Mosquito Chase by Jaycee Ford Read Free Book Online Page A

hand in front of me. I couldn’t see it. I covered my mouth, concealing the weeps in the silence. A faint echo scratched my ear. I removed my hand from my mouth, taking a deep, shaky breath as I walked forward into the darkness. The sun’s warmth vanished and this new darkness chilled me to the core. The echoes grew louder, clearer.
    “You tell Mateo that he’ll get his fucking money when he replaces the product.”
    Oh, God. No.
    “Simon! No!” I screamed as I ran into the never-ending darkness. I ran and ran to get to him. Tears streamed down my face. I couldn’t see, but I needed to. I needed to see Simon. If I could get to him, maybe… maybe…
    BOOM!
    Red. Everything was red. My feet dragged to a stop, knees buckling to the floor. My chest constricted with agony. I had lost him again. My head fell into my hands, and I rocked forward on my knees as I tried to keep the grief in. I didn’t want to see the world without Simon. Waiting for eternity in this darkness was better than seeing the world move on without him.
    “Angie…”
    My name echoed in a deep Irish brogue. I shook my head as I lifted it from my hands. A faint light shined through the darkness as a suited man walked cautiously toward me.
    “Angie?”
    My heart wept for him. I knew this part all too well. He would never reach me, and I would wake up alone. I buried my face into my hands again. I couldn’t watch him vanish into the air like all those other times.
    “Angie. Angie. Angie.”
    I shook my head as his voice became a faint echo. My heart begged me to get up and go, to scramble up from my knees and chase him into the lingering mist, but my head shook these thoughts away.
    “Angie?”
    My heart clenched at his southern drawl. My breathing ceased. Warm hands covered my cheeks.
    “Angie, you gotta get up and hide.”
    I uncovered my eyes as his cobalt ones bore into me. Why was he here?
    “Caleb?”
    He lifted me from the floor, helping me to my feet. Blood trickled down his cheek, his eyes wide and filled with despair.
    “You’re hurt,” I said, not understanding what was going on. I felt concern about his face and his apparent anxiety.
    He pulled me into his arms. A sigh of relief escaped as his protection surrounded me.
    “You gotta hide!” He pushed me into a corner. The blackness turned to grey, but I still couldn’t see beyond the blur. I didn’t know where I was. This part had never happened before. I focused on his face; his immaculate face.
    “But you’re hurt,” I whispered, gently wiping his cheek with my thumb. He leaned his face against my hand. Why was I not pushing him away? Why did I care about him? When he wrapped his arms around me, I buried my face into his neck.
    “You have to get out of here. Please. Do it for Simon.”
    I pulled away from him slowly as I stared into his begging eyes. “Simon?”
    “Go, baby. Now. Go!”
    He turned to run away. No, don’t leave me, too.
    “Caleb!”
    I ran after him, down a grey tunnel. My heart pounded needing to get to him. He needed to stop. He needed to come back.
    “Caleb! No!”
    Bang! Bang! Bang!
    I inhaled deeply, and the breath lodged in my throat. No, not again.
    “Caleb!”
    “Caleb!”
    “Caleb!”
    “Caleb!”
    “Angie, wake up.”
    “Caleb!”
    “Come on, wake up, Angie.”
    “Caleb!”
    The grey engulfed me, a sense of calm. His warm touch caressed my cheeks.
    “Caleb,” I whispered.
    “Shh, shh. You’re okay now.”
    I opened my eyes to find that familiar cobalt staring down at me. My breaths came in small sobs. He was still here. I wrapped my arms around his bare torso and wept. It felt like I had lost Simon and my father all over again. Caleb cradled me to his body as he shifted his weight onto the bed, lying beside me. I struggled to get closer. He knew I hated him and I knew he hated me, but right now I needed his warmth.
    He didn’t speak. He merely let me cry until the tears stopped. This nightmare I’d had so many times, was different