Stroke Of Fear

Chapter Sixteen

Tanner

“Kick it like this.”

Kelley, the cutest ten-year-old in the world, furrows her brow and tries to mimic my kick. She nearly falls on her butt in the process, but gets the ball to me.

I smile and give her a thumbs up. “Okay, now like this.”

She pushes her small glasses up her nose, and bats her huge blue eyes. This kid is going to be a heartbreaker when she gets old enough. “Like this, Mr. Tanner?”

“What did we talk about?”

She smiles, but red rushes toward her cheeks. “Tanner, not Mr. Tanner.” I give her a wink and kick the ball back to her. She’s on my team for the soccer games. She’s terrible, but the cutest damn thing you’ll ever lay your eyes on.

I’m waiting for her to kick it back to me when I see her gaze over my shoulder. Turning, I see a man standing at the edge of the woods away from the cabins.

He’s not moving. Just staring. What. The. Fuck. “Hey, Kelley, we’ll practice some more tomorrow. You want to go ahead and go back to your cabin? It’s almost supper time.”

She nods her head vigorously. “Bye, Mr. Tanner.” I scowl but watch as she skips away.

The man is still standing there when I turn my head. A white hat covers his face, but I can tell his hair is darker. He’s in some kind of old clothes, ratty and dirty.

Cupping my hand around my mouth, I call out, “You lost?”

Nothing.

“You lost?” I repeat.

Slowly, he moves his head back and forth. It’s Jason-ish. I wouldn’t be surprised if he brought an axe out from behind him and started chasing me down.

A car horn blows and I turn to see Aubrey waving at me. “Going to town to get some ice cream. Want something?”

I shake my head. “No, go ahead. I’ll see you when you get back.”

She and Cassie drive away. I’m glad. I don’t want them anywhere near the axe murderer over there. When I turn back around, he’s gone.

Shit. Swallowing the nervous lump in my throat, I start toward the woods. Come on, don’t be a pussy, Tanner. The trees are thick, and I have to break some braches nearly off to get through. How in the hell did his big ass get through here?

It seems like I’ve been pushing through the shrubs forever, before the trees start to come less and less. When I push through the last tangle of limbs, I come into a clearing. It’s almost bare, except for a campfire, a pile of leaves and some drawings in the dirt. Someone is definitely camping here. Why so close to a camp full of kids?

The leaves and twigs are pushed together into a bed. A bed. My throat is fucking dry, but I swallow the lump. Digging my phone out of my jeans, I dial 911. Someone is spying on the camp. And it’s fuckin’ creepy as hell.

“Can you describe what the man looks like?”

An officer with a potbelly and pants too small for his waist glares over his glasses at me.

“I told you. He was tall, bigger and had a white cap on. He didn’t come too close. He basically fled as soon as I turned around.”

“Um-hmm,” he mumbles, scribbling on his tablet. “You say you saw his camp through there, right?”

“Yes.”

“These are popular woods around here. Someone could definitely be camping out there and be harmless.”

Anger is rising, but I try to force it back down. “Doesn’t Camp Awesome own this property?”

“Yes, they do.”

“Then they would need permission to be there? He doesn’t. Obviously, Mrs. Jones doesn’t know anything about it.”

At least Mrs. Jones is worried. She’s talking to another officer off to the side. One hand is wrapped around her waist and the other covering her mouth.

“Right. Well, we had some guys go check it out, but they didn’t find anyone. Or any clues. Our hands are tied.”

I’ll tie his hands all right. “Look, so you’re sayin’ you can’t do anything? Because we have a camp full of children. What would happen if someone was killed? Or a bunch of them? How would you feel then?”

Snatching his glasses form his wide nose, he looks down at me through beady eyes. “Listen, kid. We can only do so much. We’re not super heroes.”

“Obviously. Thanks for nothing.”

I stalk off before he can say anything else. You’ve got to be fuckin’ kiddin’ me. There is a strange guy creeping around a camp full of kids and the police aren’t going to do shit. What the hell else is new?

Eric is standing out on the porch of our cabin when I walk up. “What’s up with the police? What happened?”

“Some guy is creeping around. I called the cops. He has a camp set up in the woods close by.”

“What the…let me guess? They can’t do anything about it?”

“Hit the nail on the head.”

“Fucker. Want to play some X-Box?”

Wow, one track mind.

Eric and I spend the rest of the afternoon in the game room hogging the TV from most of the kids. When Cassie and Aubrey get back it’s already dark. Aubrey’s cheeks are bright red, and I see a Victoria’s Secret bag in her hand. I want to reach over and pull everything out, but I don’t.

“Some kid told us the police were here earlier,” Cassie says, sitting down in Eric’s lap. “Why?”

“Guy was creeping around the camp. He set up camp in the woods close by,” I say. I pat Aubrey’s leg, and she gives me a fake smile.

“Did they find him?” she whispers.

