“That I’m going to know you for a long, long time,” Hayley said.
Bryce wrapped his arms around her and held her close. “We’ll make it work, somehow.”
12
The Calm And The Storm
The lake house,reminiscent of a wood cabin, had two stories overlooking the water and a gazebo on the waterfront, with a dock which stretched far out into the calm waters. Frogs croaked from the shoreline. A hammock hung from a grove of trees.
Bryce stepped inside. The scent of wood and flowers filled his nostrils. He’d spend three days here waiting while Hayley’s plans for a getaway and the lake house’s location were carefully divulged to a tabloid. Once the information came out, he’d have to hide out in the house, waiting for the stalker to come. Bryce hoped Callow would arrive before Hayley even got there, so he could neutralize him without putting her in harm’s way.
But from what he knew of Callow’s past actions, the man preferred more daring approaches. Callow had been arrested for public assault twice before; he didn’t mind a crowd. Considering how long he’d roamed free, Bryce would bet money on it that Callow had gotten away with far worse than what law enforcement had detained him for.
The lake house’s only security systems were alarms placed on doorframes and windowsills. Bryce spent the next day planting wildlife cameras in the trees and on the ground around the house, trying to hide them as best he could. The next step was to figure out a way to stream the footage on a network Callow couldn’t detect or hack. Setting up both measures kept Bryce occupied before Hayley arrived. He knew Steve and Nash were fully capable of keeping her safe until her arrival, plus she had a location tracker now in her new phone, car, and even on an earring, in case Callow managed to snatch her en route to the lake house, like he’d tried just a few weeks before with the car accident. It was a risk she was filling to take.
The morning that Hayley was scheduled to arrive, Bryce scrolled the celebrity gossip sites they’d planned to leak news to of her new album – and her plans to retreat and focus on it. Posts began popping up by breakfast with news of Hayley Wild’s intent to jump-start work on a new record with a “getaway to her private oasis in luxury lake house.” Some of the articles shared images of Hayley sporting large sunglasses, walking down city streets with coffee cups in her hand, beside the former real estate listing’s photos of the property. The articles described the lake house as the “ultimate hideaway” with “serene views” and “luxurious finishes hidden inside masterfully restored cabin built among groves of forested lakefront property.”
Bryce couldn’t have written a better dog whistle for Callow. They listed everything to entice a potential attacker: seclusion, cover, distance, and the fact that Hayley planned to go alone. Even knowing it was all necessary for their plan to catch Callow, Bryce still fumed when he thought about the recklessness of publishing such information about any person, let alone a rising star. Within an hour of the tabloids publishing the news, Hayley’s fan site had got wind of the articles and cobbled together their own. There was no way now Callow wouldn’t see, and hopefully, take the bait. Bryce’s heart raced, when he suddenly thought of Hayley as bait.What have I agreed to?
Bryce had almost talked himself out of going through with the plan, when Hayley arrived that evening and pounced into his arms. Bryce enveloped her, relishing the scent of her skin, her hair, and the taste of her lips.
“What are you doing here?” Bryce asked, barely able to pull himself away from kissing her to speak. “You weren’t supposed to arrive until tomorrow.” The timing had been calculated to give Callow ample opportunity to read the news, research the lake house’s address, and formulate his own plan.
“I wanted to spend the night with you,” Hayley said simply. “I couldn’t wait.”
Bryce positioned his arms under her legs and swept her off her feet. “We might as well make the most of it,” he said.
He left her bag and guitar by the door, carried her into the guest room, and laid her gently on the couch. She tugged his shirt up over his head and threw it across the room. Bryce abandoned gentleness at this point, but Hayley didn’t mind at all.
* * *
Bryce and Hayleylay in a tangle of arms and legs the next morning. He wanted to stay beside her forever like this and take her one more time before getting out of bed. But now was not the time. He dispelled the thought and proceeded to cover all evidence that anyone beside Hayley was in the house. She moved upstairs to the master bedroom, while he placed his belongings out of sight.
When the house was in order and all trace of Bryce’s presence erased, Hayley set up her guitar and her things in the living room with its full picture-window views of the lake, and Bryce – against every desire to stand guard directly over her – retreated upstairs to monitor the cameras he’d set up.
* * *
Hayley couldn’t concentrateas she waited. The nerves had gotten to her and broken her focus on the musical staffs in front of her. She strummed her guitar and pretended to write, in case Callow was watching. She couldn’t go outside because she needed to stay close to Bryce.
Her keys bulged in her pocket; Bryce had told her to keep them close in case she needed to run. She played records to calm herself but kept her voice low. Bryce continued to wait in the room upstairs with the blinds and curtains drawn shut. He hoped Callow wouldn’t make him wait through the night; he’d start to tire and lose his sharpness by tomorrow morning, and he couldn’t risk sleep.
Hayley stood in the kitchen grilling chicken for a salad when the first alarm beeped, so faint and so fast, it could have been an errant microwave alarm or a note from the refrigerator telling her she’d left the door ajar. If she hadn’t been on high alert, she might not have even noticed it. Then, the lights went out.
Hayley turned the gas off the stove and froze. Her heart pounded even though she knew Bryce was in the house. Would he come downstairs now? Was Callow here? Would he wait for Callow to strike?
Hayley scurried out of the kitchen, away from the knives and any other utensils which could be used to harm her. She fought the urge to run upstairs to Bryce, and to even turn around and see if he had come out and was now watching her, waiting for Callow to appear. She froze. What if Callow was already in the house, had found Bryce, and done something to him? Hayley pulled her phone out of her pocket, her hands shaking. But before she could speed dial Bryce, a hand covered in a latex glove clasped over her mouth and yanked her over the back of the couch. He dragged her backwards toward the door. Hayley tried to slip out of his grip but to no avail.
Bryce ran down the staircase, “Let her go!” he said, cocking a gun and pointing it at Callow.
“So, this is the boyfriend,” Callow said, his breath hot on Hayley’s ear. “I won’t let you interfere any longer.”
“The police are on the way,” Bryce said, “And if you run, I’ll shoot.”
Callow laughed. “I don’t think you will. You see, the bullet may hit her. You wouldn’t risk that.” He tugged Hayley’s hair, so her face blocked his as he dragged her toward the back door.
Bryce looked Hayley in the eye and nodded. Hayley twisted her wrists to break Callow’s grip and jabbed backward with her elbow, landing a hit on his side, just like Bryce had taught her. The blow had weakened his grip just enough for Hayley to break free. He stumbled backward.
“Run, Haley!” Bryce fired a shot as Callow dove behind the kitchen island. “You need to get out of here.”
