7. CATALINA

SEVEN

catalina

Trembling from lust and fear, I gingerly felt my raw, bleeding throat. My body was giving in even as it craved. The rancid scent in the cave burned my nose and I blinked, trying to make out more than just rocks and shadows in the cave.

I hated the darkness.

His heavy weight shifted, large, boney fingers flexing around my thigh. My heart slammed against my chest.

He would kill me soon—drain me dry. Pressure settled on my lungs, and I struggled to draw in breaths.

I shot up in bed, clasping my chest as my other hand scrambled at the nightstand, hunting for my medicine. My fingertips grazed it and relief drooped my shoulders as I put it to my mouth. Puff.

A throb started at my temples. The encounter with the vampires were making my attacks more frequent. I hadn’t had to use my inhaler this much in months, which checked out considering it was stress induced. The sun hung low in the sky. Last night, I’d paced around, cleaned, mulled over how to come up with the money to leave, but after my bath, my eyelids had grown increasingly heavy. I’d meant to sit for a second, but I’d slept through the entire day. I looked to the thrashed bedsheets, seeking out my cell phone. But the spot remained empty.

I couldn’t find it at all, not just now. I’d turned my things upside down, but it was nowhere to be seen . . . it likely fell out in my van miles away from here. And I couldn’t use my laptop because there was no WIFI.

I had no way to get out of here since my car was still in the parking lot and I’d had no way to call for a ride, even if I could afford the expense. I scrubbed my fingertips through my hair.

I felt helpless and tears pushed to the surface. The vampires would likely kill me, and I’d leave Peter behind, but I didn’t want to disappear on him without a word. Not again.

When that vampire took me and I was gone for a little more than a month, Peter had to fend for himself. He got himself to and from school, fed himself. All of it. When I’d gotten back from the hospital, he’d told me it was because he didn’t want to go into child protective services—he didn’t want to be taken from me.

My heart throbbed at the memory of his young tear-filled eyes. I’d kept him with me for a few months as I kept on moving, but eventually I’d recognized how I was hurting him more than anything. And I’d wanted him away from me if the vampire or any vampire ever caught up to me. Looked like my instincts were right.

So I’d sent him to boarding school in Mexico despite his pleas not to. I’d figured, since we had some extended family over there, he could always fall on them if something happened. If anything, my brother was taken care of if I died.

They couldn’t find out about him. I would rather die than have them get their evil hands on him.

I groaned and scrubbed my face. Enough melancholy, time to figure out how to run from these fanged monsters.

Shuffling out of the bedroom, I went directly to the Keurig and smacked it on. I’d set everything up last night so that was all I had to do in the morning. I’d learned it was my best bet in waking up, since I was not a morning person. Not even a little bit.

Using the pads of my fingers, I drummed on the counter as the brown liquid sputtered into the mug. The curtain hanging before the window fluttered, exposing my phone on the sill. I hurried to grab it. It hadn’t been there yesterday . . . or had it? I frowned, wracking my brain. I was pretty sure I’d looked, but then again, it’d been dark since the electricity was scheduled to be turned on today.

Now I felt like I was gaslighting myself.

My coffee machine beeped to tell me it was done, and I wrapped my palm around the warmth of the mug and shivered at the heat. It felt good in the chilly weather. Opening the front door, I studied the area. It was quiet and empty. I stepped out onto the porch, breathing in the crisp late evening air. There was nothing better than this and once the coffee kicked in, I would figure out my game plan. With their threat hanging over my head, I didn’t want to chance them catching me, so I had to be one hundred percent sure I could disappear without a trace.

Birds were the only sound as my eyes slid closed and I inhaled deeply. A desk set up out here would be perfect for evening writing sessions. At least that was what I would have done if I hadn’t moved in next to a bunch of vampires.

Turning, I frowned at the envelope in the mailbox. It must have been delivered while I slept.

I plucked the envelope from the box, read the sender address, and groaned. The boarding house worked quickly. Didn’t even give me a week to settle in, as soon as they’d gotten my new address, they sent over next quarter’s bill. I stuck my phone in my armpit and using my nail, I ripped it open while balancing my coffee.

My eyes rounded, my hand holding the mug growing limp. I didn’t hear the crash of ceramic with wood as brown liquid sprayed across the porch. Another tuition raise?

