Forever Distraction (Distraction #3) (31 page)

Jason

Tonight
, I couldn’t relax. The cook made us steaks covered in caramelized onions with vegetables, but I couldn’t eat. I was anxious about leaving her; it didn’t feel right. I gave her my mind and body completely today, and she took them and was very grateful. She showed me
how
grateful before dinner; fucking best blowjob to date.

I
’d had an appetite for her after she walked out wearing nothing but my ring. It was the sexiest thing and she knew it. She waved it around and then finally rested her graceful hand on her hip. The ring glittered in the light, and all I could think was,
She has great porn hands
. I suddenly wanted to hide her hand so only I could get turned on by my ring on her finger. I would never share Katarina, not even in my fantasies.

I dosed her strawberry margarita with a sleeping pill. After dinner
, she fell asleep while we watched an animal habitat show; she picked it because she thought Bo would enjoy it. I carried her to bed, careful not to wake her, and laid her cellphone on the table next to her. I suddenly felt uneasy about leaving. I knelt down close to Bo, telling him in my firm voice, “Don’t let me down.” He curled up in his bed on the floor inches from Katarina and grumbled.

Besides him, s
he would be alone when I left. Marcus and Owen were already at the back of the property, where the two-seater private planes and helicopters were held. It was a mile from the mansion, so I took the motorcycle in the garage. I was worried they would leave without me. I locked the house earlier, and set the alarm before vanishing.

Owen had the helicopter started
, and they were both waiting for me. As soon as I jumped in, it took off. I knew Owen had a tight schedule to keep and every detail mapped out. He had tried to tell me the details at different times, but we were always interrupted, so I trusted he did his homework and I was only along for the ride.

“Did you give her the whole pill?” Owen’s voice tore me away from thoughts.

“I put it in her drink. She didn’t drink the whole thing before she fell asleep, but I am hoping she’ll be out for a while.”

“Hoping?” He was irritated
, and honestly, I couldn’t blame him. “Maybe you should stay…I got this.” He never broke his concentration from controlling the helicopter. He must have known my response without me verbally saying anything, because we lifted into the dark sky and took off at a great speed.

I settled in my seat
, securing my seatbelt and headset. We landed thirty minutes later in a cornfield. An empty black Escalade waited for us. Marcus got in the driver’s seat and I got in the back. Owen jumped in the front passenger seat and the car made a circle. I felt the rush from the mission come alive in my core. I was no longer nervous; I told myself Katarina was fine and I would be home before the night was over.

Our f
irst stop was down a dirt road with trees everywhere; I didn’t see a house. Owen leaped from the car, checking his gun as he spoke. “Jason, you stay and guard the car. Marcus and I will be back in ten minutes. If we are longer than fifteen, you leave. Understand?” I nodded at his words, but fuck if I understood. The scowl on my face told him about my displeasure over waiting in the car like a fucking pussy. “I can’t keep my promise to Katarina on this guy. You’re going to tell her everything; that’s what we do when we love someone—we give up all our secrets. So you are going to wait in the car and not be a part of this.” I nodded again, but this time, my understanding was completely enlightened.
Fuck, he was smart.

I glanced at my watch,
and exactly ten minutes later, I saw flashlights emerge from the darkness. Owen got in first, and then Marcus. “Everything work out?” I asked.

He turned
toward me, flashed me a wicked grin, and I was envious. I wanted that justice feeling, the one he wore.

“Did you know Dr.
Holtin is allergic to bee stings?” Owens voice was laced with malicious intent.

“No…I didn’t know that.” I mirrored his sinister smile.

We drove a short while before reaching our other destination. Owen got out first again and he signaled me with his head to get out.
All right, now we’re talking
. I tried to look casual as I strutted to the back of the SUV. Owen chuckled under his breath. “You’re smiling; did you know that? Big, like the cat that swallowed the canary.” I covered it with my hand, trying for casual again. He just shook his head. “Have you ever played baseball?”
No, but hell yeah, I can swing a bat
. I took the baseball bat from his hand, moved a few feet, and swung it. It felt like my blood was dancing inside my body. My five senses were on full alert.

We made our way through a small forest and ended up at a large wall. Owen signaled at the cameras and handed me a black
ski mask with matching gloves. We followed the wall until it turned into an iron fence. Owen moved to a portion of the fence that was weakened, and with a small push, it opened wide enough for our big bodies to enter. I followed his lead with everything I did. If he was up against a wall, so was I; if he was crawling on the ground, that’s where I was. He seemed to have the map of the place memorized, and before I could question how he knew the place so well, we were inside the mansion.

