“What the…”
I narrow my eyes, attempting to figure out the strange noise. And then I gasp, my heart startled as the stereo system kicks in on its own accord.
The bedroom fills with a haunting melody that sends a shudder through my bones.
You were blue;
Oh so blue;
And I swear it to be true
If you only, if you only, said I love you
In my hand
Yes I held
A lovely way to pretend
If you only, if you only, said I love you
What the fuck is happening right now?
Sliding my phone back into my pocket, I walk into the living room, the music growing louder as I approach the stereo system. The song playing isn’t familiar. It’s old. Creepy. And the lyrics…the lyrics make my skin crawl. They seem invasive. Almost threatening.
My gaze flits around the room.
Is someone in here?
As I turn off the stereo system, the TV flickers to life on its own.
What the actual fuck is happening right now?
I watch, frozen, as an old black-and-white movie scene plays on the wide-screen.
"You were always mine, Mildred. Only mine."
The hairs on the back of my neck stand up, and I gasp, my belly clenching. Panic swarms in my chest. But so does understanding. So does the truth.
I have no proof. No evidence. But Quin and Damon were right. She’s not on a beach somewhere. She hasn’t moved on. She hasn’t forgotten me.
She’sdoing this.
I don’t know how, but she is.
Toni.
With trembling hands, I reach for the remote control and turn off the TV. The room plunges into silence. The only audible sound is my own uneven breaths. Fast. Ragged. Scared.
These devices are supposed to be encrypted. Quin and Damon made sure of it. The FBI said that Toni isn’t in the States. In New York. But she could be. She could have a whole other identity by now. Or… Or she could be anywhere. She could be doing this from literally any corner of the world.
I glance around the condo, paranoia setting in. The curtains are closed and the packing boxes are untouched. There's no sign of forced entry, but I can feel her presence in here. Haunting me. Taunting me.
Unease lingers in my belly as I stand alone in the living room. But Iamalone. She’s not here. It’s fine. I’m fine. I’m safe. Ihave tobe safe.
I shake off the discomfort. Maybe it was just a glitch in the electronics systems. A coincidence. It could be a coincidence.
There’s a loud knock on the door, and I damn near faint from fear.
