Saving Cassie (Fairfield Corners) (14 page)

“No, I don’t think so.  I’ve
cracked a rib before and it hurts much worse than this,” he replies with a
grin.

“I still think you should
go get this checked out.  I can’t believe what we did last night, it had to
aggravate it, make it hurt even more!”

“Darlin’, by the time we
got back to the house I could have had twelve cracked ribs and not felt it.  I
was so hot for you, nothing was going to stop me.”

“But Logan,” I begin, “you
could have been seriously hurt.  Why did you take that puck for me?”

“Don’t you know, Darlin’?  I
would do anything to keep you safe, I would die for you.  Seriously, I love you,
Cassie.”

“Wow, where did that come
from?  I’ve only known you for a few weeks, not nearly long enough for you to
love me.  Up until a couple of weeks ago you could barely tolerate being in the
same room with me.”

“You’d be surprised, Darlin’.
 I’ve been fighting these feelings for you for a while now.  I didn’t want to
admit it, not even to myself.  But, when I saw that puck headed for you, I
couldn’t let it hit you.  I realized just how deep my love was for you.”

“I thought you despised
me, you acted like you couldn’t stand to be around me.  No one else was more
surprised than me when you asked me out.”

“I asked you out because I
thought I could get you out of my system.  The last time I felt anything close
to this for someone it didn’t end well.  I was sure that you were going to be
just like her, playing men off each other like toys.  I thought you were in
love with James, especially after the second time I met you, you were sitting
on his lap kissing him.”

“That was just me picking
on James.  I’m sure you’ve seen him blush when Marie kisses him in public, I
just can’t resist teasing him.  Just to be clear, kissing him is like kissing my
brother, no romantic feelings there at all.  We did try the
boyfriend-girlfriend thing in high school.  The first time I kissed him I burst
out laughing!”

“Glad to hear it, I sure
wouldn’t want to lose my job over a woman again.”

“Again?”

“I was dating the
Commander’s daughter in Atlanta.  Turns out she was also ‘dating’ three other
cops, playing us off each other.”

“What a bitch.  I hope you
threw her out on her ear.”

“I threatened to tell her
father.  She laughed at me, dared me to do it.  Turns out, one of the other
guys beat me to it.  About two weeks later I was fired for having drugs in my
locker.  Now, you should know me well enough to know that I would never do
drugs.”

“That must have really
hurt.  I know how much you love being a deputy.”

“It took me five years to
get another job in law enforcement.  Luckily, James believed my side of the
story.  Two months later I found you in James’ lap, but I just couldn’t stay
away from you.  Didn’t help that I had to be here 24/7 to protect you from what
turns out to be a demon obsessed with killing you.”

“What a story, I can’t
believe she would do that to you.  She better not show her face around here,
I’ll rip it off.”

“What a little wildcat!  Sure
hope I don’t get on your bad side.”

“You better not Dudley.  I
sure would hate to have to hurt you.”  I kiss him lightly and get out of bed.  “Now,
about your back, I want you to at least go and get it checked out.”

“Sorry, Darlin’, but I
can’t today.  Today is the fireman’s funeral in Fort Wayne at 11 am.  I need to
get going, my dress uniform is at my apartment.”

“At least stay for
breakfast.  I’m sure the funeral will take a while and you won’t have time for
lunch.  Can’t have you passing out from lack of food, I won’t be there to catch
you.”

“Are you sure about this?  I
can stay here with you today.  I hate that both James and I will be gone for
most of the day.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep
Princess with me and I promise to have my gun handy.  Don’t know how much good
it will do against a demon, but I’ll keep it close.”

“If anything happens, you
call me and James.  I mean it Cassie!”

“OK, OK.  I’ll call if
anything happens.  Now sit down and have some breakfast.”

