by Katie Reus
She fought against the mud and grass with her feet but kept slipping as he continued dragging her backward.
She wouldn’t go back there. She couldn’t go back there.
No.
Everything in front of her morphed and suddenly they were in that wretched cabin again.
He tossed her onto the floor, her palms slamming against the wood. Pain splintered through her, her heart racing out of control.
“Not done with you yet,” he growled, the sound inhuman.
Savannah sat on the table now, blood pouring from all of her wounds, her skin a grayish color.
“You should have run faster.” Her sister’s words were disembodied.
Serenity shook her head. This wasn’t real. It couldn’t be. She’d escaped. She wasn’t still stuck here.
“Be careful,” her sister whispered. “There is danger on the horizon.”
“What?” She stared at her sister in horror. She couldn’t seem to get up, couldn’t seem to make her limbs obey her. To move. To run.
“Run!” her sister screamed.
Her eyes opened with a start.
A nightmare. Just another nightmare. Though this one was different than before.
He’d never brought her back to the cabin.
Despite being soaked in sweat, a chill snaked through her, making her tremble. It was just a nightmare, she reminded herself. Nothing more.
She couldn’t be back in that cabin, stuck in hell.
Chapter 10
She was dead. Carol Rose was actually gone. It was hard to believe it, but she’d actually killed her. Was it only last night she’d done it? It felt as if an eternity had passed already.
At first the adrenaline rush had been fierce, like a hurricane roaring through her as she’d watched the old woman drink her poisoned tea. But her death had been over far too quickly. She’d been there one moment, then had overdosed. Then…nothing.
And she’d had to be careful to clean up after herself, to make sure there were no traces of her presence left behind. Going after her last night had been a risk but she’d wanted to strike now. She’d been unable to stop herself, if she was being brutally honest. That need, that growing hunger to hurt others had urged her to take action.
At least it quieted down the voice in her head.
She’d needed to hurt Serenity and this had been the easiest, cleanest way to do it. She’d realized something about herself though—she wanted more time with her victims. She wanted them to suffer more. She wanted to watch the life drain out of them, slowly, painfully.
Mrs. Rose was just the beginning. Poisoning her had been quick, but it wouldn’t be her method after today.
No, she had a much better idea.
At that thought, the joy was back, though not as strong as before. She’d expected to feel a rush for a lot longer but it was already fading into nothing. She hadn’t even been able to stick around to wait for the old woman to grow cold.
She’d had to kill her and get out. Because she wasn’t getting caught. She was too smart for law enforcement. Too smart for this stupid, pathetic little town. Everyone underestimated her, always had. It was her time to bloom.
She stepped inside Serenity’s grooming shop and waved at the girl behind the counter. Callie something. The younger woman wasn’t one of the groomers, just the girl who ran the cash register. Thankfully the woman was talking to another customer while she picked up a few things for a cat she didn’t really have. But she needed a reason to be here. As she grabbed random toys, she tucked a gift into a pile of them, leaving it for Serenity. She doubted the bitch would find it so she’d have to let her know where to look.
Anticipation buzzed through her as she strode toward the cash register, hoping she looked normal and calm on the outside. Playing with Serenity was a lot more fun than she could have imagined. She should have done this months ago.
Now that she had no one to answer to, she felt free. She still loved her father, but he’d been holding her back.
If he’d told her how good this would feel, she could have been doing this long before now. Instead he’d lied to her, told her she needed to keep the voice in her head quiet so she wouldn’t end up like him. Rotting in jail.
What a crock of shit.
This felt good. Killing was freeing.
And this was just the beginning.
She wasn’t stopping.
Chapter 11
Lucas wrapped his fingers tightly around his steering wheel as he turned onto Main Street.
“Thank you for taking Harper to school with me,” Serenity said next to him, staring out the passenger window. “And you seriously don’t have to hang out at the shop today.” Her tone was tart, probably because they’d already had this conversation more than once.
He wasn’t changing his mind. “I know, but I am.”
“You have a job to do,” she snapped. “And I don’t like your bossiness.”
He lifted a shoulder, ignoring her tone, even though he was surprised by it. “After last night I’m keeping a close eye on you. I’m not trying to control you, just keep you safe.” Simple as that.
“Mrs. Rose was killed by poison. Whoever did it didn’t get up close and personal with a weapon. They’re a coward.” Her voice vibrated with barely contained rage.
He noticed that she’d shifted from raw fear to burning anger overnight. She was still afraid, he knew, but she was pissed now. And anger was better than fear. Fear had a way of making you hole up, withdrawing and acting rashly. “I don’t care.”
“I’m going to be in the back of the shop the entire day grooming dogs. I won’t be eating or drinking anything I didn’t bring myself. You can’t be lurking around the shop like a bodyguard. I need my business to succeed.”
“I won’t be lurking around.” He kept his tone neutral, even though he was annoyed. He wasn’t leaving her to her own defenses and he would do anything to keep her safe.
“So what I want doesn’t matter? I had one man try to control my entire life. I won’t let you do it too,” she snapped again, her sharp tone out of character for the woman he knew.
