The Air Singer (The Cantors) (4 page)

Roland bounced his knee franticly waiting for Tally to return to the table. He wanted to run after her, but knew that it would be better to wait. Kate followed her outside, so she wasn’t alone. No one would try anything when there was someone that could tell the tale. One thing the players in his world valued was the public’s ignorance. His intuition alarmed him when Sean came to the table, but he hoped that his presence was enough to scare him.

He needed to bring Tally into th
e fold soon. The fact that she was unaware of how coveted she was, kept her safe until now. If he had found her, others would soon as well. He hated that he couldn’t be honest with her. It felt like manipulation, but he knew that she would never believe the complete truth. It was best to let her enjoy a normal life as long as possible.

The site of Kate coming back to the table alone
alerted him that not everything was normal anymore. He stood up as Kate approached and inquired about Tally. “Is she okay?”

“She
’s come down with food poisoning. It won’t be a pretty night for our Tally.” Kate grabbed her purse and dug for her keys. “She was really having a good time tonight, but I think I should get her home. If you give me your number, I’ll make sure she gives you a call when she is feeling better.”

“Well, let me walk you two out to the car at least.”
Roland insisted. “I’d hate for Tally to think I would let her leave without saying goodbye.”

Kate shrugged. “She’s right outside.”

Roland dropped twenty dollars on the table and followed Kate to the door. He hurried to get ahead of her and open the door as any gentleman would. As Kate stepped outside, he could tell that something wasn’t right. Her head jerked from one side to the other as she scanned the parking lot in front of her. She gasped and pointed toward the far corner of the parking lot.

Roland followed her line of sight and saw the silhouette of
a man helping a young woman who obviously had too much to drink. He strapped her into the passenger side of a black sedan. As his vision focused, he realized that it was Tally sitting in the car and Sean just shut the door. Roland grabbed Kate’s arm to get her attention, and placed a finger to his lips indicating to stay quiet. He turned and started sprinting toward the car, zigzagging to avoid the illuminated areas of the parking lot. When he got to the car next to Sean’s, Roland kneeled next to the driver’s wheel to stay out of sight. Sean fiddled with his keys before dropping them on the pavement under the car. Roland knew that he had to do something now or Sean would drive off with Tally. He moved to the front of the car and found Sean preoccupied with finding his keys. Roland stood up and crept behind him. Preparing himself for anything, he cleared his throat to announce his presence to his adversary. Sean whipped around to see a cocky smile on Roland’s face right before his jaw cracked against a fist as solid as a two by four. Before regaining balance, large hands directed his head to slam into Roland’s knee. Sean collapsed onto the pavement next to the keys he’d been looking for only seconds earlier.

Confident that Sean would not be getting up in the next few minutes, Roland ran to the other side of the car and saw that Tally was starting to
stir. He opened her door and reached across to release the seatbelt. As he leaned over her limp body, a tiny whimper came from her lips. He paused to look at her face to see if there was any cause for her discomfort. A golden mane framed her face with a few strands covering her eyes. He brushed the hair from in front of her closed lashes and remembered how blue her eyes were. Draping her arm around his shoulders, he lifted her out of the car.

“Tally!”
Kate ran toward him as he carried her limp body toward his truck. “What did he do to her?”

Roland glanced up, “I don’
t know, probably chloroform.” Tally’s head nestled into his chest. “She is already starting to come out of it. Where is your car?”

He followed Kate to her
vehicle and waited for her to open the door to the backseat. He placed Tally inside and allowed her to lie down across the fabric bench. “He won’t be getting up soon, but we need to get out of here. Does Sean know where she lives?”

“I didn’t think Sean knew anything beyond the game shop.”
Kate tried to find a way to get the seat belt around Tally. “Before tonight, I would say no, but...”

“We need to go to your house.”
Roland closed the door to the backseat.

“
We? Look, I appreciate you kicking Sean’s ass and everything, but I don’t know you.” Kate put her hands on her hips. She blamed herself for leaving Tally alone earlier and would not let her down again. She walked to the other side of the car and offered to shake hands with Roland. “Tally will be fine. Thanks for everything and I’ll make sure that she gives you a call later this week.”

