That Day - Karen Deen (large ebook reader .TXT) 📗

my foot pushes the gas pedal straight to the floor. I know I can’t call Jodie, as she is on route and will be getting ready to assess Asha as soon as they arrive.

I can’t tell Jodie that this could be a dangerous situation that she’s going into, but Scott should be there and spring into action the moment the ambulance is dispatched. He should be watching, plus listening to the emergency services scanners as well.

I should have been with her tonight.

I don’t care if she needs to work from now on, I’ll be there with her. Sleeping on the couch if I have to.

I try to slow my breathing down, although I should be slowing my driving down instead. Reaching the road out to Asha’s house on the point, in the darkness, I can see the flashing lights of the ambulance in front of me and Scott and Davina’s cars both parked next to Asha’s. Something isn’t right. There is no way Davina would be here so quickly when it’s Scott who is watching Asha at the moment.

“What the fuck is happening?” I yell to myself as I screech to a halt beside the ambulance.

I’m out of the truck and running as I hear Jodie screaming from behind me, while she’s grabbing her bag out of the back of the rig.

“Don’t you dare get in the way, Kurt. Let me do my job.” Totally ignoring her, I run for the back door. All I can hear is Coco barking loudly and growling, which I’ve never heard her do before.

“Kurt!” Davina yells at me. “The dog won’t let us near her, we just arrived.”

Scott tries to grab me as I run past him, but there is no way I’m stopping. I slow down as I get closer to Coco, and she stops barking and looks at me.

“It’s me, Coco. It’s okay. It’s just me. Can you let me check on Asha? She needs me.” I step a little closer into the light streaming from the open back door, but Coco is the guard. The moment she sees me, her tail starts to wag, and she comes towards me just to make sure, then turns and runs back into the house so I can follow.

In the middle of the kitchen floor, Asha is lying eyes closed, blood and a bruise on her forehead, and she’s not moving.

My heart stops and I can’t breathe. Dropping to my knees beside her, I touch her face, one hand checking for a pulse and the other just moving trying to wake her up.

“Asha, wake up! I need you to wake up!”

But before I can do much more, Jodie is shoving me to the side.

“Let me get to her, Kurt. Fucking move.” Her voice is serious enough to make me listen.

I look up from my spot on the floor to Scott and Davina, who are watching everything transpire.

“What the hell happened? Where were you?!”

They both look blankly at me with no answer that is good enough.

“Check the house!” I yell at Scott.

As he moves away from me down the hallway, I look up at Davina with fire in my eyes.

“Never again!” is all I can say.

Turning my attention to Asha and my sister, I pray to whoever will listen that Jodie can save her.

“Asha, fight,” I whisper, hoping she can hear me.

Chapter Twelve

ASHA

“Come on, Coco, we need to get organized before they get here. I know I should eat something, but I just can’t, I’m feeling too anxious. I haven’t been able to eat all day, but don’t worry, I’ll feed you. Dinner time.”

I don’t know why this dog hasn’t worked it out yet that if she runs around my legs, I can’t get the cupboard open with her food in it. It’s not like she’s a little lap dog and that I’m nice and tall. When she is standing in front of me, her back is level with my waist. Seriously, if she thinks I can push past her to get to the food, she is crazy.

“Damn dog. We go through this every night. Get out of the way.” She looks up at me with those sad eyes. “Yeah, yeah, I know. I wish he was here too. It’s only been a week and you’ve ditched me for Kurt. Well, if you want to be fed, then you need to get over it and stop pouting like a jealous bitch and move.”

She’s still standing there just staring at me. I give up for a minute. “Fine, I’m getting a drink.”

I grab a new bottle of water from the fridge and make a mental note to buy more because this is the last bottle. I know I’m probably dehydrated today and will pay for it later, but I just couldn’t seem to hold anything down all day. I think it’s just anxiety for some reason. Even though the writing went well, I just feel like something bad is coming. I get one of those feelings where nothing seems to sit right. It’s probably me just overreacting. Mom used to tell me when I was growing up that I was a drama queen. I guess that just magnified as I got older. Or maybe it’s because my life is shit and full of real drama, not made-up kids’ crap.

Drinking down half of the bottle, I look out at the yard, the grass on the trail down to the beach blowing in the breeze. The light is dimming and nightfall’s almost here. Every time I think about one of my parents, it always tugs at my heart. I just wish I knew where they were and that they are safe. I can’t understand why I’m not allowed to talk to them or know anything about them. Surely if the agents organize it on their phones, it won’t compromise either of us. There is so much I want to tell them, about my books, that I’m okay, and of course about Kurt. Even though he’s new on the