Pounding sounded on the door as a gruff voice hollered, “It’s Jett. Let me in.”
Katherine flew to her feet, excitedly watching as I slowly opened to door to see the goofy grin of my long-lost friend.
She leapt into his arms and he spun her around in the foyer of my home.
“I am so sorry it took me so long,” Jett whispered as he buried his face in the crook of Katherine’s neck.
“You’re here now. That’s what matters,” she sang out while he set her down.
“You’re a sight for sore eyes, man.” I wrapped Jett in a hug as Katherine still clung to him.
Jett’s eyes grew red and watery. “Thank you so fucking much.”
I smiled at Katherine, wiping a tear from her soft cheek. “The pleasure has been all mine.”
Amidst the family reunion, I heard something else outside, and Jett glanced over at me with a knowing stare.
“Were you followed?” I whispered.
He rapidly shook his head. “No fucking way. I was careful.”
Katherine pulled at the sleeve of Jett’s flannel shirt. “I knew he would come for me,” she cried out.
I grabbed her face, putting my hand over her mouth and whispering in her ear, “Get upstairs and into the back of my closet like I showed you when we first got here. Do you remember where the shotgun is?”
She nodded under my hand.
“Go,” I demanded.
We both watched as she flew up the stairs to her hiding place.
“Damn, man, you have all bases covered,” Jett remarked as he followed me to my gun safe in the family room.
“Can’t be too careful with a madman on the loose.”
“Fucking true story.”
Handing Jett my sawed-off shotgun, I slapped him on the shoulder. “Just like old times together, brother.”
He nodded sharply. “Seems we can’t get away from this type of shit when we’re together.”
We stood back to back in the middle of the house, completely still.
After a few minutes, I looked over my shoulder. “False alarm?”
Jett’s body relaxed. “We’re probably just bugging out from having to be on high alert for so long.”
“True.”
We called Katherine back down and went on to cook dinner. We needed some form of normalcy amidst the fucked up situation.
I was in awe as I watched the two of them finally reconnecting, and I didn’t know if I should leave them alone or stay. Imposing was the last thing I wanted to do, but I was also terrified to let Katherine out of my sight after the stupid scare we’d had only hours before. It was ridiculous, but I had grown to care about her so damn much and couldn’t imagine anything happening to her.
“Jett, man. I have to ask,” I glanced over at him as he strained noodles over the sink. “Where have you been? We’ve barely heard from you.”
Jett set pot back down on the stove, glancing from his sister to me. “I was trying to find Alastor. That fucker went deep into hiding. I followed a few leads but nothing really panned out. Once I knew for sure he was nowhere to be found and not on my ass, I hightailed it up this way.”
“He’s still out there. He’s going to find me.” Katherine shrank into the corner of the kitchen, wide-eyed and starting to hyperventilate.