Freaky Hearts Read online

  “And that didn’t strike you as odd?” Nellie challenged. “It’s water, man. Birds love defecating in water. Heck, birds love defecating anywhere, but they especially love water.”

  I had no idea if that was true, but testing the theory in a practical manner didn’t appeal on any level. “I didn’t notice the lack of birds until the end. Then it became sort of creepy.”

  “That’s why you wanted us out of there so quickly,” Luke mused, wetting his lips. “You should’ve told me.”

  “It’s not your job to babysit me.”

  A faint smile played at the corners of Luke’s mouth. “Maybe I like it.”

  “Maybe you do.” I pressed my eyes shut as weariness overtook me.

  “Maybe you should’ve let me stay with you all night,” Luke added. “I knew you were drained. You haven’t been yourself. You barely eat. It’s no wonder you’re having nightmares.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “You need to stop saying that when it’s not true.” Luke exhaled heavily and glanced at Kade at the same moment I opened my eyes. I didn’t miss the serious looks they exchanged. “I don’t think you should be alone for the rest of the night, Poet. I’ll stay with you.”

  “I would rather not have you watch me puke,” I countered. “I’ll be okay. It was just a nightmare.” I shifted my body so I could get more comfortable on the floor, and Kade’s eyes flashed as he focused on my neck. “What are you looking at?”

  “What is that?”

  “What?”

  “That?” Kade pushed farther into the bathroom, causing Luke to groan when he stepped on his hand. Kade was gentle as he tilted my head to the side and stared at my neck. “Seriously, Poet, what is that?”

  “I can’t see what you’re talking about.” My hand instinctively flew to the area in question. I ran my fingertips over the sore spot, frowning when I felt several small indentations. “Luke, what is that? Is it a bite?”

  “If you mean by an insect, I’m going to say no,” Luke replied, narrowing his eyes as he stared at the mark. “It does look like a different sort of bite.”

  “What kind?” Kade asked, curious. “Is it a vampire?”

  “I think I would know if a vampire bit me,” I growled, annoyed.

  “Not if you were in its thrall,” Nellie replied, straightening. “Everybody fan out and check the trailer. Make sure there’s nothing hiding in any of the closets or under the bed.”

  “You were alone when you went to sleep, right?” Kade pressed. “You didn’t have anyone in here, did you?”

  I offered him an exaggerated “well, duh” face. “What do you think?”

  Kade chuckled despite the serious situation. “I think you have a sarcastic mouth.” He caught me under my arms and helped me stand. “Let’s get you into the bedroom so I can get a better look at your neck. Is that okay?”

  “If you’re asking whether or not I’m going to throw up this instant, the answer is no.”

  “Great.”

  Kade and Luke supported me on either side as I stumbled to the bed. Kade waited for me to get comfortable before pulling a small flashlight from his pocket and aiming it at my neck. The trailer’s lighting wasn’t exactly stellar.

  “That seriously looks like teeth marks to me,” Kade said, glancing at Luke. “Maybe I’m fooling myself because I don’t know enough about this stuff yet, though. What does it look like to you?”

  “It looks as if she was bitten,” Luke conceded. “You didn’t see anyone when you kicked in the door and ran to her rescue, did you? By the way, that’s something a boyfriend would do, in case you’re wondering.”

  Kade scowled as my cheeks colored. “She was alone … just sort of thrashing on the bed,” he replied. “I didn’t see anyone in here with her.”

  “That means we’re dealing with something else,” Luke muttered, clenching his hands into fists.

  “What do you think we should do?” Kade asked, forcing a small smile for my benefit. “Should we take her to the hospital?”

  “And say what?” Luke challenged. “Oh, hey, our psychic fortune teller had a nightmare and woke up with what may or may not be vampire bites on her neck. Can you fix her?”

  Kade made a face as he shook his head. “Do you have to be such a sarcastic pain?”

  “I was born that way,” Luke replied, sliding his eyes to Nellie when the dwarf appeared in the open doorframe. “Anything?”

