Buried inShadows
Dani Pettrey
Prologue
HER BREATH BURSTINGin her lungs, Cassie Parker readied to take a step, her bare foot hovering over the wooden floorboard.Please,don’t creak.
She placed her foot on the floor, praying for silence.
Creak.
She closed her eyes, cold wafting over her trembling limbs. She held still. So still. Her lungs burned. She released her held breath and took another shallow inhale.
Creak.The sound echoed from the front of the house.
No.
Creak.
Closer this time—heading toward her.
She’d done what he’d said. Broke it off with Joel. Left the love of her life standing at the altar, so why was he back after a year of silence, instead of keeping his end of the bargain to leave her be? What had she done? Not seen Joel. She loved him too much to risk his life at a psycho’s hands.
Creak.
She stiffened. Soon she’d feel his breath on the back of her neck, smell his musky cologne.
The moon slipped from the cloud cover, shining down to the courtyard in the center of her home, illuminating him. Faceless, but very, very real—a knife in hand.
Run,you idiot. Run!
Breaking into a sprint, she dashed for the front door.
Creak. Creak. Creak.Footsteps clapped behind her.
Justkeep going. Keep going.
Reaching the door, she fumbled with the chain, finally dropping it against the metal door with a clang.
Hands soaked with a cold sweat, she struggled to grasp the dead bolt.
Please. Please. Please.
He was nearly upon her.
She scrambled to get the dead bolt unlocked, then opened the door to find him standing there.
Cassie bolted upright in bed, sweat-drenched and lungs burning. Her gaze flashed to her bedroom door. Still locked with the bar across it.
Windows. She darted a glance at each. All down. The extra locks she’d installed holding.
Struggling for a solid breath, she got to her feet, the floor frigid beneath them.
Reaching in her nightstand, she retrieved her SIG, clasping the gun in her left hand.
You’re overreacting.It’s been a year. He’snot here.
Make sure, a voice whispered on the howling wind.
