Chapter Three
SITTING ON NICK’S buttery leather couch with her legs curled under her, Kate tried not to think about Jaxon as she watched the six o’clock news, ate a whale’s weight in Chinese food, and helped Nick finish off the second bottle of white wine.
They were celebrating their victory in style.
Nick’s condo loft was in a converted warehouse, with high ceilings, exposed beams and brick, and open space. His kitchen boasted top-of-the-line stainless steel appliances, and modern gray and white furniture with red accents filled his living room. His home reminded her of the man himself: sleek lines, conservative, with hints of something exciting hidden underneath the outside appearance.
She caught some lo mein noodles between her chopsticks and slurped them into her mouth, missing only a few that dropped back into the paper container.
Nick’s phone buzzed again, and like the dozens of times before, they ignored it. At first it had been exciting when he got calls from networks like CNN and MSNBC; but after a while, it had gotten burdensome. He’d handed the task of scheduling the interviews to Lisa, including Rachel Dawson’s exclusive with Jaxon. Still, they continued to call him.
Somehow they’d managed to get her number as well, although not nearly as many bothered with her. After all, she wasn’t the one the media called a modern-day hero. That honor had been bestowed on Nick.
The networks were interviewing anyone who’d ever met Nick and speculating on whether he’d win if he chose to run for Michigan Attorney General in four years. He’d blushed when they first mentioned it, but she caught the sparkle in his eye. He was considering it.
Of course, every story needs a villain, and the mighty Miles Joseph made a great one. Luckily, they hadn’t mentioned anything about her past so far, but as she’d learned in the last week, the information wasn’t buried as deeply as she’d hoped.
“Can I try the noodles?” he asked.
She handed off the container and watched as he picked up some noodles with the chopsticks and sucked them into his mouth, leaving his lips glistening with oil. A week ago she would’ve been tempted to lick them clean, but she didn’t think of him that way anymore.
Nick was a friend, her mentor, and her boss. Nothing more.
She played with the gold around her neck. Even if she did have romantic feelings toward him, as long as she wore Jax’s collar, she couldn’t bear to move on.
The day—hell, the week—had finally caught up with her. Giving in to her buzz, she cuddled into the couch and closed her eyes.
Darkness surrounded her.
Hannah lay on the carpet, blood flowing from a bullet hole in her forehead. She gazed at Kate, her mouth gaping open like a fish on a hook. “You killed me.”
Kate’s heart pounded. She flipped open the top of her Tic Tac container and shook it upside down, but the pills disappeared before they reached her hand.
Male laughter came from Hannah, but now she was Miles Joseph. A hunting knife stuck out of his chest. “Your sarcasm will get you killed . . . in the courtroom.” He continued to laugh as if he’d heard the greatest joke.
She tried to escape, but her wrists were chained to a wall. She couldn’t close her eyes. Couldn’t cover her ears. They were punishing her for their deaths.
“I should’ve never taught you to use a gun.” Her father took Joseph’s place, a deer in his arms. Blood poured from his eyes and mouth.
Her lips moved, but no sound came out. She had to tell them she was sorry or she’d never leave this hell.
“Katerina. Save me.”
Jaxon stood in front of her naked, blue rope binding his wrists. No longer in chains, she gripped a gun in her hands.
She pointed it at Jaxon.
And shot him.
Her eyes opened to a bright light. She gasped for air, the sound of Rachel Dawson’s voice coming from the television blaring in her ears.
Nick caressed her cheek. “Kate. You’re okay. It was just a nightmare. No one can hurt you now.”
She bolted upright and took in her surroundings. She was at Nick’s place.
“How long did I sleep?” she asked, her voice raspy.
“Three hours. I debated carrying you to bed, but I didn’t want to wake you. You looked so peaceful until the last few minutes.” He inched closer. “You want to talk about your dream?”
“I don’t remember it.” The lie rolled off her tongue.
Even after waking, the feeling of being trapped lingered. Nothing from her nightmare made sense. She hadn’t killed Hannah, and the manner in which they’d died was wrong. Most disconcerting was Jaxon’s appearance.
She rubbed her wrist, almost expecting marks from the dream’s chains. “Did I miss anything exciting?”