We entered off the pool area
, and Owen disabled the alarm in complete silence. I was in awe of this man, my new hero. We scaled the spiraling staircase and entered the master suite within seconds. I stood in the enormous, dark room and only focused on the two people asleep in the massive bed. Doc rested on his back and Katarina’s mother on her side. Marcus slipped in behind the woman, covering her mouth at the same time Owen put duct tape over the man’s eyes. She squealed as Marcus moved fast, securing her arms behind her and wrapping the tape tightly to prevent her from thrashing. He ran tape over her eyes and then mouth before she was tossed into the closet.

He and
Owen had a system, and I was impressed. It was flawless. Owen had Katarina’s father in a wooden chair with a square back. The tape ran around his middle section about ten times, securing his arms to his body. His eyes and mouth were covered, and whimpers were muffled by the silver tape. I was given the go-ahead with a tilt of Owen’s head. I stepped up and twirled the bat on my palm. I wanted to talk, but we had gone over how nothing could be traced back to us, so no words could be spoken.

Instead
, I talked inside my mind. I told him what I thought of a father who would beat his daughter. The fucker was supposed to protect her. I threw the bat up with a bump of my palm and caught it, swinging it in one swift motion, hitting his left arm and yielding a stifled cry. I executed my next series of hits to his right arm and hand. I was in the destruction zone, and if I couldn’t kill him, he would live every day with an achy body. Drips of sweat soaked my ski mask, but I let the blows continue. I was out for pure vengeance, the pictures of my princess’s battered body and the visions of the video in the closet coming forefront in my mind.

I swu
ng the bat, hearing the crunch and more suppressed cries, aware I had just shattered a group of ribs on his right side. His sobs and my heavy breathing engulfed the air around us, but I wasn’t quite finished. I lifted the bat over my head and brought it down forcefully on his right hand; the delightful sound of bones crunching and the sound of muffled screams gave me…peace. I lifted the bat over my head again, and the sound of my ringtone, Bruno Mars
Locked Out of Heaven
filled the silence. It was Katarina. I put the ringtone in myself, and her cell had identical music when I called her.

I reached for my phone
, struggling to flip the switch on the side to silence the phone. I dropped the phone back into my pocket and finished my destructive masterpiece. One more heavy-handed blow to his left hand and I stepped back. His head fell forward, and I thought it was possible he’d passed out due to the severity of pain. I squeezed my eyes shut, savoring the picture, the sight of Katarina’s monster beaten to a pulp.

I turned on my heel
s and handed Owen the bat. He had his own visions he had to erase, and I knew Owen’s love for Katarina was solid. I waited for the men downstairs. Hearing the loud muffled screams as I left let me know Owen was enjoying his turn at bat.
Guess he didn’t pass out yet.
I swallowed my chuckle as I reached the bottom of the stairs and pulled out my phone. There was a missed call and a text from Katarina.

Katarina: Nuts

My heart began to beat so hard and I thought my head might explode. I pressed redial and her phone sent me to voicemail. I gazed up as the two men appeared skipping down the steps, bypassing me on the way out the door. I followed in a daze all the way to the car. My world was shifting, and I couldn’t even find my voice to express the fright I was feeling. I got in the Escalade and looked down at my hands. I was shaking.

“She’s in trouble.” I ran my fingers through my hair
, trying to remove the thought of her begging for me. “She’s in trouble and I am not there!” I blurted. Owen twisted in his seat at my outburst and I explained, “I gave her a safe word…”
Fuck, fuck, fuck,
“…a word that would alert me before she ran, before she got fucking spooked and ran.” I held up my phone. “’Nuts’ is her word.” Owen mumbled something to Marcus and the car jerked forward. “I called her and it goes to voicemail.”

I knew this was karma
; the universe was slapping my hands, telling me I shouldn’t have done what I did. I was learning a lesson…a lesson on judging others. I felt a tingling in my nose as tears sprung to my eyes. I tore the mask from my face and bowed my head. “I promise…no more severe punishments. Please, keep her safe.” I was talking to anyone who would listen, pleading. “I will be a good, kind man for her. Please, just keep her safe.” Tears continued to fall off the tip of my nose as I begged.

Katarina

My eyes pop
ped open and my head was pounding, so I roll out of bed and padded to the bathroom. I turned on the light and fished through the cupboard for the aspirin. I filled the glass on the counter with water and tossed back the pills. The sound of my dragging feet and Bo’s loud snoring seemed alarmingly loud, and I glanced over to Jason’s side of the bed to see if I woke him, but he wasn’t there.

I scan
ned the room as I walked closer to the glass doors in the furthest side of the room and stepped out onto the covered patio. It was raining, and the wind gave me an instant chill. I closed and locked the door, and moved to my dresser to slip on my silk nightgown and robe that hung on the back of the bathroom door. I picked up my cellphone on the way downstairs, tiptoeing so I didn’t wake Bo. The sound of his continued snoring was comforting, and I didn’t want it to stop.

