Page 85 of Beloved
Coincidences didn’t occur in my life even now. Everything happened for a reason. Something that had been instilled in me as a child.
Fisting my hand, I pulled my aching finger to my forehead, trying to calm my nerves while the reporter droned on about what had occurred in a nice, quiet, residential neighborhood.
I hadn’t thought about the possible criminal after leaving my apartment since waking up on the beautiful morning.
Not after the incredible and overtly sexual dreams I’d had.
About him.
Always about him.
Delicious.
As soon as I pressed my hand across my lips, I realized I’d bitten my lip sometime in the middle of the night. A single swipe of my tongue and the coppery taste of blood brought a wave of nausea. With my skin crawling, I moved toward the window, almost fearful to look outside.
Given the proximity of the murder scene, there were more cars than normal, traffic backed up. There were also additional people on the street, heading in the direction of the horrific scene. People always loved seeing a tragedy in action. It was in people’s blood.
Yet even with the sun creating a glint on the glass, I could swear someone was watching my apartment building.
Staring at my window.
Another even colder shiver skated down my spine.
Had he really found me after all these years?
He. I might as well say his name out loud. “Kazimir.” In doing do, my inner core began to heat up just like I’d experienced the night before.
A half dozen memories floated into the back of my mind, another wave of anxiety hitting me harder than it should. I could be dreaming and nothing more.
But what if I was right? If the man was alive, there was an equally daunting story about why he was just contacting me now. My instinct told me whatever it was would alter the frame of my life once again.
When Golden made her way into the kitchen, the amazing spell was broken, reality hitting home. What now? I had no idea what Kazimir’s plan could be.
“His body was found this morning by a jogger.” The reporter’s happy comment drew my attention back to the television. My, wasn’t she thrilled the man had been murdered.
What I’d heard the night before outside my window had likely been the man being killed.
Kazimir. What are you doing?
If only he was standing in front of me so he would answer.
Instead of a cold shiver, excessive heat furrowed into every molecule. Some might say I was happy the man had lost his life.
The mystery mugger hadn’t really threatened me. Had he?
My father’s warning from years before capped off the eerie feeling.“Our enemies will stop at nothing to get to us. They will pretend to be someone who cares about you. They will appear as nothing but thieves, but I assure you they have deadly intentions in mind.”
Little did I know at the time the lengths my father would go to keep his happy little world safe. However, his warning wouldn’tgo unheeded. Kazimir was of obvious importance and in truth, I had a single possible scrap of information that could fully identify the man.
Another Russian’s name.
I remained rooted to the same spot for almost fifteen minutes, mostly staring into space. I had no idea what method of killing a man Kazimir would use, but in seeing blood sprayed all over the sides of two vehicles that had yet to be either released to the owners or cleaned, my gut told me it was him.
Seconds later, I hurried and got dressed, snapping a leash on Golden’s collar. “Come on, girl. Let’s take a walk.”
She didn’t fight me, enjoying the sights and sounds as we walked down the sidewalk. At this point, not one person drew my attention, but a sense of being watched lingered, a detectable odor floating through the light breeze that tickled all my senses.
I arrived at the blocked-off area quickly enough that a portion of the man’s body had remained uncovered. His boots. With a silver steel toe. How many cold shivers would I experience in one day?
