CHAPTER NINE
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She didn’t want to open her eyes. He would still be there, standing above her with that vile smile. Her tongue was bleeding from her attempt to keep from screaming in agony. The strangled sound emitting from her throat seemed to increase his vigor. She wouldn’t satisfy his thirst to hear her fear. She refused to give him what he wanted.
“He can’t save you.”
Shailyn bolted upright, immediately closing her eyes against the sunshine pouring in through the windows. That telltale sign told her instantly she wasn’t home in the WITSEC safe house.
She brought up her knees and rested her elbows against the white denim as she pressed her palms against her forehead. Even, measured breaths finally brought her heartrate under control from the nightmare.
Something was different.
Shailyn finally lowered her hands and let them dangle in front of her as she searched Townes’ bedroom. What was bothering her? He wasn’t inside the room, nor was he in the bathroom. She would have sensed his presence, but that wasn’t what troubled her.
A quick glance at the clock on his bedside table revealed that it was closing in on seven thirty in the morning. She quickly calculated the time and realized that she had to have slept for close to four hours.
Was it possible that estimate was right?
Shailyn inhaled deeply, trying to clear the cobwebs. All she managed to do was capture Townes’ comforting, yet intoxicating, scent. She never should have stayed here in his room. All last night had done was make her want something that she couldn’t have, which made it even more desirable.
She had almost walked out of his bedroom upon seeing him in nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist last night. He used to always take his clothes into the bathroom with him when they were together in the past. She suspected a lot of things had changed since then, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t taken aback at the sight of his build. His large frame was even more solid now, with his muscles contoured in places she longed to retrace.
The black eagle globe and anchor tattoo on his neck stood out even more against the stark white towel. It appeared even larger and somehow gave him an air of lethality. Having him near her mistakenly conveyed a belief that she could face anything. He was merely a man. He was definitely an imposing warrior, but not a Norse God. She would do well to remember the mistakes of her past.
Townes’ dark brown hair had still been damp when he appeared out of the bathroom. The wet strands had been combed back from his face, revealing the two-inch scar along his jawline in more detail. How many times had she kissed that wound to belay his own distant fears?
She had never expected the sweet pain of lost love to shoot through her as she rested her cheek gently on his chest. The wistful memories had all but drowned her with their return. The comfort and security he offered had been like drinking fresh water directly from the hand pump of a cool well after having spent the day in the fields baling fresh hay and breathing nothing but dust.
It was upon that moment she realized just how painful it was to her heart being back in his consuming presence, knowing full well they would be taking separate paths once again when her case finally came to a close.
The urge to write in her journal was overwhelming, and most likely the reason she had awoken with such a start. She finally figured out what was disturbing her this morning. It was then she realized what was truly bothering her. The remnants of last night’s nightmare weren’t based on memories. Shepherd Moss had never uttered those words to her—he can’t save you.
Shailyn fought the nausea that suddenly hit her stomach. She swung her legs over the right side of the bed, but didn’t immediately stand. What did it mean that her dreams were changing? Had it been a premonition? A sign?
“Good morning.”
Shailyn swung her gaze to the entrance of the bedroom, surprised to find Townes standing in the middle of the open doorway. She hadn’t heard the clicking of the latch or noticed the door swinging inward in her struggle to understand her dream.
“Morning,” Shailyn replied softly, not wanting him to ask her any questions.
She never had the intention of falling asleep last night. All she’d wanted was to have company while they awaited the results of the DNA analysis. He didn’t need to see her grapple with her nightmares, and she was thankful of his absence when those troubling visions had arrived.
“I brought you some coffee. It’s most likely going to be a long day.”
“Here I thought you had the power to shorten our wait,” Shailyn said lightly, grateful when he didn’t make this moment uncomfortable. “Is that bacon I smell?”
“Brett is making breakfast as we speak and wondering if you’d like to join them in the kitchen.”
Townes’ grey eyes darkened when her fingers brushed his as she took the mug from his hand. Memories of other mornings like this flooded her mind, but she let them wash away like faded recollections tended to do. She would still have to leave this sanctuary, no matter the outcome. Eventually the time would come.
