Curse And Craving

18

Just thinking about her made me want to crawl into bed and never come out. My legs bounced anxiously as I described the incident. “You encountered her out on the street by yourself?” he asked skeptically. “Well, there were other people farther down the street, but where we were, it was just us.”

“You observed her openly, and she made no attempt to harm you?” “I told you, I was standing against the wall, and she didn't see me. Maybe she was like a T-Rex and could only see movement. I have no idea.” “I seriously doubt that, Rebecca. The creature you have described is absolutely ruthless. Had she known that she was being watched, especially by someone as defenseless as yourself, you would have been dead in seconds. What aren't you telling me? Or do you even know?” His arms crossed in his interrogation pose, and his insinuation had me rising to my feet in self-defense. “I don't know what you're implying. She. Didn't. See. Me. That's all there is to it.” The air once again charged with intensity as he came around the desk to stand before me. “Don’t get your hackles raised with me. I might push back,” he growled in my face. I threw my hands up in the air, eyes turning skyward in a plea for patience. “I'm not keeping anything from you! I have no idea why she didn't kill me!” I yelled in his face. Before I knew what happened, he had grabbed my hands and spun me around, pulling my back to his chest with my hands held tightly between us. And then, as if everything wasn't weird enough, he smelled me. Not like a small, discreet sniff, but a full-blown scenting of my hair and neck. It was unexpected and foreign but somehow also erotic and possessive. Despite knowing I should have been appalled, my breath hitched and then released on a ragged sigh. “Well then, Rebecca, I hope you survive until you figure it out because until then, you’re a dead woman walking.” The velvet caress of his voice did nothing to soften the harsh slap of his insult. When his hands released me, I whipped around but stopped myself before I could strike him. It was a terrible idea, but his jab had been horribly cruel. I resented his implication that I was bringing this on myself. I was doing everything I could to keep myself and my loved ones safe. He could shove his opinions up his tight, perfectly sculpted ass. I forced my face to soften with indifference, lifted my chin, and walked confidently away. OceanofPDF.com Chapter Eight AFTER STRESS-EATING ENOUGH CARBS TO FEED A SMALL VILLAGE, I CALLED my mom about the necklace. “Hey, Becca, baby! It’s so good to hear your voice. How have you been?” “I’m doing really well.” I infused as much sincerity into my voice as I could, knowing Mom had likely been anxious since my last call. “Better? That’s so wonderful to hear. I’ve been so worried about you.” “I figured you might be. But there’s no need. Everything here is going beautifully. The museum is perfect—everything I could have hoped. And I’ve even made a new friend, I think, with the girl who works at the visitor’s desk. She’s really sweet. How are you guys doing?” “That’s such a relief! It's all good here. Dad has been buried in his latest book. You know how he gets. I make him come up for air and maybe a sandwich every few hours.” Dad was a writer and immersed himself when inspiration hit. From what I understand, he’d always had a propensity to lose himself in his writing, but it had become an escape of sorts over the years. Dad preferred to live in his imagination rather than face reality. I couldn’t say I blamed him, but it hurt my heart for him to be so distant. “That sounds about right. Hey, Mom, I was wondering about something. You know my necklace?” “You mean the only one you've ever worn?” Her question was dripping with sarcasm. “You make it sound like I refused to take it off.” “Honey, I did try, but you would have none of it.” “You tried to get me to take it off? When? Why?” I was floored. I had no memory of ever discussing the necklace with my mom. “Not for a long time now, but when you were younger, I tried. One time, I remember you receiving another necklace as a gift. I can't remember who it was from, but I tried to get you to wear it. No way, no how, you were not taking yours off for any reason whatsoever. After seeing how much it upset you, I let it go. It wasn't worth fighting over.” “Really?” I exhaled in surprise. “I don’t remember that at all. I was just thinking about the necklace and wondered where I got it. I was hoping you remembered.” She made a humming noise while she dug into her memory. “It's been so long. I know it was on one of our trips, but I can't honestly say which one. I'm sorry.” “It's not a big deal, Mom. I was just curious.” “Okay, baby. I was thinking, maybe Dad and I should start making plans to come see you. International travel takes some planning, and we haven’t seen you in ages.” My pulse began to pound against my eardrums. I didn’t want my parents anywhere near this place, not when monsters lurked in the streets. Mom and Dad were the only family I had left, so I wasn’t about to risk losing them. I felt bad enough about Ashley’s injuries. If that had been my mom in the alley, I never would have forgiven myself. “I'm still getting situated. I think it might be best to wait. Maybe I’ll just come home for a quick visit at Christmas instead.” Questions raced through my head the second the words were out. Would these creatures follow me home? Could they already be finding their way out of Ireland?