He looked at her in surprise. “What?”
She opened her mouth as he pulled into a parking spot in front of her shop, then shook her head. “Never mind. I’m sorry for snapping at you. I’m mentally exhausted and sleep deprived right now. I didn’t sleep well and I…actually appreciate what you’re doing. I know it’s the smart thing. I was just lashing out because apparently I’m a jackass when I’m sleep deprived.” She winced, scrunching up her nose. “I truly am thankful for you… I just hate this whole situation and I’m taking it out on you when you certainly don’t deserve it. I’m sorry.”
He wanted to circle back to what she meant by having a man control her life. He’d assumed that Serenity and her husband had a perfect marriage, though he wasn’t certain why. She never talked about her dead husband, and there were only a couple pictures of him in the house, he’d noticed. “Apology accepted. I’m cranky when I don’t get sleep too so I get it. I’m going to head down and grab some coffee for you and the others at the shop. Any requests for food?” He knew she hadn’t eaten that morning and he hadn’t wanted to push her. She was wound up bowstring tight—not that he blamed her. But he wanted her to eat, to take care of herself.
“Surprise us,” she said, sliding a twenty-dollar bill across the seat. “And…thank you, seriously. For everything.”
He frowned at the money, but tucked it into his pocket. He would just put it back in her purse later. After walking her inside the shop and seeing how busy the place was with familiar customers, he made his way down to the local cafe. She might not like that he was going to be hanging around today but it was happening. He’d already called his cousin and let him know he’d be taking lighter duties for the foreseeable future. Not a long-term solution, but he didn’t care.
People in small towns tended to take care of each other. But his need to take care of Serenity went far deeper than wa
nting to take care of a friend or neighbor.
He wanted more than friendship from her and he wasn’t sure it would ever happen.
* * *
Adeline pulled Serenity into a big hug the second she stepped into the back room. The soft scent of her lemongrass diffuser filled the air, muting the damp puppy smell. A couple of the dogs barked at her entrance, but they were all regulars so they settled down almost immediately. Not having to see customers was a huge plus today. Hell, Serenity didn’t even want to be here, but she needed to work for multiple reasons, including to stay busy. But she also needed to pay bills and keep a roof over Harper’s head. Just because someone was stalking her didn’t mean her bills stopped coming in.
“I’m sorry about everything,” Adeline said, her grip tightening.
“Thanks. I really can’t talk about it unless I want to start crying.”
“Fair enough. We’ve got a busy day today anyway. Hopefully I’ll take your mind off…everything.” Her expression was one of pity, which was appreciated, but almost made things worse. Adeline hadn’t known Carol so this wouldn’t affect her as much, which was just as well. Both of them couldn’t be caught up in grief.
Serenity simply nodded and forced herself to keep it together. She’d talked to Carol’s daughter this morning and they would be having the funeral in just a few days. It was all she could think about. Lincoln had told her that the FBI was on the case now and looking into who had texted her, using all the technology they had, but at this point she simply wanted to pack up and run. Even though she knew that was futile. Whoever had done this could just follow her.
And she wasn’t going to run from this threat. No, she’d face this bastard down just like she’d faced down Black in court. That had been the hardest thing she’d ever had to do—to look into the eyes of the monster who’d tortured and killed her twin. But she’d done it. She would get through this too.
Ten minutes later there was a knock on the door, making her entire body tense. She knew there was a deputy stationed right out front so she was worrying for nothing. Even so, all her muscles pulled tight until the door opened and Lucas stepped in, a white bag in one hand as he balanced a tray of drinks in the other.
He gave Adeline a quick smile, and had a long, lingering look for Serenity as he set everything on a nearby table. “I’ll be hanging out if you need me, keeping an eye on things. I won’t scare away customers,” he said, ducking out before she could respond or even say thanks for the stuff.
Adeline let out a low whistle as the door clicked shut. “Please tell me we’re going to talk about that look.”
“What look?”
“Come on. It’s okay to live your life,” Adeline said, giving Serenity a pointed stare.
Serenity knew that Adeline had been through her own shit. Far more than anyone should have to. So she knew those words were from experience as well. “Fine.” She shifted Pepper, the goldendoodle she was currently trimming, on the table. “We might have…shared a charged moment last night.” It had happened so fast—the sharp, lingering look gone before it had even really formed. Because all she’d been able to think about had been Carol, and how she was going to keep Harper safe.
“Might have?” Adeline peered into the bag he’d left and pulled out a croissant.
“Fine. We did. But it was one of those intense things that just sort of happened. Last night was bad and… I don’t know. Nothing will come of it. We’re just friends.”
“Oh yeah, that was really clear. There is definitely no attraction between you two.” Adeline snorted as she hopped up onto one of the counters, already devouring her croissant.
“I’m a mom,” she blurted.
“And? What the hell does that mean? Moms don’t have sex?”
“No, of course we do. I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant…I’m a widow and I have a daughter. He isn’t going to want to deal with all that on top of this craziness.”
