Catch Me When I Fall by Vicki Leigh Read Free Book Online Page B

protecting Kayla, I could see what she saw in Kayla’s mind once I linked hands with her. The connection was part of the supernatural bond we’d created with Kayla when we performed our ritual the first day we were assigned to her. I grabbed Tabbi’s hand and closed my eyes. Within seconds, I was in Kayla’s head, seeing through her eyes and feeling her emotions. I had
become
Kayla.
    Kayla hummed as she chopped vegetables for her salad on the island in her kitchen. Someone knocked on the front door, and she glanced at the clock on her microwave.
I thought I told Renee not to come until seven
. Kayla set the knife down and walked through the immense house to the foyer then opened the door. Matt, her mother’s boyfriend, stood on the other side with a bouquet of flowers in his hands.
    “Hi, Kayla. Is your mom home?”
    Aww, Mom’s going to love this.
Kayla shook her head with a soft smile. “She’s at work until four, but I’ll let her know you stopped by. Want me to put the flowers in a vase?”
    “Okay. Well, can I at least come in and leave a note to go with it?”
    Kayla nodded. “Sure.”
    Matt smiled and stepped inside the door. Kayla led him through the house to the kitchen and took a vase out of a cupboard. “So, what’s up with the flowers?”
    “Oh, you know. Just thought your mom would like them.”
    Kayla giggled. “You know her well.” She turned around to hand the vase to him and stopped. The flowers were on the counter, and Matt stood just inches from her. A slow smile rose on his face. Kayla’s heart raced. “Um, if you’ll just let me get to the flowers, I can, you know.”
    Matt grabbed her wrist as she tried to push past him. “The flowers can wait. They’re not the real reason I’m here. You are.”
    “Let me go.” Kayla stared right into his eyes though the hairs on her arms rose and her palms sweated.
    But he didn’t. Instead, he slammed her against the kitchen counter and tried to plant his lips on hers. The vase fell to the floor and shattered.
    “No!” she shouted and turned her face. Kayla shoved Matt’s face away from hers.
    He growled in annoyance. “Don’t fight me, Kayla. I don’t want to hurt you.”
    Matt leaned in to kiss her again, but Kayla slapped him.
    “Behave!” He hit her back, punching her in the eye.
    Kayla squealed and tried to struggle out of Matt’s hold, but he pushed her harder until the edge of the counter dug into her back to the point of pain.
    “Let me go! Help!” she screamed.
    “Shut up!” He hit her again.
    She didn’t quiet. Instead her screams turned into cries. She squirmed, slapped him and kicked his shins, but all she seemed to do was fuel his desire. His lips found her neck as he held her wrists against the cold marble of the countertops, and he kissed up her chin to her lips.
    Then he slid his tongue into her mouth. Kayla bit down, and Matt jumped back with a curse. “You little bitch!” He took one hand off of her to slap her.
    She reacted quickly and brought her knee up, hitting him between the legs as hard as she could. His moment of shock was all she needed. Kayla squirmed out of his grasp and ran through her house and up the stairs, knowing her mother’s gun was in the desk drawer in her room. After being home alone all the time, she’d stolen it from her mom’s safe and tucked it away in her bedroom as a safety precaution.
    Her paranoia was about to pay off.
    With shaky hands, Kayla grabbed the revolver out of her desk. She turned around, her finger on the trigger. Matt entered the room, his face red and his teeth bared. The knife Kayla had been using to cut her vegetables was in his right hand.
    Kayla pulled the trigger, her heart racing in her chest. Matt jumped as the bullet flew past his head. Kayla whimpered and pulled the trigger again. The bullet missed.
    Four more times she shot at him, and Matt shrunk away each time. But Kayla’s hands were too shaky. The gun had a wicked kick, and she never once hit her