Turn To Me (30 page)

“Listen to me,” he said, intent but calm.  “The bomb is rigged to something inside, but I can’t tell what it is.  It could be the door, ignition, radio, anything.”

“That’s not helpful,” I said.

“It’s also on a timer, Kathleen,” he added reluctantly.

Oh God.  My eyes slid shut in dismay.

“How much time?” I asked.

“Three minutes.”

Three minutes to live.  It didn’t seem possible.  I was only twenty-four.  I had my whole life ahead of me.  Granted, today hadn’t gone very well, but surely tomorrow would be better.  And who would take care of Tigger if I died?

“You should go,” I choked out.  “Back off.  I can try to open the door.”  There was no sense in Kade getting killed, too.  I thought I had a pretty good shot that maybe it wasn’t the door.  Kade himself had said it could be attached to a myriad of things inside the car.

“I’m not leaving you, Kathleen.”

I looked up to find him staring resolutely down at me through the glass, the tuxedo clinging to his body like it had been molded to him, though I noticed he’d undone the tie and loosened the top button on his shirt.  I took a moment I didn’t have to appreciate how good he looked.  After all, this might be the last time I’d get the chance.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Kade,” I snapped, forcing my gaze away from him.  “You don’t even like me.  Now go.”

“I don’t have to like you to save your life,” he shot back.  “Now roll down the window.”

“Can’t,” I said.  “Not without turning on the car.”  I never thought I’d miss the days of manual windows, but then again, I’d never pictured myself in this particular situation.

“Turn away then,” he said.

Obediently, I turned away from the window only to hear a loud thud against the glass.  Kade was trying to break the glass.  It thudded again, splintering, but rigidly held together despite Kade’s assault.  When I cautiously glanced around, I saw Kade’s elbow wasn’t doing the trick and he was scanning the street for something to use instead.  That’s when I remembered.

“Wait!” I cried excitedly.  Kade turned expectantly toward me.  “I forgot about something.”

Digging around under my seat, I unearthed an ice scraper and a lone glove.  Frantic, I searched blindly until my fingers closed around what I sought.

“This!” I said, triumphantly brandishing my prize.  It was a device about six inches long, with a sharp metal point on one end.  My dad had given it to me when I’d first started driving at fifteen, mere months before his death.  “In case you ever need to get out of a car in a hurry,” he’d explained, showing me how one side of the tool cut through a seatbelt.  I wasn’t interested in that now, though, as I pressed the metal point into the window.

In seconds, the glass shattered, falling away in pieces.  I had barely taken a breath before Kade was reaching through the window for me, pulling me out.  I had a lot of exposed skin on my arms and legs and the sharp bite of the glass let me know I wasn’t escaping unscathed.  Once I was out, I reached back in and grabbed my purse off the seat.  Kade grabbed my hand, jerking me backwards.

“Run!”

No need to tell me twice.

We weren’t far enough away to escape getting knocked off our feet when the explosion hit.  Kade jerked me into him and twisted as we flew through the air, taking the brunt of the force when we landed.

For a moment, I just lay on top of him, stunned.  Kade recovered more quickly than me, sat up and dragged me onto his lap.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

My vocal cords wouldn’t cooperate so I gave a jerky nod.  I was shaking uncontrollably, whether from the cold or the explosion or still the shock of seeing Blane and Kandi.  Probably all of the above.

But I couldn’t think about that right now.  I’d think about that later.  Maybe.

Kade stood, helping me to my feet as well, then shrugged out of his tuxedo jacket and swung it over my shoulders.  I was grateful for the coat, still warm from his body.  Just then, a whole group of people swarmed outside from the party to see what the commotion was.  My eyes fell on Blane who was running flat out toward us.

“Kathleen!”

He skidded to a halt a few yards away when he caught sight of Kade and me, then bent at the waist, his hands braced on his knees.  After a moment in this position, he drew himself up again and moved toward us.

“Keep him away from me,” I said to Kade, my voice only a whisper.  “Please.”

“She’s fine,” Kade said to Blane as he neared.  Kade’s arms tightened protectively around me, drawing me closer into his body.  Blane stopped in his tracks, his expression shuttered. 

