Just Me - M J Marlow (reading strategies book .txt) 📗

Grady murders. It hurt that he would cut me off so coldly, but I could understand why. I let myself relax and he let me lean against him. “I could really grow to care for you, Maggie Grady,” James said softly as he stroked my hair. So softly, I knew he didn’t think I could hear him. I didn’t say anything in reply but allowed him to keep his secret. I would cherish those words, I knew, until the day I died. He let me drift off for a few minutes and then he shook me. “You should be in bed, young woman,” he said as he picked me up in his arms and carried me inside. I leaned against him with a happy sigh as he got me up to my room and set me down on the bed. “Good night, Maggie,” he said as he kissed me on the forehead. “Good night, James,” I smiled up at him. “Thank you for a wonderful evening.” He nodded and left, closing the door behind him. I removed the beautiful gown and the shoes and put them away. I got into my robe and turned to see the hooded man standing behind me. My scream was cut off as he shoved me against the wall, his hand going over my mouth. “I’ve been looking for you for a very long time, little girl,” he snarled as his other hand brought up a black rose. He ran it slowly along my arm and I whimpered in fear. “I will come for you soon, Kerrigan,” he continued as he grabbed my wrists and held on so tight I was afraid he was going to break them, “and no one is going to be able to stop me.” He let me go then and I fell back against the wall with a thud. He went out on the balcony and I watched him go down the stairs and head towards the forest. I couldn’t believe what had just happened. He had left the rose stuck in the bodice of my dress and I screamed in anger as I ripped it out and threw it. I was shaking as I heard the door of my room open. “He was just here,” I said to James as I pointed out the door to where the man was running into the forest. “He said he would be coming for me soon.” I pulled the sleeve of my robe up and saw the angry bruises on my wrists where he’d held on. “He did that to you?” James hissed as he saw the tears start. When my lips started to quiver, he pulled me into his arms. “Damn it, Maggie. That man isn’t right.” He looked down into my hurt expression. The hurt changed to anger and he smiled to himself. Good. I was not going to let myself remain frightened. “My people will be here in a few hours, we’ll see to it at least one of us is with you every minute. This,” he held my wrists up and kissed the bruises, “is never going to happen again.” “He said no one could stop him,” I stammered as James made me sit down. I clung to him. “Please don’t do anything to make him hurt you, James. I couldn’t bear it!” “James,” Maxine’s voice cut through the air. “I think you’ve done enough tonight. I’ll see to Maggie now.” I looked over to her and saw the anger in her eyes. She brought me the drink she was holding and made me take a few sips. The fear began to ease and I felt calmer. I took a shower and got ready for bed and she was still in my room, sitting in the rocking chair in the corner. “Go to sleep, dear. I’ll be right here until you do.” I closed my eyes and drifted off. Despite my fears that my sleep would be riddled with nightmares, I slept soundly. I woke up to see that Cheryl was now sitting in the rocking chair. She was looking out of the window with an amused look on her face. I got up and put my robe on and joined her there. Joseph was standing in the back yard of his sister’s house with his nephews each holding a pair of binoculars. “James told him about the attack, Maggie, so he’s got the boys on the watch now,” Cheryl smiled. “Tell me about it.” I told her about how he had been there in my room. My skin crawled on recounting the event. How long had he been in my room watching me before he approached me? I looked at the bruises again and shivered at the remembrance of his anger and his threats. “I don’t understand any of this,” I said to Cheryl. “Why would he treat me like he has some right to me?” “Some men have very nasty imaginations, Maggie,” Cheryl said as she put her arm around my shoulders. “Let’s get some breakfast and then we’ll talk about what you’re going to wear on your date with Dr. Coleman.” “It is not a date, Cheryl,” I said to her and saw she wasn’t listening to me. I gave up and we went downstairs to find the kitchen crowded with people I had never met before. “Maggie,” James smiled from where he was making waffles. “Meet the team. Team, this is our hostess, Kerrigan Margaret Grady.” He nodded to the people around the room, introducing them quickly: George, Robert, Simon, Claudia, Irene, and Shelley. They were all taller than me and physically fit. There was intelligence and purpose in their expressions, and I felt peace flow over me at the thought that these people were here to keep me safe. I had never had so many people caring for me before and it was a strange feeling. “It’s nice to meet you all,” I said as I sank down on a chair someone, the tall lanky