15
Molly reach for the door to shut him out, but her muscles wouldn't obey. She was frozen in fear.
It was like a bad dream, one where she couldn't move.
Except she was awake. Terrifyingly so.
Blood pumped through her sluggish body. Each beat of her heart was like an earthquake in her head.
Toby stared at her. Even from so far away, his stare pierced.
He'd found her.
"Is he coming in?"
From close behind her, Cord's voice startled her out of the debilitating state.
She shrieked.
And started to crumple, all the adrenaline pulsing through her body doing her no good.
He caught her, his arms coming around her back as he stepped into her.
Which put him right in the doorway, right in Toby's view.
Heart beating in her throat, she couldn't push the words out to warn him.
She was shaking so badly she couldn't stand upright.
She felt Cord's body go from at ease to tense and ready to strike.
"Who is that?" Cord asked.
He didn't wait for her to answer. He kept a strong hold on her as he whirled out of the doorway and shoved the door closed.
He locked it for good measure.
But a deadbolt wasn't going to keep Toby out.
"Was that him?" Cord demanded.
She managed a shaky nod, tears burning hot behind her eyes.
What was she going to do?Run, her brain cried.
Cord kept one arm around her, leaning his shoulder into the wall. She felt him reach into his hip pocket, and then he raised his cell phone to his ear.
"This is Coulter, out at Mackie's place. Molly's stalker just showed up."
Oh, the sheriff's office.Help!Send help!
Cord shifted them nearer the big front window. "His car's sitting out on the road, just past the cattle guard. He was standing there a minute ago. I think he got back inside the car."
There was noise through the cell phone.
Cord's chin pressed against her cheek. "Did you see a weapon? Was he holding anything?"
She squeezed her eyes closed, the image of Toby standing there, staring at her, burning behind her eyes. "I-I don't know." Her whisper burned her throat, and two hot tears slipped down her cheeks. "I don't think so."
