Tangled in Tinsel: The Celebration Series, Book 1
Tangled in Tinsel: Chapter 15

All week long, Kevin had been by my side like a fly on fly paper. He’d made me call in sick to work, and I couldn’t even go to the bathroom without him following me around. When he took a shower, he actually tied me up with two electrical cords that he had cut from my new living room table lamps.

He screened every call I got on my cellphone and breathed down my neck when I returned calls from work. The whole time, he kept the gun on him. We had only left the house one time, and that was to go to the grocery store and stock up.

Kevin spent the days on my laptop, reading the articles about himself and trying to figure out if the police had any leads. After having been in hiding for over two weeks, Kevin felt like he was almost in the clear. He’d told me that we would stay here for another week or so, and then make a break for the border.

He had no way of knowing that there was no way in hell I would go with him. He’d have to tie me up and put me in the trunk, not that I doubted he would try it, but I didn’t think he would risk having a woman tied up as he crossed into Canada.

The only reason I had cooperated up until now was to keep Thad and his family safe. Right after Thad had left, Kevin had slammed me up against the wall and put his finger into my face. “That’s the name you were calling out in your sleep.”

“No, I told you—” but he put his hand around my neck and stopped me.

“Oh, yes it was. Tell me, Cassandra, were you sleeping with your married neighbor?”

The word croaked from my mouth, “No.” I wondered if he would continue to choke me. Maybe he would kill me like he killed his wife.

Kevin released my neck and laughed, “That would be so you to be screwing a married man. You seem to like them.”

I didn’t think, just lifted my hand and smacked him across the face. “I didn’t know you were married, you ass—and I’m not sleeping with my neighbor.”

I wondered what wrath I would incur for my actions, but Kevin surprised me and threw his head back and laughed. “Man, I missed you, Casey. You’re so full of fire.”

He walked away from me, but then spun back around and approached me again as I tried to retreat into the wall.

“Let me just tell you now, you do anything to warn anyone that I’m here, that neighbor of yours is going to be dead.” His words were like acid on my soul, and I nodded jerkily. I had no doubt that he would hurt anyone who got in his way, Thad included.

It wasn’t until the next day that Kevin saw the police SUV parked in the driveway and freaked out. “That guy is a cop!” he’d shouted in my face after he charged into the kitchen and spun me around by the arm. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“You didn’t ask,” I stated calmly. I’d been waiting for him to see Thad’s work vehicle. I wondered if that would concern him enough to leave, but it didn’t. It had made him more on edge, and he spent the days peeking out the windows and watching the area around the house.

Somewhere in Kevin’s insane mind he believed that he would get away from the police and we would make it to Canada. He really thought that we would live happily ever after and have a family. The thought of doing that made me both ill and suicidal.

I had no intention of going anywhere with that man, ever. I would have to save my escape for when we were on the road. He would have to stop for gas or to use the restroom and I could replace a way to get help then.

How I wished I could replace a way to get a message to Thad that I was being held hostage. It was frustrating to see him come and go and not be able to ask for his help.

Kevin had put my bed frame together, which was good, but every night he tied me to the headboard. By the time morning rolled around, my hands were numb and my arms ached. He didn’t try to force me to have sex with him, for which I was very glad. I wasn’t sure if I could handle being raped by him because that is exactly what it would be. I would not consent, not ever.

On Christmas Eve, I sat in the living room and stared at the tree. There were no presents under it, and it had begun to lean more to the side. I thought back on all the holidays with my parents when we would have had huge parties and piles of gifts.

This year, my mother’s grave wouldn’t receive the flowers it normally did, and my father was behind bars. Me, I was a prisoner too, only in a house not a cell.

I watched Thad leave for work and wished that everything had been different. What would the holiday have been like if Kevin had not shown up? Would we have spent the night making love by the blinking holiday lights? Would we have stayed snuggled up in bed when the new day began?

I sighed as I realized I would never know. At nine o’clock that night, I retired to the bedroom to change. I had nothing else to do. I was bored, depressed, and I just wanted it over with. The best thing I could do would be to lose myself in my dreams. At least that would kill some time and maybe Thad would visit me there.

“What are you doing?” Kevin barked from the doorway.

“I’m going to bed,” I said flatly without looking his way. I pulled my blouse off and dropped it on the floor.

Kevin slipped his hands over my shoulders at the same moment I realized my mistake. Damn it, I should have gone into the bathroom to change.

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered against my neck before he began to spread kisses on it. “I missed you so much, Casey.”

I wanted to vomit, but I stood still.

“Let’s make love, let me show you how much I missed you.” His large hot hands roamed over my body, and I fought the surge of nausea growing in my stomach.

“No, Kevin.”

“Come on, Casey,” he began to touch me rougher, “I know you want it. I know you want me.”

“No, Kevin,” I shoved his hands off and spun, “no, I don’t want it, and I don’t want you. I want to go to bed.” I brushed past him and into the bathroom where I slammed the door.

He stood next to the bed when I came out, the electrical cord in his hands. “Can you please not tie me up? I’m not going anywhere.”

“Sorry, love, but I don’t trust you,” he replied, and my shoulders drooped further. I scooted around him and lay down, putting my arms up above my head so he could tie them.

Kevin left me after he knew I was secured, and I stared at the dark shadows while tears slipped down and dripped onto the pillow. Merry Christmas to me, I thought bitterly.

I heard Kevin come to bed later, and within minutes he was sound asleep. I wished I could fall into such a deep sleep, but there was no way, not with him next to me.

