A Face in the Shadow Part 2 Chapter 39

Thirty-nine

“She’s ready to open to me. I should go now. Knock on her door and look at the surprise and love in her eyes.” He craned his neck back around to look at her house. How much longer could he stand the build-up of desire? He wanted to have her now. Four weeks had been an arbitrary number; there was no real need to suffer their love in silence.

He dangled the small round charm in front of his eyes. It glimmered in the light of the front porch light. Alpha Mu Epsilon.

“First comes love.” He looked at Rachel’s photo. Her face was criss-crossed with the shadow of the branches in the street light’s glow. So lovely with sweet innocence. But she would surrender to his touch when he revealed who he really was. She would run to him like she had run into her house tonight. Every woman before had surrendered. All of them were shy at first but when the moment of decision came they followed their hearts.

He touched her picture. “Let me tell you all about it. I’ll be your fantasy. I will step from the shadow. You will look at me and say ‘It was you all along.’ Then we’ll embrace.” He brought the photo to his lips and gently kissed it.

“Next, we will surrender ourselves to the desire burning inside of us.” He slid out of his hiding space. “Only four more ribbons are on the shelf.” He whispered facing her house. All the curtains were drawn now so he could safely cross the street.

He jogged across and walked straight to Guardian.

“That a good chew treat?” He said using his baby-dog voice. He rubbed Guardian on the head. “You take good care of her until tomorrow.” He rubbed Guardian one last time.

When he took Rachel for his own Guardian would come with him. A dog deserved a big yard in the country. Not that nasty little chain in the front yard. He would reward Guardian for his loyalty and his protection of Rachel.

Logan returned to his car and drove off. The next four ribbons were the most important. No more leaving them on the porch or the mailbox. They needed to be personal. Send her a message that would point to him.

“The last one I’ll give her personally.” He was 2/3 the way to that moment. He glanced in his mirrors side mirror and pulled on to the quiet street. He left his headlights on until he reached the end of the small block. The moon was nearly full in a cloudless sky so with the street lamps he had enough light to pull ahead discreetly.

The patrol car would be around again soon. He flipped on his lights. Almost immediately a car pulled out from behind him. He tried to maintain the calm. The road he was on led out of the neighborhood and in to the main driveway. He turned right down the side street. The other car followed.

Had he missed a patrol car? That was impossible unless he’d been spotted with Guardian. He calmly turned down one street then another. He should have gone to her tonight. Enough on Romance, it was time for culmination. They should have been together tonight when he was there with her. His timing was all off. Why had he left? She wanted him tonight. She would have given in? The lights got closer to him. He needed to keep his head about him. There was no way anyone saw him or what he’d done.

He slowed down to let the other car pass him. The car stayed on his bumper close enough for Logan to see past the headlights. There was a man in the front seat. Who was he? Logan looked back in time to crank the wheel and avoid hitting a parked car. The other car followed him still.

“Go around.” He hissed. No one was going to keep him from his precious Rachel. Logan reached under the seat of his car and felt around. His fingers latched on the rope and knife right away but the can of Mace was just beyond his reach. He sat up and slid the rope and knife on his floor mat then leaned down a second time. The little can of Mace rolled back and forth just at the edge of his grasp. He looked in his mirror and slammed on his breaks. The car behind him swerved then went around him. Logan bent down and grabbed the can of Mace that had been thrown forward and stuck it under his thigh.

The car that had pursued him continued on its path down the road before turning in a parking lot.

Alpha Mu Epsilon would always be rewarded. It was the way of the world.

You are reading A Face in the Shadow by Tiffany Colter.

Tiffany is a writer, speaker and writing career coach. She is a frequent contributor to print and online publications in addition to her regular marketing blog at http://www.writingcareercoach.com/

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This story is copyright Tiffany Colter. 2007. It may not be copied, distributed, sold or included in any larger work without the expressed written permission of Tiffany Colter.

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