Fury unleashed, p.13
Fury- Unleashed, page 13
part #2 of The Scorned Series
“But what would we do the next day?” Derek joked.
“Spend the day burying that joke, because it was that bad!”
“Tough audience,” Derek said, pretending his feelings were hurt.
“Do any of those things sound good to you?” Stephanie asked.
“What do you think about doing a helicopter tour and then a dinner cruise?”
“Two things in one day. I like your style.”
“That’s why you keep me around, isn’t it?”
“One of the reasons,” Stephanie said, winking at him.
Stephanie booked a helicopter tour that would give them a tour of the coastline, mountains, waterfalls and the massive sea cliffs bordering the Kalaupapa Peninsula. Later that evening, they would hop on a sunset dinner cruise to round out the evening.
“All booked,” she told him. We should catch some sleep. We have a big day tomorrow.”
“Go big or go home,” Derek joked.
Stephanie groaned. “What is with your jokes tonight anyway? What…you get to Hawaii and all of the sudden forget how to be funny? I might have to reconsider this living-with-you thing.”
Stephanie wasn’t prepared for the rush of cold water that hit her as Derek turned on the kitchen faucet and aimed the sprayer at her. The water fight that ensued soaked the kitchen within minutes.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
The next morning after Stephanie got up, she took all the soaked towels down to the laundromat and put them in the washer. They had used every towel in the place to dry the kitchen after their epic water fight. Upon returning to the condo, Stephanie found Derek in the kitchen looking in the refrigerator.
“Well if it isn’t Mr. I’m-a-junior-high-kid-who-has-to-start-a-water-fight!”
“I seem to recall you joined right in,” he laughed.
“How could I not after the vicious attack with the sprayer?”
“You could have just walked away.”
“And let you win? HA! I think not!”
“It was kind of fun though, don’t you think?” Derek asked.
“Maybe a little,” Stephanie admitted, grinning. “I had to go buy quarters from the manager’s office this morning just so I could wash our towels. Hopefully they’ll be done by the time we need to take our showers.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t have used all of them!”
“Maybe you shouldn’t have started a water fight inside the condo.”
“Don’t judge me!”
“It’s my job to judge you! Besides, what fun would it be if I didn’t?”
“Good point. Can we get on with breakfast now?” he asked. “I’m starving.”
Later that day, after they had eaten, retrieved the towels, and gotten ready, they drove to the helicopter tour site.
“Have you ever been up in one?” Stephanie asked Derek.
“I haven’t. You?”
“Never. I’m looking forward to this.”
“Me too.”
At the site, they reviewed a safety video while they waited and after the chopper arrived, they followed the instruction of the coordinator, put on life jackets, got on board, and secured their seatbelts. The coordinator helped them get their headsets on and exited the chopper, making sure the doors were secure on her way out. Curiosity took over as they wondered what was next, but the pilot’s voice came over the headsets letting them know they would be taking off soon and as soon as they were up, he would be their guide and answer any questions they had.
When they took off, Stephanie turned to Derek, her face lit up with joy. “Can you believe this view, Derek? This is the best thing ever.”
Derek stared out the window as they flew, enthralled by the deep color of the water and cresting of the white waves as they hit the beach. “It’s amazing. Why have I never done this before?”
“Because you’re from Colorado?” she guessed.
“That might have something to do with it. We need to get out more.”
“Yeah, we do,” Stephanie agreed.
For the rest of the trip, Stephanie and Derek tried to keep conversation to a minimum, pointing out the sights to each other that captured their attention. The pilot flew them over all the promised areas and told them about what they were looking at, as well as some of the history of the island. They were amazed at the stark contrast they saw on the other side of the volcano and it made them appreciate the sheer magnitude of its power, as well as the beauty of the rest of the island.
A little over an hour later, they landed and made their way to the SUV.
“There is nothing like seeing the island from the air,” Derek said.
“No kidding. I knew I was going to enjoy it, but that was way better than I expected. Talk about erasing worries from my mind. I’m so relaxed right now.”
“Me too. I think this vacation is just what we needed.”
“Same here. I always come up with great ideas.”
“Says the person who got the idea from me.”
Stephanie twisted up her nose and turned her head away from Derek. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Derek let her take the credit even though he knew she was aware he’d brought up Hawaii first.
Later, when they got on the pontoon boat for the dinner cruise, they were seated at a table and were quickly served drinks. The sun sat low in the sky as if it were balancing on the surface of the water, the reflection brilliant.
When they were far away from the harbor, the band started playing a rendition of the classic “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor.
“They are playing your song,” Derek joked.
“Damn straight they are!” Stephanie agreed.
Dinner came out towards the end of the song and they ate while admiring the beautiful sunset. Stephanie had the teriyaki boneless chicken breast with Big Island papaya salsa and Derek had the chimichurri flat iron steak with a wild mushroom demi-glaze.
After they finished eating, and as the band played on, the sun sank down below the horizon. Stephanie grabbed Derek’s hand and rubbed his palm. Derek looked at her and smiled.
