Living Dangerously

Chapter Twenty-Six



Julie heard the crunch of gravel and headed to the front door where all her things waited in a neat row. Her two suitcases, pillow, blanket and stupid crutches. She was happy to be off those idiotic things after six days.

The setting sun made the sky beautiful shades of purple and orange, and it seemed incongruous to have such beauty when she personally felt like such shit. Every time she thought about Troy, she got sick to her stomach. How could the man she met, trusted, screwed, run away with and fallen in love with have been spying on her? God, he’d saved her life, but he hadn’t been honest with her. How could he do that? Now she doubted everything.

She spotted her bag on the kitchen counter and snatched it up. Footsteps sounded on the porch and she swung the door open as Cal attempted to knock.

“You!” Julie said, grabbing her best friend in a bear hug. “You are the most awesome woman in the world and the perfect birthday present.”

“I know. I rock.” Cal returned the squeeze, then stepped back.

Julie didn’t waste time grabbing her bags and setting them on the porch. “If you need to make a pit stop do it now, because we’re not staying.” She’d call Troy on the way out of town to let him know she’d decided to leave. This far from home, no one but Cal knew where she was, so she was still safe, and she planned to keep a low profile on the trip back.

“Hold your horses. I have a surprise for you. But you have to close your eyes.”

The tears that had been building pricked to the surface, but Julie held them back. “What? Why?”

“Because I have to get your surprise out of the car. Two surprises actually. Well, three.” Cal grinned. “Go on, close your eyes. No shut-eye, no surprises.” She crossed her arms over her chest.

Oh, God, she wasn’t in the mood for this. “Fine.” Julie mimicked her move with her arms over her chest. “Eyes closed.” Cal’s footsteps crunched in the gravel. A door opened. “Please tell me you brought chocolate. I could really use some chocolate. Desperately,” she added quietly to herself. More shuffling sounded and it seemed as if there were two sets of footsteps this time.

“Open your eyes,” Cal instructed.

Cal held a cake in her hands, and next to her stood a man. His bushy dark hair ruled his head and overcompensated for his thin frame. His wide eyes took her in with rapt fascination.

“Happy birthday,” they both said.

“I picked this up at a grocery store on the way here,” Cal added.

“Wow. Thanks.” It seemed awkward to stand there with a stranger watching her. “Hello.” It seemed the appropriate thing to say, but the last thing Julie wanted to do was play at being gracious right now. She was feeling as far from gracious as humanly possible. She looked at Cal for a little help.

“Jules, this is Al. He told me he’s your neighbor. Al, meet Julie Fraser.”

“H-hi,” he said.

A neighbor? She definitely did not recognize this guy from her block. If Julie hadn’t been so happy to see Cal, she might’ve strangled her for bringing along a stranger.

“I realized on the trip here that Al is short for Allen.” Cal’s tone indicated something more.

Allen. The notes and bouquets sprang to mind. Was this the Allen she’d been running from? The police still hadn’t determined if A was Allen or if the two were related.

“But I discovered something else on the way here,” Cal continued. She sounded different than her usual snappy self. The conniving tone to her voice set Julie on edge even more. “Hold this, will you.” Cal gave the cake to Allen, who took it blindly as he continued to stare right at her. “You see...I discovered that Allen sent you two beautiful flower arrangements. One in the hospital and one when you got home.”

Julie’s mind spun as Cal glanced at her with a wicked smile. She’d run three thousand miles, and one phone call to Cal had brought the man to her doorstep. She’d done it in record time too. Had Cal really come all this way in such a short amount of time just for her birthday?

“I thought you told me she liked the flowers,” Allen said to Cal. “She doesn’t look too frickin’ happy right now. I thought you said she was going to love meeting me.”

This whole whacked-out scene made no sense to Julie. Why had Cal brought him along? Was he friendly or nuts? What—

“Did I say that?” Cal’s tone was all innocence. “Did I forget to mention that she bought a new house because she was being stalked by someone whose name started with the letter A?”

It happened in a second. The cake flew as Allen pounced at Cal. Cal stumbled against the car as Allen’s hands wrapped around her throat, her smile lost in the blink of an eye. Before Julie even made it down the stairs to tackle him and get him off Cal, a shot rang out and Allen staggered back, holding his middle.

Julie recoiled, her hand against her pounding heart as blood seeped through Allen’s fingers. He dropped to his knees, his eyes rounded and glassy.