  “If there was anything in here it’s gone now,” Nellie replied. “Everything looks normal. Er, well, everything looks normal but the trash. There are, like, four empty boxes of Kleenex in there, which means either Poet has a terrible cold or she’s been crying over this putz for days.” He cuffed the back of Kade’s head for emphasis, causing the younger man to growl.

  “She’s had a cold,” Luke automatically lied. “I took care of her. I’ll take care of her tonight, too.” He turned to Kade, something unspoken passing between them. “You can go. I’ll take care of Poet.”

  Kade looked caught as he shifted from one foot to the other. “I’ll stay,” he said finally. “On the couch I mean.” The second part was obviously a hasty addendum in case I got my hopes up. “If something is coming after her, I want to see it for myself.”

  “Are you sure?” Luke was understandably dubious. “You might have to talk to her if you stay.”

  Kade’s energy shifted from nervous to annoyed. “I’ve got it under control.”

  “Well … great.” Luke pressed a kiss to my forehead and flashed a light smile. “I’ll be back in a couple of hours with your coffee.”

  My stomach rolled at the realization that Kade planned to share my roof, but I forced myself to remain calm. “I’m looking forward to it.”

  Luke darted his eyes to Kade for a moment before heading toward the door. “If you need me, don’t hesitate to scream again.”

  “I’ll keep it in mind.”

  Kade waited in silence until he was sure everyone was gone. Then he walked to the front of the trailer. I could hear him double-checking the locks before returning to the bedroom. For one shining moment I thought he would climb into bed next to me and erase all of the past week’s angst. Instead he offered me a nervous smile.

  “I’m going to grab the extra blanket from your closet and get comfortable on the couch.”

  My heart sank at the announcement. “Okay. I … you didn’t need to stay. I’m fine.”

  “Something bit you.”

  I was still trying to wrap my head around that. Between vomiting and the headache that refused to die, my mind remained muddled. Kade’s proximity didn’t help the situation. “I’m not your responsibility.”

  “The safety of the circus is my responsibility.”

  “Even if you hate the people you’re trying to protect?” The question was out of my mouth before I had a chance to consider the intelligence associated with uttering it.

  “Poet, I don’t hate you.” Kade’s voice was gentle as he grabbed my hand and gave it a squeeze. “I’ve tried really hard to hate you this past week and I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s impossible.”

  “You don’t like me, though. You can’t forgive me.” My voice cracked and Kade looked pained by the realization that I was on the verge of tears.

  “Do you think I don’t notice the way you suffer?” Kade cleared his throat to steady himself. “I see it. I hate it. I want to go back in time and eradicate all of this. But that’s not possible.”

  “I didn’t mean to hurt you.” A lone tear slid down my cheek. “That’s the last thing I wanted to do.”

  “I know that. It’s not that easy, though. I can’t let your obvious intentions overshadow my feelings.”

  “And what are your feelings?”

  “You lied to me. You promised you wouldn’t do it a second time, but you did. I understood when you lied about being psychic and what you guys do here. You didn’t know me well enough to trust me. You were trying to keep everyone safe. I get that.

  �
��The second lie was about me, though,” he continued. “The only person you were keeping safe was yourself. If you cared about me, you would’ve told me.”

  “That’s not fair,” I protested, struggling against overwhelming tears. “I didn’t know what to do. When I figured out the secret Max was keeping I confronted him first. I had my suspicions, but I needed confirmation from him.”

  “I get that,” Kade conceded. “The problem is, you got your confirmation and then kept right on lying to my face. I thought we were trying to build something, but you obviously thought otherwise.”

  “I wanted that more than anything,” I argued. “Max saved me, though. He plucked me off the street and gave me a job, a purpose. What do you think would’ve happened to me if he hadn’t helped? I would be dead or worse. We both know it. There aren’t a lot of options for an uneducated woman with no job skills. The predators would’ve chewed me up and spit me out.”