“What are you thinking?” he asked.
“Funny you should ask. I was just thinking how you balance me out. You’re the voice of reason when I am stressing about everything.”
“That may be the nicest thing you’ve said to me all month!” Derek joked.
“It’s true though. Thank you.” Stephanie laid her hand across the left side of Derek’s face. “You’re a good man.”
“You’re pretty awesome yourself, Ms. Duran.”
Stephanie looked deep into Derek’s eyes saying nothing, then, “I love you, Derek. More than I ever thought I could love a man. Don’t give up on me. I promise I’m not always this moody.”
Derek sat in stunned silence.
When he didn’t say anything, Stephanie said, “What? Did I say something wrong?”
Finally, Derek answered. “No, not at all. I just wasn’t expecting that to come out of your mouth. To be truthful, I have been very careful with my feelings, because I didn’t want to spook you. I know you have been hurt over and over again. I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t feel the same. From the day you got in my cab, I was smitten. If you don’t believe me, remember I looked for you for almost ten years. That’s dedication. I love you too, Stephanie Duran. I always have. I always will.”
Derek watched as a tear slid down Stephanie’s face before he grabbed her and kissed her deeply. The sounds of the cruise faded into the background as they got lost in the new realization that they both felt the same for each other.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Stephanie groggily opened her eyes and closing them again, tried to force herself to fall back asleep. She was comfortable as well as tired and it was a good day to sleep in. After thirty minutes of trying to fall back asleep, she finally gave in and sat up, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed.
Bella immediately woke up and jumped off the bed from her perch by Stephanie’s feet. Stephanie looked over at Derek, who was still knocked out. She decided to let him sleep, grabbed her robe and some slippers and went out into the kitchen, closing the door behind her. Derek deserved to get some rest before he went back to work the next day.
They had returned from Hawaii the day before, which of course was the same day they left. The trip had been everything she dreamed it would be and they enjoyed it to the fullest, spending the rest of their week experiencing one adventure after another; however, they weren’t used to cramming so many activities into their week and they came home exhausted.
The trip back home had been uneventful. After they returned the car, they sat on a bench outside the rental car place and they were home a minute later. This had been the easiest vacation that either one of them had ever had.
After making a cup of coffee, Stephanie slid out of the apartment—with Bella on her heels—to check the mail since they hadn’t checked it the day before. The day was dark and cloudy and the rain fell heavily upon the overhang that sheltered the mailbox area. She retrieved the mail from the box. Amongst the usual bills, there were a few envelopes that appeared to be rent checks.
Back inside her apartment, she opened up the mail and although two of the envelopes had checks in them, the third handwritten envelope was actually a thirty-day notice to vacate by one of the tenants. This must be the one Jim warned me about.
With this new development, she knew she would have to start looking for a new tenant soon. Then, if no one else moved out, she would still need to find another tenant for Kylie’s apartment when Kylie moved into the manager’s apartment. Of course, the house had to be finished first.
Stephanie’s thoughts turned back to the house. She was impatient to get back in it and was second guessing her decision to not have the garage and apartment built first. She was anxious to make more hops and missed being able to do so whenever she wanted. She couldn’t wait to save people again. The satisfaction she got from it was better than any other high she’d ever experienced.
While she was okay with saving people when she became aware they needed to be saved, she also needed to find something bigger to take on. Before the house burnt down, she’d centered her attention on the serial killer that had claimed twelve victims. She needed something bigger this time to focus on. Unsure of what that would be, she decided she would start digging if nothing came to her by the time they moved back into the house.
Stephanie wrapped her hands around the coffee cup as a shiver went up her spine. Without realizing it, her thoughts had drifted to the conversation that she and Derek had in Maui about Earl Ray Spencer. While he was a sick and demented bastard, could he really be the one responsible for the acts of depravity that had been plaguing Portland? Nothing that she’d overheard in the trailer the night she’d killed his son led her to believe he was a mass murderer. A serial killer, yes. But from what she knew, he had only killed one victim at a time. Was he capable of such over-the-top theatrics? After all, the killings seemed to be put on for show. Were they a warning of things to come?
Her face flushed as she thought about how she refused to go after the killer, shame overwhelming her. Wasn’t this what she signed up for? Wasn’t it her responsibility to save people? Didn’t she have this gift for a reason?
“I’m a poser,” she whispered to herself. “Some hero I am.”
Dismayed, her thoughts turned towards the latest seven victims. The family of five had been slaughtered in their own home. Their sanctuary. The two teenagers had been slaughtered somewhere else and positioned in the park. All seven of them died brutal deaths. If this trend continued, the killings would quickly outnumber the dozen victims SKA had left behind. Why could she not bring herself to get involved? At first—when she thought her gift was gone—there wasn’t anything she could do. Now, however, she had no excuse not to intervene. Whether the killer was Earl Ray Spencer or someone else and whether there was one killer or two, she had the power to save the victims. She had the power to destroy the killer. It was up to her to get involved. While she knew that eventually she would have to deal with it, she couldn’t fathom slipping up behind the killer and engaging in a death match and eventually she pushed the thought from her mind.