Adeline made the sound of a buzzer Serenity recognized from a familiar game show even as she gave her a thumbs-down sign. “That’s a dumb excuse and beyond weak. Come on, you’re a widow, not dead.” She winced. “Sorry, really wrong choice of words. Wow, really bad. You know what I mean though.”
“I just don’t think I’m ready for a relationship.”
Adeline hopped off the countertop and wiped her hands on her pants. “If that’s true, then I get it. If you’re not ready, don’t push yourself. But I think you’re lying to yourself. You’ve been a widow for a couple years and I know things between you and Olsen weren’t great at the end.”
Adeline was one of the few people who knew that she and Olsen had been rocky even before he died. Serenity wasn’t sure they would have lasted had he lived. Hell, she knew they wouldn’t have. She’d already had one foot out the door. If it hadn’t been for Harper, she’d have already been gone.
She pulled out the blow-dryer. “Lucas is a good friend and I don’t want to lose him. And…I’m scared. I’m scared of a relationship, of change, of everything going on right now.” And that was the truth.
“That I believe. It’s okay to be scared. Just don’t hide yourself away and live a muted life because of fear. You literally survived hell. You deserve to live your life in freaking Technicolor. That bastard took a lot from you. Don’t let him take everything else.” Adeline lifted a Maltese named Bailey out of one of the kennels and set him on the table. The little guy immediately started licking her face.
Serenity didn’t respond as she started the blow-dryer, because there wasn’t much to say. Her friend was right. But that didn’t mean she was ready to let go of her fear. It had dug its fingers in tight.
Some days it felt like she was simply surviving. She’d sworn she would never be a victim again, but part of her wondered if she was still letting Michael Black control her life. Okay, she knew she was. It wasn’t even a question. She wasn’t sure how to let go, however. She wanted to be a good role model for her daughter, to protect her—to make sure Harper didn’t grow up afraid of everything.
Shaking off those thoughts, she forced herself to focus on her job.
Someone out there was determined to hurt her and those she loved. She couldn’t let that happen.
Chapter 12
Six hours later, Serenity hung her apron on the hook by the door. “I’m going to get out of here. Are you good?”
Adeline looked up from her current dog, a terrier mix. “Of course. I feel like I already know the answer, but are you going to quilting class tonight?”
“No. I want to stay close to home with Harper.” Coming to work had helped her stay focused but she couldn’t be out after last night. It felt wrong to go anywhere with Carol dead. And even if it didn’t, she wouldn’t be away from her daughter. Harper was the most important person in her life.
“I understand. I’ve already talked to everybody in the group and we’ll all be heading to our cars with buddies after we’re done. And you know me, I’m going to have double pepper spray.”
Serenity snorted even as a trickle of fear slid through her veins. She couldn’t tell her friends not to live their lives. She just wished she could keep them all safe. Quilting class was safe though. The parking lot was fully lit up outside the shop and everybody always walked to their vehicles together. “Okay, I’m still going to tell you to be safe anyway.”
As she stepped into the main area of her shop, awareness jolted inside her to see Lucas waiting for her in one of the chairs.
“Hey.” He immediately stood, tucking his phone away. “I texted you but—”
Her heart rate kicked up. “Crap.” She fished her phone out of her back pocket, cursing herself for not hearing it. She’d been checking on and off all day but she must have missed it when she was blow-drying one of the dogs. And if she’d missed his text, she might have missed messages from other people. Harper’s teacher had told her she would check in periodically—the school knew what was going on and they were being proactive about keeping an extra eye on
Harper.
As she looked at the screen, she let out a sigh of relief to see a message from Harper’s teacher telling her that everything was normal at school. Part of her didn’t want to even let Harper go to school at all, but she figured she was safer surrounded by classmates and people who cared for her.
The next text, however, had ice freezing in her veins.
“What is it?” Lucas was next to her in an instant, grabbing the phone from her fingers.
Before she could even move into action, he’d strode across the shop and started digging into a basket of dog toys.
He let out a curse even as she moved up beside him. She was aware of Callie’s curious look from where she stood at the cash register but her employee didn’t say anything.
“Do you know what this is?” he murmured.
Serenity stared at the necklace for a long moment and had started to say no when it registered exactly what it was. “Yeah. Put it down.” She hurried to the countertop and pulled out a little baggie they used for dog treats. Grabbing it by the edges, she put the necklace inside with trembling fingers. She had no doubt that Carol’s killer had been in here. Sometime today likely.
She closed her eyes for a long moment as she tried to steady herself against the raw fear that threatened to knock the breath out of her. “It’s from one of Black’s victims. I recognize it from one of the TV specials,” she said, quietly enough for only him to hear.
After her sister’s murder and Black’s imprisonment, she’d followed stories about him on the news and read up about him and his other victims. She’d wanted to understand why he’d done what he’d done, but eventually she’d realized that you can’t understand or rationalize the motives of evil. He’d gone after women who’d all looked the same—black hair, blue eyes, slender and in their late teens or early twenties, with twenty being the average age. It was the same age his own mother had been when she’d abandoned him to his grandparents. So the asshole had mommy issues. It wasn’t an excuse to go on a killing spree.
