thirty five
The light of the moon filtered down through the trees. Kirk was humming, dragging me further away.
I didn’t want to die.
With the last vestiges of my strength, I kicked out my feet and connected.
Kirk stumbled and lost his hold. “Why you little…bi…” His words stopped abruptly.
A low unholy noise came from the shadows.
“I wasn’t going to do anything,” Kirk cried out, he sounded terrified.
I turned my head. Feet dangled in the air.
Kirk screamed and then stopped.
I was glad.
He deserved it.
Waves crashed against the surf lulling me, pulling me further down into the darkness. My eyes closed…and I floated.
I wasn’t sure how I got into the ocean, for surely that was where I was. I could feel the cool icy hands of the water holding me up and carrying me forward. I forced my eyes open... I wanted to see the stars...
I saw a face instead… Viktor.
thirty six
At some point, I must have passed out because Glinda was staring at me. Her china blue eyes narrowed with revulsion. “Great job, Amber,” she sneered. “You ruined it for us all.” Blood seeped through her bandages, down her neck.
I jolted awake, breathing hard. I was in my driveway, sitting in my car...alone. Lifting my hand, I rubbed the crick in my neck. Disoriented, I checked the time. It was one in the morning.
The front door opened from my house and Mom came running out. Her shorty robe flapped open exposing her sexy lingerie’. Ken bounded out the door right behind her, holstering his gun. His hair was sticking up and his shirt, barely buttoned.
“What the…?”
Before I had a chance to reach for the handle, she jerked open my door. “Oh thank God!” She threw her arms around me, smashing my face against her chest. “Are you all right?” She petted my head.
“Mom, I can’t breathe.”
“Oh…” She leaned back. “Are you all right?”
“What’s going on?”
“Ken got a call, they told him about the attack.”
She grabbed my chin. “Do you need to go to the hospital?”
“What?” I pushed her hand off my chin. “No.”
“Ken, what do you think?” She moved so Ken could see me. “She looks peeked, doesn’t she?”
Ken leaned down. “Are you all right?” I could tell he was using his official police officer voice.
“Yes, I’m fine.” That was a lie. My head hurt really bad and so did the rest of me but there was no way I was going to the hospital. Glinda was there and after my weird whatever…I didn’t want to go anywhere near there.
“We’re going to catch those bastards,” he vowed. Now this was the Ken, I had grown to love in such a short time.
“Ken, I’m fine,” I almost smiled but the action caused me pain. “Just a little sore,” I said.
“I had a feeling about those two.” He scrubbed his face, obviously upset. “I don’t care if their father owns half of the town. They are going to pay for this.”
It took a moment for what he said to register with me. “Wait…what?”
“Viktor and Vincent, the Roth boys,” he said disgusted. He patted my shoulder. “Don’t worry they’ll get what’s coming to them.”
I shook my head. “No. No. No.” I couldn’t get the words out I needed to say, they were stuck.
“Amber…” He grabbed my shoulders and shook me slightly. “Amber, what’s wrong?”
“It’s the Roth’s…”
“I know.” He sighed. “Just because their father has money they think they can do what they want.” He took a breath. “They’ve been behind all of the attacks we’ve been investigating.”
“No, Ken…” I tried to clarify. “It wasn’t them…they didn’t attack me.” I was finally able to say.
It was his turn to shake his head. “What?” He gaped at me and then he sighed. “I know what you are doing and I am telling you right now, you don’t need to worry about my job…I can …”
“No, you aren’t listening,” I yelled, not meaning to. “It was Jason and Kirk.”
Ken did a double take. “Jason Fletcher?”
“I don’t know his last name, but it was Jason. I think he was messed up on something and Kirk, well he’s just a freak. I think it was his idea.”
“I don’t understand.” His brows creased. “Have you been doing drugs?”
“No!” I did yell this time. Ken took a step back and gave my mom a look, like he thought I was lying.
“Listen to me,” I begged. Every time I spoke pain shot through my head but I didn’t care, I had to make Ken understand.
“I met Jason and we went to the party but after we got there he got us drinks and…”
“Oh, so you were drinking,” he said, like it was all now making sense to him.
“Ken, no, listen to me,” I nearly screamed.
“Calm down, Amber,” he said, using his police voice again. He turned and said something to my mom. Her face was pale and she gave me a worried look.
“Come on, Amber,” he said and held out his hand.
“WH—ere are we going?” I chattered. The events of the night were catching up to me. I think I was going into shock.
“Let’s talk inside.”
“Oh—kay,” I said and climbed from the car.