“One down, one to go,” Cal breathed out. She had a gun in her hand and even as the words were out of her mouth, the nose of the gun pointed in Julie’s direction.

Nothing made sense.

A wash of chills streaked up Julie’s back. “Cal? What the hell?” Julie barely got the words out. “Carrie Ann,” she said louder this time. “What is wrong with you? Drop the gun, it’s me. Drop the gun.”

“What is wrong with me?” Cal’s derisive laugh cut through the quiet evening. “You!” she shouted, her eyes narrowing. “You’ve been the problem for a long time, but I was too stupid to see it. This moment has been years in the making, but it took Drew to make me see that things have to change.”

“What are you talking about?” Julie’s pulse hammered wildly. Blood continued to seep over Allen’s fingers as he held his spot on his knees, swaying slightly. “What things? Cal, you’re my best friend, put the gun down. You’re scaring the shit out of me.”

Cal grinned. “Really?” The muzzle flashed and a shot rang out as a bullet whizzed past Julie’s right arm. She winced and ducked.

“Cal!” she screamed. It was all too surreal.

“Feeling a little scared, Julie?” Cal asked, the gun still held between both her hands. “Like you’re about to lose everything?” Her chest rose and fell with deep breaths. “That’s how Drew feels all the time. Every day.”

“He needs help!” Julie struggled to find calm. She lowered her voice. “He needs professional help, Cal. Neither one of us can give him what he needs.”

“Bullshit!” Cal yelled. “You could’ve done a lot more, but you neglected him, and you threw me to the curb. He’s adored you for years. He lives for every word, every visit, every f*cking phone call with you. And you just ignore him. You make him feel like shit. He can’t function because of you! My life is brutal. Dealing with Drew, getting work, my whole life has been shaped because of you! We’ll both be better off without you.” Her wide eyes spit venom. “I’m sorry, Jules. Sorry I couldn’t save you when Allen here lost his mind. I tried to rescue you, but he got a shot off before I could do anything.”

Her ranting made no sense, and as Cal lifted the gun higher, Allen threw himself at her. The gun went off and splintered the wood railing next to Julie’s head. She ducked and ran back into the house, even as she heard another shot go off outside.

Oh, shit! Oh shit! Cal? It had been Cal all this time? It couldn’t have been. Cal hadn’t been anywhere near the other shootings. Not that it mattered now.

Help! She needed help! Her phone was in her bag on the front porch, so she ran for the landline. Too freaked out to remember Troy’s number, she pounded 9-1-1 before realizing the phone was dead. A bullet whizzed through the front window, followed by two more that shattered it to pieces. She ran toward the back bedroom. Another gunshot sounded and the front door splintered open. Julie looked around the room. She had two options: the closet or the window? Sweat made her palms slick. The cabin sounded eerily quiet.

“Come out, Julie,” Cal said, her voice razor sharp. “I’d really like to get this over with. I’ve got a long drive back to L.A.”

Telltale creaking marked Cal’s whereabouts down the hall. Getting caught hiding in the closet held zero appeal. Julie lifted the window and popped out the screen. She cringed at the scrape and eased outside. Crouching near the house, she kept to the flowerbed. Maybe if she could get to the front porch and get her bag, her phone, she could still call for help.

The sun was nearly down. Cool summer air hit her heated skin and made it prickle. She went right, toward the side of the house away from the bedrooms, creeping steadily, listening for signs of Cal behind her as she turned the corner.

The back door slammed against the outside wall and Julie moved quickly toward the front stairs, her breathing choppy. Sweat soaked her red cotton top. Red. Stupid color. She was a life-size target.

“Julie?” Cal’s footsteps crunched along the path next to the flowerbed. “C’mon now. Be a pal. We’ll make this real fast and I bet it will hardly even hurt.”

A fresh wave of panic skittered through Julie’s middle. What the hell had happened to Cal? What made her snap? Did Cal really think she’d ruined Drew’s life? The words stuck in Julie’s head. You threw me to the curb. Another sentence that didn’t make sense.

Julie didn’t have time to reach her bag on the porch. She got on her belly and scrambled under the crawl space of the raised cabin, not happy to be communing with the spiders or vermin or any other of Mother Nature’s creatures that lived in this dark, dank space.

Maybe if Cal took a pass in the woods or another walk through the house, Julie could sneak out and grab her phone.

