I turned my head and looked at Bre in the backseat. “Are you going with him or coming inside with me?”
She opened the back door. “You. Roxie probably misses me and needs to go out.”
My kids must be even more tired than I was. They had been with Lake when it all began and it was a lot for them. I smiled while thinking,My kids are troopers.
I followed suit and popped my door open to get out.
“The usual?” Lennon asked.
“Sounds good. Drive safe,” I told him.
Lennon’s face turned serious. “Lock everything up as soon as you’re inside.”
He was protecting me again and I got it. We didn’t know what, or I should say who, was still out there, but we had to carry on.
“We will.” I gave him an encouraging smile and shut the vehicle door.
Bre and I made our way to the house, both moving slowly. I unlocked the door and the alarm started beeping as Roxie came running, yapping excitedly. Lennon had waited until we were inside and then I heard his truck drive off.
My daughter clipped her dog's leash on as I keyed in the code so we could take Roxie potty, then we’d lock up.
When it was dark, I always insisted on going out with her if Huntley or Lennon weren’t home. I turned to the door as beeping alerted us that there was motion on the camera. Had Lennon come back?
I couldn’t explain why, but the hair on the back of my neck stood on end and my skin prickled with unease. In a rush and trusting my instincts, I tried shoving the door shut.
But it was too late.
Bre screamed as a dark figure threw me backward and shoved his way into the house. I went crashing to the floor, my butt hitting with a loud thunk, jarring me and shooting pain through my body. When I looked up into the man's face, revealed by the light in the entryway, I gasped.
I’d seen him in pictures—it was one of my client's narcissistic husbands.
And he was averybad guy.
“Bre, get in your room, hurry!” I yelled as I scrambled to my feet.
My daughter, scared out of her mind, stood frozen in fear. Before I could get to her, the man grabbed her, pulling her back to his chest. I moved forward, but then stopped dead in my tracks, when the asshole pulled out a knife.
“It was you,” I muttered, recognition dawning.
This man had been the one that attacked me outside my office. It was all making sense now. My client didn’t show that day and I hadn’t heard from her until the following week. She had said she feared for her life and just needed to get away.
The guy's words from that day came back to me.
Mind your own fucking business, bitch and stop trying to get into other people’s heads, or you will be sorry.
After my client called me, why had I not put it together and told the guys? I kept fucking up and now my daughter’s life hung in the balance.
Tears dripped down my child’s terror-stricken face and Roxie barked frantically at her feet.
“Shut that fucking dog up before I kill it!” Spittle flew in every direction, the man’s glassy eyes full of rage.
“M-Mom,” Bre cried.
My pulse skyrocketed and I tried to slow it down so I could think. I had to talk our way out of this or stall somehow until help came. And I knew a whole lot of it was on the way. The cameras would have alerted all the guys.
Lennon included.
Please God, let my boy drive safely.