With Logan and James both
gone, I finally have some time to myself.  I want to do some more research on
Reverend Jake now that I know his real name.  I grab my laptop and head for the
porch.  I have to go back and get my gun, belatedly remembering my promise to
Logan.  Princess lies down beside my chair and I work for about an hour before
my computer shuts down.  Well, crap, I must have forgotten to plug it in
yesterday.  I get up and go upstairs and get the power cord.

When I come back
downstairs, someone is sitting in my chair, petting Princess.  He looks up and
smiles at me, “Hey Cass, how are you?”

My heart starts racing and
I have to remind myself to breathe.  That night of terror flashes in front of
my eyes and I grab the porch railing to keep from falling to the floor.  He
doesn’t look like a monster in the light of day, he looks like the man I fell
in love with before the drugs and the alcohol changed him.

“Um, hi Matt.  What are
you doing here?”  He’s wearing a jeans and a flannel shirt unbuttoned over a
white t-shirt.  Thank God he’s not wearing that leather jacket.  “I have to
warn you, James knows what happened and he is really angry with you,” I say,
trying not to let him see how terrified I am.

“That’s what I wanted to
talk to you about Cassie, what happened between us.”

“There is nothing to talk
about,” I say, as I am trying to keep my emotions under control.  This is the
Matt I remember, before the undercover work and the drugs and alcohol.  “You
killed what we had and you put me in the hospital!” I yell as I walk backwards
towards the door, still not willing to tell him about the baby, about how he
killed our baby.

“I swear Cass, that wasn’t
me.  I don’t remember it, I can’t believe that I did that.  I love you Cass,
why would I do that to you?”

“You weren’t yourself, you
weren’t the man I was in love with.  The drugs and the alcohol took you away
from me and left me with someone who beat me,” I sob, “you took so much away
from me!”

“What did I take away from
you?” he asks.

“Other than my peace of
mind?  How about the fact that I was pregnant when you beat me.  We were
supposed to be a family but you killed it!”  I sob harder, “I can’t forgive you
for that.  I can never have that now.”  I wrap my arms around myself, trying to
hold in the hurt and the anger.

“My God, Cassie, I had no
idea you were pregnant.  What do you mean, you can never have that now?”

“I mean, that when I lost
the baby it did permanent damage.  Chances are that I will never become
pregnant again.  If I did, I probably couldn’t carry it to term anyway.”

Matt looks at me with
sorrow in his eyes, “I don’t remember anything about that night.  I remember
having a killer headache that morning and then waking up in jail.  It felt like
someone was taking over my life, that someone else was in control.  The
headaches started about two weeks before that night, getting worse each day.  I
would do things, thinking the whole while that that was something I would never
do.  It felt like someone else was controlling me.  When I looked in the
mirror, I didn’t recognize the face looking back at me, especially the eyes.  The
eyes were green and filled with hatred, not my eyes at all.”

This brings my attention
back to the present.  “I thought I made that up, the green eyes.  I thought I
made that up to try and tell myself it was someone else, that it wasn’t you who
was hurting me.”  I walk back out onto the porch, sitting in the other chair,
still on my guard.  “I didn’t want to believe that you could do that, sober or
not.”

“I swear Cassie, it wasn’t
me.”  He reaches over the table and tries to take my hand.  I pull my hand
back, not wanting him to touch me.  “Someone else was in control.  I think
that’s why I was drinking so much, I couldn’t face what was happening.  I am so
sorry Cassie.  What can I do to make things right between us?”

I get up and start pacing,
“I don’t know that that is possible.  Too much has happened, even if it wasn’t
you.  It felt like you and I don’t know if I can get beyond that.”  I stop and
turn to look at him.  “I think I know what was controlling you, though I don’t
think you will believe it.”

“What are you talking
about?  And why do you have a gun sitting out here in plain sight?  What are
you afraid of?”

The screen door starts
slamming on its own, swinging open and slamming shut.  Gram must be trying to
make a point.  I explain to Matt about Gram, about how she is communicating
with us.  He looks at me like I am out of my mind.  Suddenly, my computer comes
back on.  I look at the screen and see this:
 “Drinks!”

