Page 52 of Burn for Me
Closing the bathroom door as quietly as he could, Archie sat down on the closed toilet seat, rocking back and forth, as he tried to figure out what to do. After much deliberation, he decided the best thing to do was to attempt to sneak out of the apartment unseen. Once he was out, he would get help for Kitty.
Silently, he let himself out of the room and moved as stealthily as possible to the entrance of the living room. Stopping just short of the doorway, he paused to give his heartbeat a second to quieten down. It was beating so loudly he was surprised the occupants of the room couldn’t hear it.
Finally gathering the courage to peek around the corner, he saw Kitty crumpled in a heap where she’d obviously been dropped. She wasn’t moving; he couldn’t see if she was even breathing.
Please God, don’t let her be dead. I don’t want to live if she’s dead.
Cocking his head at a sound near the front door, he shrank back. Awkwardly, he shuffled backwards, quietly, into the kitchen to hide, keeping an eye as he did. He’d barely cleared the door when he saw the front door swing open and Gray move cautiously into the hallway.
Cowering in a corner of the kitchen, Archie’s nerves stretched to breaking point with all the shouting and commotion. The noise ramped up his anxiety and was aggravated by the fact that he couldn’t see into the living room. But he almost came out of his skin when more shots were fired. He hated not knowing what was going on.
For a time, there was silence, broken only by the sound of a woman weeping. Time seemed to slow as Archie waited in the kitchen. Rocking back and forth, his thoughts turned inward. Sitting in a bit of a trance-like state, he was startled by noise at the front door.
After a fierce internal debate, Archie crept towards the door of the kitchen. Carefully, he looked around the corner, trying to stay hidden, to see what the new noise was. Seeing a couple of paramedics with a gurney, he retreated.
Eventually, despite the fear, Archie couldn’t take it anymore. As quietly as he’d slipped into the kitchen, he made his way back to the living room door. The shock of the scene unfolding in the living room had him gasping out loud. Shrinking back, he prayed that nobody had heard him.
Chancing another look, his eyes clung to Kitty’s unmoving form lying on the floor. His heart beat hard and fast in his chest. His breathing rapid and painful. His Kitty couldn’t be dead. He’d never have another chance to win her over. And the thought of that was just unbearable.
As the paramedics packed up and readied to transport Kitty, Archie retreated to the bathroom again. He would have a view of the passage from there. Closing the door until only a sliver remained, he watched as the gurney came into view. As they reached the front door, he heard one of the paramedics say, “We’re losing her. Heartrate and blood pressure are dropping.” No sooner were the words spoken when the heart monitor alarm sounded.
Dropping to the floor, Archie rocked himself. He heard nothing more, even as the paramedics fought to save her life. All he could comprehend was that his Kitty was gone. It was over. She would never be his. As tears tracked, unnoticed, down his face he planned his next move.
* * *
The confinesof the cell were almost too much to bear. There had to be a way to break free. The thought of a lifetime stuck within such a small space was simply unacceptable. There was no way to exact revenge stuck in this hellhole either. And she would have her revenge!
Chapter Eighteen
Pacingin the tiny waiting room as they waited for news on Kitty’s condition, Gray finally understood what emotional hell she must have gone through when he’d been trapped. And then later at the hospital while she’d waited for news from the doctors.
What the hell was taking so long anyway? Surely, they should have heard something by now? He could feel the weight of Elenore’s concerned gaze on him. He’d seen it in her eyes when his gaze had collided with hers at one point. He knew his behaviour appeared unstable, but he couldn’t find it in him to reassure her he was fine.
Truth be told, if he told her he was fine, he’d be flat out lying. He wasn’t. And he wouldn’t be until he knew Kitty was going to be all right. There’d been so much blood on the floor. He hadn’t known such a small body could bleed so damn much.
The door burst open, and Morgan flew into the room. Her frantic gaze searched until she spotted Elenore. Dashing over, she fell to her knees before the older woman.
“Oh god, Aunty Elenore, please tell me it isn’t true? That none of it’s true.” Her tear drenched eyes clung to Elenore’s.
The door opened again much slower this time. A lady Gray would guess to be around Kitty’s mother’s age entered the room. Walking over to Elenore too, she sat beside her and pulled her into a hug. Wrapping her arms around the newcomer, Elenore broke down. Holding her closer, the woman rubbed a delicate hand up and down Elenore’s back.
Morgan, who had gotten to her feet, went over to where Gray stood watching them. Taking his hand in her smaller one, she gave it a gentle squeeze. Dropping his gaze to hers, he took in her pale face. As he watched, a tear tracked down her cheek. Then another.
He folded Morgan into his arms and tucked her head under his chin. Offered her what comfort he could as she cried. And all the while, it felt as if his heart was being ripped in two.
If this was anything like what Kitty had been feeling when he’d been trapped in that collapsed building, he understood it better. He could understand why she panicked, why she felt she couldn’t live with the constant fear. It had been his shadow since he’d heard the sound of that first shot go off. Icy cold and insidious, it had his imagination working overtime.
Eventually, Morgan stepped back from his embrace.
“Sorry, Gray. I didn’t mean to drip all over you.”
Giving a snort of laughter, Gray replied, “No problem.”
Turning to the woman with Elenore, Morgan made introductions.
“Mama, this is Grayson James. He’s Kitty’s beau.” Turning back to Gray, she added, “Gray, this is my mother, Gwendoline Preston.”
“Mrs Preston.” Gray nodded at Morgan’s mother.
