Trapped (The Nine lives of Kira Harting #1)

Chapter 7

The man with the red hat comes to me in my dreams, just like he has every night since I killed him. He and George torture me all night, they drag me under the water until I beg them to drown me. Then they throw me through mirrors until every part of my body is covered in broken glass. When they finish with that they go back to some of George's old favorite past times.

When I wake I swear I can see red marks covering my skin. The small round scars on the inside of my elbow itch and I scratch at them out of habit, it helps me know I'm awake. I sit up to see Cassie sleeping sitting up in the bed next to me. She is still fully dressed from the night before and her presence blows my mind. Does she think we are friends now? What could possibly make her think I'd be ok with her being here? How stupid is she?

I shake her "what the hell are you doing here?" She jolts awake and flies off the bed. "Hello, did you hear me? What are you doing in my room?" I yell at her.

She rubs her eyes and looks at me "oh, I, um, well, I wanted to keep an eye on you, and um, in case J came back. You know?"

"What, you thought you'd wait for your new boy toy in my bed? Beat up on me together this time?" I growl.

"What? No! I... well I wanted to make sure he, well I've heard things... and, I didn't want him to... you know do what he did to you again..." She says sheepishly. I stare at her for a moment unsure of how to respond. What's her angle? Did she really stay here to what, protect me? Like she could stop him if he came back. He'd be wasted and it would only be worse the second time. Nobody could stop him then.

"Why?" I ask her and my question takes her by surprise.

"Why what?" She asks.

"Why would you stay here to protect me?" I stare at her. "Not that I need you to. Or that you could..." I add with a glare.

"I don't know. I just thought someone should at least try, nobody else did." She adds with a snap.

"Nobody else did because I don't need anyone to take care of me. They know that! I'm not a child. I can handle myself!" I snap back at her.

"Well it didn't look like it to me!" She yells at me and her cheeks flush pink with fury.

"I know how to handle J." I tell her as I try to control my anger as much as possible. The more she talks the more I want to hit her. She opens her mouth to say something back but I interrupt her "get out of my room!" She glares at me and leaves the room slamming the door behind her.

I flop back into the bed and I catch a delicious scent and on my second inhale I realize its Cassie's scent. Some flowery smell that I've never smelled before, it's wonderful and it makes me hate her that much more. I throw the pillow across the room and then roll off the bed and get dressed in my workout clothes. I skip my daily run and walk downstairs to go to the gym room. I'm stopped by a knock at the door.

I open the door and there on the step is Officer Briggs and the other guy from last night, Juavez, I think his name was.

"Officers." I greet them.

"Hey Kira." Briggs Says.

"Come on in" I say and I leave the door open for them and walk through The House to the living room. The men follow me into the room and I sit on the couch. Briggs takes a seat at the couch across from me but the other guy stands.

Briggs clear his throat. "So, you know why we're here." Briggs says as he avoids making eye contact with me.

"Yeah. I know. Let's get on with it then." I say.