“I think Gram is trying to
tell me I’ve forgotten my manners.  How about some iced tea?  I made some
yesterday.  Do you still drink it sweet?”

“That sounds good.” He
stands up and starts to move towards me, “Need some help?”

I take a step back, still
not comfortable with this whole situation.  I wish Logan or James was here.  “Nope,
I’ve got it.”  I start towards the door, “Please stay out here and I’ll get
it.”

He sits back down, looking
sorrowful.  “I’m sorry you don’t feel comfortable around me.  I’ll stay out
here, I promise.”

I get up and go into the
house, locking the door behind me.  When I get to the kitchen, I lean up
against the wall.  I can’t believe Matt is here and that I believe him when he
says it was someone else controlling him.

I am carrying our drinks out
to the porch when I hear yelling.  I get the door unlocked and open, dropping
the glasses when I see what is happening.  Logan is hitting Matt, beating him.  “Logan,
no!”

He looks over at me, with
fury in his eyes.  “How can you say that after what he did to you?” and he hits
Matt again.  James pulls up and gets out of his cruiser, heading up the porch
steps.

I see the look on his face
and I step in front of him.  “Don’t you dare James!” and I walk over to Logan,
putting my hand on his arm.  “Please stop, Logan.  Hear what he has to say.”

“I don’t know if I can do
that, Darlin’.  I want to put him in the ground for what he did to you.”

“I don’t think he was in
control that night.  I think it was the demon.  Can we talk about this before
you beat him to a pulp?”  I look up and see James looking at Matt with a
murderous glint in his eye.  “James, hear him out.  Please, for me.”

“Are you sure, Cassie?  Logan
and I could take care of him and no one would ever know.”

“Yes, I’m sure.  You will
not do anything else to Matt.  We are going to talk, and you are going to
behave yourselves, both of you.  Now let’s go sit in the living room and
discuss this like adults.  Matt, let me get you some ice for that eye.”  I stop
and pick up the glasses, thankful that I had used the plastic so nothing was
broken.  I follow Matt into the house, whispering to him, pleading with him to
not say anything about the baby; that would probably send them both over the
edge.  He nods slightly to let me know he heard me.

I go out to the kitchen
and start some coffee, I think we are all going to need it.  I put some ice in
a towel and head out to the living room.  Matt is sitting in the chair and
James is on the couch.  Logan is pacing like a wild tiger, his hands twitching.
 I can tell he wants to get his hands on Matt again.

I take the chair farthest
away from Matt, “OK, let’s start at the beginning.”  I recount the entire
story, beginning with my parents joining the cult and going all the way to what
has happened recently.  Matt stops me frequently, asking questions.  He is a
detective, so maybe he can help us make some sense of this.  I also tell James
and Logan what Matt and I had discussed before they arrived without mentioning
anything about the baby.

When I finish, Matt just
looks at me.  I can see he is trying to make sense of everything I just told
him.  “A demon possessed me to try and kill you?  Is that what you are telling
me?”

“As crazy as that sounds,
yes.”

After everything that
happened yesterday I told Logan that I wanted to sleep by myself. Seeing Matt
brought back the feelings of inadequacy.  Logan deserves someone who can give
him children.  I get ready for church and head downstairs.  I sure hope Logan slept
in this morning, I don’t know if I can face him.

“Morning, Darlin’.  Ready
for church?”

Crap.  “Yeah, I figured I
could use all the help I can get.”

“Well then, let’s go.”

Two hours later, we are
headed for James and Marie’s for a cookout.  The weather is holding but it
won’t for much longer.  We park Logan’s Jeep at my house and walk next door,
enjoying the weather. Logan holds my hand, rubbing his thumb against my palm.  God,
how I dread the talk I will have to have with him.

We go to the backyard, where
James is lighting the grill.  “I’m going to see if Marie needs any help,” I say
as I head in the back door.  Marie is busy in the kitchen, pulling things out
of the fridge.

