Reunion On The Run. Amity Steffen

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       THREE

      Claire struggled to force her eyes open as she fought against the sensation of water filling her nose, her mouth, threatening to fill her lungs. Her limbs vibrated with anxiety as a feeling of dread flowed through her body. She tried to move but her arms felt weighted down, too heavy to budge.

      She gasped for air as she willed herself out of the nightmare that had plagued her since Jared’s death. She tried not to think of that awful day, but the memories consistently wound themselves into her dreams. Jared had drowned...and she’d nearly drowned trying to save him.

      Blinking into the dimly lit room, she felt disoriented.

      Where was she?

      She scrambled into a sitting position, heart hammering wildly. Hazy light crept through the sides of the curtains, barely offering enough light to see by. Unfamiliar walls surrounded her. A strange door was straight across from her. Panic sizzled through her veins as the foreign room came into focus. She jerked fully awake as she tried to get her bearings.

      A soft nudge against her hand immediately calmed her. Roscoe whimpered, as if sensing her panic. He nudged her again, the action instantly setting her at ease. She let her hand drift over his head. His silky fur felt familiar and comforting under her palm.

      She hated reliving the moment she’d found Jared facedown in the pool. She’d jumped in without thinking, her fleece bathrobe weighing her down, pulling her under, anchoring her below the surface. She’d struggled with the tie around her waist, fighting to get it undone so she could slip free. Once out of the robe, she’d broken the surface of the water, gasping for air even as she swam toward Jared. She’d dragged him to the edge, pulled him out. Her efforts had been in vain. He had died within moments of being shoved into the pool. The blow to his head incapacitating him enough that he’d dragged in a water-filled breath and that had been the end of him.

      Her own lungs burned as she dropped back onto her pillow. She shoved the nightmarish memory aside. Other nightmarish memories quickly seeped in, filling her mind with another brand of terror as she thought of the harrowing evening she’d had.

      She’d escaped Xavier’s men by the grace of God, and the grace of God alone. She focused on that realization. God had been with her. He had protected her.

      Eventually her heartbeat calmed to a dull, hollow thud.

      She tried to tell herself she was safe but couldn’t quite force herself to believe it.

      On the other side of the door rested another sort of threat.

      Alex would never ever hurt her physically. Not like Jared had. But the man was hazardous to her emotional state. Last night the shock of seeing him had numbed some of the hurt.

      Roscoe ducked out from under her ministrations. He moved to the closed door and treated her to a pathetic look as he silently pleaded to be let outside.

      Claire tossed off the blankets and swung her legs around the side of the bed. She shivered despite the comfy sweatshirt and sweatpants she’d slept in. Her body still tingled with the echoing fear of her nightmare. Would her life ever feel normal again?

      The bedroom door creaked when she pulled it open.

      Alex’s blanket—an extra one she’d found in a dresser drawer—was already folded and tossed over the back of the couch. His pillow was neatly propped against the armrest. He stood before the window, his body alert, always ready for action.

      Claire watched him for a moment. Mixed emotions swirled through her. He had left her. He left her alone. Scared. Pregnant. Grieving over the loss of her fiancé, her best friend.

      Seeing him СКАЧАТЬ