  Kade traced a tear down my cheek with his index finger. “You owe Max loyalty. I get that. I thought I did, too. He donated a lot of his time to helping me when I was a kid. I was grateful when I thought he was my father’s old friend. Knowing that he was my father all along, that he wanted nothing to do with me, that changes things.”

  “I don’t think that’s what happened,” I countered. “Max hasn’t exactly been forthcoming with information where you’re concerned, but my understanding is that your mother made that decision because Max was always out on the road. I’m not saying that makes anything better, but I think he did the best he could under difficult circumstances.”

  “And that right there is you being loyal to Max above all else,” Kade muttered, shaking his head. “Poet, I understand that you feel you owe Max. It sounds as if he did some wonderful things for you. The really nasty thing about all of this is that he did some wonderful things for me, too.

  “That doesn’t change the fact that he lied,” he continued. “That doesn’t change the fact that you lied. I need to be able to trust the person I’m with. I don’t feel I can trust you because I know you’ll always put Max first.”

  “Do you think you can trust Raven?”

  “That’s not fair,” Kade chided, wagging a finger. “I’m not involved with Raven. You know that. She’s trying to get under your skin, and you’re letting her.”

  “And you’re enjoying her efforts,” I said. “Don’t bother denying it. You get a perverse thrill over the idea of two women fighting for your affections. I think any guy would enjoy it.”

  “Actually, I would prefer going back to where we were,” Kade argued. “I was much happier. I find this situation uncomfortable and distasteful. But we can’t do that.”

  “We could try to move forward,” I suggested hopefully. “We could put the other stuff behind us and give it a shot.”

  “Could we?” Kade pursed his lips as he shook his head. “I’m not sure I could ever trust you, and there’s no sense having a relationship if you can’t trust the person you’re with. I miss you so much it hurts, which is dumbfounding because I’ve known you for only a few weeks. I can’t just forget that you lied to me. I don’t have it in me.”

  Well, I had to give him credit. He was unbelievably honest. The truth hurt something fierce, but it was easier to know where I stood than to spend my time constantly wondering. “So what happens now?”

  “Now you sleep and I make sure a monster doesn’t come in and take a nibble,” Kade replied, tucking the covers in tightly on either side of me. “That’s all I can commit to at this time.”

  He sounded like a businessman closing a real estate deal instead of the fun-loving guy I fell head over heels for mere moments after meeting him. “I’m sorry you got dragged into this. I’m not sure what happened, but … I’m sorry. You don’t deserve it.”

  “Life isn’t fair.” Kade offered a wan smile as he got to his feet. “You don’t always get what you deserve. I’m not sorry I got dragged into this, though. I promise I’ll make sure you’re safe during the night.”

  “You always make me feel safe,” I muttered, turning to my side. “That’s the kicker. No one before you managed that. No one will after, I’m willing to wager.”

  Kade rested the palm of his hand on my cheek a moment. “Your temperature is back to normal. That’s good. You need to sleep so you can build up your strength.”

  “I will. Goodnight.”

  Kade heaved a sigh before clicking off the light. “Goodnight. Don’t let the bedbugs bite.”

  “That’s so not funny,” I grumbled, earning a snort of laughter from Kade.

  “I’ll be here when you wake up. You’ll be safe.”

  He said the words, but I wasn’t sure he could back them up. Once I was alone in the dark with nothing but my thoughts, I couldn’t help but worry. What kind of creature attacks through a dream and bites you? I was fairly certain I didn’t want to find out without backup.

  8

  Eight

  I woke to find Kade standing in the doorframe that separated the living room from my bedroom. The trailer wasn’t large, so everything was condensed. I heard Kade snoring throughout the night, and for some reason the sound soothed me. I slept like the dead for the first time in more than a week. I felt rested and relaxed … until I saw him.

  His dark hair was too short to be tousled from sleep, but his eyes were muted and wary. He didn’t seem completely awake yet. There was something vulnerable about his expression, and it tugged at my heartstrings.

  “How did you sleep?”

  Kade smirked. “That was going to be my opening line.” He shuffled into the bedroom and lowered himself to the mattress, leaning over so he could study my neck under better illumination. “That looks like it hurts.”