I smiled
as I slowly treaded down the circular staircase. I dialed Jason’s number and expected to hear his phone sing, but I only heard silence. I got a creepy feeling in the pit of my stomach, the one that made me want to run and hide. I closed my eyes and reminded myself how safe I was. Marcus and Jason were here, and only a crazy fool would dare deal with either of them. When I reached the bottom of the steps, I continued my lazy stroll to the kitchen, trying to shake the eerie feeling of being the object of someone’s focus.

A
quiet echo of footsteps caused me to pick up my pace. I sent a quick text to Jason, knowing with the dark feeling I was getting it might be my last chance. I picked something only he would know and I relaxed as soon as it was sent, because I knew he’d come running.

Katarina:
Nuts

I inhaled
a calming breath and faced the silent figure now standing in the hall in front of me. “Hello.” It came out of me sounding irritated and annoyed.

“Katarina
.” The deep whisper bounced off the walls around me, making me feel like I was only dreaming this. I stepped closer to the voice, investigating if it was real or one of my many nightmares. It was possible I was still in bed safely under my satiny covers.

“Who’s there?” I whispered back.

He reached his arm out and flipped the light switch on. My heart sped up, my breathing readying itself for a sprint, and my toes held my agile body. I was in fleeing mode. When the figure didn’t progress toward me, I took a longer look. Wet brown hair fell over his face, and the same color eyes peeked out from beneath the fallen, soggy strands. He was tall, thin, and had a light mustache and beard. His wet clothes stuck to his body. His sports jacket held no protection from the falling skies.

It was Tommy
…my Tommy. He was here in the middle of the night. I had to be dreaming. “Tommy?” The last time I saw him, he had invented some elaborate lie to make me believe Jason was only using me for sex. I didn’t return his calls or texts after that. He started speaking. He was shifty, and his nervous hands were searching for pockets inside his dark jacket. “I came to bring you home,” he offered.

I smiled and took another step
toward him. I remembered Tommy as a scared, helpless boy who nobody understood. We accepted each other, but I never truly understood the powerhouse that ran Tommy. “I’m not going with you, Tommy. I can’t leave Jason; I promised him.” I took another step closer, wanting to offer him comfort. I was momentarily hypnotized by the drops of water that fell to the floor around him.

“You
made promises to me first,” he started, meeting my eyes, and his gaze took my breath away; the darkness hidden beneath his large browns was pure evil, “and I’m not leaving without you.” He clenched his teeth and I watched the muscles flex a few times before he spoke again. “I know they aren’t here,” he continued in a whisper, and it turned creepy and uncomfortable. I could feel his words slithering over my skin.

He confessed,
“I have hidden cameras on the outside of all the doors. I’ve watched you every day since you got here. I’ve been staying in town, waiting for them both to leave. I know you want to be with me and they’re stopping you.” He was delusional and it was starting to really freak me out. “The dog reminds me of when we were kids.” He paused, and it took me a second to realize he was speaking about my dog…my Bo.

“
Twenty-seven animals I tortured and killed before you bought me that computer. I got a rush from killing animals, Kat. You never judged me for it. I knew you hated it, but you never fucking judged me.” He grabbed my chin with his thumb and forefinger to look directly into my eyes. “You made me better…don’t you see? I thought I killed your bodyguard too. I followed you that night. What a rush!”

His overenthusiasm ab
out killing and torturing made me feel dizzy, and I suddenly had the urge to beg for my life. “Tommy…” I skimmed my shaking hand down his wet jacket from his shoulder to his hand still stuffed in his pocket. He eyed my fingers on him, and instead of the calming effect I’d wanted, his violent anger only intensified into irrational fury.

“Take off the ring
, Kat. Take off his fucking ring.” He swiftly grabbed my hand; he wasn’t going to give me a choice. He yanked and tugged on my finger. I screamed out because it hurt, and I thought he might take off my finger with the ring. My phone dropped and his huge, black shoe stomped on it, crushing it over and over.

And then
, I heard it. I heard the growl of a large, fierce beast behind me. Tommy stood frozen for only an impulsive second, and then continued to yank and bend my finger. The growl only increased, and I knew Bo was warning Tommy, but Tommy thought animals were weak. I tried to look over my shoulder, but couldn’t quite see Bo. He was hidden in the darkness. I wanted to calm him, tell him I was okay, because I knew Tommy would kill Bo if he was given the chance.

One more severe twist of my finger and I fel
t the pop as it dislocated from my hand, and I screamed and wept in pain. My feet fell out from under me, and Bo pounced on Tommy. I rolled away from the commotion, watching the rabid-looking animal in my foyer. I didn’t recognize Bo; his claws were out and his teeth were buried deep in Tommy’s throat. Blood began to splash the walls around him as his head shook with force. I was stunned, so stunned that I didn’t see Tommy pull a gun from his jacket.

