Safe at Home (Warm Springs Trilogy Book 1) (29 page)

He must’ve noticed because he rushed on, “I mean, I hear stuff. I’m not a little kid. And Mom and Dad talk about everything in the kitchen like it’s soundproof.”

“Well, the baby is one thing, and then there are the holidays, and we really haven’t been going out that long. Sometimes people date for a long time. As for the
Jenny thing
, as you put it, that’s complicated, but we’re working on it.”

“That’s what the police are here for, right?” They both looked toward the front of the house reflexively even though they couldn’t see out the front window from where they were sitting.

“They’re here to keep an eye on things. The man who took Jenny is a really bad person and does things we don’t understand. We want to make sure everyone’s safe.” The oven buzzer went off and Sam leapt at the chance to change the subject.

“Pizza, yes.” Alex cheered and the conversation was forgotten.

After several slices, cookies, and rounds of Uno later, Alex snoozed on the couch. Sam was sitting in her chair reading a book and listening to the rain outside. When there was a knock at the door, she had to stifle a yelp. Alex didn’t stir. Looking out the peep hole, she saw Officer Holloway standing on the porch in his poncho. She opened the door and stepped out onto the porch, glancing at Alex over her shoulder.

“Evening, ma’am, I just wanted to let you know that there’s been a power outage up on Main. We need to go up there to help out. If you don’t want to stay here, you can come up to the station.”

“We should be okay. Alex is asleep, so I’d hate to wake him. Will you be back later?”

“My shift will be over soon, but someone else will be out as soon as we can spare them.” Lightning lit up the sky causing them both to glance out over the yard.

“Okay, thanks for letting me know.”

With a nod, Officer Holloway was hurrying through the rain back to his cruiser.

Chapter 35

He was sick of the damn rain. Even with the jacket he wore, he was soaked to the bone. The trek through the woods had been miserable. He shifted his weight and looked at the house. The lights inside were on, but her car wasn’t in the drive. The memory of smashing into it repeatedly the night before caused a slight rise at the corner of his mouth.

Eric wiped more water from his face and crouched low to the ground, making his body even with the bumper of the cruiser. The rain, which continued to pour, masked the sound of his boots on the pavement and he hoped it would obscure the mirrors of the cruiser. Once aligned with the driver’s side, Eric stopped moving and wrapped his hand around the hilt of his knife. Slicing the throat of an unsuspecting police officer wouldn’t be hard.

Suddenly the door flung open and Eric skittered backward, almost losing his balance. He stifled a curse, released his knife and then jogged back to his place in the trees. He watched as the cop spoke to Samantha and then ducked through the rain to get back in his car. Samantha was already gone from view when the cop cranked up and left. Eric took it as a sign. What he was about to do was right. It was finally time to make the bitch pay for what she’d done.

Sam couldn’t stop the shiver that went up her spine when she stepped back into the house. It wasn’t as if anything was different, but knowing the police weren’t sitting outside anymore made her senses go on high alert. She tried to sit down and get lost in her book, but she found herself rereading the same page over and over again. She closed the book, set it aside and reached for the remote. She went for the evening news. She kept the volume low and had no idea what the reporter was talking about, but it was a distraction at least.

From her seat in her favorite chair, she had a full view of the tree. She couldn’t help smiling at the thought of Spencer showing up at her house with it in tow. It had been ages since she’d had one. Every now and again, a light snore sounded from Alex. His blond hair fell over his angelic face in a slant, fluttering with each exhaled breath. She couldn’t remember the last time she slept that way. Completely peaceful, without a care in the world knowing someone was there to watch over you.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the lightening flash and began to mentally count until the thunder boomed overhead. It didn’t take but a second. The storm was right over them now. As if on cue, more lightning lit up the night, but this time Sam’s heart skipped a beat. She thought she saw a shadow on the front porch.

Her throat constricted as she sat paralyzed. It’s okay she told herself. Just your imagination. The police will be back in a little while and hopefully, Spencer will too. Take a deep breath, close your eyes, in and out, but then there was a noise. It sounded as though a rocking chair was being pushed across the wood. Her eyes flew open and she darted into action. She thought of sending Alex out the back door, but the fence would force him to cross in front of the front porch.