I shake my head. “No, they barely looked.”

She has every right to be nervous. She had a guy stalk her for weeks before trying to kill her. Now some guy is creeping around. I’d be freaked out, too.

“Why don’t we go back to our cabin and watch a movie?” Cassie pulls out some DVDs. “I bought some.”

Eric sticks his hand in the bag and pulls out a few. “These are all chick flicks.”

“Well, hello, I’m a girl. Haven’t you noticed?”

He waggles his eyebrows. “I’ve noticed.”

Aubrey’s quiet on the way to the cabin. She’s looking around, no doubt searching for any sign of a creeping man.

“You don’t think it could be him, do you?”

She tucks a dirty blonde strand behind her ear. “I called last night. They said he was still there. So, logically I know it’s not him but…”

“You’re still afraid.”

She nods. “Yeah. I guess I’ll always be afraid somewhat.”

Easing my hand around her waist, I pull her closer. “You’re gonna be fine, I promise. I’ll keep you safe.”

We watched some chick movies, but I hadn’t even been paying attention. Neither had Aubrey. Her eyes shot toward the window every two seconds. The blinds moved from the air conditioner, and she jumped. It fucking hurts to see her so frightened. I want to beat the fuck out of anyone who makes her this scared. No one should live on pins and needles.

Eric and Cassie are making out on her bed when I tap Aubrey’s thigh. “Take a walk with me?” I ask.

She squeezes my hand. “Is that such a good idea?”

I smile. “Just to get some fresh air. We won’t go far.”

She nods and follows me outside. The wind is chilly, so I take off my hoodie and hand it to Aubrey. She smiles and slips it over her thin tank top. If I’m not careful she’ll have all my clothes in her closet soon. We move toward the path between the cabins and walk along under the large oaks. No kids are in sight, and I see Mrs. Jones’ cabin light is off.

“Tell me about Michael,” I say. I know she doesn’t want to talk about it, but I need to know about him. I need to know what I’d be going up against if he ever did get back to her.

She frowns. “I don’t like to talk about him.”

“I know. Just a precaution.”

Her eyes close when the wind blows back her hair. “He was so great at first. Brought me flowers. Took me out for dinner. Always pulling out my seat and paying for our meal. And I guess it just changed. He started to get jealous over nothing and calling me twice an hour. He went crazy.”

“Did he not get help?”

She shrugs. “I mean, he never talked to me about it. I never brought it up because he started to scare me. Then my parents made us break up. I was nowhere around him anymore.”

“He was obsessed with you?”

Sighing, she moves her hair from her hazel eyes. “Yes, very much. It was like he had to have me or no one else could.”

“But you did call? He was at the prison?”

“They said so.”

“Did you call your mom ‘bout it?”

She shakes her head. “No, they’ll make me take that medication again.”

I know I’m prying, but I want to know. “What medication?”

“For hallucinations. After we broke up, I started to see him everywhere. My parents thought I was delusional. But, in reality, I think we all know it was really him.”

Goddamn. I don’t even know the guy, and I want to beat the fuck out of him. “You know you’re safe with me, right?”

Stopping, she buries her head into my shoulder. “I do. Thank you.” She’s quiet for a while, snuggling into me. “What did Jake want the other night?”

A smile lifts from my mouth. I can’t help it, the guy gets on my damn nerves, but he’s…decent. “Wanted to make sure I’d treat you right. I guess he realized you’re really not into him.”

“Jake?” She lifts a brow. “He said that?”

I hold my hands out in surrender. “I guess he cares about you more than I thought. Even if he pushed you over a cliff.”

She giggles into my shoulder and raises her gaze to mine. “I’m really glad I met you, Tanner.”

“Me, too.”

She leans up and presses her lips against mine. “When’s our next swimming lesson?”

She’s moving her mouth toward my ear now. Oh, fuck. She takes the flesh between her teeth and pulls.

“Well,” I swallow. “I can’t answer if you keep doin’ that, darlin’.” She laughs and pulls away.

“I’m guessin’ two days from now. I think we both have a free afternoon.”

“You think we’ll get in trouble if we sleep out there?”

“If we get up early enough to be back we won’t. Why?”

The sexiest look crosses her face, and she tugs on her lip. “Because, I don’t think I can wait any longer. I want you.”

Fuckin’ shit. Lowering my hand down her waist, I palm her ass. Her eyes widen, and she tugs on my shirt. “I’m guessing you can’t wait either?”

“I wanted to take care of you in an actual bed. We don’t have to do it in my truck, or I’d already taken care of you by now.”

Her eyes are excited. “Well, I’m not hard to please, Tanner. The truck is our best bet. I can’t wait anymore. Please.”

Goddamn. She’s begging me. “Darlin’. There isn’t anything I want to do more. You don’t have to beg.”

Smiling, she turns to walk back to her cabin. “Where are you going?”

“I’m going to take a shower…and think about you.”

Hot damn.