  I struggled to a sitting position, fixing my attention on the mirror across from the bed and staring at my reflection. I could see the red marks from five feet away. “It itches. It doesn’t really hurt.” As if saying the words were enough to cause the phenomenon to happen, I lifted my finger toward the wound and absentmindedly scratched. “I still can’t figure out how it happened.”

  “That goes for both of us,” Kade said. “I didn’t hear anyone try to get in after you fell asleep. You seemed out of it for most of the night. No more bad dreams?”

  I shook my head. The dreams that plagued me once I slipped into unconsciousness were of a decidedly naughtier variety. Kade was the star, although I would never own up to that. “I slept hard. I don’t think I dreamed.”

  Kade pursed his lips and tilted his head to the side. “I heard you say my name.”

  My mouth dropped open as my cheeks burned. “I … am so sorry. I’m mortified.”

  Kade snorted. He seemed amused more than anything else. “That was a lie. You were quiet all night. I was just testing you.”

  I worked my jaw as I decided how to answer. “That wasn’t really a lie,” I said hurriedly. “I just … .”

  “Don’t worry about it.” Kade waved off my concerns, his eyes flashing. “I don’t count that as a lie.”

  “Why don’t you count that?” I was legitimately curious to know his boundaries.

  “Because that lie didn’t hurt anyone – other than embarrassing you – and I would’ve done the same thing in your position,” Kade replied. “Not all lies are big ones. That’s why the big ones hurt so much.”

  “Kade … .”

  Kade held up his hand to cut me off. “Don’t. Please don’t. I shouldn’t have said that. I knew it would set you off, but I did it anyway.”

  “I miss you.” The words hurt coming out – the truth often does – but I wasn’t sorry I said them when I saw Kade’s expression soften.

  “I miss you, too.” Kade rested his hand on mine for a brief moment. “I want to find a way past this. You might not believe that, but it’s true.”

  “But you don’t think you can.”

  “No, I don’t think I can,” Kade confirmed, causing my stomach to twist. “That doesn’t mean we have to be enemies. W
e can find a way to work together as colleagues.”

  “So … you’re staying?” I couldn’t help but be surprised. “I thought you would take off as soon as you found another job.”

  “I considered it, but I enjoy this job and I’m not ready to admit defeat just yet. After Max and I talk – which is inevitable no matter how long he decides to hide – things might get easier.”

  “Is that what you want?”

  Kade seemed confused by the question. “Isn’t that what everyone wants?”

  I shrugged, noncommittal. “I’m going to say something now that you probably won’t like, but I might never get the chance again so I’m going to do it anyway.”

  “I would prefer that to you walking on eggshells when you’re around me. I miss that smart mouth of yours.”

  I mustered a mild smile, which seemed to make him happy, but the relaxed feeling disappeared relatively quickly. “I think you want to be angry right now. That’s certainly your right, and if I were in your position I would make being angry into an art form.”

  Kade barked out a laugh. “I see. Please continue.”

  “Sometimes it’s easier to let go of the anger,” I offered. “You obviously can’t do it until you talk to Max, and even then it will take some time. That’s fair. I’m not happy at all with Max. He’s acting like a coward.”

  “Have you told him that?”

  “He’s hiding from me, too.”

  “Oh,” Kade intoned, lifting an eyebrow. “I didn’t realize that. I thought he was confiding in you. I guess it makes sense that he’s hiding from everyone, though. That sounds just like him, doesn’t it? He used you as a shield for weeks, imploded our lives and then walked away. He’s good at walking away.”

  “To be fair, I’m the one who imploded our lives.” I wouldn’t blame someone else when I was the one who put the hurt in his heart. “I keep asking myself if I would do it again if I had the chance.”

  “And what answer do you come up with?”

  I shrugged. “Most of the time I believe I would change things. Every once in a while I flash to the little pickpocket on the street, though. She would’ve died in Detroit without Max’s help. I guess the only answer I can come up with is that I don’t know. That’s not fair or right, but there it is.”