Rebound: Passion Book 2(22)

I got all the information off the computer that we’d collected so far. Thanks to Google I knew exactly where that fucker lived even knew the dollar value of his house. Through the shit Josh had done I knew where he worked, his hours, what model car he drove everything, and by the time I was through I would know a hell of a lot more.





James was already there waiting when I jogged down the driveway and opened the gate. I climbed in the passenger seat and passed him the envelope. “That’s Tommy Bruno he’s a pedophile stalker living in Sheldon Nebraska. You don’t need to know any more than that for now. This is what I want you to do: I want you to get into his house you’ll figure out the ins and outs of that I’m sure. I want eyes and ears inside his house. But here’s the tricky part, I want you to go back while he’s there and take a picture of him asleep in his bed. Do you think you can do that?”

“Piece a cake. Tell me do you and your brother ever do normal teenage shit? not even your old man ever had this kinda shit on his plate and I’ve been working for your family for years.”

“Times changed, what can I tell you.”

“Damn, anything else you want me to do while I’m in bum fuck USA?”

“No that’s it for now there might be more later I’ll let you know. Prepare to be on call for the next little while though just in case.”

“No problem I wasn’t doing anything of import now anyway, I guess you want this taken care of ASAP.”

“If you don’t mind.”

“Fine I’ll get there tomorrow and call you sometime later and let you know how things went.”

“All the info is in there, his work hours his daily movements shit like that. If you run into any trouble just lay low for a while but don’t come back until it’s done.”

“The fuck this guy do to you anyway?”

“He fucked with what’s mine.” I figured I could give him that much without giving anything away.

“I think I might give you a discount on this one I hate fucking pedophiles, you sure you don’t want me to break his legs or some shit? I can throw that in for free.”

“No that’s my job.” I hopped out the car and jogged back down the drive.





Chapter 17





I slept like a baby that night knowing that I’d set shit off, and first thing in the morning I called her up to see what time she was coming over. After making sure she had passed the night well without incident I went in search of dad. I found him on his way out the door heading for work. “Dad I need a favor.” He stopped with his hand on the door and gave me his full attention.

“What do you need son?”

“It’s about school…”

“Don’t tell me you’re taking time off from school Matt that I won’t tolerate…”

“Take it easy old man it’s for Kadyn, I need you to get her into the university with us. I know it’s a bit late but her scores are amazing she…”

“Say no more son I was expecting something like this after my talk with her father yesterday; I’ll take care of it don’t give it another thought.”

“Thanks dad and thanks for going to see Stan that was way cool.”

“Hey that’s just what I do.”

“Get outta here.”

After breakfast I put on my thinking cap, I was mapping out our dating agenda like some sort of chart but it’s what was needed for now. I had to keep coming up with ways to bring her new life. A life where the most important thing on her mind was what she was going to do for fun. With anyone else I would find this shallow and weak but for someone who’d been robbed of even the barest semblance of joy it was just what she needed. Today was going to be pool day, just a quiet day hanging by the pool and relaxing. That way we’d get to spend time together and she’d get used to being around kids her age. I would also use the time to break the news to her about school. I had no doubt dad would work his magic and get her in, if not I’ll just have to change my plans as to where I was going because there was no way she was putting her life on hold any longer and no way in hell we were going to be apart.





KADYN



“Kadyn you up?” I rolled over in bed and stared up at the ceiling. Matthew had just called to find out when I was coming to his house. Between yesterday and this morning I’d been waiting to awaken from the weird dream I’d fallen into but the mountain of clothes on the daybed across from my bed was testament that it had all been real.” Yeah dad I’ll be right out.”

It was near to impossible for me to accept that any of this was real, that my life could change so drastically in a complete three sixty degree. Things like this just didn’t happen in real life, it certainly hadn’t happened in any of the cases I’d researched looking for hope. Why should it happen for me? I had given up believing in miracles a long time ago, when no one could help me at every turn, when the law that was supposed to protect seemed more interested in protecting my tormentor and his rights than mine. I’d pretty much resigned myself to a life of hell. The best I could hope for was to make it out alive when all was said and done.

The fear was not only for me, I’d feared for my mom as well. What would become of her, stuck because of finances in a house right next door to someone so evil? There wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t think of these things. Now this Matthew Steele was giving me something else to think about. Could I trust it, but how could I? What about the first time Bruno finds me? Matt might think he’s willing to deal with this now but the reality is way different. No one wants to be caught in the crosshairs of a madman and I had no doubt that he was crazy. That was part of my fear, how do you reason with someone who was so convinced that he was right? The very thought of him makes my skin crawl. I hate knowing that he thinks he owns me or that he has any control over my life. But each time I gear up myself to fight, to move out from under that shadow of darkness, I lose the battle and fear wins out.

It sure would be nice to give into Matt though, to allow myself to believe that it were possible to have the life of a carefree young woman. Going off to college and doing all the things I longed to do; but it would hurt more to taste that life only to have it snatched from me again as it surely would. I looked over at the beautiful things he’d bought me yesterday and my heart ached. It couldn’t be, as much as I might want it to be I couldn’t let him destroy his life like this. Things had moved so fast in such a short time, and though the attraction was instantaneous it could go nowhere.

He would be one more thing in a long line of things that I would deny myself. My life wasn’t meant to be normal, I wasn’t meant for days of sunshine and laughter. I ignored the pain in my heart at the lost, it just couldn’t be. I could never put that beautiful person in danger; and he was beautiful. He’d given so much of himself already, so aimlessly, without seeking anything in return. Not just the shopping, but also the things he said, the way he was willing to stand between me and the dark. I felt anger that this man was once again robbing me of yet another thing that I so badly wanted, but even the anger wasn’t enough to overrule my fear. It was like I’d told Matthew, I’d learned that lesson well, there was really no point in fooling myself or in getting my hopes up.





Taking a deep breath I prepared myself to face the day. Dad had told me last night when he came up that he’d given the job to someone else. I was happy for the young woman who dad said had fallen on hard times but now with my newfound resolve I was at a lost as to what to do with my days. Dad was sitting at the table with his coffee and had one waiting for me next to him. He seemed much lighter this morning and I was sure it was because of Matt and their talk. If anyone wanted me to have the life of a teenager I knew it was my dad.

I slumped down in the chair next to his and laid my head on his shoulder. He kissed my hair and hugged my shoulder before I lifted it again. “What’s the matter princess?”

“I can’t see Matthew again.”

“What why?” he looked so broken by that, like I’d taken away his light or something, it was crushing to see the light go out of his eyes but it was better this way.

“Dad you know it’s only a matter of time before he finds me, what then? Do you think it’s fair to involve Matthew in something like this? I’m living on borrowed time dad…”

“Kadyn no, come on you’re safe here, please don’t throw away your chance at happiness. Don’t you like Matt?”

“Of course I do, he’s gorgeous he’s kind and he seems to like me more than a little bit. But how long will that last when this all comes to a head? No it’s better this way.”

“Did something happen? I heard your phone ring did Matthew say something to you?”

“No dad he was calling to see what time I would be coming over to hang out by the pool. Shopping, hanging by the pool, these things sound nice but I know better dad. Somehow he always finds a way to mess things up. It’s like he always knows when I’m happy, when I’ve finally taken even the smallest step out from under his shadow and then he pounces.” Dad didn’t say anything more but I could tell he was disappointed, no more so than I. What Matt was offering was my every dream come true but I knew it was not meant to be, not for me anyway.