Jax (The Protectors, #8) - Teresa Gabelman Page 0,1

was seriously singing "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond to her, a song she'd despised with a passion growing up.

"You're crazy!" she whispered, glancing down to see a long gleaming blade in his hand tapping against his leg.

Lifting his head slightly, Mika ignored her whispered words, but continued the craziness. His singing stopped cold, the room becoming deathly silent as a grin spread across his face. He raised the knife to his own cheek, the blade edge tapping hard enough to break his skin. Blood trickled from the thin cuts. A steady stream of blood flowed the harder he tapped, ending at the corner of his cruel mouth. Slowly, he snaked out his tongue to swipe at the blood. "I've been wondering how you will taste, sweet Caroline."

Urgent, demanding shouts of "Run" filled the room. Each Warrior, their mates, and her sister had turned their heads to stare at her, urging her to flee. Caroline's feet finally moved as she backpedaled toward the door, her eyes scanning the horror before her as well as the smirking bastard who stalked her. Her back hit the cold doorframe and, with one last look at Jax, whose eyes never left her, she turned, propelling herself off the door to run down the hall. At first her footsteps were the only ones she heard echoing as her feet pounded the tile floor, but all too soon, another set of footsteps followed.

Rounding a corner, she saw a door with a red Exit sign at the end of the hallway. The faster she ran, the faster the footsteps following her pounded. Fear kept her from turning around. Her focus was on the door. Something told her if she made it to the door, she would be safe. The faster she ran, the further away the door seemed to be. Tears blurred her vision but didn't slow her. At last, the door was within reach and, without slowing down, she slammed into it with her whole body as darkness engulfed her and she fell into the pitch-black of nothing.

******

Caroline sat straight up in her makeshift bed on the floor, her legs and arms flaying as a scream echoed in her empty house. Gulping for breath, she pulled herself to her knees searching for her phone. Swiping her hair, wet from sweat, from her face, she spotted her phone charging on the windowsill. Not even bothering to stand, because she wasn't sure her legs would hold her up, she crawled, grabbed it, and yanked the charger out of the wall.

"Please. Please." She whispered the plea as she juggled the phone in her shaking hands. Hitting Lana's number, she had to use both hands to hold it to her ear. Taking deep slow breaths to calm her heart rate, she listened to the ringing. With each ring, the knot in her stomach tightened. "Come on! Answer!"

When voice mail answered, she hung up and dialed again, praying with every breath she took. A movement caught her eye and she turned. The little boy stood in the shadows watching her. "How did you…?" She started to speak to the little boy, but Lana's phone clicked with Sid's greeting.

"Sid, where's Lana?" she cut him off.

"Are you okay, Caroline?" Sid's voice went from a friendly "Hello" to a concerned demand.

"I have to talk to Lana, now!" Caroline bit her lip, trying to keep control. Rationally, she knew that by talking to Sid it proved she'd had a terrible nightmare and that her sister was okay, but it wasn't good enough. She had to talk to her twin.

"Caroline, calm down," Sid commanded. She could tell he was instantly in Warrior mode.

"Do not tell me to calm down, Sid Sinclair," Caroline hissed, hating the anxiety in the pit of her stomach. "Is she there?"

"Yes, she's in the shower."

"Are you sure?" Caroline knew she was being irrational, but the dream had been so damn real, and being twins, she and Lana had a certain connection. Caroline knew her anxiety wouldn't leave her until she heard her sister's voice. "Put her on the damn phone, Sid."

"Lana." Sid’s voice was distant, evidence he had pulled the phone away from his mouth. "It's Caroline, and she's upset wanting to talk to you."

"What's wrong, Caroline?" Urgency filled Lana's question. "Is it Mom or Dad, Jamie?"

"Oh, no, it's not…" Caroline sank back on her makeshift bed on the floor in relief. "It's just… I had a dream and needed to make sure you were okay. No big deal," she lied. "Listen, I'll