Kade’s arm was wrapped around my waist, and I thought I should be embarrassed at how much I needed that support to stay on my feet.  Events had moved too fast before; now it was as though everything was in slow motion.  I couldn’t tear my eyes away from my car burning, the bright flames mesmerizing me. 

That was almost me in there.  I would have burned to death.

I couldn’t get enough air.  My lungs were inflating, but I couldn’t breathe.  My hands clutched at Kade and still – I couldn’t look away from the fire and I still couldn’t breathe.

“Breathe, princess.  Just breathe.”

I heard Kade’s voice, insistent in my ear, and I tried to obey.  But the fire was growing dim now and I heard Blane as if from a long ways away.

“She’s going into shock, Kade.  We need to get her to the hospital.”

“Haven’t you done enough?”  The icy, accusing words came from Kade. 

The last thought I had was that I didn’t want them to fight.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The thing about passing out – it’s really not as bad as it sounds.  Rather, it’s more like your body says, “You go on ahead – I’m just going to take a moment.” 

I stirred and opened my eyes, aware that I felt better.  For one thing, I could breathe again, which is always a plus.

Where was I?

I was lying in a bed, but it wasn’t mine.  A small lamp was lit on a nearby table, allowing me to see the comfortable, though nondescript room.  Confused, I sat up, noticing as I did so that I no longer wore the hated Christmas slut outfit, but a man’s button-down shirt that swallowed me up and came nearly to my knees.

“Take it easy now.”

My gaze swung to the doorway where Kade was entering the room, holding two steaming mugs.  He handed me one before sitting next to me on the edge of the bed.  He’d changed out of his tuxedo, which was a real shame, and now wore his customary jeans and long-sleeved black Henley.  I noticed his feet were bare.

“Where am I?” I asked, taking a sip of the sweetened coffee.  Somehow, he’d known how I liked it.

“My place.”  Kade’s simple reply threw me.

“Your place?” I asked, confused.  “I thought you lived with Blane?”

He snorted.  “Not likely.  As if I could stand living with him for more than a few days.”

I processed this as I took another sip.  I had another question, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to know the answer.

“Um, how did I get into this?” I asked, indicating the shirt I wore.  It had to be Kade’s.

“Yeah, that little red outfit’s a goner.  Sorry.”

I certainly had no qualms about that.  However, that also meant Kade had been the one to strip me and put the shirt on me.  My cheeks heated and I looked down, letting my hair swing forward to conceal my face from Kade.  To my chagrin, he reached forward, pushing my hair back and tucking the strands behind my ear.  I glanced up.

“Would it help if I said I didn’t look?” 

The mischief in his eyes made me smile, though it was tremulous and quickly faded.  I took another sip of the coffee.  We sat in companionable silence for a few moments before Kade spoke again.

“Are you going to tell me what happened?” he asked quietly.

My eyes flew to his in surprise.  “You don’t know?”

He shook his head, his gaze sober.

I pushed my fingers through my hair and swallowed hard.  I wanted to answer him, wanted to tell him what a dick his brother was, but that also meant I had to again relive the shock, the humiliation, and the pain. 

I set the coffee on the bedside table with a hand that trembled.

“I’m going to need something stronger.”

Kade watched in silence as I climbed out of the bed, following me as I left the bedroom and walked the short hallway to the kitchen.  The kitchen was in the corner of a large open room.  It had a small bar separating it from the living room area, where there was a television hung on the wall, a couch and a couple of chairs.  The wall behind the sofa was all glass, the city lights sparkling in the night.  I realized Kade must live in one of those expensive loft apartments downtown that overlooked the city. 

Figuring I’d find what I needed in the cabinets, I started searching, starting down low and working my way to the higher ones.

“Can I help you find something?” Kade asked dryly, leaning a hip against the counter.

I stretched, trying to reach a high cabinet, frustrated that I hadn’t yet found what I was seeking.  Belatedly, I noticed the shirt I wore was riding high up my bare thighs.  I abruptly tugged it back down.  I glanced up at Kade, his eyes lingering on my legs before they traveled upward to my face.

“Where’s your liquor?” I blurted, my cheeks burning again at the frank appreciation in his eyes.

He didn’t answer, his gaze holding mine as he stepped into my personal space.  My breath caught in my chest and I had to tip my head back to look at him. 

