Love is Murder by Sandra Brown

Author:Sandra Brown [Brown, Sandra]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, azw3, pdf
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2012-05-28T07:00:00+00:00

THE NUMBER OF MAN

J.T. Ellison

Eerie to the max. Hitchcock would have loved the creepy, delusional, manipulative character of Michael. ~SB

It began in a single moment, the briefest of connections. She, in pigtails, a miniature towheaded autocrat, ruling the playground as if it were her kingdom. He, sitting on the swings, the new boy, watching her cross the playground toward him, shoulders squared, prepared for battle. He was an outsider, an unknown, and therefore dangerous, and she needed to determine his loyalties. Only eight, he had been at the receiving end of this conversation several times; his mother wasn’t the most upright woman, had a tendency to follow her latest boyfriend when her previous love discarded her.

Imperious Caitlyn hadn’t stopped walking, just drove her shoulder into his and laughed as he lost his grip on the swing and toppled over backward.

“What’s your name?��

“Michael.”

Caitlyn had looked at him, and he squirmed. He knew he was dirty. It was inside him, and no amount of scrubbing would loosen its hold on his soul.

Her blue eyes pierced him, some ineffable movements behind the lashes as she decided his fate.

At long last, she nodded, curt as a judge.

“Fine. You can stay on the swings. We’re going to play kickball.” She turned, and her minions followed. He swore he heard Caitlyn whisper, “Keep away from me, Michael.”

He tried so very hard to listen.

* * *

Twenty years later, Michael stood in another lot, waiting for Caitlyn to notice him. He’d been waiting for a month, ever since he’d bumped into her accidentally. He, on his way to work. She, leaving hers after a hard day. Their footsteps tapped in time, echoing through the still night, sneakers and stilettos crossing the asphalt. Distracted by his earbuds, he’d nearly missed her. A flicker of a shadow caught his attention, he raised his head—and there she was. Their eyes met across the darkened parking lot, this same, perfect expanse. His breath came short. Panic, fear and love all mingled together in his thoughts. She was still perfect. He was lost again.

He waited for her every night after that, from the shadows, not wanting to frighten her. He was shy, so afraid to approach her. If she could only see him like she did when they were eight: just a scared young boy. She was too famous now, too important. She was always on her guard, would never let another being see inside her soul.

The Pixies screamed in his ears, words of numbers, of man and beast and heavens, and the death of all things, and he sang the chorus in his mind, knowing exactly what the song was telling him. The iPod was set to shuffle, and it was beyond fitting that this song, his anthem, had come on when he hit the power button.

Traffic had been a nightmare tonight, aggravated by the teasing rains. He never thought he’d make it, but he did. Breath catching in his chest, heart pounding from the sudden exercise, he waited in the usual spot.

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