The echoing sound of gunshots bounce
d off the walls around me, followed by the worst squeal Bo had ever made, and then dead silence. Tears flooded to my eyes as I ripped off my white silk robe and moved over to Bo covered in blood. I couldn’t tell whose blood. I lifted his massive head and attempted to move my robe to cover the bleeding. I repeated that he was a good boy; he was a good boy and I was safe. I kissed the top of his head as I tightened my robe as tight as I possibly could; it was difficult, because I couldn’t get the robe around his heavy body, but I hoped to keep the blood from continuing to spill around him.

“I love you
, Bo. You have to be tough. You’re a good boy.” His eyes shifted as I talked, and I could see the whites. I petted him and told him one more time how much he was loved. I stood on shaky legs and moved to Tommy. His body twitched on the ground and he still held the gun, so I was careful not to get too close. His eyes found mine and I could see he was scared, just like Bo. Tommy was losing too much blood; it covered the floor and wall, and one of his hands gripped around his neck as he tried to speak...dying to.

“I’m sorry
,” he choked out, and I kneeled in the blood and shoved my hands over his neck. Tears streamed down my face and toppled onto the floor. I watched as the tears were lost in…red. “I need to call for help.”

His eyes blink
ed and I knew he understood. I stood slowly on my jelly legs and gazed at my feet covered in blood. I lifted on my toes and readied myself to run to the kitchen, where I knew there was a house phone. Except, I didn’t make it to the kitchen; I didn’t make it two steps before I slipped. I tried to right myself, to correct my shaky legs and slippery feet, but it didn’t help. My feet lost control and were flying into the air. It was slow motion and I couldn’t alter what was happening. I flailed in the air, desperate for something to grab onto. I came crashing down hard, my body slammed against the marble floor, jerking my head back with a powerful force, and then blackness engulfed me.

****

Jason

I sprinted into the mansion through the backdoor. I didn’t make it far before I saw red—red everywhere—and I couldn’t move. Katarina’s face morphed into Jacy’s and I did nothing. The scene before me was savage. I saw Katarina lying in a pool of blood, her once white satin gown now blood-stained. Her hair was fanned out around her and covered Thomas’s thigh, his hand mangling in her dark hair.

He appear
ed to be the worst affected; his neck was almost nonexistent. The brutal marks were left from the beast that was here to protect my princess. Thomas lays there, gun in one hand, and the other wrapped and twisted around Katarina hair. It was hard to look at the tangled mess and breathe at the same time.

Bo
was covered in the same sticky, red blood. His eyes popped open and I bent down slowly to look at the silky bandage wrapped around him that was soaked through. I was destroyed, devastated; my heart ached and my muscles were fatigued. The strength I had moments ago was now depleted, completely drained. All I wanted now was to have a long drink of poison and curl up next to my princess in her innocent white gown and fall asleep, just like Romeo did with Juliet.

I put my head in my hands as I tr
ied to gather the strength to save my dog, because I could save an animal; I had the skills and the confidence. I couldn’t help but to sneak a peek at Katarina, still in shock at the blood that covered her white nightgown. She laid there, and even though blood had soaked her hair and parts of her face, she looked peaceful…no more monsters. I heard Owen yelling at me not to touch anything because he called for help, but I couldn’t help it.

My life had
been a series of events and I couldn’t process this one.
She can’t die
. She was meant for me. My legs moved; my magnet pulled me toward her. I slowly kneeled down at her side. I heard Owen’s continued pleas for me not to touch her, but I had to. The moment didn’t seem real; this event was too surreal. I ran my finger over her cheek and down her chin and she felt soft and warm. I bent in closer and kissed her eyelids and forehead.

My heart fucking hurt, but I t
old myself it was not real. My nose burned and then my eyes, and I cried like a fucking teenaged drama queen. I continued to pet her, memorizing her perfect features as I wailed and wept. I peered down at her through foggy glasses and she…opened her eyes. She fucking opened her eyes and then a small smile lifted her entire face all the way to those beautiful blues. It took her a moment before she realized this wasn’t my morning wakeup call, and she cautiously sat up.

“Bo
,” she pleaded through shaky breaths, “please, I’m not hurt. Save Bo.” My eyes followed her terrified ones to Bo. “He was shot and I need him to live.” I couldn’t move from her; my body wouldn’t allow it. She got up slowly, her body shaking like a leaf, and she took a few steps and then sunk down to the cold floor again, wrapping her body around him. Her fragile arm reached over him as she rested her head so she could whisper in his ear. She talked sweetly to him and my heart warmed at the sight. She was spooning my giant dog and I smiled and wiped the wetness from my face. It was all I needed. It was all I needed to snap my mind out of the devastation so I could fix Bo.