Stephanie turned on the television and flipped through the channels, finally landing on a crime show about an unsolved murder. Before she realized it, the one episode ended and she was in the middle of a second one. Her attention was pulled from the television when the bedroom door opened.
“Morning, Babe,” Derek greeted her, his eyes half closed and his hair in a state of disarray.
“Morning! You look exhausted.”
“Yeah. I think I need a vacation.”
“I think it was the vacation that did this to you. Why don’t you take tomorrow off?”
“I really shouldn’t.”
“Why? You work for yourself.”
“Yeah, I know, but I want to make sure the money keeps coming in. I want to pay my fair share around here.”
Stephanie paused for a few seconds, deep in thought. “Why are you even working? We don’t need the money.”
“You don’t need the money,” he corrected her. “I still do—I refuse to be a freeloader.”
“But what’s mine is yours,” Stephanie argued.
“I could never use you like that, Steph. If you ever become Mrs. Jennings, then let’s talk.”
“Was that a proposal?” she joked.
“Not yet. I don’t want to rush you.”
“Okay, well when that day happens, we really need to talk about you driving people around in your car all day.”
“Deal. And I’ll tell you what…I will do what you suggested and not work tomorrow. Does that make you happy?”
“It does,” she gushed. “You need to get rested up.”
A rapid knock at the door interrupted their conversation. Puzzled about who would be knocking on their door on a Sunday morning, they looked at each other. Finally, Stephanie got up and went to the door, peeped out the peephole and then opened the door.
“Hello, Mr. Reiser. What can I help you with?” Stephanie asked the man at the door, who was one of their tenants.
“Sorry to bother you, but my water heater stopped working and I don’t have any hot water. Can you help?”
“I’m sorry to hear that, Mr. Reiser. I’m really not the best-suited person for the job. Did you contact our maintenance man, Jim?”
The man had a confused look on his face. “Oh. I forgot we had a maintenance man. How do I get ahold of him?”
“We distributed a flier with all of the information to report a maintenance problem and we followed it up with an email. Do you have that information?”
“I-I-I’m not sure,” the man stammered.
Stephanie smiled, trying to hide her frustration. “No problem. I’ll call Jim and send him to your apartment. I’m sure he’ll get you all fixed up. I’ll resend you the information tomorrow as well. Sound good?”
“Yes, thank you. That will be helpful.” The man looked embarrassed.
“Have a good day, Mr. Reiser.”
“You as well.”
Stephanie closed the door and turned to Derek. “Some people don’t pay attention.”
“Apparently not. I will say, it’s pretty straightforward. Hopefully, he’ll remember for next time.”
“Hopefully.” Stephanie grabbed her phone out of the bedroom and called Jim.
“Morning, Ms. Duran.”
“Morning Jim. How are you doing?”
“I’m good, thank you. What can I help with?”
“Apartment one-oh-four has no hot water. Can you go check it out?”
“I’d be happy to. That’s no fun. I’ll head over there right now.”
“Perfect. Thanks.”
“Have a great day.”
“You too. Oh wait…Jim…are you still there?”
“I am.”
“That thirty-day notice you told me about…I received it today. See if you can get permission to do a walk-though next week, so we can determine a budget for doing any repairs or upgrades.” Stephanie told him the apartment number.
“That’d be great. I’m a little bored at the minute and am looking forward to the extra work.”
“Well, we can’t have that now, can we?” Stephanie joked.
“No, we can’t. Thanks for the call. Bye.”
Stephanie turned her attention back to Derek. “Where were we?”
“I was taking tomorrow off work and we were about to make breakfast?”
“Ah yes, breakfast,” Stephanie agreed as she grabbed her now-empty cup and headed to the Keurig to make another cup.
After breakfast, Derek and Stephanie took it easy, taking the day to rest and recover from their trip. The week together had been pivotal in their relationship and had brought them closer together. They weren’t quite ready to return to the grind, so they didn’t.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Tuesday morning, a few hours after Derek left for work, Stephanie got a text from Jim asking her if she was able to give him a ride to Home Depot to get some parts for the water heater in apartment one-oh-four. Half an hour later, she met him outside and they hopped into Derek’s truck.
“Thanks for taking me. The fix on Sunday was only temporary, but I need to replace the elements of the water heater to make it work properly. One of them is burnt out.”
“I’m happy to give you a lift,” Stephanie told him. “It’s good to get out of the house. Do you think we should replace the entire thing just to be safe?”
“No, I think you’re good. The tank itself seems like it’s in good shape. Elements wear out occasionally, but the new ones should last another ten years. I’ll make sure I clean any calcium out of the tank when I drain it.”
“Thanks for looking out for me, Jim. I really appreciate it.”
“It’s the least I could do, after you’ve done all of this for me.”
“You just needed a chance. I’m so glad I could help. By the way, I was thinking after you texted me today that we should probably buy a work truck for the complex. That way, any time you need to run and get parts, or even run a personal errand you can.”