I don’t know how long I lay still before all hell broke loose. The glass smashed inward on my bedroom window, and I tried to sit up straight in bed, but my bound wrists wouldn’t allow it. I twisted to see over my shoulder as the hissing of gas began to fill the room.

Kevin was reaching for the nightstand where he kept his gun. I heard a loud clunk and prayed it was the gun hitting the floor. The air around me was starting to choke me, and I struggled to breathe as my eyes began to sting and tear in earnest.

A loud crack came from the front of the house and suddenly I wanted to cry for a completely different reason. They were here to rescue me. Thad must have figured it out. Within seconds, the bedroom was filled with men wearing dark tactical uniforms and gas masks; each of them pointing long rifles at us on the bed.

“Put your hands where we can see them!” One of the men directed. He repeated it again and then there was a gun in my face. “Put your hands where I can see them!”

“I can’t,” I cried around a choking cough, “I’m tied to the bed! Please, untie me!”

There was some muffled conversation, and then my wrists were free, but before I could even get my fingers flexed, they were yanked down and secured again with heavy duty plastic cuffs.

Two hands pulled me off the bed and marched me outside. I sucked in clean air as the cold struck me. I had never been so thankful for cold clean air, but still I continued to cough. One of the EMTs put oxygen on me, and I leaned back on the gurney, sucking in deep lungfuls as I tried to expel the acrid gas. Every few seconds, I wiped at my cheeks to rid myself of the salty tears burning my cheeks.

Where was Thad? I tried searching for him, but all of the men were dressed the same, and none of them were paying much attention to me. Finally, my eyes landed on him as he stepped into the light. He was wearing his normal uniform but had a rifle hanging over his chest.

I wanted to jump into his arms. I needed to know he believed me, yet as he stood off to the side, I saw the pain and confusion in his eyes. He had to believe me.

Back at the station, an officer gave me cold compresses to wipe my eyes, and after a while they stopped tearing constantly. My face burned, as did my lungs, and I knew it would take a little bit of time for that to go away. I didn’t mind the pain, in fact I liked it. It told me I was alive.

It told me I had survived.

The detective and I talked for well over an hour. I explained everything that had happened in South Carolina and all that I knew about Kevin and what he had done since he’d killed his wife. I explained his plan, and I finished by explaining the reason I hadn’t tried to fight him.

There was no way I would put Corrine, Tommy, or Thad in danger—no way.

I was physically and emotionally exhausted when the detective opened the door, and Thad stood on the other side. I wanted to weep and beg him to believe me.

It wasn’t until he was holding me and telling me that he was taking me home that I knew he already did.

When we arrived at his house, I sat in the car and stared at my front door. Plywood had been installed over the door opening. I shook harder the longer I stared at the house and never even realized that Thad had gotten out of the car until he opened my door.

“Come on, sweetheart, let’s get you inside.” He picked me up the same way he had at the station and carried me to his front porch. I didn’t have any shoes on, but he had given me a sweatshirt that had been in his locker to wear home.

Thad carried me back to his room and gently set me on the floor. “I’ve wanted to have you here in my room for a long time. I’m sorry it’s under these circumstances.”

“I don’t like the circumstances either, but I’m glad I’m here with you.”

Thad kissed me gently before directing me to the bathroom and telling me to take as long as I needed. He said he would get a snack ready for me and closed the bathroom door after handing me a fluffy towel and one of his t-shirts.

I let the tears flow as the hot water washed over me. I wasn’t embarrassed to cry. After what I had gone through, I knew I needed to let it all out, and this was the best way.

Twenty minutes later, I toweled my hair dry and slipped on the shirt he gave me. When I pulled open the bathroom door, I half expected Kevin to be standing there waiting for me.

Instead, Thad was leaned back against his headboard, his shirt off and his pants unbuttoned. On a tray in the middle of the bed were two sandwiches and a plate of cookies with two glasses of milk. “I don’t know if you like milk and cookies, but it is Christmas morning, and I do have to pretend to be Santa for a little bit. I promised Tommy I would leave some out for Santa.”

I grinned at him as I crossed the room and sank down on the bed. “I love cookies and milk. Is it going to be a problem with me here on Christmas morning?”

Thad sat up and leaned my way, cupping my cheek, “Are you kidding me? Corrine is going to be thrilled, and so am I. Tommy won’t even notice because he’ll be too caught up in all his gifts.” He sighed, “Speaking of which, I need to go put together a racetrack for him. It’s his big present from Santa. Wouldn’t be right if he didn’t have it set up when he got home.”

“Then let’s go put together a racetrack.” I reached for the tray.

“You don’t have to. You are welcome to eat and then get some sleep.”

I stared into his blue eyes for a few seconds before I climbed off the bed and went around to the other side where I could stand in front of him. He sat up and faced me. As I approached him, I cupped both sides of his face.

“Thad, I don’t want to be alone. I want to be where you are.” I paused, “Unless you don’t want me to.”

He pulled me down onto his lap and cuddled me to his chest, “Are you kidding me? I never want you away from me again.”

Thad kissed me once, long and slowly. “We need to go put the racetrack together so we can get back here and pick up from right this moment.”

“I seem to remember you telling me something like that before,” I teased and then winced as I saw Thad’s jaw tighten.

“You have no idea how confused I was when I saw him at your house. I knew something wasn’t right, but I had no way to reach you and replace out what was going on. When I started researching him last night, I was sick with worry.”

I leaned my forehead to his. “I was okay. Scared and tired, but I knew eventually someone would figure something out, or I’d get my chance to escape.”

Thad’s arms were strong around my body as he held me tightly and breathed me in.

“Let’s go set up this racetrack.” I kissed his forehead and stood, pulling him with me.