Chapter 37
Ugh!
I'm so sick of reading! Katarina yawned as she shoved her
books back in her bag. She'd been studying for almost three hours
now. Enough was enough! Tired, she strolled from her room into the
kitchen to find some dinner. While preparing some vegetables she was
suddenly overcome with a feeling of foreboding. Frowning, she set down
her knife. Nick... Why was he on her mind? She
sighed. He was always on her mind.
And as usual
something wasn't right.
When are
you ever going to get over him Rina?
The sound of
the phone ringing interrupted her pessimistic thoughts and she rushed into the
living room to grab the receiver. "Hello?"
"Rina?!"
"Billie,
hey!"
"Oh thank
God you're all right!"
Katarina raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"
"Listen
to me. I want you to go to Mom and Dad's okay?"
"What?!
Why?!"
"Just do
it please!"
"But--"
"
Silence.
Katarina gulped. "Billie?! Billie answer me!"
Slowly she set the receiver back in its place. What is going on?
The sound of
the wind gusting outside was her answer.
She wrapped
her arms around herself. Maybe I should go to Mom and Dad's...
Deciding that that would be best, she began to retreat to her bedroom when the
lights began to flicker. Okay...now I'm starting to freak!
She rushed into her room and slammed the door shut. She leaned back
against the door and closed her eyes, trying to block the negative vibes that
threatened to overwhelm her. Oh Nick... She grasped the
necklace that she hadn't taken off once since he'd given it to her. Why
are you so scared? If only I could tell you not to be...that I'm
fine...that you'll be okay...
As long as
I stay away.
***
"Hey
D! Nick! What's taking you so long?" A.J called out as
he stepped into the house again. He was met with silence. "Helooo!!" With a raised eyebrow he wandered
throughout the house, wondering where his friends could've disappeared
to. "Great," he muttered as he stepped back into the living
room once again, "they just take off without even telling anybody."
And then he
saw the piece of paper on the floor with very familiar handwriting.
Curious, he picked it up. This is D's writing... His eyes
scanned the brief note and instantly he tensed. Shit! He
dropped the note and rushed back outdoors. "Guys! We gotta get
the hell outta here now!"
Kevin was the
first to lift his head. "Why? And where's Howie and
Nick? Didn't you tell them that we're waiting for them?!"
"Yeah,"
Brian looked longingly at the steak in front of him, "I haven't eaten
anything since breakfast!"
"Forget
about food for cryin' out loud!" A.J replied in exasperation.
"They're gone and we've got to go after them!"
Leighanne
frowned. "What?!"
"A.J,"
Sarah stood and rested her hand on his arm, "you're not making any
sense!"
"I'll
explain on the way! Come on you guys. I think Nick and Howie are in
trouble!"
***
Katarina lit the last candle in the living room and then moved back into her
bedroom, finding that she was more comfortable in there than anywhere
else. As she suspected would happen, the flickering lights in her house
soon stopped flickering all together and now she was cloaked in darkness.
She took a shuttering breath as she sat on the edge of her bed and clasped the
charm on Nick's necklace. She hated the dark. It brought back so
many horrible memories that she needed to bury. The attempted rape...the
time she got lost in the woods...and worst of all, she'd lost Nick to the
darkness.
The abysmal
darkness of his depression.
No, she wiped her eyes
before any tears could fall, I will not cry. I will not cry!
She gripped the charm tighter. I've cried enough for you Nick. I
can't do it anymore.
Crack!
Katarina whipped her head up and her breathing increased. What was
that?
Crack!
She
gulped. It's nothing....it's nothing...right? She cautiously
rose from her bed and quietly crept up to her door and pressed her ear against
it, listening for anymore odd noises.
But there was
nothing.
She took a
deep breath and opened the door. She stepped out of her sanctuary and tip
toed as quietly as she could into the living room. The candles cast
ominous shadows everywhere making her regret lighting them. I don't
need light anyway...I can put up with no electricity for a few hours right?
The thunder
crashed in the distance and she jumped. Okay. Maybe not. She
closed her eyes and took another deep breath. Calm Rina...you
have to stay calm. Nothing's going to happen to you here. You're in
your home. The door is locked. No one can get in unless they have a
key and only Billie and I have... Wait! Kris has a key!
He has a
key!!
Her eyes shot
open...
And then she
screamed.
***
Nick gripped
the steering wheel so tightly, his hands ached. He sped up the car,
wanting desperately to get to Rina. He didn't
understand why or how he knew, but she needed him. She was scared half to
death. And Kris... His eyes narrowed.
Kris...