“Hey, Alex,” she whispered, gently kneeling on the floor by the couch. “I need you to wake up now and come with me upstairs. Do you think you can do that?” She tried to keep her voice from shaking.

His eyes fluttered open and after realizing where he was, he shrugged and sat up.

At the same time, Sam heard her doorknob rattle on the back door. “Hurry, Alex, and don’t make a sound.”

“Okay,” he whispered back. He heard the noise too and seemed to realize Sam was serious.

Halfway up, she heard her phone begin to buzz on the table. She swore under her breath and thought about running to get it, but glass shattered in the kitchen. She needed to get Alex hidden. Eric was almost in the house. She knew it was him. The wait was over. He was there to make good on years of threats.

She pulled the string leading to her attic stairs. She’d only been up in the attic a couple times and hoped Alex could hide up there. She only hoped Eric didn’t realize Alex was there.

“I want you to hide, Alex, and don’t make a sound. Don’t come out no matter what you hear, okay?”

“I’m scared.” His eyes started to shine with unshed tears.

“Me, too, but I won’t let anything happen to you I swear, now go.”

Alex climbed the stairs like a rocket and she closed them as fast and as quietly as she could. The pounding rain helped cover the sound of the metal springs stretching and then snapping back into place. She could hear footsteps in the kitchen and then dishes began to crash to the floor. He was trying to scare her, and it was working, but his actions made it so she could tell where he was in the house.

She glanced around the upstairs. Her bedroom seemed obvious, so she headed into the guest room. It was closer. With her heart pounding in her throat, she squeezed between the boxes she’d been digging in earlier to find her glove. It was a tight fit, but it was the only cover there was.

“Damn.” Spencer took off his baseball cap and ran his fingers through his hair.

“What’s wrong?” asked Ann from the bed. “Still no answer?”

“No, and that was my third try.” He began to pace. He couldn’t shake the bad feeling starting to twist in his gut. “Ann, I’m sorry, but I may need to go check on them.”

“Try calling Nick first. He should be able to put your mind at ease. And mine.”

“Good idea.” Spencer scrolled through his phone, thankful he had Nick’s number.

“This is Holloway.” Wind roared through the phone causing him to shout.

“Nick, hey it’s Spencer. Is everything okay over at the house?”

“It was when I left, but hey we’ve had some power issues over here on Main. I had to duck out early. One of the other officers is supposed to be headed that way in about half an hour.”

“Thanks for letting me know.” Spencer hung up. “There’s no one over there right now.” He pulled on his jacket. “Are you going to be okay here by yourself?”

“Yes, go over and make sure things are okay. Besides, Jake will be here soon and I’ve had an epidural now. Should be smooth sailing.” Her smile looked forced.

Spencer turned with one hand on the door. “Try to relax. I’m sure I’m overreacting.”

Ann nodded and then Spencer took off. He wished he believed what he’d said.

The rain made it hard to hear anything else. She couldn’t tell what was happening in the house anymore.
Where was he? Still downstairs? Had he made his way up?
There was no way to know. She inched her hand toward one of the boxes and tried to feel what was inside to see if anything could be used as a weapon. She kept hitting paper junk and somehow didn’t think old programs and ticket stubs were going to do her much good.

If he found her, it would be over, but unlike two years ago, she had something to live for now. She couldn’t just roll over. She needed to fight. Or at least try. Her fear was still there, but her survival instincts were kicking in. She moved from sitting on her butt to a crouching position with utmost care. He was much stronger than her, but maybe if she had the element of surprise it would help. About that time, her hand closed over an old trophy. She wished more than ever she still had a bat, but it was something at least.

He knew she was in the house. The TV was on and her phone kept buzzing on the table. She couldn’t be far. He walked over to the TV and flipped it onto the floor, then he crushed her phone under his boot.
Oh and wasn’t that sweet, a Christmas tree
. He pulled it over and knocked the books off of the shelves. Seeing her precious things destroyed gave him a certain amount of satisfaction, but it did nothing to calm the rage brewing inside him. He reached around to his back and slid the knife out of his belt.

“Samantha, it’s time to come out now.”

