Page 12 of A Storm of Nightmares

I instantly feel cold. It’s like every drop of blood in my body turned to ice. Of course, he found me. He was able to find my apartment and break in. He took Betty and Jess and snuck off into the night without ever being caught. I was stupid to come here.

My head starts spinning, and my chest feels tight. I sit down on the bed and put my elbows on my knees, cradling my head in my hands. “He’s going to take me next,” I whisper.

“No,” Keith replies sternly. “I won’t let this freak come near you. I can protect you.” He joins me on the edge of the bed and slowly rubs his palm up and down my back, somehow making it easier for me to breathe. “I promise I will keep you safe, Kat.”

We sit like that, in complete silence for what feels like an hour. But a look at the beat-up clock on the bedside table tells me only three minutes ticked by.

Keith stands up and takes my hand in his, pulling me up to my feet. We both grab our bags and make our way outside. I stop as I walk through the doorway. I read the note once more and then rip it off and crumple it in my fist. I can’t let anonymous notes break me. I have to be brave if I want to find Jess. I have to be strong enough to learn the truth about Betty.

Without another look back, I close the door to the motel room and follow Keith to the parking lot.

Chapter 6

We drive for half an hour without either of us saying a word. I had to leave my car in the motel parking lot and ride with Keith because my freaking tires had been slashed. I highly doubt it was a coincidence.

I know it wasn’t Keith’s fault, but I was so pissed off that I took it out on him. So, after being berated by me and my temper, he’s kept quiet. I silently curse at myself for being such an ass. Keith has been nothing but kind to me since he came into my motel room last night. He doesn’t deserve my wrath. I’m pretty sure I ruined my chance at that raincheck too.

I can see his hands tightly gripping the steering wheel in the corner of my eye. I want to know what he’s thinking about, but I’m scared to ask. He’s probably regretting coming to my room. He had no idea the mess he was getting himself into until it was too late.

“Kat,” Keith exhales and runs his right hand through his hair. No matter how freaked out I am, I still find everything he does incredibly sexy. “I’m sorry.” I don’t know what the hell he’s apologizing for. I turn my head to look at him, waiting for an explanation. “I knew being at the motel was a risk. I shouldn’t have let you stay. I swear I had every intention of packing your bags and making you follow me right when I showed up, but then you kissed me, and all my good intentions went out the door.” He swallows, and I watch his Adam’s apple rise and fall. If hisgoodintentions were gone, I want to know exactly what hisbadintentions were with me. “I put you in danger, and I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

“Again, you’re apologizing, but I kissed you. And I don’t regret it. And you couldn’t have known he was going to find us at the motel. Even if I left right when you showed up at my door, I’m ninety percent positive this guy could find us anywhere.” A chill runs down my spine just thinking about it. I hope that isn’t true. “I’m the one who should be sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you earlier. I’m just scared. And when I saw the note and my slashed tires, I panicked. But none of this has been your fault.” Keith looks over at me with the tiniest hint of a smile.

“I know of a place where he can’t find us. Where you don’t have to be so scared. We’re almost there.” He reaches over and places his hand on my knee. He isn’t upset with me, he’s just worried for me.

I look out the window at the scenery passing by. The further we get from the city, the more beautiful the surroundings are. The road we’re on follows a river. The sun bounces and plays on the water, and the light breeze makes small waves ripple across the surface. On the other side of the road are tall trees that cast long shadows over us. It feels like I’m blanketed in safety, being hidden by these green giants.

Keith slows down as he turns right onto a gravel road. He smiles and looks over at me, “Kat, we’re here.”

The driveway is long and lined with beautiful cherry blossom trees. We come to a stop in front of a tall iron gate. It’s decorated with metal vines and roses. The vines swirl around each rail of the gate, showing off the thorns they wear. Each rose seems to be looking up at the sky, wishing it was tall enough to reach the sun. The gate is breathtaking. I have never seen such detailed ironwork. If the roses were red, they’d look real enough to pluck right out of the ground.

Keith rolls his window down and punches a few numbers into a keypad I hadn’t even seen at first. A second later, the large gates are opening wide, inviting us into whatever lay beyond them.

The car tires crunch over the gravel of the long driveway as we press forward. I look behind me and watch the gates close again. I don’t know if I’m supposed to feel safe or trapped. I glance over at Keith again. How much do I know about him? He talked a lot about searching for Betty and leaving his job, but he never actually told me anything about himself. He’s practically a stranger. A gorgeous, perfectly kissable stranger.

I run my finger along my bottom lip, remembering how it felt to have my mouth on his. I can’t deny the chemistry we have. Thoughts of not so innocent things I want to do with Keith cloud my mind, and I’m a bit shocked at myself. Sure, he’s a stranger now, but I can change that. I want to know him in every way possible.

Before I can come up with anything to ask him, the car comes to a stop in front of a mansion. Ok, maybe not a mansion. But a big freaking house. It’s easily two times the size of my childhood home. I’m almost certain my jaw literally drops at the sight of it. I thought the iron gates guarding this estate were beautiful. I was not prepared for this at all.

The house before my eyes is a large colonial that oozes old charm. Its crisp, white exterior stands tall and proud. All the accents are black. The shutters, the front door, the roof even. The black and white together only add to the classic feel of it all. The only color as far as my eyes can see is the deep red roses that grow all along the border of the house. The sight is truly breathtaking.

I must have been admiring the home for a while because when my eyes snap back into focus, Keith is already walking up the front steps towards the door, with both of our bags in hand. I clamp my mouth shut and quickly follow him. I’m all too eager to see the inside of this place. I don’t have any doubt that it will be just as lovely as its exterior.

Before Keith can reach for the doorknob, I grab his arm. “What are you doing? You can’t just walk in. That’s rude.” I raise my free hand and knock on the door. Whoever lives in a place like this with a large gate to keep trespassers away surely does not want anybody just helping themselves inside. I don’t care that Keith knows whoever the owner is, I still have my manners.

There is no answer after a few seconds, so I knock again. Keith starts laughing at me, “Kat, no one is going to answer the door. The owner isn’t inside.”

“Ok. We’ll just wait for them then. You can’t barge into someone’s home because they aren’t here.”

“I never said the owner wasn’t here. I just said he wasn’t inside.” That makes absolutely no sense. I look around, but I don’t see anybody else. Keith must be delusional. He gently removes my hand from his arm and grabs the doorknob. The door opens before I can protest, and I find myself more curious about the inside than anything else.

I reluctantly step in and am greeted by a large foyer. The warm oak floors and white walls feel so welcoming. There’s a large chandelier hanging in the center of the room. The sunlight coming in through the open door hits the crystals, making the most beautiful reflections dance on the walls around me.

“Oh my god,” is all I can muster. My mind turns to mush the second I walk through the doorway of this immaculate home. I want to explore the rest of the rooms, but my feet won’t cooperate. I am paralyzed in the presence of beauty. Keith puts our bags down and steps in front of me, blocking my view of the grand staircase leading to the second story.

“Welcome to my home, Kat. Make yourself comfortable. I assure you, you will be safe here.”

What the fuck?“Your home?” I take another look around. “What are you, Batman? Who the hell lives like this? You were a cop, and now you’re unemployed. There’s no way you live here unless you’re some secretly rich bachelor that fights bad guys in his free time.” I laugh as soon as the words fall from my lips. That is absurd. Right? But Keith isn’t laughing. “Wait, are you Batman?!”

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