But maybe with enough authority, she could keep control of whatever this was.“I’m calling the police.”
The man sneered.“Like hell you are.”He tried to push past her, but he telegraphed the move enough that she held firm.She did stumble a few steps back when he gave her a hard shove, but only a few.She didn’t move out of his way, and she pushed him right back, with as much force as she had.Maybe if she kept pushing, she could get him to the door.
But her going on the aggressive seemed to… change something.Where he’d been dismissive before, like it was totally in his right to burst into her house and demand to see her grandmother, his attention—cold and mean—was now fully on her.
“You’ll not touch me again,” he said in a kind of authoritative voice that had her blinking.
Likeshewas somehow in the wrong here.When he was standing inherhome uninvited.Trying to track downhergrandmother.
She shook her head, moving through the shock and confusion andwhat the hell.She needed himoutso she could lock the door and call the cops.
She was about to move to shove him again—she was almost certain with enough shoves she could at least get him out the door.Lock it, get her gun, call the police.She could—
But he feinted at the last moment, and all her momentum went forward instead of into him.With his added push, and a trip, she went sprawling onto the floor.She managed to narrowly avoid slamming her head into the rug.
Shock rang through her.Confusion still the predominant emotion, except… he wanted Grandma, whoever he was, and that wasn’t happening.Even if her bones rattled from the impact with the ground.She rolled over.
He loomed over her, tall and surprisingly strong and sturdy for his age, but he was just somerandomold man, and she could get to the gun in the closet.If she were smart about this, she could still stop whatever the hell it was.
He started to reach for something inside his coat.“Touch me again, and I—”
“Enough.”It was Glenda’s voice—surprisingly clear and firm.
She stood behind the man now, and she did not appear at all surprised to see this man in her cabin.Or Jill on the floor.
She was… dressed.Her coat and boots were on.She even had a pair of gloves in her hands.
The man’s eyes narrowed, and he took a step toward Glenda.In an impulsive reaction, Jill did lunge forward.But she’d never been in a fight.She didn’t know anything about defending herself, so when the man kicked out and made contact with her face, she wasn’t ready for the blow.
She fell back, pain exploding across her cheek.She might have cried out as her hands flew up to her face, but even in the pain and shock, she knew she couldn’t live there.She had to find a way to stop this.
She dropped her hands from her face as the man moved for Grandma.
“You broke the promise, Glenda.”
Grandma shook her head.She didn’t cower, even as the man towered above her.“No.”
“People are asking me about Charles.You broke your promise.”
Jill held a hand to her throbbing cheek while the two people faced off.Charles?Who was Charles?Why was Grandma acting like this was normal?Like this stranger in their house wasokay?
“We’ll go,” Glenda said, pointing out the back door.“You.Me.We’ll deal with it away from here.That’s what you want, isn’t it?”Her voice was getting creakier as she spoke, more strangled, but she spoke.
“Yeah, we’ll go.”He glanced down at Jill as if considering.“She’ll stay here,” he said.“Or…”
“Noors,” Grandma all but whispered.“She’ll stay here.Won’t you?”Grandma met her gaze.Pleading in the light green depths.
But… stayhere?Just let this man go off with her grandmother to who knew where for who knew why?
“Are you insane?I won’t.”She scrambled to her feet.
Her face might throb, but she’d live.She’d be damned if she’d let this man go somewhere with her grandmother, even if Grandma was the one suggesting it.
“Iwon’tstay.Grandma.What the hell is going on?”
Before Grandma could answer, she heard something behind her.Relief swamped her as she looked over her shoulder at the now open front door.
It was Cal.