“Here.” Townes stepped forward and reached for her scarf. Shailyn involuntarily tried to take a step back, but the bed stopped her progress. Had he not taken ahold of her wrist to steady the mug, she had no doubt the coffee would have spilled over the rim and burned her skin. “I’m only adjusting the material, Shailyn. You have no reason to fear me.”
She refused to meet his gaze. No one could understand the disgust that overwhelmed her every single time she looked in the mirror. Moss had not left a few scars behind, but hundreds of individual marks. He even carved the date he’d thought she would die from her wounds underneath her right breast.
He was evil all the way down to his core. He enjoyed each and every movement of the blade and its impact he’d left on her body. He relished the blue tip of the torch searing her flesh to seal the bleeding. It allowed him to start over again and again and again.
“Look at me.”
Townes uttered those words in a manner she’d never heard before. She complied, but only because he surprised her with the firm directive. He gradually pulled the material down far enough to reveal one of the longer scars on her neck, never once breaking eye contact with her. She hadn’t realized she’d been holding her breath until he ever so slowly leaned down and gently pressed his lips against the bane of her existence to the very manifestation of evil left on her soul.
He pulled back before she ever had the chance to react. Both of his hands now cupped her face so that she had no choice but to stare directly into those grey eyes that had haunted her just as much as her fears.
“You are just as beautiful now as the day I met you, freckles.”
And just like that…he took his leave.
Townes walked away and through the door as if he’d been nothing but an apparition.
Shailyn lifted her arm and pressed her right hand against the fresh searing sensation he’d left on her flesh. There were so many things left unsaid between the two of them, but he’d made it so that neither one had to say a word. It was as if they were back when they’d started out together, only they were still on that same collision course that would have them reliving the past with the very monster who had driven the wedge between them.
Shailyn set her coffee down on the nightstand when she finally composed herself to adjust her scarf. If Brett were in the kitchen, then that meant the majority of others would be in attendance as well. She didn’t waste time, wondering if they would receive word today on the DNA analysis of the body left behind in the ruins of the cabin.
The news confirming Shepherd Moss’ death wouldn’t completely change her life, but it would make it easier to join the living.
Low murmurs of conversations could be heard coming up from the kitchen as she slowly descended the stairs. There was lighted garland strung between the spindles. She’d caught sight of a massive Christmas tree in the living room upon arriving. Someone had taken time to decorate Townes’ residence for the holidays. Had he done it in what little spare time he had these days, or had one of his many guests taken it upon him or herself to bring some cheer to the massive house?
A round of good mornings greeted her, but those words didn’t come from as many as she’d envisioned sitting around the table. There were still a few of the team members missing.
Brett was serving up what appeared to be blueberry pancakes and bacon on several plates positioned in a row on the counter. Ashlyn, Keane’s fiancée, was standing off to the side with her phone pressed against her ear. Remy was nowhere to be seen, and Cailyn was sitting at the table jotting down something or another in a notebook.
The paper and pen caused Shailyn to think of her own journal and the fact that she hadn’t recorded the alteration of her dreams. She mentally created a to-do list in her mind. A shiver of unease traveled down her spine at the thought she’d had some sort of premonition, but that wouldn’t come true if they could only confirm it was Moss’ body they’d uncovered in the ashes.
“Eat. You’ll need your energy.”
Shailyn startled at the command given by Townes, who’d magically appeared behind her. She didn’t have to turn to look at him as he quietly walked across the kitchen tile to pour himself a fresh cup of coffee from the community pot. He was wearing his usual pair of jeans and a black faded t-shirt that no longer had a recognizable decal on the back to determine its origin.
“Royce and Keane are due to call in with a SITREP in ten minutes,” Sawyer said, picking up two plates while flashing a wry smile at Brett in appreciation. He set the meals down on the table, joining Camryn, to whom Shailyn had yet to be formally introduced. The beautiful actress had lifted a hand in greeting. “Brody’s setting things up now.”