Julie belly-crawled to the other side of the stairs. She could use them for cover if she got a chance to come out. She caught sight of Allen and the pool of blood that surrounded his right side. Cal had shot and killed him. Without remorse. Without hesitation.

Tires squealed on the road a few seconds before Troy’s BMW roared into sight. Oh, God, he had no idea what he was walking into. Or maybe he did, considering his entrance.

Julie slowly emerged, keeping low. If she lost her cool and ran out screaming, Cal would kill her in the blink of an eye. She had to wait a few more seconds, while her heart stuttered out of control and sweat trickled down her back.

Troy got out of the car and ran to Allen, his gun drawn as he felt for a pulse with his left hand. Julie had never seen him with a gun. He scanned the area, searching for trouble. He’d sure as hell found it.

“Mills!” Cal yelled as she rounded the corner. Julie crouched into a ball, using the stairs to hide. Cal stopped a few feet in front of her to the left. With her gun tucked in the back of her waistband, she motioned to Troy. “He’s dead. But hurry! I need you back here. It’s Julie!”

No! Oh God, she had to do something!

Troy rose, his gun steady and aimed at Cal, but she moved backward, motioning him to follow. “Put your f*cking gun down and come help me.” Cal wouldn’t wait. She was going to shoot him right now as soon as he let his guard down.

“Hurry!” Cal yelled to Troy. She took a sideways step as if she meant to turn around, but reached for the gun.

Now or never. “No! Troy, watch out!” Julie screamed and launched from her hiding spot. Using the stairs as a springboard, she flung herself at Cal. But even those precious seconds hadn’t been fast enough. Terror gripped Julie’s chest as Cal whipped the gun out and fired a shot. Julie slammed into her and they both fell hard to the unforgiving gravel. The gun bounced out of reach.

Julie had never been in a fight in her life. She’d done a few of her own stunts over the years, but she’d never thrown a real punch. She might’ve been a few inches taller, but Cal was solid and strong as hell. Cal rolled and instantly pinned her. When Cal’s fist connected with her face, white hot rage burned up through her middle, and Julie slammed her palm under Cal’s jaw, throwing her back. Julie scrambled to her feet as Cal did the same and they faced off.

Cal’s eyes glowed with rage and hate. Blood stained the side of her blue tank top. Troy’s shot had hit her, but not enough to drop her.

Julie heaved in gulps of air. “Cal, this is crazy. We need help.” Every muscle tensed, waiting for Cal to strike. “You’re bleeding.” She glanced in Troy’s direction and saw him sprawled on the ground. Her heart lurched into her throat.

“Crazy?” Cal mocked her, her hair wild and her gaze murderous. “I’ll tell you what’s crazy. My dad was crazy. And because of you, my brother is crazy. How hard would it have been to talk to him more, see him more often? I f*cking see him all the time, but you’re always too busy. Look what you made him do? You made him a f*cking lunatic!”

Look who’s talking! But Julie kept the words buried in her head. “I didn’t make him do anything! What are you talking about?”

“The f*cking Sporties!” Cal screamed. “He was the one at the Sporties! He was the shooter! And he planted the car bomb!” Cal didn’t give her a chance to process the information before she attacked.

“Carrie Ann!” Julie tried to dodge the weight of her, but Cal wrapped an arm around her waist and brought her down. Julie threw a punch to her face, but the contact barely fazed Cal.

Cal wrapped her hands around Julie’s neck with deadly force, her jaw clenched tight as she squeezed. “What the f*ck, Julie? You think you can beat me?” she gritted out. “Not in this lifetime. You might get my TV roles, my movie roles, my fame...but you will not win this fight. And you will not make my brother miserable. Not as long as I’m alive. I guarantee it.”

Julie struggled to find a wisp of air, something to feed her desperate lungs. The words of her friend—and stuntwoman—Ellie Reynolds echoed in her head. “Sometimes you have play dirty. When it’s life and death there is no right and wrong.” Julie grabbed a fist full of dirt and heaved it in Cal’s face. Cal reared back and Julie gasped for air as she pushed Cal away and rolled. Cal came at her again, but this time Julie lunged for a nearby rock and fisted it. She flipped over, struck out and connected with Cal’s head once, twice before Cal fell sideways.

Heaving for air, sweat stinging her eyes, Julie rolled to all fours. She wasn’t sure her legs would support her. Cal lay in a ball nearby, her hair matted with blood. Julie moved back, gaining distance, but Cal didn’t move.

Oh, God. Now what?