She started at the crashing sounds that were coming from downstairs. At the same time, she heard a noise from the attic. Her eyes flicked to the ceiling.
What was he doing up there?
Be quiet, Alex, please, she thought. Then it became quiet. There was no more noise from either direction. The eerie silence was back and it was almost worse. The anticipation, the feeling of being hunted, it was almost more than she could bear. Part of her wanted to scream and jump out and say
here I am
just to end the waiting, but she wasn’t suicidal.

The top step gave its familiar squeak. He was upstairs now, but his feet didn’t cross by the door. She continued to watch for shadows. He was heading toward her room. More crashing sounded form the opposite end of the hall. She heard glass break, loud thuds and doors slamming, then nothing. It was a small house. Only one more place he could search.

She broke out into a cold sweat all over her body and her hands began to shake. Adrenaline flooded her system, the taste of copper on her tongue. The shadow from his boots darkened the area at the bottom of the door and then it swung open. He flipped the light on and there was a pause while he looked around the mostly bare room. He walked over to the closet, put his hand on the door and yanked, but instead of catching her by surprise, she surprised him. She sprang at him like a cat, swinging out with the trophy. It flew through the air in an arc, hitting his knife hand and then striking his face. The cheap gold plastic broke against his chin and left a cut along his cheek in the process.

“Stupid bitch,” he exploded, grabbing at his face.

She ran for the door, but she wasn’t fast enough. He kicked her in the back and sent her head first into the opposite hallway wall where she hit with a thud. She scrambled to her hands and knees and began to crawl down the stairs. Her back throbbed with every movement.

He started down the stairs and grabbed the back of her shirt lifting her just enough to throw her the rest of the way down the stairs. The impact jarred her to the core and she hurt her wrist, but she was conscious. She had to keep moving. The further from Alex the better. She didn’t want him to hear her scream or find her body. She tried to stand, but it was pointless, he was on top of her before she could make any progress. He straddled her back and grabbed her by her hair, slamming her face into the floor.

An explosion of pain fanned across her face as her nose broke and black began to swim at the corners of her vision. She tasted blood on her lips and knew if she didn’t act fast, she was going to die right there at the base of the stairs. He grabbed her hair again and she whimpered, fearing he would slam her face into the floor again. Instead, he hauled her to her feet and dragged her over to the chair where he shoved her down. He stood in front of her, glaring down with a sick half smile and blood smearing one side of his face.

“Hello there, Samantha,” he said, putting extra emphasis on her name. “I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time.” He retrieved his knife and examined it while he spoke.

This was the first time she’d come face to face with him in years. Before this moment she’d begun to wonder if she’d built up how scary he was in her mind, but when she dared to look up at his face, she saw a raw hate in his eyes that was terrifying. He hated her in a way there was no coming back from.

“Nice place you have here. It’s such a shame it’s been wasted on someone like you.” He stopped speaking and backhanded her.

Blood flew from her face and stars shone behind her eyes.

“Where’s your boyfriend tonight, Samantha? Out with another one of his whores?”

She stared back at him as she held her face and tears swam in her eyes.

“What? You don’t want to talk? No begging for your life? No stammering about how it wasn’t your fault?”

She kept quiet. She knew anything she said would be wrong and there was no way to stop what was coming. An icy calm came over her. Her face and back throbbed, but she was thankful Spencer wasn’t there and Alex was okay. It was just her and Eric. He took a step toward her and made the mistake of getting within her kicking range. She didn’t waste the opportunity. She kicked out with all her strength and went straight for his knee.

A sickening crack sounded as his knee bent at an unnatural angle and he hit the floor gasping for breath. “You stupid bitch,” he screamed, but she was already moving for the back door.

The front was no use. There was no time to deal with the chain and the dead bolt and the Christmas tree was blocking her path. She braced herself on the wall as she went, fighting the dizziness threatening to pull her under. The door was still hanging open where Eric came through. She cried out when glass sliced into her feet, but she had to keep moving. She could hear him coming from the other room. Stumbling and panting as he dragged his bad leg. She stepped out into the rain and headed for the fence. If she could get to the street, she might be okay. But in reality, she knew it wouldn’t really save her, but she had to try. The police would be back soon. If she could hide and wait it out.