Chapter Four
Kellie felt extremely relaxed and a little tired after an hour-long soak in a bubble bath and by the time she’d crawled out and dressed, it was dark outside. After spending time with Dane, she’d forgotten how nice it was to not be alone all the time. She contemplated her next move. If she went to bed early, she’d be up at the crack of dawn and she wanted to be fully rested and refreshed for an elementary Monday. They were hectic to say the least.
“I love the kids but they do wear me out.”
Some days they made her feel older than she really was. Twenty-seven wasn’t ancient but sometimes she did feel like her biological clock was ticking.
Maybe she could find a romantic comedy on Netflix and could curl up on the couch. She loved to watch movies but generally they made her fall asleep half way through. Except for today with Dane. Could have something to do with the action movie he’d picked but probably not. Never mattered the type of movie. She was wide awake earlier because of Dane. His presence exuded confidence and security, and lord knows she could use a little of that these days.
Kellie decided to pick a movie she already owned. After starting the DVD player, she grabbed a blanket off the shelf in the closet by the front door. Then because it was habit, reached for the handle on the front door to make sure it was locked but when she started to let go, she got a premonition. She backed away from the door quickly and screamed.
When she came to minutes later she was on the floor. She didn’t understand what happened but she remembered the vision like it was happening in real time. She hadn’t had a vision about herself since she was a little girl.
All she could think was to call Dane. He would know what to do.
She picked herself up off the floor, and while a little shaky, went in search of her cell phone. She stared at the screen, her thoughts wouldn’t process. It took her a minute to find him in her contacts but she finally dialed his number and tried to hold it together while the phone rang.
“Dane, it’s Kellie, I need you. Can you come over here now?”
Just the sound of his voice had her fighting the tears and she was relieved when he agreed to be there within minutes. She ended the call after telling him the door would be unlocked. She melted onto the floor in the kitchen and waiting for him.
***
Dane should be thrilled that Kellie called and needed him but the distress in her voice had him panicking. He locked up his house and literally sprinted down the sidewalk to her house. When he got there, everything was dark including the front porch. He knocked on the front door, announcing that it was him, even though she told him the door was unlocked. He knew she’d been a little freaked out lately and didn’t want to add to her stress.
“Kellie, it’s Dane. Are you here?”
He shut her door behind him, locking both the handle and the deadbolt just in case. He couldn’t hear a thing over the movie playing on the T.V. so he walked through the living room when he didn’t see her sitting there. Coming around the corner into the kitchen was a site he didn’t expect. Kellie was huddled into a ball in the middle of the floor sobbing softly.
“Oh honey, what happened? Are you okay?”
He didn’t see any physical signs that she was hurt. When he bent down to her level, she flew into his arms, holding on tight. Something horrible must have happened. He tried to comfort her, and bring her away from him a bit so he could look at her.
“Kellie, it’s okay, I’m here. Can you tell me what happened?”
She took another minute to collect herself, taking several deep breaths before she could talk.
“I’m so sorry I brought you here. Everything was fine, I was going to watch a movie and after I grabbed a blanket, I checked the front door. But when I grabbed the handle I had a premonition.”
“Okay, I can deal with that. What did you see?”
She started to cry again. He didn’t know what to do when women cried. There was no military training for that, they didn’t come with a manual. After several more sobs, she calmed herself down.
“I saw a kidnapping.”
“That’s not good. Do you know who was being kidnapped? Where was this if you could tell?”
“That’s the bad part Dane. It was me being kidnapped and they were right here in my house.”
“What? Are you kidding me? I thought you didn’t have visions of yourself.”
“I don’t usually. I’m not sure what has changed. I’ve touched that door handle a hundred times. I’m scared, what should I do?”
“You’re coming home with me.”
Chapter Five
For the second time that day, Kellie was wrapped in a blanket sitting on the couch in the living room at Dane’s house. He had been in panic mode since the moment he found her sitting on her kitchen floor. It wasn’t so much panic anymore as it was focus and determination. He checked in on her every five minutes or so but continued to pace the floor while on his cell phone. She had no idea who he was talking to but she could tell they were working out a plan. She could only assume it was about her and her problem.
He’d surprised her by being extremely patient as she packed a small bag of things she would need while at his house. She had no idea how long he would make her stay which was okay with her. She had no desire to go back there. She liked her house, but not enough to be abducted while staying there.
