“No. Men like him don’t do the dirty work,” she said with a half-hearted smile. “But he wants Nora back in his world. He’s been trying to find us for years, but to no avail. How he found us now is beyond me. But this kind of threat, though… It’s his signature.”
“My kind of people prefer a pipe bomb,” I said. “Or a brick through your window.”
She nodded, eyes shining. “No, this is cleaner.Scarier, in a way.”
I sat with it, then said, “I can fix the barn alarm tomorrow. And I’ll set up the game cams on your driveway and at each window of the house. You’ll know if anyone comes within a hundred yards of the house.”
“Would you teach me how to shoot? If I wanted to.”
It was my turn to look away. “Yeah. I would.”
Her hand reached for mine, just for a second, then retracted as if she’d overestimated her nerve. “You know, I’m used to being alone. Most men, even the decent ones, see the baggage before they see me. Thanks for not running. And I do know how to shoot.”
I smiled. “Doesn’t surprise me one bit.” I almost told her that I’d been running since the accident, but something about the way the lamplight softened her features kept my mouth shut. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Shortly after, Ella called it a night and went to bed. But for me, it was nearly midnight when I crashed on the sofa. Before I did, there was a new message on my phone. No caller ID. Just a single text, in block capitals:
“YOU SHOULD HAVE STAYED AWAY.”
I deleted it, rolled my thumb over the screen, and passed out.
Chapter 6
Ella
Iwoke to the sound of a muffled thump. At first, I thought it was Scout, patrolling the perimeter of the house as he sometimes did when he sensed something was off. But Scout was sprawled across my feet, his soft snores rumbling through the blankets. The digital clock on my nightstand glowed 4:37 AM.
Another thump, followed by a soft scraping sound.
My heart lurched into my throat. I slid out of bed, careful not to disturb Scout, and crept to the bedroom door. The hallway was dark except for the faint glow from the nightlight in Nora’s room.
Jake. Was he still here? I’d left him on the couch after our conversation, but now I couldn’t remember if he’d said he was staying all night or not.
The scraping sound came again, this time from the kitchen. I pressed my back against the wall and inched down the hallway, trying to controlmy breathing. The floorboard near the bathroom creaked under my weight, and I froze.
Silence.
Then footsteps—too heavy to be Nora’s—moving across the kitchen floor.
I reached for the baseball bat I kept propped against the hall closet. The wood felt solid in my hands, grounding me. I’d never had to use it before, but I’d practiced the swing enough times in my mind.
As I neared the kitchen, I could make out a silhouette moving near the back door. Tall. Broad-shouldered. The figure turned, and moonlight from the window caught his profile.
“Jake?” I whispered, lowering the bat slightly.
He spun around, his hand instinctively going to his waist where a gun might have been. “Jesus, Ella,” he whispered back. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”
I set the bat against the wall, my pulse still hammering. “What are you doing?”
He gestured toward the back door. “Thought I heard something outside. Scout was growling in his sleep, so I figured I’d check.”
I glanced at the clock on the microwave. “At four-thirty in the morning?”
“Couldn’t sleep.” He ran a hand through his hair, which was sticking up in all directions. Even in thedim light, I could see the exhaustion etched into his face. “Sorry. Go back to bed.”
But I was wide awake now, adrenaline coursing through my veins. “Did you see anything out there?”
He shook his head. “Nothing. Probably just the wind. Or maybe a deer.”
