Page 7 of Played by Him

Four

Screaming. They were screaming. Why wasn’t anyone helping them? Someone needed to help them.

I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t get up. I couldn’t even feel my own body.

Then I could feel it, and I wished I couldn’t.

That’s when I realized that I was the one who was screaming.

Screaming about how much I hurt. Screaming for help. Screaming for someone to stop him.

Stop him.

He was going to kill her.

Stab her. Leave her bleeding.

No. He’d already done that. He’d killed her, and I’d seen her.

Wait, not her. Her.

I watched as he grabbed her hair when she tried to run. He yanked her back, and her feet slipped in all that blood. She started to scream, and his blade moved across her throat, opening flesh and spilling blood.

The heavy scent and taste of iron and copper flooded my nose, my mouth. It coated my tongue, and I gagged. A fresh wave of pain tore through me.

I screamed…

And jerked awake.

My hand went to my chest automatically, then to my side. I sat up and caught my breath as a burning pain shot down my spine and then the back of my leg.

“Fuck.” I forced myself to swing my legs over the side of the bed and stood, grimacing at the pain.

I raised my arms over my head, then twisted, bent, stretching out the tight muscles in my back and side. As I moved, the pain didn’t fade, but I knew it would take time. When my father had cut me from sternum to spine, he’d miraculously missed major organs, but my nerves and muscles hadn’t completely healed, at least not back to the way they were originally. Every couple months or so, I’d get a muscle spasm that would pinch a nerve, and this would happen.

Sometimes, it was almost like a memory of the pain I’d been in that day, a ghost. And it wasn’t the only ghost that hovered around my subconscious, as my nightmare had reminded me.

Not that I’d ever really forgotten.

My hand automatically went to my chest. Like Jenna, I wore some of my reminders on my skin.

I limped into the bathroom and turned on the light. I would have to take things slow today, at least until my muscles relaxed and my nerves calmed down. It was a good thing Jalen and I hadn’t made plans for tonight, because the way I was feeling right now, I doubted I could’ve handled another night like last night.

I smiled through the pain as I showered, letting the hot water ease my muscles. Sex with Jalen was like an athletic event. I’d been less sore after various FBI training exercises.

I needed to stop thinking about sex with Jalen, or I’d never get any work done. I picked up my bottle of shampoo. Then again, I did have some time now to think things over…

* * *

I was already feeling betterby the time I got out of the shower. I dressed and headed to the kitchen to find a quick breakfast. Since it was down to only me, Burkart Investigations would be open only while I was there. I could be late without getting in trouble, but I could also possibly lose business if I didn’t open on time.

I’d just washed my breakfast dishes and left them in the rack to dry when it hit me that I should probably hire someone to answer the phone and take down appointments when I wasn’t there. It was either that, or whenever I was working a case that required me to actually leave the office, I’d have to lock up. Somehow, I didn’t think that would be the best way to run a business.

My phone rang as I reached for the door. “Hello?”

“Are you back in Colorado?”

I blinked at the familiar voice. “Jenna?”

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