Ever?
She’d heard the actor say he planned to leave town for a while. Maybe they could stay here now that they were inside. Once Brad left she could sneak back into their house and grab their money and clothes.
Except for the security system…how could she get around that? She rubbed her temple, fighting off the dejection. There had to be a way.
Sam tugged on her lightweight sweater. “Can we say hi to the Dark Avenger? He looks nice.”
“Looks can be deceiving,” she said softly.
“What’s ‘d’ceeving’?”
What your father turned out to be.
The perfect gentleman. A man who would love her forever.
A killer.
She shivered slightly.
“A liar.”
Sam stuck out his lower lip. “The Dark Avenger
never
lies!”
“Shhh,” she said, kneeling down. “I’m sure you’re right, Junior Avenger. Just like you never lie, right? Say…when I ask you to clean your room?”
Sam scuffed the toe of his tennis shoe against the floor. “But I’m not the Dark Avenger yet. I’m just a little boy.”
He refused to meet her gaze. Jenna ruffled his hair, then put her finger against her lips. “Stay here, Junior Avenger. Don’t move. I’ll be right back. Promise you’ll be very quiet? Truth?”
He nodded and sat in the corner, arms wrapped around his legs, and placed his small finger against his lips.
Her heart swelled with love for him. She prayed she could protect him. “Good boy.”
Shoving down the tension pulsing through every muscle in her body, Jenna cracked open the door and peered into the darkened kitchen. A slice of light cut across the floor.
A door slammed, followed by a muttered curse.
Zach Montgomery wasn’t happy about something.
Footsteps came her way. She ducked behind the island in the center of the large room and held her breath. A loud thud sounded in the hallway. The steps came closer and closer. Heheaded toward the closet where her son hid. Fool. Why had she left Sam alone?
Please don’t come out, Sam. Please.
Her son wanted
so
much to meet the Dark Avenger, and she didn’t want to ruin his childhood fantasy. Too much of his innocence would be stolen over the next few weeks.
Zach veered right and headed through another door. She caught sight of a truck’s hood as the door closed behind him. The garage.
Was he leaving?
She held her breath, then crawled from behind the corner of the island.
The door squeaked open.
She dove back behind the butcher block.
Zach muttered to himself and raced up the stairs, two at a time.
She had no time left. As soon as he disappeared off the landing, she ducked into the pantry, a desperate plan formulating in her mind. They had to find a way to get out of the state unnoticed. She couldn’t walk away from the chance.
Sam sat there, still as can be. “I was quiet, Mommy. Can we meet the Dark Avenger, now?” he begged. “Please.”
This time, she took stock of the shelves more carefully. Canned Vienna sausages, juice boxes. A kid’s dream. Odd. She filled a grocery sack with some of Sam’s favorites and set them beside him.
“Wait here.”
She didn’t have much time. Zach could come down the stairs any minute. She darted into the living room and snagged an afghan and pillow off the sofa, then headed back to her son.
“What are you doing, Mommy?”
“We’re taking a little trip, Sam.”
She grabbed the supplies and blanket and opened the door to the garage. The room was huge. Her stomach dropped. Four vehicles. A Range Rover, a Corvette, a small Jeep and a pickup.
A quick scan of the cars revealed a layer of dust on all of them. Then she noticed the swipe near the truck’s door handle.
An itch to reach under the steering wheel, tug a few wires, hotwire the car, and make a run for it tingled in her palms. It would be too easy. Those years of hell after her father had died might actually be worth something now, except she couldn’t risk it. Not with Sam by her side. Her chances of getting through Zach’s security system, off
She’d heard the actor say he planned to leave town for a while. Maybe they could stay here now that they were inside. Once Brad left she could sneak back into their house and grab their money and clothes.
Except for the security system…how could she get around that? She rubbed her temple, fighting off the dejection. There had to be a way.
Sam tugged on her lightweight sweater. “Can we say hi to the Dark Avenger? He looks nice.”
“Looks can be deceiving,” she said softly.
“What’s ‘d’ceeving’?”
What your father turned out to be.
The perfect gentleman. A man who would love her forever.
A killer.
She shivered slightly.
“A liar.”
Sam stuck out his lower lip. “The Dark Avenger
never
lies!”
“Shhh,” she said, kneeling down. “I’m sure you’re right, Junior Avenger. Just like you never lie, right? Say…when I ask you to clean your room?”
Sam scuffed the toe of his tennis shoe against the floor. “But I’m not the Dark Avenger yet. I’m just a little boy.”
He refused to meet her gaze. Jenna ruffled his hair, then put her finger against her lips. “Stay here, Junior Avenger. Don’t move. I’ll be right back. Promise you’ll be very quiet? Truth?”
He nodded and sat in the corner, arms wrapped around his legs, and placed his small finger against his lips.
Her heart swelled with love for him. She prayed she could protect him. “Good boy.”
Shoving down the tension pulsing through every muscle in her body, Jenna cracked open the door and peered into the darkened kitchen. A slice of light cut across the floor.
A door slammed, followed by a muttered curse.
Zach Montgomery wasn’t happy about something.
Footsteps came her way. She ducked behind the island in the center of the large room and held her breath. A loud thud sounded in the hallway. The steps came closer and closer. Heheaded toward the closet where her son hid. Fool. Why had she left Sam alone?
Please don’t come out, Sam. Please.
Her son wanted
so
much to meet the Dark Avenger, and she didn’t want to ruin his childhood fantasy. Too much of his innocence would be stolen over the next few weeks.
Zach veered right and headed through another door. She caught sight of a truck’s hood as the door closed behind him. The garage.
Was he leaving?
She held her breath, then crawled from behind the corner of the island.
The door squeaked open.
She dove back behind the butcher block.
Zach muttered to himself and raced up the stairs, two at a time.
She had no time left. As soon as he disappeared off the landing, she ducked into the pantry, a desperate plan formulating in her mind. They had to find a way to get out of the state unnoticed. She couldn’t walk away from the chance.
Sam sat there, still as can be. “I was quiet, Mommy. Can we meet the Dark Avenger, now?” he begged. “Please.”
This time, she took stock of the shelves more carefully. Canned Vienna sausages, juice boxes. A kid’s dream. Odd. She filled a grocery sack with some of Sam’s favorites and set them beside him.
“Wait here.”
She didn’t have much time. Zach could come down the stairs any minute. She darted into the living room and snagged an afghan and pillow off the sofa, then headed back to her son.
“What are you doing, Mommy?”
“We’re taking a little trip, Sam.”
She grabbed the supplies and blanket and opened the door to the garage. The room was huge. Her stomach dropped. Four vehicles. A Range Rover, a Corvette, a small Jeep and a pickup.
A quick scan of the cars revealed a layer of dust on all of them. Then she noticed the swipe near the truck’s door handle.
An itch to reach under the steering wheel, tug a few wires, hotwire the car, and make a run for it tingled in her palms. It would be too easy. Those years of hell after her father had died might actually be worth something now, except she couldn’t risk it. Not with Sam by her side. Her chances of getting through Zach’s security system, off
Similar Books
