Alla Kar: Stroke Of Fear

“Exactly. You had no idea. If you knew me just a little you’d know what h—” My voice cuts off. I can’t tell him. It doesn’t feel right. The conversation feels forced.

“What? What happened?” Jake takes another step toward me, closing the rest of the distance. The heavy smell of his AXE spray tingles my nose. It’s so familiar. So approachable.

Shaking my head, I wrap my hands over my chest. “It’s nothing. I don’t want to talk about it. I’m sore from the fall. I’m tired from today, and I want to go to sleep.”

Jake runs his fingers through his dark blond hair. “Can we give it another try? I’ll give you a week or so, and then we can see where we’re at? Please? You won’t regret it.”

Pressing my toe into a spot on the hardwood, I shrug. “I guess. But, I need space until then. I need time.”

Jake smiles and presses a soft kiss to my forehead. “Okay, baby. Lock the door when I leave. If you need anything call me. Text me. Just please come to me if you need anything.”

I nod so he’ll leave, then shut the door behind him. I click the lock and scoot back into my bed. The warmth settles my nerves and before I know it, I’m drifting off into a dark abyss.

The wind from the water was cold. So cold. Freezing, actually. My fingers laced over the edge of a railing. A railing I knew all too well. As if on schedule, my breath started to come in quick, hard jabs. The cool air formed an invisible weight against my chest.

“Oh, Aubrey. That hair. I’ve always loved to touch those golden locks.”

No. My mouth was wide open, but something kept any words from forming on my lips. It was his erection poking into my lower back. I felt it pressing harder, harder. A silent scream ripped from my throat. I imagined it filling the air, imagined someone hearing me. Helping me. Rescuing me.

“Oh, Aubrey. I’m going to finish the job this time. You won’t wake. You won’t have to dream anymore,” a hoarse, familiar voice, whispered in my ear.

Something was tied tightly around my wrist, bounding me together, again. I yanked and pulled, but it didn’t budge. I was trapped. My hands surrendered, my body capitulated. It was happening again. Not again. He couldn’t be out. He couldn’t be here.

My silent voice made its appearance and my voice wrecked through the air. It was too late. I was moving closer to the edge. I screwed my eyes shut. Don’t open them. Don’t look into the eyes of your killer—into the eyes of your death.

“Open them, Aubrey. See what’s in store for you.”

The rough hands that were wrapped around me released, and I fled—falling down toward the water below. But when I opened my eyes this next time, I wasn’t on the bridge. There was no railing. No concrete structure staring at me. It was woods. A cliff. My screamed echoes through the trees before I was pushed down so far under water that I would never resurface.

Chapter Four

Tanner

I’m getting use to the woods here. It’s not too much different from back home. Just here no one talks with a drawl. It’s all fast and busy. The woods are comforting. When I moved into my brother’s extra room in downtown San Francisco, I knew I was giving up the outdoors. Well, my kind of outdoors. This is a great substitute.

The crickets play a soft tune underneath the sound of the trees blowing in the wind. Then there is the water close by, rustling against the rocks in its way. These two months may not be too bad after all.

I’m passing the girls’ cabins when I hear a small knock. On the step of Aubrey’s cabin is Asshat. He’s leaning against the doorframe like he owns the fucking place. If I had any sense, I would have knocked the fuck out of him at the cliff.

“Me,” he says.

“Asshat,” I mumble underneath my breath. Stepping to the side, into the shadows I watch . What the hell is happening to me? I’m watching like a fucking stalker.

Aubrey opens the door, and I take a large breath in. Fucking, shit . Her thin, white tank top is stuck to her breasts. And holy mother if she doesn’t have a bra on. Christ . I press my eyes close and curse underneath my breath. Why? I’m never going to get that out of my fucking head . Then she shifts, and I see her short pajama bottoms. Torture . My dick moves in my jeans, urging me to walk over there and rip off the little clothing she has on.

“Can I come in? Or are you going to make me stay out here?”

Kick his ass out.

“You want the real answer to that?” she asks.

I hold back laughter. That a girl.

He kicks off the door. “You don’t need to be alone. Let me in, please. Just for a little bit, and I’ll leave you alone.”

“It’s against the rules.”

Reaching past her, he opens the door for himself. He comes so close to her. I wish I was walking into that cabin to toss her little ass on the bed and have my way with her.

What. The. Fuck. “No,” I whisper. “Not. Going. To. Happen.”

I continue my walk toward my truck. My baby. It’s an old pick-up, blue, rusted spots all over it, but she’s mine. I bought her last summer from one of my dad’s friends at the lumber yard. He gave me a great deal for her.

Opening the tailgate, I stop when I hear a moan. What the hell? Damn kids. It better not be Austin. I shut my tailgate and peek around a large, oak tree. Some guy has a girl pressed against a tree. I clear my throat, and they both stagger backwards.

“Eric?”

He throws his head up. “Sup? Didn’t see you standing there. You know Cassie?”

I lift a brow and watch as her face turns red. “Right. I thought you were two damn kids. Why don’t you get a room?”

Eric smiles and wraps an arm around Cassie, who is still staring at the ground. “We like the outdoors. It’s…thrilling.”

“Right. Well, don’t let me disturb you,” I say, gesturing for them to continue.

Cassie pulls on Eric’s arm. “I think I’m going to go back to my room.”

Eric furrows his brow then it hits him. “Sure, I’ll walk you. See you in a bit, Tanner.”

I wave them off and roll my eyes. I pull my tailgate back down and grab my fishing pole. I have a break tomorrow during the day, and I’m pretty sure I want to fish a little. I haven’t been in a couple of months, and it would be nice to relax. Not think about anything in particular.

My phone vibrates in my pocket and I pull it out. “Hello.”

“Hi, baby,” my mother’s songlike voice says from the other end. I hear some popcorn popping the background. I’m sure she sitting down to watch the ID channel with some popcorn before she goes to bed.

“Hi, Mom. What’s up?”

“Just calling to make sure y’all got settled in, okay. Is Austin there? Is he behavin’?”

I slide off the tailgate and shut it. “What do you think?”

She sighs. “Can you try to keep him in line? I wish he was down here with me, I’d do it myself.”

That’s for damned sure. Since Austin’s dad is the biggest asshole known to man, he didn’t stop until he had custody of Austin. Money goes a long way. If Austin had grown up with us in Arkansas, he wouldn’t act like he doesn’t have any sense. He’d be a man. Know how to talk to a damn lady.

“You there, baby?”

“I’m here, Momma. Just getting my fishing pole ready for tomorrow. I have a break in my schedule.”

“That’s great. How are you likin’ the camp? I know you were havin’ trouble adapting up there. You can always come back.”

“I love the camp. It’s a lot like home. And you know I can’t come back. It’s too…” I trail off into silence, letting the cricket’s song finish my sentence.