“Hey Marie.  What can I
help with?”

“How about cutting these
up for the salad?” she asks, handing me what looks like an entire garden.

“Sure thing,” I say as I
get the cutting board out of the cupboard.  I set it on the counter next to the
sink.  When I look up, I see Logan pushing Olivia on her tire swing.  It makes
my heart hurt to see this, to know that I can never give him a family.  I turn
and put the cutting board on the table and sit down to slice and dice.

“What’s wrong Cassie?  Why
the long face?”

“Just thinking about
everything that has been happening.”  I rub my temples lightly, trying to get
rid of the slight headache I have.  “Did James fill you in on Matt’s visit
yesterday?”

“Oh yeah, and was he
pissed!  He feels like things are spiraling out of control and he can’t do
anything about it.  You know how he likes to control everything.  This whole
situation is driving him crazy.  How are you feeling about what happened
yesterday?”

I almost tell Marie about
the decision I’ve made, about everything, but I can’t.  I don’t want to see the
pity in her eyes.  “I hope Matt can help us figure it out.  I still don’t feel
comfortable around him.  I know it wasn’t him, but it’s just hard to forget.  I
don’t think James has forgiven him either.  He’s only tolerating him because I
begged him to.  And Logan still looks at him with murder in his eye.  I hope we
get this figured out soon.  I don’t know how long I can keep them away from
him.  Part of me wants to let them do what they want to him.”

“Well, let’s not think
about that today.  The weather is beautiful and we are together, let’s enjoy it.”

I finish the salad and
carry it to the backyard.  James is standing at the grill, flipping the burgers
and Logan is carrying Olivia around on his back.  He winces when she manages to
kick him where he is bruised from the hockey puck, but he is laughing and
having a great time otherwise.

We just sit down to eat
when James’ radio crackles, “Sheriff, you there?” we hear, “Come in, sheriff.”

James grabs his radio and
presses the talk button, “What’s up Maureen?”

“We have a domestic
battery call at Dan and Mel’s.  The neighbors called it in, says it sounds like
he’s killing her.”

We all glance at each
other, worried, as James responds, “Logan and I are on our way.”

“Sorry ladies, duty
calls.”  James kisses Marie and Logan walks over to me, not sure if I’ll let
him do the same to me.  I kiss him on the cheek and he seems to accept that.

“Be safe, both of you.” I
say, as always, worried when it’s a domestic call.

Marie and I sit down with
Olivia to eat.  We are used to James being called away when it’s time for a
meal.

A couple of hours later
they return, both looking grim.

“What’s wrong,” I ask,
with my heart sinking in my chest.  “Is Mel Ok?”

James replies, “Yes, she’s
fine.  I’ll go get Marie, I only want to tell this once.  I still can’t believe
it.”

I grab Logan’s hand,
looking in his eyes for an answer.  It must be bad.

James and Marie come and
sit down with us in the living room.  “OK, tell me.  What’s wrong?” I ask.

James begins, “this
afternoon, it seems that Dan got drunk and started to beat on Mel.”

“What?  Is she OK?  What
happened?” I ask, my heart feeling like it’s up in my throat.

“I’m getting to it, now
just let me tell it.  Dan chased her into the kitchen, yelling the whole time
about how he has to kill her, because she is your friend.”

I gasp, afraid of what I
am going to hear next.

“He followed Mel into the
kitchen, hitting her whenever he could.  Mel reached the stove and picked up
her grandmother’s cast iron skillet and hit Dan upside the head with it just as
we got there.  He is in intensive care with a cracked skull.  He’s in a
medically induced coma until the swelling in his brain goes down.  Mel says
he’s been having terrible headaches for about a week, they think it may be a
brain tumor but they won’t be able to tell until the swelling is gone.”

“Poor Mel, I’ve got to get
to the hospital.  She needs her friends there.”  The last part of what James
said begins to sink in.  I don’t remember Matt mentioning the headaches after
James and Logan showed up.  Oh my God, it’s all my fault!  This reinforces the
decision I made earlier.