Roland took her hand with both of his
and looked her directly in the eye. He hated to manipulate good people, but he couldn’t afford to let Tally out of his sight again. “Kate, you need me to stay with you and Tally tonight. You would feel much safer if I stayed at your house.”

Kate’s shoulders dropped as she
became overwhelmed with a sense of relaxation. The fear of Roland coming to her house disappeared, replaced with a belief in his intention to keep Tally safe. “Maybe you’re right. Do you need to ride with us?”

“No, I’ll follow you.”
Roland dropped her hand, “Wait for me before you pull out. I’m driving the blue pickup.”

Kate climbed into her car and looked
behind her to check on Tally in the backseat. She was still lying down with her eyes fluttering open and close, but her breathing was steady. Kate couldn’t understand her sudden change of heart about Roland coming over, but it
felt
right. Seeing his truck pull up behind her, she started her vehicle and led Roland back to her place.

Tally stretched her arms over her head and felt the iron scrolls of the headboard in Kate’s guest room. She rolled over and readjusted her pillow. Suddenly the memory of last night flooded back to her. She recalled Sean showing up at the Taproom and incapacitating her. Images of Roland carrying her across the parking lot and into Kate’s house were so foggy she wasn’t sure if it was memory or dreams. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d dreamt of him, but this felt real. Then she realized she had no memory of going to Kate’s place. She sat up in bed and saw her clothes from the night before laid on the chair next to the window. She didn’t remember changing clothes. Looking down, she pulled against the white tee and oversized blue sweat pants that enveloped her body. Her head ached but the intoxicating aroma of coffee wafted into the room, enticing her to climb out of bed.

As she arrived in the family
room, she saw Kate sitting at the kitchen table looking at the paper.

“Well look who finally decided to get up.”
Kate smiled at her friend, “Did you sleep well?”

“What happened last night?”

Kate got up to fetch Tally a cup of coffee. “Short or long?”

“Short, but I reserve the right to ask questions.”

“Fair enough.” Kate set a fresh cup in front of Tally and returned to her seat, “We met Roland at Taproom and were having a delightful time until Sean showed up. You ran out of the bar for no apparent reason leaving me to deal with both of your suitors. Sean left right after, I assumed due to embarrassment and I followed you outside to make sure you were okay. You wanted to go home and I went back inside to tell Roland we were leaving. When I came back out, Sean was trying to kidnap you and Roland totally pulled a knight in shining armor act.”

Tally placed her cup down in front of her.
“Sean tried to kidnap me?” If she didn’t have the flashes of memory from last night, she wouldn’t have believed it.

“Yes and before we get any deeper into this discussion, may I just say I told you so.”
Kate’s smug grin was glowing with satisfaction.

“Wait a minute,” Tally started to rai
se her voice. “I’m almost killed and you take this moment to say I told you so!”

“Kidnapped, not killed.”
Kate remained calm with that grin on her face, “and I will have you know that I earned this.”

Tally shook her head and decided to learn more about what happened last night to piece together her fragmented memories. “Okay, Roland
stopped Sean, but how did I get here?”

“
He put you in my car and followed us home.” Kate said matter-of-factly.

“He followed us here?”
Tally was surprised that Kate would allow someone they just met know where she lives. Suddenly aware of her appearance, she began running her fingers through her hair.

“I know, I know. It is totally
out of my character, but he seemed so genuine and he did save you.” Kate defended herself.

“Where is he now?”

“I heard him leave early this morning. I guess he figured everything was fine. He probably just wanted to get some real sleep because my sofa is not the most comfortable.” Kate picked her paper back up and hid her face. “Too bad you don’t get to remember being his damsel in distress. He looked like he belonged in one of those cheap romances carrying you to my car.”

Tally blushed at Kate’s teasing and looked at the clock above the stove.
It was already nine thirty in the morning.

“Crap!”
She stood up and headed back to the guest room, “I’m going to be late!”

Kate turned to see the time, “You are not seriously thinking of going to the shop today are you?
Sean is still out there and could try to trap you at the store.”

