CAT
Ijump out of bed the minute I hear Rex’s boat start. I am going to find a way to save me and my baby. Yes, my baby. Rex doesn’t deserve to be a father, and I may not have wanted this innocent life in the beginning, but I will be fucked if I let him hurt another one of my children.
I start on the floor below our bedroom and find a lot of empty, dusty rooms. Nothing here that will help me. I need to find a phone or a computer, anything so I can get a message to someone. Or a spare key to his boat.
Maybe I could drug him and sneak off the island one night. I know he has drugs around here somewhere. The time gaps I keep having are not from my lack of sleep.
Or maybe I should just kill him. Slit his throat in his sleep.
I need to do something. He’s not acting right, almost as if I’m expendable to him now. I thought giving in and being the perfect Cat to him would save us, but now I’m fearing it’s the worst thing I could have done. He’s losing his mind. Accusing me of things that aren’t possible. Calling me his mothers name when he is in a rage? He woke me up at three am the other night screaming about not having dinner on the table and spending all his money.
I move on to the first floor and start searching. I have been in most of the rooms before except the one he told me to never enter. His office. Fuck, I’m an idiot. I should have started here first.
I try the handle, but it’s locked. Of course it is, because nothing can ever be easy for me.
I quickly rush to the kitchen and grab a butter knife, then try to wedge the door open. It takes me a few minutes of time I don’t have to spare, and by the time it clicks open, I’m sweating with nerves.
Bizzy walks into the office with me and starts to scratch at a bookcase. I look it over, but I can’t see what her deal is. She whines and lies down on the side of it, and I notice a piece of the flooring is worn down there.
I carefully shove the bookcase to the side, thankfully it slides easily, and pray that there is something behind that door to help me. It’s not locked and opens. I need to hurry. I don’t know how long it’s been, but I know I am running out of time. Figuratively and literally.
A bright light assaults my eyes, and a stench that turns my stomach. I close my eyes and take some quick breaths, calming my stomach. Vomiting right now will not help. I blink a few times and walk into the room. There are three steps leading to a small space. It’s clean, sterile. It reminds me of the medical room, except here, all the walls are padded. I shiver and force myself to keep moving. What the fuck is this place?
“Hello. Is someone there?” a woman calls out, and I move inside. I know that voice. I glance around the corner to a living room, and my heart stops. My eyes fill with tears, and Bizzy shoves me aside to move to the woman sitting on a chair, watching something on TV. She smiles at the dog and talks softly to her.
“Nicole,” I gasp, and her eyes meet mine. Her brow furrows for a minute then she gives me a grin.
I rush over to her and wrap her tight in my arms, startling her. I thought I lost her four years ago. A pat on my shoulder brings me back to what she’s saying, her bracelet catches my eye, and I fight not to be sick once more.
“I’m sorry, do I know you? I think you may have me mixed up with someone else.” I look into the eyes of my sister. The one person I would recognize anywhere and shake my head.
“My name is Cat. Cat Baker,” she says with a small smile on her face. I shove away from her and trip over a leash, landing on my butt, shaking my head.
“No, you are Nicole Baker. My sister. You have been dead for four years. I was at your funeral. I held our father together as he lost it over your casket.” I crawl over to her and touch the bracelet I gave her the last time I saw her.
“I gave you this, so you would always know that I love you,” I plead, and she starts to get upset.
“I don’t know you. Where is Rexley? Where is my husband?” I freeze at that, and I think I’m going to be sick. I climb to my feet and grip the wall for support. I feel woozy, and my mind is racing.
She starts to shake her head and blink repeatedly, but that crazy smile on her lips doesn’t change.
“He warned me someone might try to take me from him,” she says calmly, climbing from her chair. I take a step closer to her, but she waves a blade in the air, stopping me. Where the hell did that come from?
I yelp and start to inch my way back to the door. My back hits a firm chest, and I know I’m utterly and truly fucked.
“Drop the knife, Kitty, I’m here,” Rex orders Nicole as he enters the room. She immediately listens and gives him a beaming grin. He reaches for her and pulls her into a tight hug, kissing her head.
“Rex, where have you been? It’s been weeks since I last saw you,” she says with awe in her voice. He gives her a look of love and glances at me with such betrayal and disgust in his eyes.
“I’ll be back soon, and we can talk okay?” he tells Nicole, and she nods, moving to the kitchen.
“I’ll make supper,” she coos with a giggle.
Coming closer, he grabs my elbow and drags me from the room. The minute the door is shut, I don’t even flinch from the back hand slap he gives me. The amount of fury racing through my blood right now makes me feel numb and murderous.
“What did you do?” I roar into his face, and he has the nerve to look hurt.
“I knew I couldn’t trust you. All you ever did was lie and cheat and hurt me. All I ever wanted was to make you mine,” he says in a sad voice, shaking his head. I open my mouth to continue yelling at him when a pinch on my neck has my legs wobbling.