my bedroom floor and stopped beside the bed. He must’ve been watching me because there was a full minute’s delay before he turned off the light and slid into bed beside me.
As usual, he pulled me into his arms and, as usual, I went willingly. His lips brushed my forehead and he whispered something I couldn’t quite make out before he stilled. I lay perfectly motionless until I heard his breathing become deep and even.
I don’t know how long we lay like that. I must’ve dozed off at some point because I came awake when Derek gently shifted and pulled away. I let him rearrange my limbs, making them as heavy and limp as possible. Then I listened as he quietly made his way from my room.
As soon as I heard the door from the kitchen open and close, I leapt up and threw on the jeans and sweatshirt that I had readied just inside my closet. I pushed my feet into my shoes and hurried to the door.
Derek quietly slid the garage door open and I watched as he pushed his bike down the driveway. I grabbed the Camaro keys from the hook beside the door and stepped out into the garage.
When he fired up the motorcycle’s engine, I ran to the car and started it as well. As soon as he was out of sight, I backed out of the driveway and flew down the street after him.
I reached the stop sign and said a silent prayer that he took a left. That was the direction that most everything was from my house so I figured that’s the way he’d go. I made the turn and sped up, looking for the single tail light of his bike.
Finally, it came into view. I slowed to avoid him paying too much attention to who was behind him. I just needed to keep him barely in sight, just enough to see if and when he turned.
We made several turns. Never did he drive any differently or let on that he knew I was back there. I could only assume that I had remained undetected.
After a few minutes, I found that I was anticipating his moves and that was because the roads were familiar to me. I knew where he was going.
Derek made the final right turn that would take him to the forks. I hung back so that he could drive ahead and not see me stop behind him. I killed the lights, pulled the car onto the shoulder and parked, climbing out quickly and making my way across the road and into the forest. I assumed he was going to the clearing and decided I would take a slightly different path to it so that he wouldn’t hear me following him.
It took me a bit longer to get there from my convoluted approach, but when I reached the small open area in the woods, my suspicion was confirmed. There, standing in the middle of the bare trees, was Derek. He was perfectly still and silent, as if he was waiting, but for what I didn’t know.
After several minutes, he finally turned as if he’d heard something. I looked toward the tree line and my heart sank.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Out of the shadows stepped a woman. I watched, spellbound and heartbroken, as she glided across the clearing to where Derek stood.
She was petite, her tiny but perfectly-formed body wrapped in snug black jeans and a jacket. Her long blonde hair hung in luxurious waves down her back and even from a distance I could see the classically beautiful features that the moon shone down upon.
When she reached Derek, she spoke. Though I couldn’t make out the words, I could hear the delicate tinkling of her voice. His response was unintelligible as well, just a rumble in the cool night air. The woman threw back her head and laughed, a seductive sound that made my stomach clench in misery.
She stepped closer to Derek, laying one hand on his arm and leaning in to his body. It was such an intimate gesture, I had to look away. And, though my heart was breaking, I had to know what they were saying.
As quietly as I could, I made my way through the trees to a position still hidden from view, but hopefully one that was within earshot.
It was.
“…my brother. I’ve done everything you’ve asked, told you everything you wanted to know.”
“What if I agreed to give you what you want most—your brother—for the small price of