then the darkness takes me.

I come to on a hospital gurney where someone is cutting off my cast. I don’t know exactly what happened on the river, but someone tried to hurt me. This isn’t just daisies anymore. My hands tremble uncontrollably.

Miles stands over me. “How do you feel? You’re shaking.”

I glance up at him. “Fine,” I say, though I don’t feel that way. “Where’s Dare?” Where’s the man who keeps saving me?

Miles gives me a tight smile. “Having a meltdown in the waiting room over you. What do you remember before you blacked out and while you were under? Any weird dreams?” He turns on his phone recorder.

I tell him the usual sounds and the images of blood first, then my breath sticks in my throat. “I remember masks.”

His beetle-like brows lift in surprise. “What kind of masks?”

I think back to the images. “Pretty, colorful, garish, sparkly.” I’m sure this sounds like utter madness. There’s something else in my mind that has embedded itself deep, like a splinter I can’t dig out.

What am I supposed to do? If someone was murdered ten years ago that would give my attacker the perfect motive to kill me.

Miles rests his hand on mine that twitches. “Anything else?”

The rest I have to work out. Every time I bring up the other images my mind shuts down, and the black spots fill my vision. I shake my head. I need to remember fast.

“Whenever you black out,” Miles starts, “write down or record what you remember. Sights, sounds, feelings, odors. They may help.”

He moves out of the way of the nurse, checking my blood pressure. “That young man you were with is very responsible. He made the hospital call me.”

It’s good that someone other than me thinks so. “He’s the one everyone blames for my blackouts.”

“Bring him into the office this week.”

“He’s decided to help me obtain the records.

“Good. I’d like to speak to him, especially after we get the information from the courts. He probably remembers a great deal more than you do now.”

“Miles, I found bones in the Alligator River.” The lump in my throat grows to the size of a boulder. “One was a skull. The other looked like a thigh bone broken in half.”

Miles shudders. “Human?”

“Yes, I need to tell the feds.” I don’t know what the bones mean. They may not even be related to my blackouts, but the Alligator River cuts along the refuge where I was found.

Miles rubs his chin in thought. “Why the FBI?”

“The refuge is federal jurisdiction, and I believe the Alligator River is probably considered federal lands.” And the sheriff didn’t help us before.

“The police are here, so I’ll let them call the FBI. You should rest.”

“I have to work tonight.” My words make no sense. Somebody came after me.

“You shouldn’t go.”

Miles grasps my hand, concern engrained deeply into his brow. “Someone breaking into your house, and now this. Us digging into your memory loss is probably putting you in danger. Are you up for this?”

I never told him about the break-ins. “How did you know about someone breaking in?”

“The police told me, and they’re questioning your friend.” Miles frowns, appearing unhappy about this. “You should’ve told me about the break-ins.” He lightly presses on my shoulder. “You go home and get some rest. The doctors should release you soon. You don’t need to work tonight.”

“Thanks for coming by,” I say. My stomach knots into a hard rock. I need to talk to Dare.

As soon as the doctors recast my arm, I march out of the ER toward Dare. His hands cradle his face. Water has puddled underneath his chair. His shorts are sopping wet, and his hair spikes up from the wetness. Even his Henley shirt sticks to his damp chest.

A nurse smiles at him as she sways her hips past him. Dare doesn’t even notice.

Deputy Jimmy stands over him. “Why are you hanging out with this girl when you know you shouldn’t? You still have that pervert charge hanging on your neck.”

“I know.” Dare shakes his head. “I shouldn’t be with her.”

The hurt cracking open my chest tries to pull me into its dark abyss. I take several deep breaths before walking over to Dare. Why would he say that? How will I face my attacker alone?

I march over to Jimmy. “Dare’s records should be sealed. He was a minor, so legally you shouldn’t be discussing them.”

Jimmy opens his mouth to speak, but my cell phone rings that Dare is holding.

Dare answers it, which surprises me. “Yeah, she’s right here.” He talks to someone for a moment before handing it to me. “It’s your dad.”

Dare puts his hand over the phone. “Let’s take this outside.”

“I’m not done with you,” Jimmy says as Dare guides me to the exit with yet another cast. This one is thankfully white.

Dare narrows his eyes, and Jimmy takes a step backward, bumping into the wall and knocking a painting askew. “Well, I’m done with you.”

I answer the phone, fearing for the worst.

“Oh honey, are you all right?” Daddy sounds sick with worry.

