Page 45 of Burn For Me

“Jason, you need to calm down right now.”

“Calm down? How do you expect me to calm down when a fucking maniac is on the loose and wants to burn me alive? This is all your fault. If you hadn’t told us to go teach him a lesson, none of this would’ve happened.” Jason pointed a finger at Dr. Wallace again, his face a mix of raw anger and wild fear. It was a good combination for me. In fact, I was loving it, and it was because of me that he was so worked up.

“He does have a very valid point, doc. How is he supposed to remain calm?” I was having way too much fun. I figured this was what a fly on the wall felt like, and I was totally enjoying it.

“I told you to teach him a lesson. I didn’t tell you to rape a nurse, for fuck’s sake. That was your stupidity.” The doctor took a deep breath and held up his hand as he tried to remain calm. “This is what we will do. You’re going to go back to your cabin, wherever that is, and you’re going to stay there. Give me your number, and I’ll text you if I hear anything about Derek or if I’m notified that the fires were arson. Does that sound reasonable?”

“I think we should leave the state—no, leave the fucking country,” Jason mumbled again. “I don’t know where I’d go, but anywhere is better than here. I could drive to Canada and then fly out.” He was tapping his forehead as he thought out loud.

“Wouldn’t matter, Jason, I’d find you,” I said with a snarl curling my lip. “The devil can always find his mark.”

“Fine, I’ll do what you’re asking.” Jason relayed his phone number as the doc put it in his phone before heading for the door. His hand paused on the door handle, and he didn’t turn around for the longest time. Dr. Wallace looked concerned and seemed ready to say something when Jason looked over his shoulder. “I worry that by the time you realize that Derek West is alive, it will be too late for the both of us.”

Jason made a dramatic exit and slammed the door behind him. I continued to watch the Doctor as he rubbed his chin like he was contemplating what he’d just heard. He hit a number on his phone, but the image was too far to tell who he was calling.

“Hey, it’s me. Listen, I want to bump up my vacation plans. Is it possible to leave next week on the cruise?” There was a long pause as Dr. Wallace listened to the person on the other end. A travel agent, maybe? “That’s great. My wife will be thrilled we get to leave sooner. Thank you.”

The doctor walked out of the room, discussing the other minimal decisions about the trip change. It was a shame he’d never get to the boat. He’d be dead long before then.

The golf course estates only had one entrance, and there was a fancy mall that sat at the corner. I wheeled the truck into the lot. It was one of those high-end spots with a spa, including a hair and nail salon. There were a couple of boutiques, a café, and a juice bar—the perfect place for all the rich yuppies to go. I could only hope that I made it to the parking lot in time to see Jason as he left. I tapped my fingers on the steering wheel as I kept my eyes peeled for the man.

“Thank you, Adalyn,” I whispered.

I was certain her spirit was helping me on my journey as Jason pulled up to the set of lights. I slowly made my way out of the exit and was all too happy to have the four vehicles coming down the road slip between me and my prey. The guy was paranoid enough as it was. I didn’t need him to think he saw me following him around.

The drive to the beach was tricky, and I thought I’d lost him more than once, but lady luck shone her light on me as I chose the right direction each time I lost sight of the red Civic. This end of the beach was not near the touristy area, and the cottages were on older property lots. Meaning they weren’t crushed so closely together that there was no privacy.

Jason was a little larger than a dot in the distance when he turned into a driveway. A swell of joy flowed through me, and my blood pounded a little harder with the prospect of delivering the punishment to Jason that he so rightly deserved. As I drove past, I peered up the drive and spotted Jason heading from the cottage to the car to close the door as he carried some groceries inside.

Grabbing the phone, I pulled up a GPS of the area and smiled wide as I spotted the public parking lot not too far down the road. Maybe God had forsaken me, but the devil had taken this broken soul in and was helping me more than anyone else ever had.

Fear was a relative term that meant many different things to different people. Some people were afraid of heights, and others were afraid of the dark. Some people were afraid of water or spiders. For me, I learned that fear came in the form of someone that was supposed to love and care for me. As hard as I tried, I couldn’t remember a single memory that made me smile, other than hanging with my little brother. Asher was the only good thing in my life, but he turned on me in the end too.

The front door slammed, and I jumped up from the table with my textbooks in hand and ran. I made it to the bedroom just as the yelling started. The look on my father’s face as he came through the door was enough for me to bolt. I’d seen it so many times that I knew what was coming.

Heart pounding, I leaned up against the bedroom door and tried to think.

“What’s going on,” Asher asked, pulling his feet up so he could hug his knees.

The mop of blond hair covering his eyes like that would hide him somehow. I wished it was that easy.

My father’s voice echoed down the hallway as he yelled for Asher and me to come out of our room. I wasn’t going out there. My arm was still in a cast from the last time he decided I was being bad. Running across the room, I opened the window. The old frame groaned, but I pushed the large panes out. I looked down at the ground, and it was possible for us to jump, but the sound of my dad’s and mom’s yelling was getting closer. There just wasn’t enough time for both of us to get out. I couldn’t leave Ash behind.

I ran over to my bed which was larger than Ash’s. “What are you doing?”

I waved Asher over to the bed. “Come on, get under the bed,” I whispered.

“But what about dad?”

“Forget him. Don’t you dare go out there, or I’ll never play with you again,” I threatened as big tears filled his eyes. “Come on, get under, and I won’t be angry.” He unfolded himself and tiptoed across the room to get down and slip under the bed.

“Derek! You piece of shit, get out here! You better not be ignoring me, boy.”

“They’re studying. Just leave them alone.”

“Get out of my way, woman.” A thud hit the wall, and I knew it was my mother, but my father must have pushed her and kept walking. My heart hammered hard as the heavy boots thumped louder. I got down and slid under the bed in one single sliding motion. I pushed Asher as close to the wall as I could. My hands shook as I put a finger over my lips, silently telling him to be quiet.”

The door slammed open, the sound echoing loudly with the heavy bang of the door handle smacking into the wall.