Julie swallowed back bile. She glanced at Troy’s body on the ground ten yards away and fresh despair crashed in her chest. She had to help him, but she didn’t want Cal anywhere near the gun still on the ground. Julie crawled toward the gun, and Cal sprang out with her hand. Adrenaline shot through Julie’s veins as a burning pain sliced her arm. She recoiled as a four-inch blade peeked out of Cal’s hand. Cal lunged again and Julie pushed backward toward the house, the nightmare not over, crawling on all fours—a dead lobster—trying to get away.

Blood dripped down Cal’s hairline as she staggered to her feet, her smile evil and intent. “You honestly thought you could beat me? That shows true grit, girlfriend. It’s the only thing I can honestly respect about you. But let’s be honest, we all know I’m a better actor. Hell, I’ve done a great job of pretending to be your friend for years now. I think that deserves an award.”

Julie felt something at her elbow, thought it was another rock, but as she adjusted to pick it up, hope soared in her chest. Cal’s gun. “Put the knife down.” Her voice shook as much as her hands.

“Gladly. I’ve been wanting to put it down for days now.” Cal changed the grip on her knife. From stabbing to throwing. Julie fumbled behind her and grabbed the gun. The shock on Cal’s face gave way to pure hate. “No!” She drew back to throw and Julie pulled the trigger.

The recoil shot all the way to her shoulder. The bullet threw Cal back a step but didn’t stop her. She lunged again and this time Julie kept pulling the trigger. One, two, three, four bullets.

Cal stood there. Stunned. She looked down at the growing patches of blood on her blue tank top. She wobbled, her eyes glazed over. She hit the dirt on her knees. The knife slipped out of her bloodless fingers. “Not fair,” she mumbled right before hitting face first into the dirt.

Julie scrambled backward, farther away from Cal, her heart slamming against her ribs. She threw the gun as far as she could toward the trees and stood up, unsteady. She circled Cal, kicked her thigh, but got no response even though Julie watched her ragged breathing. An old tire swing sat along the side of the house and Julie ran for it. Using the knife, she sliced the rope from the tire. Seconds later, she yanked Cal’s hands behind her back and picked up her leg for good measure and hog-tied the bitch, thankful to have learned that trick during the run of her sitcom.

She wouldn’t have wasted the time, but as long as Cal still breathed, she remained a threat.

Julie scrambled to Troy, stumbling over her own feet. “Troy!” She screamed his name as she skidded to his side and took in the blood pooling on his shirt and under his head.

Sirens wailed in the distance. Her T-shirt had a fresh tear from her fight with Cal, and she ripped a chunk of it to cover the wound bleeding from his abdomen. “God dammit, don’t you die,” she cried. Why was his head bleeding when Cal got off only one shot? Julie gently lifted his head and found the reason. Troy had slammed into a rock after he’d been hit. The gash on his head bled profusely. “Don’t you f*cking die.” Tears slid down her cheeks. She ripped more of her T-shirt and held it against his head as she cradled him in her lap. She’d brought this on him by calling Cal. He’d told her not to tell anyone where they were, and he was bleeding now because she hadn’t listened.

His eyes fluttered open. He set his cold hand on top of hers. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “I never meant to hurt you. I swear to God. I never wanted that.” He coughed and blood gushed out of the wound.

“Don’t talk, dammit. Don’t say a f*cking thing.” She didn’t want to hear an apology, not when she owed him a bigger one. She could barely talk through her tears. “I hear sirens. Help is coming.”

“Love you, Julie. Love you.” His eyes slid closed and Julie shook his shoulder.

“Don’t you die.”

Blood. So much blood. It ran down her arm, stained her hands. His blood. Her blood.

He didn’t respond and the despair in Julie’s chest hurt worse than any bullet, any knife wound. How many times did the man have to get shot for her before she realized he loved her and wanted to protect her?

“Troy. Please, please don’t die. Please. I love you.”

His eyes opened into slits and his hand squeezed hers a fraction before his head lolled to the side.

“No!” Julie screamed. “No!”

A police cruiser turned the corner followed by an ambulance. Julie lifted her hand to wave them over and everything went topsy-turvy. Blood gushed freely from the wound on her arm. She fell to the side as police and paramedics gathered around her and Troy.

“He needs help. You have to help him.” Her words sounded miles away and so foreign.

“Holy shit,” one of the cops said. “This is Julie f*cking Fraser.”

They were the last words she heard before everything went black.