“I’m going to the hospital
to be with Mel.  I’ll call you when I have more information.”  I hope they
can’t tell I’m lying.  I’ve got to get away before someone else gets hurt
because of me.  I head out the door towards my house, hoping they don’t follow
me.  I’ve got to get far away from everyone I love, I can’t take the chance
they will be hurt because of their proximity to me.  I walk into my house and
go upstairs and start packing a bag, just the basics, I can buy more when I get
away.  Every time I turn around, everything I put in the bag starts floating
back out and back into the drawer.  Gram must not want me to leave, but I can’t
stay and watch my friends fall victim to this demon.

“Cassie, where are you, Darlin’?”
I hear Logan yell from downstairs.  “I’ll drive you to the hospital, you’re
upset and shouldn’t be driving.”

I stand still, hoping he
thinks I already left.  No such luck, I hear him come up the stairs and head
for my room.  “Cassie?” he asks, “are you up here, Darlin’?”  He comes into the
room, stopping when he sees me standing there with my clothes in my hand.  His
eyes turn ice blue, “What the hell are you doing, Cassie?  Running away?”

“I can’t stay here and
wonder which one of the people I love he is going to hurt or possess next.  Dammit
Logan, what if it’s you?  I couldn’t stand it!”

My laptop on my desk flips
open and the screen lights up.  Logan turns and looks at it and turns back to
me grinning.

“I don’t think you are
going anywhere, Darlin’,” he says, turning the computer so I can see what is on
the screen:
Don’t let her go he will kill her
.

I continue packing,
knowing that Logan won’t let me go without a fight, dreading leaving him.

“Your Gram is right, I
can’t let you go.  He’ll find you wherever you run, Darlin’.”  He comes over to
me and grabs my arms, “I won’t let you leave.”

“Let go of me, Logan.  You
can’t make me stay.”  I can’t hold back the tears, “I am not going to stay
around here and watch the people I love become the tools of a demon!  I would
rather he kill me!”

I hear someone come in the
door downstairs.  “Reggie, are you still here?” James yells.

“Up here, James,” Logan
yells.

“Traitor!  Why don’t you
let me go?  I am doing this to save everyone I love, including you!  Let me go,
Logan!” Logan lets me go and stands there with his arms crossed, looking like
he’s chiseled out of stone.

James walks in the room
and surveys the clothes strewn around and Logan standing there like a
pissed-off statue.  “What is going on in here?  Cassie, what are you doing?”

“She’s got it in her head
to protect us by leaving.  She has this crazy idea that she will keep us safe
by facing this all by herself.”

“Are you nuts?  What put
that into your head?” James asks.

I sit on the bed, knowing
I’m going nowhere unless I can convince these two that it will keep me safe.  “Something
that Matt said.  He was getting bad headaches before that night just like Dan.  I
bet Mel will say that his eyes were glowing green, too.  I can’t take the
chance that you could possibly hurt Marie or Olivia because of me.  I won’t let
that happen!  Please, let me go.  It’s the only way to keep you all safe.”  Tears
are now running down my face, “Quit making this harder than it has to be.  Let
me go!”

James comes over to me and
takes my hand.   He stands in front of me, looking about has happy as the
stone-faced deputy a few feet away.  “There is no way in hell I’m letting you
face this on your own.  You’re family and family sticks together no matter
what.  You try to run and I’ll hunt you down and bring you back.  You know I’ll
do it, too.”

“I have to agree with him,
Darlin’, there is no way that you are dealing with this alone.  I promise, we
will keep Marie and Olivia safe.”

“Yes, we will.  I’ll send
them to visit Marie’s mother tomorrow.  According to Janet, this demon will get
stronger the closer it gets to Halloween, which is in two weeks.  We can keep
you safe for that long, so no arguing about it, you’re staying!”