George, I thought, pulled out for me. I looked at James in confusion. “When you said ‘team’ I thought one or two people. This is more like a tribe.” “They’re staying at the B&B, Maggie,” Cheryl said as she went to help herself to a plate and put on two waffles and some fruit. She set it down in front of me. “Eat, girl. You need your strength for your big date.” “Will you cut that out?” I laughed at her. “I’m not going on a date! James and I are taking…” I saw James shake his head and I was confused. “You’re not coming?” “I wouldn’t dream of intruding on your time with the brilliant Dr. Coleman,” James said a bit stiffly. “I have a meeting with the Senator.” Something was going on here and I did not like it. He was treating me differently this morning, like I was just another person he knew. What had happened between last night and this morning to change his view of me? I took the glass of juice someone poured out for me and left the kitchen. The room was suddenly much too small. Cheryl followed me with my plate and sat down on the porch swing with me. “There’s no reason for you all to stay at the B&B,” I said absently as I picked at the meal. “There are twenty bedrooms in this place. It shouldn’t take too long to make some habitable.” I could feel tears pricking at my eyes and I wiped at them angrily. I was not going to cry because James had remembered I was just the hired help and not someone he could care about. But the tears weren’t listening to me any more than my heart was. I felt Cheryl take the plate out of my hand and put her arms around me. “I’m such an idiot, Cheryl! How could I think last night meant anything? He was just being nice to me.” She looked back at James, who was trying not to look like he was watching and glared at him. He backed up in shock at her cold look but knew he deserved it. He should never have started something with me. Maxine had warned him not to play games with me and he had pushed the limits. In his defense, he had only done it to make me realize I was someone worthy of a man’s attention. He watched me get up and walk away with my head down and knew he’d miscalculated. “Maggie.” Joseph’s voice cut through my anguish and I looked up from where I stood by the stream that cut between the properties. I had strayed automatically in my distress to ‘our spot’ at the bridge, where Joseph and I used to sneak out at night to join our friends Charles “Brain” Novak and Brad “Rocket” Coleman for our late night talks when we were in high school. He was holding his hat in his hands and looking nervous. “About last night…” “Leave me alone, Joseph,” I said tightly. “You had no right to be like that,” I said as he stepped towards me. My tears were back again. “I thought you were my friend and you embarrassed me!” “Maggie, wait…” I was not listening. I ran blind and when I finally calmed I was in the middle of the forest that bordered my property. I turned to go back and realized I had no idea where I was. I fought down the panic and tried to get my bearings. I couldn’t be that far off. I heard someone moving nearby and hoped it wasn’t Joseph trying to apologize again. I really did not want to talk to him right now. “Hello?” I called out and tried to find the person I could hear moving nearby. “Who’s there, please?” “It’s me, precious,” a man’s voice called through the forest. I shook my head as panic began to strike. It was the man from my room. “It’s time for you to come home.” “Why are you doing this to me?” I demanded as I backed away from the direction I felt the voice had come from. “What do you want?” “I want you, Kerrigan Grady,” the man laughed from another direction. I whirled around but there was no one there. “Did you think you could hide from me forever?” “Go away!” I cried in protest. “Please leave me alone!” I could feel my heart starting to pound as the panic increased. I willed myself to remain calm as I headed in the direction I thought led home. “I can’t, precious,” the man said from yet another direction. “I need you.” I screamed as a man stepped out directly in front of me. He was dressed all in black and his face was hidden in the depths of a hood. I backed away, shaking my head in denial. This was not real! Someone was just trying to scare me for their own amusement. He came after me and I could hear his steps as he followed. “Joseph,” I screamed out the name of the one person I felt could help me. I turned on my heel and ran. “Help!” “No one can help you now, Kerrigan,” the man laughed as he cut around in front of me. He grabbed my arms and I looked up to see two deep red eyes glowing back at me from inside the hood. “You were promised to me. It’s time you kept that promise.” “I don’t know what you’re talking about!” I sobbed as the man started leaning closer. “I don’t want to go with you!” “Maggie!” I heard Joseph calling out to me and I tried to answer. But the man’s hand clamped over my mouth and he kept forcing me on. I tried to pull free but he was a great deal stronger than I was. I could not let him take me; that was plain. So I dug