spice it up some.”
“No extra spice necessary, and you didn’t answer my question.”
When Katie opened the door, the aroma of freshly cooked biscuits mingled with the unmistakable smell of bacon cooking wafted out.
“ You are turning down hot sex? You must be tired,” Katie said, smiling over her shoulder at Rainey, and then explaining, “Your mother is asleep in the guestroom. My mother is coming over in the morning. They are babysitting for the next few days, while we deal with Mackie.”
“Here, right? They’re not taking them anywhere, are they?”
Katie stopped and turned to face Rainey. The smile disappeared, replaced by a no-nonsense expression that went with her question. “What’s happened, Rainey? Something else besides Mackie being in the hospital has you spooked.”
Most of the time, Rainey hid her fears and concerns from Katie. She always told Katie about overt threats, but the little nagging feelings and suspicions, Rainey kept to herself. Her wife already suspected she was paranoid, so fueling that impression with gut feelings and possible threats was not a good idea. Katie demanded that she not be forced to live in fear, albeit behind a wall of security cameras and alarms. This time, Rainey thought Katie should know. The feeling was too strong and Ernie felt it too. Something was awry. Hyper-vigilance was called for.
“Let’s sit down at the table. We need to talk,” Rainey suggested.
Katie put her hand in Rainey’s chest, preventing her from moving. “You tell me right now. Is one of those crazy people after you again?”
“I honestly don’t know what’s wrong, but something is. I feel it. Ernie feels it.”
Katie tried to explain it away. “You’re both worried about Mackie. That’s all it is.”
“No,” Rainey said, “You don’t understand. We’ve been feeling this for months and it got worse after Mackie had the heart attack. I can feel eyes on me. I can feel danger, but I cannot for the life of me figure out what I should be preparing for. I don’t want to scare you, honey, but there’s trouble coming.”
Katie turned and walked into the kitchen.
Rainey called after her, “Where are you going?”
“We’re going to need coffee.”
“Are you upset?” Rainey asked, hoping the answer was not yes. She could not help but feel guilty for putting Katie through yet another scare.
“No, honey,” Katie said, putting a K-cup in the coffee maker. “We both know that this is our life, one threat assessment after another, but I do have a request.”
Relieved at Katie’s response, Rainey took off her coat and hung it by the door. She opened one of the many gun safes in the house and stowed the Glock. Katie insisted that all weapons be locked away while they were in the home. All the safes had biometric locks, which only Katie, Mackie, Ernie, and Rainey’s fingerprints would open.
Her weapon put away and her stomach growling, Rainey started toward the breakfast table, responding to Katie, “And what would that request be?”
“Before we sit down for this heart to heart over bacon and eggs, go take a shower. The peas are really distracting.”
#
Bladen floated above her body, watching the scene unfold beneath her. She felt peaceful, warm, free of pain and fear. It was a wonderful feeling, all she had been told it would be. Death had come so easily when she finally gave up the fight. Once he finished pummeling, torturing, and whipping her this last go-round, and while she was still hoisted upside down, he positioned a large tub under her, filling it with cold water. He would lower her head down into the water and keep her under to the point of drowning, before pulling her up, leaving her coughing and struggling to breathe. He would convince her it was the last time, and then plunge her back under. When she finally stopped struggling, she went rather quickly to this place of limbo. It was a relief to leave the torment. The one thing she could not understand
“No extra spice necessary, and you didn’t answer my question.”
When Katie opened the door, the aroma of freshly cooked biscuits mingled with the unmistakable smell of bacon cooking wafted out.
“ You are turning down hot sex? You must be tired,” Katie said, smiling over her shoulder at Rainey, and then explaining, “Your mother is asleep in the guestroom. My mother is coming over in the morning. They are babysitting for the next few days, while we deal with Mackie.”
“Here, right? They’re not taking them anywhere, are they?”
Katie stopped and turned to face Rainey. The smile disappeared, replaced by a no-nonsense expression that went with her question. “What’s happened, Rainey? Something else besides Mackie being in the hospital has you spooked.”
Most of the time, Rainey hid her fears and concerns from Katie. She always told Katie about overt threats, but the little nagging feelings and suspicions, Rainey kept to herself. Her wife already suspected she was paranoid, so fueling that impression with gut feelings and possible threats was not a good idea. Katie demanded that she not be forced to live in fear, albeit behind a wall of security cameras and alarms. This time, Rainey thought Katie should know. The feeling was too strong and Ernie felt it too. Something was awry. Hyper-vigilance was called for.
“Let’s sit down at the table. We need to talk,” Rainey suggested.
Katie put her hand in Rainey’s chest, preventing her from moving. “You tell me right now. Is one of those crazy people after you again?”
“I honestly don’t know what’s wrong, but something is. I feel it. Ernie feels it.”
Katie tried to explain it away. “You’re both worried about Mackie. That’s all it is.”
“No,” Rainey said, “You don’t understand. We’ve been feeling this for months and it got worse after Mackie had the heart attack. I can feel eyes on me. I can feel danger, but I cannot for the life of me figure out what I should be preparing for. I don’t want to scare you, honey, but there’s trouble coming.”
Katie turned and walked into the kitchen.
Rainey called after her, “Where are you going?”
“We’re going to need coffee.”
“Are you upset?” Rainey asked, hoping the answer was not yes. She could not help but feel guilty for putting Katie through yet another scare.
“No, honey,” Katie said, putting a K-cup in the coffee maker. “We both know that this is our life, one threat assessment after another, but I do have a request.”
Relieved at Katie’s response, Rainey took off her coat and hung it by the door. She opened one of the many gun safes in the house and stowed the Glock. Katie insisted that all weapons be locked away while they were in the home. All the safes had biometric locks, which only Katie, Mackie, Ernie, and Rainey’s fingerprints would open.
Her weapon put away and her stomach growling, Rainey started toward the breakfast table, responding to Katie, “And what would that request be?”
“Before we sit down for this heart to heart over bacon and eggs, go take a shower. The peas are really distracting.”
#
Bladen floated above her body, watching the scene unfold beneath her. She felt peaceful, warm, free of pain and fear. It was a wonderful feeling, all she had been told it would be. Death had come so easily when she finally gave up the fight. Once he finished pummeling, torturing, and whipping her this last go-round, and while she was still hoisted upside down, he positioned a large tub under her, filling it with cold water. He would lower her head down into the water and keep her under to the point of drowning, before pulling her up, leaving her coughing and struggling to breathe. He would convince her it was the last time, and then plunge her back under. When she finally stopped struggling, she went rather quickly to this place of limbo. It was a relief to leave the torment. The one thing she could not understand
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