I whimpered, leaning against the wall and sliding down until my butt hit the slats of the porch. A chill crept into the bottom of my cheeks at the lack of coverage from my shorts.

My phone vibrated and I lifted it to my ear without looking at the caller.

“Hello.”

“Hey.” Peter sounded winded and there was an edge to his voice. Something was wrong.

“Why are you whispering?” Silence and then he cleared his throat. “ Peterrrr ...”

“My cell phone was taken away.”

“What happened?” I curled my toes within my slippers—very much on edge. He was lucky he wasn’t in front of me because I’d be dragging him by the ear to get him to spit it out.

“Nothing,” he whispered and cleared his throat. “Catty, I fucked up.” The dejected tone wrenched into my heart.

“Peter, what happened?”

“Um . . .”

“Peter,” I repeated and even though my voice sounded normal, my eyes watered.

“Fine,” he breathed in my ear and he went silent. “Catty.” He paused. “I’m so sorry. I can get a job and help pay—” Dread tightened my stomach.

“What happened?”

“I should have known better ... I’m so sorry, Cat.”

“You’re freaking me out here.”

“I took a car out for a joy ride.” I snorted an incredulous laugh, but quickly stilled it. I pressed my lips between my teeth. It better not be what I thought he was insinuating.

“I crashed it.” He shouldn’t have done it, but at least he was safe— “Into the side of the administration building.”

Worry swelled to life.

“Are you injured?” I said, rushed.

“Nothing happened to me, but . . .” He hesitated. “They’re sending you a bill.”

I thumped my head on the wall.

I said nothing, instead squeezed my eyes closed. This was no good. My headache worsened to a category five level.

“I’ll deal with it,” I said stiffly. What else could I say?

“I’m sorry.” The frustration seeped from his tone. “I can get a job to help pay?—”

“No,” I snapped. I blew a raspberry. “I will handle it, Peter. What were you thinking?” He inhaled sharply and I could feel another revelation coming.

“It was stupid, I was trying to impress this girl.” A girl. My little brother had an entire life he was building over there . . . without me. I struggled to swallow.

“I’ll handle it, but I have to go. I need to figure some things out.” Clicking the call off in the middle of what he was saying, I navigated to my emails and opened the one from his school. I was already gritting my teeth before I read it.

They had wasted no time sending me the bill, whoever had drafted this email must have sent it during the night.

But sixty thousand dollars?

That was more than my next book advance that was scheduled to deposit in four months. I whimpered as I typed my response informing them I would have their money by their deadline when all I wanted to do was call and go off about the charges. But it would be a waste of time, the school had been such a peach and sent attachments of everything . Peter fucked up, and I had to fix it or he’d get kicked out.

I needed to get a hold of my agent, Erin, to ask about getting my advance sooner.

So much for getting a new anything. I thumped my head again and dropped the phone in my lap.

Fur tickled my leg and I sucked in a startled breath. Looking down at the largest, strangest colored cat I’d ever seen rubbing against my leg. It released a vibrating meow and pressed the front of its head to my leg, rubbing hard.

It was dark blond—a coloring I’d never seen. Her piercing blue eyes met mine and her tail flicked. She looked like a Maine Coon.

I lifted my hand and hovered it near her face to make sure she was okay with me touching, and when she did nothing, I touched my fingertips to the back of her neck. She arched and grumbled, stepping toward me and rubbing against my side.

I dragged my nails through her fur and she climbed in my lap. She seemed docile, so I pressed my fingers under her little joints and tested lifting her. When she didn’t freak out, I held her over my face, checking her genitals just to make sure.

A boy. He hissed and lashed out, claws raking across my arm. I gasped, and dropped him as carefully as I could. Blood dripped down to my elbow.

“Okay, okay, my bad,” I murmured. He didn’t have a collar, but he seemed clean and healthy.

It happened often that families left cats behind because of moves, and I wondered if this was one of those instances. I ran my fingers gently over his body. Everything seemed intact.

I removed my touch lest he slice into my arm again. He grumbled throatily.

“You hungry?” His bottom flattened to the ground, tail lashing out behind him as his incredibly blue eyes peered back at me, framed by blond little lashes.

“Let me get you some turkey.” I padded inside, slippers shuffling across the uneven floor.

A meow stopped me in my tracks, and I looked over at the entrance where I’d left the door open where he’d waited, looking directly at me. So cute, it was like he was waiting for an invitation.