"Since
that night, he kept pressuring me and pressuring me until finally...he lost
patience and...and...he tried to force himself on me..."
His breathing
grew heavy as his repressed anger toward Kris began to seep from where it'd
been hidden all this time. He hated this guy with everything he had and
he hadn't even met him.
Yet.
Nick had a
terrible feeling that he would be meeting Kris Reid tonight and the thought
both delighted and angered him. Delighted because he'd been wanting to
rip his head off since Rina's confession and angered
because the bastard had caused so much pain to the girl he loved more than life
itself.
I'm almost
there Rina. Just hold on a little longer.
I won't let him hurt you again.
I'll kill
him if I have to.
***
"You
won't get away from me this time Kitty Kat. I've got you right where I
want you."
Katarina shuttered, his closeness a fearful reality. She struggled
against his tight embrace, but to no avail. "Let me go! You
have no right to be here!!"
Kris laughed
menacingly. "How naive can you get baby? Did you really think
I'd let a piece of paper keep me away from you?" His hand left her
waist and traveled slowly up to her neck. "No my little Kitten...I
told you I'd have you...and now I will."
"No!"
she cried out and tried desperately to wriggle herself from his grasp,
but his grip on her tightened painfully and she yelped.
"YES!"
And then he shoved her onto the floor and before she could make a move to
escape, he pounced on her.
Katarina cried out in pain as his knee dug into her stomach. Not again
please! Not again!
"Why
bother fighting Kitten? No one's going to save you this time. I'm
going to have you all to myself. All night long...over and over again
until I hear you beg for more."
She covered
her ears, not wanting to hear his disgusting words, but soon enough, his hands
gripped her wrist and violently pulled them away and held them above her head.
"YOU'RE
GOING TO LISTEN TO ME DAMMIT!"
She squirmed
under his scrutinizing, feral eyes and felt the tears coming. Was this it
for her? Had her luck ran out?
"Relax
baby. You're going to enjoy this. I promise." He grinned
broadly. "I never disappoint."
She shook her
head vehemently. "Please Kris! Let me go! Please!"
His head
lowered and his lips were on her, ravishing her neck, her chest...
"STOP
PLEASE! NOOOOO!!!!!"
***
"We're
on the 6th floor,
Billie's voice
echoed in Nick's head as he raced up the stairs. One more flight of
these damn stairs... He raced through the doors and stopped, needing
to catch his breath. It had been a long time since he did this much
strenuous activity and he was definitely out of shape.
"STOP!!!!!!!!!"
"Rina!" He ran in the direction of her terrified
scream and prayed to God that he wasn't too late. He soon found the right
apartment and pounded on the door. "RINA!!"
"NICK!!!!"
Hearing the
desperation in her voice tore him apart and with all the strength he could
muster, he kicked in the door and stormed in, finding his love in the living
room with his worst enemy on top of her, attempting to finish what he
started. Filled with a ferocity that he never knew existed, he grabbed
the bastard by his hair and yanked him backward.
"OW!"
"GET THE
FUCK OFF HER YOU SON OF A BITCH!!" Nick shoved him away and immediately
reached for Katarina who was pulling her sweater back
on. She scrambled into his arms and sobbed into his chest.
"Oh
Nick..."
"It's
okay," he murmured and kissed the top of her head, "I'm here
now."
"Well,
well, well. If it isn't Prince Charming coming to his true love's
rescue."
Nick
positioned himself with Rina behind him and he met
Kris's searing glare head on with his own. "You're going to regret
touching her asshole."
Kris sneered
and dismissed the threat. "If you think I'm going to be scared off
by a pussy like you, you've got another thing coming."
Nick grinded
his teeth together to keep from lashing out at him. He had to get Katarina out of this place before he could unleash his
rage. If he gets his way...
Kris won't
make it out of this alive.
Slowly he
stepped backward, moving Rina along the wall until
they were close enough to the door. Without losing sight of Kris, he took
Rina's hand. "Go."
"No, I
won't leave you alone with him."
"Rina, I don't want to argue with you. Get out
now."
A low
bloodcurdling laughter escaped Kris's lips. "You won't get away from
me Kitten. Once I finish off your boy toy here. I'm coming for
you."
That's it! He'd pushed
Nick's buttons for the last time. He lunged forward and knocked Kris down
to the floor. With blinding anger, Nick nailed him square in the
jaw. "You will NEVER EVER come near her again!" Another hit to
the jaw. "DO YOU HEAR ME?!" Kris's nose oozed with blood and
Nick chose to nail him again. "DO YOU?!"
"We'll...SEE!"
Kris snarled and brandished a very sharp...very dangerous pocket knife...
***