Yelling from the back room, Tally
changed back into her clothes and pulled her hair back with a clip she kept in her purse. “There is no way he’d come near us now that we know his intentions. I could call the police and file a report to make sure that he has something on record if it makes you feel better.” She returned to the kitchen, “Can you take me back to my place? I need to shower and clean up before I go anywhere.”

Kate considered the options.
Tally was probably right. Sean couldn’t be so dumb as to try a second time. “Yeah give me a minute to get ready.”

Tally
called into to the shop and let the barista know that she would be late. Waiting for Kate to freshen up, she tried to relax on the sofa. She couldn’t help but try to remember more pieces of the night before, especially the ones that included Roland carrying her to Kate’s car. She had finally been held by him and she didn’t remember a thing. She knew that she should be more concerned about Sean’s location right now, but Roland occupied the bulk of her thoughts.

He left before she woke up.
Running out of the bar must have sent all the wrong signals. He probably thought she wasn’t interested or even worse, thought she was crazy. How could he not? She worked as a psychic in a coffee shop that sold oils and tarot cards and moonlighted as a regular at various open mics around the valley. Not exactly an ambitious life, but it was hers and until now, safe. He didn’t stay to make sure she was okay. He didn’t even give her the chance to thank him. Did he think his hero act entitled him to not having to face her in the morning? If it hadn’t been for him, she never would have needed saving! She would have enjoyed a perfectly fine girls’ night with wine and chocolate at Kate’s house and Sean would never have found her at the Taproom. She was only there because Roland asked her to be. Yes, this was entirely his fault.

Kate came out of her room wearing a hoodie and jeans.
“What are you so deep in thought about?”

Tally stood up with her purse ready to go. “Noth
ing, I just need a hot shower.”

The
quiet ride home gave Tally more time to think. Kate sang to the radio and let her friend sit silently next to her. When they finally arrived, Kate did a couple turns around the building to ensure there were no signs of Sean or black sedans. After both ladies checked the inside of Tally’s apartment, Kate went back to her house with a promise to call her in the afternoon.

Tally spent more time in the shower
than needed. She didn’t realize until she was home that her body wasn’t as unscathed as she thought. Her tight shoulders relished the hot water beating against her back. As her muscles relaxed, so did her resolve. She let the tears come. Streaming down her face, they fell into the puddles of suds forming at her feet. In less than twenty-four hours, she experienced elation that Roland was interested, terror that Sean was a stalker, and rejection that Roland lost interest after the drama of last night. She liked him more than she wanted to admit to herself. He seemed so confident, so fearless. He seemed too good to be true and it seemed he was.

Tally turned the water off and grabbed a towel to dry
herself. No longer dripping, she wrapped it around her body, tucking the edge in front of her chest. She ran a wide tooth comb through her hair. Looking at herself in the mirror, she took a deep breath.

I
will not be rattled. I will not be weak.

Tally placed the comb down and turned on her hair dryer.
The hum filled her ears and became almost meditative. In her mind, she went through each step of Sean’s attack. She underestimated him. She never would have given a stranger the opportunity to drug her. She would have gotten physical. She should have stepped on his foot or kicked his groin. She should have gone for his eyes instead of just flailing her arms at his head.

Should’ve,
would’ve, could’ve. You don’t let your clients dwell on the past; only learn from it.

Deciding to take a refresher course in self-defense
at the community center next week, she put the dryer back in the cabinet under the sink, used some concealer, blush and mascara to brighten her face, and headed to her room to get dressed. Weekends brought in new customers to the shop and she liked to look the part of a psychic reader. Long skirts or dresses dominated her weekend wardrobe. After last night, she picked out jeans with a nice top. She took a final look in the full-length mirror on the inside of her bedroom door and realized that her lip-gloss was in her purse. Opening the door to the family room, she felt a slight breeze move her hair away from her face. She never opened windows this late in the season and the air conditioner was not running at that moment.

Alerted that something was not right, she stopped moving forward and let her shields drop.
The nausea hit her hard and fast. Her heart raced as she felt two energies in the space outside her bedroom. She recognized Sean’s at once as flashes of his dark eyes appeared in her mind. The other appeared new, but shadowed with ill intent.

