Only her happiness didn't last. The trip was great for the first two weeks. She criticized herself for not thinking about doing something similar sooner. If she had, after her break up with Jared to be precise, she wouldn't have met Mikael and none of this would be happening. But even as the thought raced through her mind, she knew it was an irrational one. Mikael would have followed her anywhere, even here. Maybe he would have lied about being a neighbor. She would have believed him because at the time, she wanted to be fooled. She wanted to feel desirable so that she could forget Jared's cold words and actions. To have a man as handsome as Mikael Samson love her was everything. Only now that she knew it was all a lie did she wake up. She didn't forget about him during the two weeks, though. She constantly thought about him and why he let her go when he had prepared everything to kill her. It could be that it had all been a strategy to get Celia or someone else—the other woman—to
There was a knock on the door. Simone jumped up so quickly and swiftly that Kiera almost dropped her cup of coffee on her lap. "What's the matter?" she asked. "Simone, what is it? Who is that?"She didn't answer her. Frankly, it felt like she wasn't even listening. Kiera only had a few beats to wonder who it was at the door. She would have never guessed that it was in fact Kane. She was shocked for two seconds before she got up and walked toward them. He wrapped an arm around his mother's shoulders, not in greeting but for support. "Kane?" Kiera said aloud. She couldn't recognize her own voice. He was limping, she saw. She noticed as soon as she got close to him that his pants were torn and covered in dried blood. He made eye contact with her but said nothing. She felt terrible. Her heart weighed in her chest and she felt useless. Simone was practically carrying him into her bedroom and all she could do was follow mutely. He was hurt. Kane was hurt. It couldn't mean something good
Simone wrapped the last bandage around Kane's thigh. "All set," she said. He sighed and Kiera did the same. The whole cleaning was an intense moment and the smell of disinfectant tickled and burned her nostrils. She felt that she had been the one who was being cleaned and treated the entire time. His pain was palpable. Now that he was lying back in bed with his eyes closed and seemingly relaxed, she could be more at ease. "Tea?" Simone asked him. A chuckle left his lips. His forehead was beaded with sweat and his chest moved up and down as he breathed. "Please."Simone placed a hand on Kiera's shoulder and the two of them walked out of the bedroom together. She closed the door on their way out and they crowded the small kitchen. Simone was in charge of making the tea—she knew how Kane liked it—and Kiera watched while rubbing her hands together anxiously. "When do we leave?" she couldn't help but ask. "Kane will want to be stubborn about it," she said, placing a teabag in a small
"So what do you want to talk to me about?" Kiera asked as she neared the bed. Kane shifted a little to the side so that she could sit down. She was curious about what he had to say, especially because he didn’t want his mother to hear it. She groaned as he tried to lift his leg but she assured him that she had enough space to sit down. “I’m fine,” she told him. “It’s about Mikael,” he said. “There’s something about him that I have to tell you. About our last meeting.”Kiera gulped and nodded. “I didn’t realize that they had been following me but I did notice that there was a car behind me that would disappear and reappear occasionally. This was two hundred and twenty or more miles from here. I stopped at the nearest gas station and filled up the extra bottles I had and the car as well. They stopped as well. The windows were tinted so I couldn’t see who was inside but I could smell them. Or not smell but sense. It’s difficult to describe.”Kiera nodded. “It was Mikael?”“Yes,” he s
Kiera shook her head and said, "I'm done with this. Done."Kane sighed and slapped the bed in frustration. "Kiera. I'm just trying to help. Ki? Ki. Where are you going?"She slammed the door behind her. It felt like the whole cabin vibrated. She then remembered Simone but it was too late. She has already slammed the door and made it clear that she and Kane had been in some kind of argument. The worst part was that Simone was standing in the kitchen. Kiera didn't know what to say to her. She looked like she had heard the whole conversation but it could easily be the other way around. She hoped that Simone hadn't heard anything. It was clear that Kane didn't want her to know and explaining her reaction was difficult. There was no reason why she should be trying to defend Mikael, especially after what he did to her. She was pathetic and she hated that her true feelings gave her away. Simone said nothing. She only watched her. Kane called her name again but she ignored him. She really
It was the day of their departure. Kiera woke up feeling refreshed. She had managed to put Mikael aside in her mind and was eagerly looking forward to the move. Their plan was that they wouldn't return to the city but would rent a bungalow in a coastal town that neither of them had any connections to. That would make it harder for Mikael and his group to follow Kane, especially since he would have to buy a plane ticket to visit them if that was what he planned on doing. It would be safer and they'd be in a more sunny area. It would still be cold and swimming would be virtually impossible, but the view was allegedly lovely. Kane showed her the pamphlets.They had their last dinner. Calling it that was wrong but that was what it felt like. Simone made her favorite—beef tenderloin with rosemary roasted potatoes—and it was simply the most delicious meal that she had ever had. The glass of red wine calmed and warmed her. Kane was better and recuperating well. There wasn’t much to complai
Kiera took a moment to observe him.His face hadn't changed at all. She didn't know what she thought she'd see, but this wasn't it. She thought that he'd change in her eyes, that she'd see a different man standing before her. But he was the same Mikael that she fell desperately in love with. He was still handsome and attractive to her. It was pathetic but her heart was beating fast as she beheld him, just as it did all those weeks ago. She folded her arms to protect herself not just from him but from her heart. He took a step toward her and she took another back. She forgot about Kane and Simone sleeping peacefully and unaware inside. Only she and Mikael's existed in a cold and bleak world. He made a sound at the back of his throat. Not a growl but something similar. Something that expressed impatience. "The truth is that I fell in love with you and that shouldn’t have happened,” he began. As expected, her heart skipped a painful beat and her mouth dried up at his words. “I shouldn
Howling. It sounded like howling. While Kiera was trying to make sense of what she was hearing, Simone rushed out carrying an axe that Kiera had never seen before. Simone looked at her with wide eyes before opening her mouth. "Stand away from that door!"She did as she was told. "What's going on?"Kane's door opened. He limped out and glanced at both of them. There was sweat trickling down his face, which she found odd because it wasn't that hot inside the house. Was he feverish? "Ma, are you ready?""Ready as ever," Simone said, holding the handle of the axe with both hands. "Don't you dare try to shift. I can take them.""You haven't done this in a long time," he argued. "I don't want you to get hurt. I'm well. I can shift, nothing's going to happen.""Who're you trying to fool?" she asked. "Look at yourself. You're sweating all over the place. You're not ready. Don't force it, Kane. I mean it."He sniffed the air. "What's that smell?""They're close," Simone said. "Kiera, I want