“I’m fine. It was probably an accident.”

“Not from what Darius told me. He said someone has broken into the house.”

Why did Dare tell him that? There’s no sense hiding it now. I tell him what has occurred, and tension builds between us. His voice is tight. “I’ll speak to the police to keep an eye on the house, but Teal, you have to stop seeing Darius. It’s for your own good.”

“Dare is helping me obtain the court records.” I steel myself for what I must say. “I have to remember that day, Daddy, to get better.”

“I’ll be home hopefully by midweek.”

“We’ve already discussed this. I don’t want you to lose your position.”

“I won’t. You are the most important part of my life. Please don’t leave me out of yours.”

After I hang up, I light into Dare, “Why would you call him? What right do you have?”

Dare opens the Shelby’s door for me while watching the deputies get into their cruiser. When he’s in the confines of the car, he inhales deeply. “Your dad should know. My mom would expect me to say something if it were one of my brothers.”

“It’s not your concern,” I snap, though I shouldn’t expect him to protect me. I have to figure out a way to do that for myself.

Seriousness takes hold of his eyes. “Teal, did your father give you money for law school?”

“Why? He didn’t threaten you, did he?”

“Not in so many words.” He hesitates but won’t face me. “Teal, my mom’s family used to vacation in the Outer Banks during the summer. Her family is extremely wealthy, like yours. They disowned her when she fell in love with my dad, didn’t speak to her. Sometimes, I’d find her crying. She missed her sisters and brother. It wasn’t until Mom became ill that her mother came to see her. She helped take care of her.”

Dare finally lifts his eyes. “I don’t want to separate you from your family.”

“What are you saying?” Is he dumping me after we had wildly abandoned sex on the beach? How could he?

“I should get you home.”

I sit in silence, holding back my anger and my tears, the silence building between us. “What were the cops harping you about?”

“The cops think it’s my fault you fell into the water, even though I told them about the boat flying by us. It came right at us.” He glances my way. “What’s happening to you scares the hell out of me?”

My muscles tighten, and though I’d like to touch him, I don’t. “Did you see the person driving?”

“No. I was too busy yelling at you to sit your ass down.” He rubs the side of his face, blistering with anger.

“Are you sure it wasn’t some kid joyriding?”

Dare gives me a disgusted look. “There’s no doubt he was trying to swamp the boat. I can’t do this. Your dad, the stalker. Someone is trying to hurt you, and the closer you get to your memories, the worse it’s going to get.”

I bite back the tears stinging my eyes. I completely understand why he wouldn’t want to date me. Someone is after me, and my daddy hates him. I don’t want to do this alone, but I still have Miles.

Dare doesn’t speak to me all the way back to my house. By then the tears are flowing freely, but I don’t let him see them.

Before he even stops, I open the car to dash out.

“What the hell?” He calls after me, rage pouring from his mouth. “I’ll be by around eleven tomorrow to take you to the courthouse. Don’t be late.”

At this point, I don’t even care. I should’ve known this would turn into a one-night stand. Though his whole story of his mother makes him sound like some martyr. Damn him.

At home, Lulu is exercising with the TV. “I have to keep in shape. Never know when Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome shows up, or in my case, Mr. Salt and Pepper.”

I glance at my phone. I don’t have much time to get to work, but I should fill Lulu in on what’s happening.

“Lulu, you slept through this, but someone broke into the house again.” Nausea swirls inside my stomach. I don’t like us being alone at night.

Her hand flies up to her mouth. “Oh, dear. Even with the alarm? Was he handsome? Maybe it’s one of those old guys I met yesterday at the center who couldn’t keep his hands off me. You should come by and tell me which one deserves my attention.”

She’s trying to make light of it, while I’m a bundle of nerves firing off like bottle rockets.

“I’ll call the alarm company.” Since it’s not working for us that well.

“Whatever you think is best. Do you mind if I go back to the center today. They have so much going on. I played bridge yesterday. They have cards with raised lettering for us seniors.”

“That’s good.” I don’t like her staying here by herself. “I work today, and I told Daddy about everything.” Not that I had much choice.

“Good.” When she winks, both eyes close. “I may be home a little late. Jarod may take me to dinner.”

“What time?” I don’t want to be by myself in the house.

“Nine, maybe ten. Not too late. Unless he gets a little frisky.” She giggles, like a middle schooler.

My cell chimes, showing Graham’s number. “That’s fine,” I say to her. “Call me if you’ll be too late.”