“We’ll need to patch in Agent Gordon. Brody is most likely establishing the protocols for the FBI technicians to follow.” Townes replaced the glass carafe on the burner before leaning back against the counter. He was so at ease with these people, unlike he’d been with her crowd of friends or family back in the day. “I gave him my word we’d keep him apprised of the investigation.”
“Morning.” The single word was more mumbled than spoken clearly as Coen walked into the kitchen from the patio door. His dark gaze landed immediately on Brett, who was already leaning over the counter for a good morning kiss. “Brody paid me twenty bucks to bring him a plate.”
“Brett, you’re going to cause all of us to gain at least ten pounds this month if you keep dishing up this kind of chow.” Townes stole a piece of bacon before Brett could stop him. She shot Coen a look of amusement. “I might have to open a Colorado branch just so Coen…”
The conversation faded from Shailyn’s awareness as she thought back to when she and Townes had been together. No one had truly known of their relationship, and it was even kept under the radar during the trial. Her friends had been aware her father had hired him as added protection, though most of them had given him a wide berth due to his rough appearance and formidability. He never seemed to care what others thought of him, but the interaction with his team as if they were family gave her yet another perspective.
A picture of herself caught her eye on the small flat screen nestled in the corner of the counter. It was so unexpected that she took an involuntary step forward to read the caption on the bottom of the news report.
“Would you please turn the volume up?” Shailyn asked Ashlyn as the other woman disconnected her call.
“…when the news broke. Dr. Carter Doyle had this to say in speaking with our own Maura Jane of TV Nine News.”
“We’re heartbroken. This isn’t how we envisioned spending our Christmas…mourning our only daughter.” It was easy to catch the hitch in her father’s voice. Tears filled her eyes upon realizing the pain he and her mother must be experiencing, yet there was a distance between them that made this surreal. It was as if she were a million miles away. “The U.S. Marshals Service gave us the courtesy of telling my wife and I in private, but then to hear about the possible death of Shepherd Moss today was a blow neither of us expected. I hope he rots in the deepest pit of hell.”
“Ashlyn.” Townes only had to say the woman’s name. She turned off the television, allowing the kitchen to descend into silence. “Shailyn, would you like to join us for the conference call?”
Shailyn had to swallow a couple of times before she was able to speak clearly.
“What do you hope to hear from Royce and Keane?” Shailyn set her coffee on the edge of the counter, never having taken a sip. The bitter drink would only add to her nausea. “Are they still at the cabin searching the area?”
“Not exactly.” Townes walked around Brett and reached for one of the plates. He pushed it across the island in front of the last stool. He nodded to indicate she should take a seat. “Once you eat some breakfast, we’ll head over to the team room.”
Shailyn could see that he wasn’t going to budge unless she’d taken a few bites of breakfast. She almost protested, but there were too many eyes watching her every move. She didn’t want to make a scene, so she quietly took a seat and picked up her fork.
“I’d like to be prepared for what they have to say, Townes.”
Her quiet statement caught his attention, and he finally nodded his understanding.
“Keane and Royce drove into town to speak with Lucas Grove.” Shailyn recognized the name as that of Caroline Marinovic’s fiancé. She wasn’t sure what she expected Townes to say about the man who most likely lost the love of his life to a monster, but it certainly wasn’t the words that might very well mean Moss was still out there somewhere. “He’s gone missing, Shailyn. His friends and family haven’t seen him in two weeks. He could very well be the body we found at the cabin.”
*
He watched from afar as pandemonium settled over the small town.
The townsfolk had no idea what was going on other than the charred body left at the cabin might be him or Lucas Grove. Won’t the authorities be surprised to find the identity didn’t match either one?
It was Townes Calvert’s reaction he wished to see most.
He slipped his free hand into the pocket of his slacks as he used the rim of his to-go cup from the local coffee shop to camouflage his face. It wouldn’t do to have one of the residents recognize him after all the trouble he’d gone to set up such an elaborate ruse.
Would Calvert make the connection, or would he slip and finally show his hand?
The anger that had initially shadowed his mind with doubts had slowly dissipated. He would know if Shailyn were gone from this world. He’d known it when Caroline had crossed over, and Shailyn’s passing would be no different.