Hide and Seek. Lynette Eason

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СКАЧАТЬ made his way into the kitchen to get his phone. He grabbed it only to frown as he saw an unfamiliar number listed, indicating he’d missed a call.

      He dialed the number and listened to it ring.

      When the phone went to Erica’s voice mail, he hung up and felt the heat climbing into his face as he realized she’d called him earlier, when he’d given her his number. And here he was, calling her at nearly midnight. He shrugged. If she asked, he’d explain.

      Then again, he couldn’t help but wonder why she hadn’t answered. Was she all right? Or had something happened?

      He clenched his jaw.

      He had no reason to think that anything had happened to her.

      Just like he’d had no reason to think anything had happened to Tracy. His throat tightened at the thought of his fiancée, dead because he hadn’t worried enough.

      He’d ignored his instincts and she’d died.

      Max grabbed his keys.

      * * *

      Erica’s pulse pounded as she stood frozen, unsure what to do.

      When the door had clicked, she’d raced into the bathroom and twisted the lock.

      Leaving her cell phone on the end table in her bedroom.

      She listened to it ring and put her hand on the knob. When it stopped, she bit her lip and looked around.

      The only window in the bathroom was stained glass and didn’t open. That cold hard knot in the pit of her stomach turned to granite as she realized what she’d done.

      She’d trapped herself.

      Desperately, she tried to control her ragged breaths so she could listen.

      She pressed her ear against the door and heard nothing.

      Except her phone ringing again.

      Should she stay and assume whoever had entered her house would get what he was looking for and then leave?

      Or should she try to slip into the bedroom and grab the phone?

      Indecision warred with her fear. By the time she decided to stay put, the phone had stopped again.

      How had her intruder come in the front door—the one she remembered locking? Mentally, she ran through a list of people who had a key to her house. Her brother, Brandon; her best friend Denise Tanner, who’d moved to New Mexico; her parents, although they’d only used the key one time in the past three years; another friend, Ginny Leigh, and...

      Footsteps sounded outside the bathroom door. She gasped and pulled back. He was in her bedroom. What would she do if he tried to get in the bathroom? Frantic, she cast her gaze around, looking for something she could use as a weapon.

      A razor, a can of hair spray, the towel bar.

      Then the steps receded. Faded. Stopped.

      Was he gone?

      Did she dare open the door? She waited. And listened.

      Still nothing. Just the pounding of her heart.

      The minutes ticked by.

      Silence.

      Her shaky fingers twisted the lock. She gripped the doorknob and turned it slowly, then pulled the door open a crack.

      The door exploded inward and she cried out as the edge of it caught her on the chin. She fell to her knees as a tall figure reached down to grab her by the arm. “I knew you were in there.”

      “Let me go!” She twisted, kicking out and catching a shin.

      Her captor grunted.

      “Hey! Let her go!”

      She froze once again. “Peter?” Disbelief made her dizzy. “What are you doing?” she cried. Peter approached her, his hands replacing her captor’s on her arms.

      Erica hit him in the chest to push him away from her, but he kept his grip on her upper arms. It didn’t hurt, but she didn’t like it.

      “Hey, chill, sis. We just need some cash, okay?” His foul breath made her grimace.

      “Let. Me. Go.” She kept her voice low and did her best to rein in her fury and fear. Peter—her younger brother, the black sheep, the ne’er-do-well. Whatever one wanted to call him, he had also once been a suspect in Molly’s disappearance but had been cleared when there’d been no evidence to support his involvement. He released her and she backed away from him until the back of her knees touched the bed. “Where did you get the key?”

      “Let’s get the cash and get out of here.” Erica swiveled toward the man who’d grabbed her when she’d exited the bathroom. Menace dripped from his gaze.

      Real fear clutched her. “Who’s he?” she asked Peter.

      Peter advanced. He stopped in front of her, but he didn’t attempt to grab her again. His sullen, bloodshot eyes slid from hers, and she reached for the cell phone on the end table. “It’s late, Peter, and I’m tired,” she said, trying to sound normal. “I don’t have any cash on me.”

      And she wouldn’t give it to him if she did.

      He was twenty-four and in spite of the drugs he pushed into his body, still looked young and innocent. He shot his buddy a black look. “I told you to wait outside.”

      “I got tired of waiting. You were looking in the wrong place.” Drug-addled green eyes lingered on her and he licked his lips.

      Peter stepped between her and the other intruder. “Back off, Polo. That’s not what you’re here for.”

      Polo leered. “Says you.”

      Peter stood tall and straightened his shoulders. “Yeah. I do. Now get out of here.”

      Erica blinked at Peter’s defense of her. All of a sudden, she had a glimpse of the man he could have been.

      Polo shrugged and backed down. “I’ll be outside.” He gave Erica one last look and she shuddered with distaste when he finally turned his back.

      “Peter, get rid of that loser, then give me back my key.” She paused for a moment, knowing she probably shouldn’t say what she was about to say. “You can stay in the guest room tonight.”

      Peter lifted his hands and raked them through his hair. They trembled. He paced from one end of the room to the other, glancing at the door as though expecting Polo to return. “I need you to give me some cash. I’ll give it to him, and he’ll leave you alone.”

      What was he coming down from? His drug of choice was usually cocaine or heroin.

      He shook his head. “I’m so tired.” He sighed and rubbed his eyes. “Look, Erica, I’m sorry about all this.”

      She СКАЧАТЬ