She
wanted to call the police, but her phone sat in her purse on the kitchen counter. She could scream and hope that a neighbor would check on her before the intruders captured her. No, surprise was her one advantage right now and she didn’t want to give it up. She looked back in her room trying to find something to use as a weapon. Pictures of nature scenes adorned the walls of her room while small statues of religious deities and a variety of rocks and gems decorated every available surface. Her eyes widened as they rested on a stone sitting on the bottom shelf of her nightstand; a piece of rough black onyx that weighed about three pounds. It was small enough to fit in her hand but heavy enough to add some weight to her punches. She planned to knock one of them out immediately and hope to startle the other enough to grab her purse and run outside. Holding the rock in her hands, she closed her eyes and tried to sense where the men were in her apartment. She felt a darkness lurking in the corner near the front door and another near the entrance to her bedroom. If she didn’t want to lose the element of surprise, she had to act now.

Taking a deep breath a
nd lifting the rock high above her, she burst out of the room screaming like an amazon and attacked the nearest intruder with a solid hit to the back of his head. Letting out a cry, he crumpled to the floor and Tally recognized Sean. She ran to the kitchen counter, grabbed her purse with her free hand and turned to gauge her path to freedom. A man much larger than Sean stood between her and the door. Wearing a baseball cap and denim jacket, he towered over Tally and could probably bench press her for a warm up. He charged and Tally moved to the far counter near the butcher block, dropped her purse and grabbed a steak knife. Turning to face her attacker, he stopped just out of arm’s reach with a malicious grin that turned to a low whistle.

“The guys will never believe that a little scamp like you took Sean out that easily.”
He reached into his jacket and pulled out a stun gun. “Now drop the knife and come over here or you might have a little accident and cut yourself.”

Tally froze
, realizing she was trapped. Deciding she would not go quietly, she prepared to take a pound of his flesh with her. Armed with a blade in one hand and a stone in the other, Tally readied herself for a fight.

Suddenly the front door slammed against the
hinges and Roland exploded into the room. With her assailant’s attention diverted, Tally charged and stabbed his shoulder while hammering his knuckles with the onyx until he dropped the stun gun. She pushed to get past him, but her small frame made little progress against his bulk. His good hand grabbed her arm and swung her against the cabinets, knocking the wind out of her. She collapsed to the floor gasping for breath.

Roland came into view
, his eyes focused on her attacker. He grabbed the giant from behind and pulled him back away from her. They crashed into the dinette table and both men were wrestling on the floor. Trapped underneath the weight of his opponent, Roland wrapped his arms around his neck in what looked like the sleeper hold she watched on late night wrestling shows. The dark eyes of the intruder rolled back in his head as he lost consciousness.

A movement near her bedroom
drew her eyes toward Sean as he began to get up. Unable to speak, she crawled toward him while grabbing the stun gun. Roland, determined to keep his opponent from getting up, could not see the other trying to sneak up from behind. Tally struggled to get to Sean as he reached the pile of broken wood that had once been a dinette chair and grabbed a leg that had splintered from its base and lifted it to hit Roland. Tally lunged with all her remaining strength, pressing the glowing blue tip of the stun gun to Sean’s leg. A loud buzz ripped through the air as Sean began screaming and fell back to the floor. Roland shoved the unconscious lump he had been dealing with to the side and launched onto Sean. Wrenching the table leg from Sean, he pinned him beneath his knee.

“You have a problem understanding me lately, so let me spell it out for you,” Roland lifted the
makeshift weapon to his side, “Touch her again, meet God.” His arm swung down with the force of sledgehammer onto Sean’s head.

Tally
lay still on the floor trying to catch her breath. Roland threw the piece of wood to the ground and scrambled to her. He lifted her to lean against his chest and ran his hand along her jaw. “Slow even breaths, Tally, Try to take slow even breaths.”

Tally
relaxed into his solid frame supporting her. His touch sent chills through her as she slowly brought her breathing back to a normal rate. Looking into his blue eyes, she saw genuine concern, but once she recovered from the shock of what transpired in the last few minutes, one question needed to be asked.