“It’s where it should be,” he said, pulling open the door of the freezer behind me.

Startled, I turned to see several bottles of Belvedere in the freezer.  Of course.  I’d been looking for scotch – but that was Blane’s drink, not Kade’s.

Kade grabbed one of the bottles, pulled out the stopper and set it on the counter.

“Straight?” he asked. 

“Please.”

Getting a couple of shot glasses off a shelf, Kade filled each with the chilled vodka.  Handing me one, he clinked his against the side before adding, “Cheers.”

I tossed back the cold liquid, almost instantly feeling the warm fire hit my belly.  Sucking in a breath, I sat the glass back on the counter, tapping it to signal a refill.  Kade obliged, eyeing me as I rounded the counter and climbed onto one of the two bar stools.  As usual, my feet didn’t reach the ground, but I didn’t care.

I drank down the second shot and it was like balm to my shattered nerves.  Kade was watching me, not speaking, and I appreciated his patience.  Finally, I was able to say, “I walked in on Blane and...Kandi.”  I looked up at him, hoping he’d get the point without me having to spell it out.

His jaw tightened.  “Doing what?” he asked.  I cringed at the harnessed fury in his voice.

I just looked at him, then tapped my glass for another round.  After a moment, he refilled both glasses and we drank in silence.

Inside me, tears threatened, yet I determinedly held them back.   I don’t know why I was so surprised by this outcome – I’d been telling myself it was going to happen for weeks.  I guess expecting it and actually experiencing it were just two different things.  One was all about my head, the other, my heart.

“You all right?” Kade asked, and I realized I’d been lost in my thoughts.

“I’m fine,” I said automatically, and for the moment, it was sort of true.  Alcohol was a great numbing agent.  Screw the chocolate and ice cream – I’ll take vodka to heal a broken heart.

Kade poured us both some more, emptying the bottle.  It tasted really good now, going down smooth as could be.  Kade got another bottle out of the freezer and slid onto the stool next to me.

“People leave, you know?” I said out of the blue.  It was a fact I’d always known, but rarely stopped to dwell on.  “They desert you, forget about you.  People hurt you, betray you, don’t love you anymore.  They get hurt.  They die.”  I studied my glass as I absently toyed with it.  “I don’t know why I thought it might be different with....”  I couldn’t finish that thought.  Reaching for the bottle, I gave us refills, only spilling a little on the counter.

“Well, aren’t you the cynic,” Kade said, his mouth twisting into his telltale smirk, but his eyes were serious.

“When has anyone you’ve been close to not left?” I asked bluntly.

He eyed me for a long moment before replying, “I don’t stick around long enough to give them the chance.”

I frowned.  “Why is that?”

He shrugged and threw back his vodka.  “I’d rather be the one leaving than the one who’s left behind.”

I could certainly relate to that.  Blane’s betrayal burned like acid in my stomach.  I wondered if he’d been sleeping with Kandi and me at the same time.  The idea nearly made me ill.  I pushed the thought away and drank my vodka.

“Why am I here?” I asked him.  It was a strange choice to bring me to his apartment.  “Why not just take me home?”

“You’ve nearly gotten yourself killed several times in the last few days,” Kade said matter-of-factly.  “It’s easier to keep you safe here.”

I snorted.  “What do you care?  Blane and I are through so no one’s making you play bodyguard anymore.  You can’t stand me as it is – you should be glad to be rid of me.  I’m just the white-trash gold-digger, remember?”

“I never said that.” 

“Which part?” I asked derisively.

Kade’s face was inscrutable as he looked at me, his eyes the most beautiful blue.  Combined with the wickedly arched brows that matched his nearly black hair curling slightly over the collar of the shirt, he could have been a fallen angel, he was so lovely.

“You need some food in you,” Kade announced.  “When was the last time you ate?”

I shrugged.  I didn’t remember or care.  Now that I thought about it, I didn’t care about much of anything at the moment.  That was nice.  I sighed and reached for the bottle of Belvedere. 

“Nope,” Kade said, snatching it easily from my hand.  “Not until you eat.”

“But I’m not hungry,” I protested.  Actually, it came out more like a whine.

Kade ignored me, sliding off his stool and rounding to his cabinets.  He pulled out a box and dumped some little packages onto the counter.  I picked one up.