I'd Kill You First: when bad meets bad

Chap. 41

KEENON:

I led her into an early morning cafe and made sure to escort her to a corner booth before going back up to the counter to order. My eyes couldn't help but travel over to her every few seconds to make sure she was alright and still there, and okay yes, I just liked to look at her. I had no clue where she had come from, but she had no makeup on and her hair was a luscious and wavy mess, flipped up on one side to give that sexy wake up look. Her legs were clad only in white pajama shorts, but I noticed she had on one of my gray university t-shirts. Damn, my clothes looked good on her.

I shook my head in aggravation at having such thoughts and placed an order for our breakfast before taking a number and going over to the table. She jumped a little when I eased into the spot across from her, her eyes widening for a moment as they briefly flickered to my face before she went back to staring out the window.

"What were you doing at the gym?" I finally asked once I got tired of sitting in silence.

She kept her gaze on the cars across the street while her perfect mouth opened a little as if preparing an answer. "I see you in my dreams," she mumbled almost too softly for me to hear. "Your face, yours eyes, but I can't remember..." She looked back at me with a suddenly pained expression and asked hoarsely, "W-why can't I remember?"

The fact that she dreamed about me threw me off entirely. I hadn't been aware she had given me a second thought at all since she left the hospital. I only knew she had nightmares, and I prayed to Almighty above that I didn't play a roll in those awful dreams of hers.

I focused on her question, but before I could formulate an answer, she spoke again, staring down at the table. "I remember a few things sometimes. I used to sit in your lap I think, I don't really know. I- I think... Sometimes in the memories I get the feeling that I might have li- never mind," she sighed out, shaking her head stiffly a few times.

I stared at her, at those beautiful eyes. What was she going to say? The feeling she might have what?

"Why don't you come to the apartment anymore?" she asked cautiously, as if she might not like the answer. "They told me it is your place too."

I took in a sharp breath, trying to figure out how to dodge this touchy issue, but the waitress came with our food just then and saved me. I thanked her with a kirt nod and began to eat in silence with Soda. About half way through my own plate, I looked up to see she hadn't touched anything on hers.

"Eat your food," I barked, and she jolted upright and picked up the fork in reflex before settling slowly back into her seat and picking at her food. I rolled my eyes in annoyance. I didn't like this Soda. She wasn't spirited, fiery, but she was afraid and jumpy and submissive. The only thing keeping me from being aggravated at her was reminding myself of the fact that I had made her that way.

"Where is your family?" she asked out of the blue.

I stopped chewing and had to bite my tongue to keep from yelling at her. I had grown so accustomed to snapping on everyone that I had forgotten that I wasn't a drill sergeant, and she wasn't a soldier. This would be difficult.

"Just eat," I hissed.

A few seconds later, her fork clattered to her plate and I looked up to see her frowning at me. "You obviously know a hella lot about me, so just do me the fucking curtesy of returning the favor and tell me about yourself," she hissed back.

I raised my brows at her and couldn't stop the small tilt of my mouth into a grin. "Easy there tiger."

She glared at me and bunched her hands into fists on the table. "It isn't funny," she gritted out. "I'm trying to put my life back together, and you seem to be a big part of what I'm missing, and you know everything and I don't, so shut the fuck up and tell me about something!"

I bit my cheek to hold in my laughter as I tilted my head to the side in thought. "How am I supposed to tell you anything if I'm supposed to shut the fuck up?"

She stared at me for a long moment, eyes roaming my face, and let out a short breath of air. Then she got up without a word, dumped her coffee over my head, and walked away. I sat there blinking several times as coffee ran down my face and onto my gym clothes, splotching everything and turning cold and sticky.

Then I shot up and went after her.

My eyes roamed the cafe, and my heart skipped a beat when I didn't see her. No no no, she doesn't know where she is. Please don't run off! Shit, this was my fault. I am such a jerk! She's scared and alone and mixed up and I certainly wasn't helping her. Wow, I'm doing fantastic on my good deeds list today.

I ran out the door after tossing a twenty on our table and scanned the slightly busy streets as people were just beginning to leave for work this morning. Not her not her not- wait!

Way down the street, just rounding the corner to the left, was a mess of long brunette hair and tan legs.

I ran.

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SODA:

I shouldn't have come. I shouldn't have depended on someone else for answers. Maybe my images of Keenon were, in fact, actually just dreams, and not really memories at all. I should have known better than to think anyone would help me find myself. I am on my own with this, and he just proved it.

I ran around the corner and sped down the sidewalk, overly aggravated with my slight hobble on my formerly injured leg. Nearing a boutique, I stepped inside the doorway to catch my breath, watching cars go by in the early morning sunlight.

I should just find my way back to the apartment. Then it hit me. I don't know this city. I don't remember even really moving here. I willed myself not to panic as I stepped out of the store and took a few steps away from the building to see if I could spot any street names or familiar signs that might help me get a sense of direction.

As I took a few more steps away from the boutique, a pair of large hands wrapped around me from behind, a hand roughly thrown over my mouth. Arms dragged me into the small alley and spun me around, and for a fleeting moment, I half expected it to maybe be a heaving and angry Keenon, but...

I stared in horror at the face that matched the laughter, the sneer carved into my mind, and my heart stopped. His hand slowly dropped from my mouth and his angular face inched closer with a gut wrenching grin, dark eyes shooting out sparks.

"Why hello there," he purred through his teeth, smiling a sickly sweet gesture at me.

Everything went quiet around me as it came back...

{The ropes around my hands, the pole pressed against my chest, the water lapping at my waist. Men standing around in masks and a hand bunched into my hair, squeezing and yanking while my leg is being twisted, twisted, twisted...}

I blinked, and it didn't go away. It was still there. It was a memory.

My eyes connected with his on their own frightened accord as I breathed the name of the terror in my dark nights...

"Drake."