“Hey sunshine, how are you doing?”
“Not bad, your couch is comfy. Much longer in this position and I may just fall asleep.”
“Well we have some things to talk about first but after that, you can go crawl in my bed for the night.”
“No Dane, I couldn’t take your bed.” She wouldn’t make him give up his comfort for her. Even though she wasn’t surprised he had offered. He was the prime example of a gentleman.
“Too bad, you’re taking the bed. I have an overstuffed chair in the corner that I’ll sleep in. I’m not taking my eyes off you til this is all over.”
What was she supposed to say to that? He wouldn’t let her argue. He was handsome, no not just handsome, he was sexy in that military kind of way. However, he wasn’t the type of guy she would want to meet in a dark alley. She could only assume that he’d been bad ass when he was an active marine. She would have loved to see him in those days. He rarely talked about his time in the military and she didn’t ask questions, it wasn’t her style to be nosy.
“Okay, fine. I know it won’t get me anywhere to argue with you. So, what else is happening? Who were you talking to on the phone?”
Dane finally sat down beside her on the couch.
“First I just want you to know that I am one hundred percent committed to you and your safety. At this point, there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do to make sure you aren’t harmed.”
Her cheeks warmed at his confession. She didn’t have any words. But how long could she possibly stay in his house? She didn’t want to become a burden. There was a chance that what she’d seen might not happen for weeks or even months. She just didn’t feel safe in her own home. Unfortunately, after the attack at his house, it seemed like they were both being targeted. Maybe they were better off staying together.
***
She meant a lot to him and he’d never really told a woman that before. Sure, there had been others he’d been involved with while in the military and afterward but none that meant as much to him as she did. He hadn’t realized it until he got that frantic call from her earlier. Her safety wasn’t just important because it was his job. She was important.
“Second, I have some friends that I’ve known for a very long time now and they do a lot of different stuff. Off the record, they are a bunch of retired military who now function as private citizens, doing whatever needs to be done. They are called The Phoenix Agency.”
“Do you work for them?”
“No, I run my own security firm but there isn’t anyone else I trust with something so important as your life. They have a lot of contacts in their organization and know where to look and what to ask for this kind of thing. What we really need to figure out is who is going to do the kidnapping.”
“I didn’t see any faces. I also have no clue when.”
“Did you happen to notice what you were wearing?”
“No, I’m sorry. I was seeing things happen through my own eyes instead of overseeing.”
“It’s okay, I was just curious if it was what you had on now. Anyway, in the morning we are going to meet with a couple of the Phoenix guys and work out a plan. I assume you want to come along?”
“Definitely, I’m not staying anywhere alone.”
He let out a rugged laugh.
“Okay, it’s getting late. We should probably try to get some sleep.”
He turned off the lights in the kitchen and locked the front door. She waited at the entrance to the hallway while he set the alarm on the wall.
“Okay, lead the way.”
He motioned for her to head down the hallway. Once they were in the bedroom, he went in first and turned on the closet light but left the bedroom door open.
“You cleaned up after I left.”
“Yeah, I didn’t really want to sleep with a bunch of bugs tonight.”
He’d boarded up the window where the brick came through and made a large hole, cleaned up the glass and swept the whole room just in case glass fragments flew further into the room.
“Do you want to get in the bathroom first?
“No, I’m okay, already have my pj’s on. You go ahead, I’m just going to crawl in bed if that’s okay?”
“Of course, I’ll only be a few minutes.”
When he returned from the bathroom, her eyes were closed so he tried to be quiet. He grabbed a pillow and blanket from the closet and set everything up in the chair he’d had from his college days.
“Can you sleep in the bed?”
“Good lord woman, you scared me, I thought you were asleep. Are you sure? I’m really okay over here.”
“I’d feel better with you here.”
“Okay.”
How can I say no. She looks terrified.
He wasn’t sure if she feared him or her vision. He turned off the lamp but there was still a small stream of light coming from the bathroom. When he crawled in bed, he faced Kellie. She snuggled into his chest and closed her eyes. She was asleep in seconds. He took a shuddering breath.
It was as if she had just crawled right inside his heart. He squeezed his arm in under her pillow and wrapped his other around her tiny frame.