“About the fake IDs?” I asked.
“That Erica Mills isn’t your real name. I don’t need to know what you’re running from, but he should.”
“He does,” I said. “He’s the only one who knows, so-”
“Don’t worry about me. I don’t air other people’s shit.”
That was good to know.
“See you around,” I said.
Walking out of The Blue Dog, I gripped the brown envelope tightly in my hand. This was my ticket to freedom. It should keep Jeff from finding us.
* * *
I pickedDominic up from the babysitter and listened to him tell me all about his day on the way home.
“Hey, Dominic,” I waited until there was a lull in his dialogue to get his attention. “How would you like to go to public school this fall?”
“Really?” he asked brightly. “We’re going to stay here?”
“I think so.” I didn’t want to make any promises.
“Can I get a Spider-man backpack?”
I chuckled. “Sure.”
“Then, yeah. I wanna go.”
“I’ll look into getting you registered.”
I pulled up in front of the duplex, letting Dominic go in ahead of me. I dropped my gym bag next to the door, resolving to go through it later and do a load of laundry.
“Can I have a snack?” Dominic asked, already heading toward the kitchen.
“Something small, like an apple. I don’t want you filling up on junk and ruining your dinner.”
I had stopped walking halfway through the living room. Something was off. I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was at first, but for some reason, there was trepidation in my steps, fueled by a powerful sense of unease.
Finally, I realized that the things in the living room, the knick-knacks and picture frames, had all been moved slightly. They were still technically in the same spot, like the photo of Dominic and I on the coffee table, but they were slightly altered. The picture was facing the wrong direction. Someone had been in my home and moved my things.
“Mom?”
Dominic’s voice held undisguised panic. I snapped my head in his direction and saw that he was frozen in the kitchen doorway, his back to me as he stared into the room at something I couldn’t see. I flat-out ran to him, alarm bells going off in my head.
I didn’t stop until I was standing in front of him, blocking Dominic from the thing in the kitchen that had him so scared. It was the thing I feared most.
My heart seemed to stop completely as I stood there, staring at Jeff. He looked cool as a cucumber, watching me with the eyes of a predator as he leaned against my kitchen sink with his arm folded across his chest.
I wanted to run. The need was so strong that my hands shook, and my knees felt weak. But I couldn’t get away, not when he was already inside my home. I heard Gizmo enter the kitchen behind us.
Some guard dog.
“Dominic, I need you to take the dog outside and stay with him until I tell you to come in.” My voice was higher-pitched than normal, containing the faint edge of hysteria.
“But mom-”
“Now,” I interrupted. “Go.”
