Page 90 of Fate

Chapter Twenty

Kathleen

“Get up, you bitch!”An angry voice shreds into my dream of Eli and Maria playing at the park, pushing a little girl with long dark hair and icy-blue eyes on a swing set. “Get up. I don’t have a lot oftime.”

I come to with something cold and hard pressing into my temple. As I blink away sleep, I notice two things at once. Misty is standing over me, and a gun is pressed painfully against my head. As if on autopilot, I sit up. The gun follows me, but I don’t care. I look to my left, where Cora had fallen asleep. She was so snuggly and warm I nodded off holding her against my side. She’s not therenow.

“Where’s Cora?” I ask with zero concern for my own safety.

Misty snarls. “Like you really fucking care now that you’re going to be pushing out your own Carson mini-me.”

I’m certain my eyes go wide, because Misty keeps talking. “Yeah, I know you’re pregnant with his child. Of course you are. You couldn’t stop at stealing my man, my future husband. No, you had to steal Cora’s daddy too.” She swings the gun around before pointing it directly at myface.

I swallow down the fear and forge ahead. “Misty, where’sCora?”

She snorts and runs a hand through her mangy hair. The woman is a mess. Normally, she’s clean, dressed to the nines, makeup on, and not a hair out of place. She’d always put herself together as though she needed to be perfect. Right now, that person is not here. In her place is a woman wearing dirty jeans, and her stringy blond hair looks like it hasn’t been washed in a week. She has shadows under her eyes and is at least ten pounds lighter.

I’m aware of her mental status now, and it’s clear this woman is no longer in touch with reality, if she everwas.

“My daughter… My daughter is fine. I put her to bed like a good mother does. Unlike you, who can’t even lift her into her crib. What do you think you’re going to do when your child comes, huh?”

How would she know that? She must have been watching us. For how long? The thought sends a shiver of disgust through me. Still, I ignore her taunts and breathe easy for a moment, knowing Cora is safely in her crib. She can’t get out yet, so no matter what happens here tonight, she’ll be safe. Carson will get toher.

“Uh, I don’t know what I’m going to do.” I’m stalling to keep her talking. If she’s talking, she’s not shootingme.

The phone rings and the noise makes Misty flinch. Her hand wraps tighter on the gun. I shift to the side as she shakes her head, puts one hand to her temple, and winces. The phone rings two more times, and with each ring she seems to get more agitated, bouncing from foot to foot. Her eyes are large and wild, pupils so dilated all I can see are black, empty holes ofrage.

Another ring and she pulls at her hair, opening her mouth in a silent scream when the machine picksup.

“Kathleen, Carson told me you were home…” Chase says on the machine.

I glance at the phone longingly, wishing I could run to it and tell him to call thecops.

“Fucking shut up!” she screams at the phone. She points her gun at it and shoots. The gun’s blast rips through the room, and the answering machine explodes into little pieces when the bullet hits its target.

I wrap my arms around my belly to protect my baby and try to run for it when she’s not paying attention. Cora screams from the otherroom.

Misty follows me into the hallway, hot on my heels. “You get back here, you bitch! You’re fucking dead! You hear me, homewrecker? You’redead!”

I run as fast as I can and make it to our bedroom, where I know my cell phone is charging on the end table. I just barely grab it when I’m pulled back by my top and smashed upside the head with Misty’s gun. Blood sprays from my face as I fall to the bed and scramble across it to the other side. I lift a hand to my face and find my cheek is split open and blood is gushingout.

Misty points the gun at me, her back facing the doorway. Cora is screaming at the top of her lungs. The situation is dire. I know she’s going to kill me and leave my dead body for Carson to find. This would utterly destroy him. I can’t have that happen. He can’t see what she’s about to do tome.

Suddenly I come up with an idea. “Misty, I’m sorry I, uh, stole your man. He’s really not in love withme.”

“You think?” Her hand shakes wildly as she points the gun atme.

“Still, you don’t want him or your daughter to find me dead in yourhome, right?”

Her face contorts into a menacing glare. “My home. My fucking home. The one you took away from me!” she screeches. “He was going to kick me out on the street!”

Technically not true. He had an apartment lined up for her, but I’m not in any position to argue. I have to keep her talking, and I need her to get me out of the house and away from Cora and Carson. He’ll be home soon, and I don’t want him caught up in this. Cora needs her father.

Our baby needs us both, a little voice deep inside my head mutters. The pang of guilt rips through me, but I have to hold on to what I can save right now. Getting away from Cora and leaving this house is priority number one. I don’t want this insane woman anywhere near Cora and Carson.

I swallow down the bile that’s creeping up my throat. “He told me he loves you. That’s when I went after him,” I lie. “He doesn’t love me. This baby isn’t even his. I had sex with someone else.” Another lie. Whatever it takes to get this psycho to take me far away from here. “So you see, you need to just take me. Get out of here, and come back and get your daughter andman.”

Misty’s eyes lighten, and a small smile overtakes her lips. I can tell the wheels are turning in her head. She lowers the gun, and her face softens. She’s considering my suggestion. I breathe a sigh of relief, but it’s too soon. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a figure enter the room on silentfeet.

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