“You want to come with me?” The cat meowed as if answering. “You’re a smart one,” I cooed and crouched. “Come here.” He hopped over the entrance, tail swishing as he pressed into my fingers.

I laughed at the desperate way he asked for head scratches.

“Are you touch-deprived, little guy?” I hummed and gave into his demands. “Let’s go get some food.”

Fortunately, the prior renters had left their stove and refrigerator. I’d had little time to get food, but the ice chest I carried on my drive held all the makings for a sandwich. Pulling out a plate, I set it on the counter and cut up some thick turkey.

Crouching, I placed it in front of him, but he hissed at it. “Is this not good enough for you?” I grinned, scratching the top of his head. I snatched my vibrating cell phone and answered.

“Catalina? It’s Elsa, from St. Helena’s Animal Shelter.”

“Good morning.”

There was a brief pause on the other end and then she cleared her throat. Was this more bad news? I wanted to groan, but I stifled it since I was on the phone.

“I’m sorry, we’re having a few issues with the volunteer scheduling. We won’t be needing you until next week.”

This worked in my favor, considering I may be long gone by then.

“No worries, see you next week.” I finished, though I’d heard the click while I was mid-sentence.

I squeezed my eyelids shut, slamming the phone down on the counter, then sucked in a breath and lifted it, making sure I hadn’t broken it. There was no way I could afford another expensive phone right now. Fortunately, it was fine, so I gently set it aside and pressed my palms onto the surface. Blood tickled my arm, and I grabbed a napkin to absorb it. I hissed at the touch of the paper towel grazing the scratches.

My volunteering was the only way I left the house and experienced a little socialization, but at this moment, it would have been a distraction since contacting my agent was at the top of my to-do list. The throbbing had worsened, and it was slowly spreading down my neck. Nausea swirled in my stomach, and I pressed my fisted hands to my eye sockets. Hopefully, Erin could get me my advance a sooner.

If that didn’t happen, I was screwed. I needed to come up with sixty thousand dollars, next quarter’s tuition, and living expenses. Even if I obtained a second job, there was no way I’d come up with that, it’d take me a decade. God, why was I freaking about this, it was highly probable I would be dead soon.

Swiping to Erin’s information, I called her. It rang once and her voice crackled through.

“There’s my favorite paranormal romance writer,” she announced, forcefully cheerful. “What can I do for her?”

“Is it possible to get my advance sooner?” I didn’t bother beating around the bush. She had many clients and was always doing something. The line went quiet.

“Sorry, Catalina, there’s nothing I can do. The publisher has you scheduled in four months.”

The edges of the cell dug into my hand, and I puffed a breath out and the hair framing my face fluttered around my cheeks.

I was shit out of luck.

“Hey babe, I’ll call you later, I’m dealing with an interview emergency.” The line went dead, and I drooped, the lip of the counter digging into my side as I lowered to the floor. I’d spent hours cleaning yesterday, so the floor sparkled. I dazed on the linoleum flooring and it blurred in my sight.

What do you want, money?

That vampire mentioned he’d pay me if I helped them, but with what?

I scoffed and shook my head, blinking the tears away... I couldn’t believe I considered this.

“They would have already killed me if they wanted,” I mumbled. “I mean, they know where I live, so they could have snapped my neck last night, right, kitty?”

The cat meowed like he was agreeing.

It was a bad idea to get tangled up with the soulless creatures. Being near them would only serve to remind me of the torment the red-eyed Pale One put me through. Although . . . I didn’t think they would just let me go now that they found out I couldn’t fall under their weird mind control. I shivered, rubbing my arms.

“Do I even have a choice?” The cat tilted his head and pressed his front paws into my thigh, sinking his claws into my skin. I winced, and avoided the claws. “I’m gonna do it.” I couldn’t believe I was pumping myself up to a cat. “I have to do it.”

I didn’t even know what ‘it’ was, but I didn’t think I had the option to be selective.

Nervous energy pricked my skin and I rubbed my arms.

“Why haven’t they come to drag me out of my house yet?” I sucked on my lower lip.

The cat rubbed against my calf.

Earlier, I’d said it couldn’t be worse, and now I reaped the consequences. I’d successfully jinxed myself. I had no choice but to turn to the vampires.