leave Paul unattended. When the sitting service wasn’t there, the baby’s care usually fell to the housekeeper, and she took her job very seriously.
“Wendy? Priscilla?”
“They’re carrying in the groceries,” the officer said without glancing her way.
“What’s wrong?” Travis said right behind her.
Bliss shook her head and looked up at Travis. Something was wrong. Really wrong. “Priscilla wouldn’t let Wendy set foot out of the house, not after that talk with Ryan yesterday. And she wouldn’t leave Paul sitting on a kitchen counter.”
“How long ago did they leave?” Travis asked. He was already reaching for his gun, which she hadn’t even noticed.
The officer sat forward and frowned at his wrist watch.
“Five minutes ago?” he said.
“Shit.”
Bliss sprinted for the utility room door, but Travis caught her, jerking her back against his chest.
“Stop. Stay here.” He pushed her into the kitchen as the officer slid past. Both men were armed and on edge by the time they exited through the utility room door.
Logically, she understood why she should be inside the house. If she went out there, she was at risk. But what if Wendy was gone?
Screw this, they were not going out there without her. It was her sister who was in trouble.
She followed maybe a dozen feet behind the men. Every fiber of her body was on alert. The breeze whipped her hair around her head, making it hard to see.
“God damn it,” Travis said, then rushed ahead of them.
“We have a body at the utility entrance,” the officer radioed.
A body?
Bliss stumbled to a stop at the corner of the storage shed. She reached out and braced a hand on the building, gasping for air, unable to look away from the scene.
Travis knelt next to Priscilla’s prone body. Her limbs were twisted at an unnatural angle, as if she had fallen and not tried to get up or protect herself. A puddle of dark liquid spread out around her on the concrete.
“Hang in there. Priscilla? Look at me,” Travis said.
She was alive?
Bliss sprinted the last couple of steps and went to her knees next to Travis. Her stomach revolted at the sight of the ugly, thick slash across her throat and up the side of her face.
“Oh, my God, Priscilla.” Bliss sobbed, horrified and sickened by the sight. Priscilla might be their housekeeper, but she was also a friend. Someone who loved and cared for their family.
Travis grabbed Bliss’ hand and put it in Priscilla’s.
“Hang in there, we’re here with you,” Travis said. He smoothed her hair out of her face and never once shied away from looking at her.
Priscilla opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
“No, no, don’t try to talk,” Bliss said. She leaned down, just as close as Travis. “We’re getting help, okay? Hang on.”
She glanced at Travis, but his face was grim.
Where was the help? Why weren’t they there yet?
“Look at her,” he mumbled.
Bliss stared down at Priscilla. Her eyes were dilated, the pupils huge. The grip on Bliss’ hand went lose and a breath hissed from between Priscilla’s lips.
Was that...?
Bliss sat in shocked silence for several seconds.
Oh God, she was dead.
Priscilla was dead.
And Wendy was gone.
Bliss sat down hard and stared at her hand. Priscilla’s blood stained her fingers.
“Why did you do that?” she said. “She needed help.”
“That’s a couple pints of blood. He didn’t miss her throat this time like he did with Don. He made sure to kill her. At least she didn’t die alone, Bliss. That’s something.”
“What the fucking hell?” Connor stood over them wearing track pants and a hoodie. “Who was watching those cameras?”
Three other officers circled them, guns out.
A radio crackled.
“They’ve got a visual,” one announced.
Officers and agents ran this way and that, but Bliss continued to sit there, staring at another casualty of Daniel Campbell’s obsession.
“Bliss, you need to get inside.” Travis grasped her by the
“Wendy? Priscilla?”
“They’re carrying in the groceries,” the officer said without glancing her way.
“What’s wrong?” Travis said right behind her.
Bliss shook her head and looked up at Travis. Something was wrong. Really wrong. “Priscilla wouldn’t let Wendy set foot out of the house, not after that talk with Ryan yesterday. And she wouldn’t leave Paul sitting on a kitchen counter.”
“How long ago did they leave?” Travis asked. He was already reaching for his gun, which she hadn’t even noticed.
The officer sat forward and frowned at his wrist watch.
“Five minutes ago?” he said.
“Shit.”
Bliss sprinted for the utility room door, but Travis caught her, jerking her back against his chest.
“Stop. Stay here.” He pushed her into the kitchen as the officer slid past. Both men were armed and on edge by the time they exited through the utility room door.
Logically, she understood why she should be inside the house. If she went out there, she was at risk. But what if Wendy was gone?
Screw this, they were not going out there without her. It was her sister who was in trouble.
She followed maybe a dozen feet behind the men. Every fiber of her body was on alert. The breeze whipped her hair around her head, making it hard to see.
“God damn it,” Travis said, then rushed ahead of them.
“We have a body at the utility entrance,” the officer radioed.
A body?
Bliss stumbled to a stop at the corner of the storage shed. She reached out and braced a hand on the building, gasping for air, unable to look away from the scene.
Travis knelt next to Priscilla’s prone body. Her limbs were twisted at an unnatural angle, as if she had fallen and not tried to get up or protect herself. A puddle of dark liquid spread out around her on the concrete.
“Hang in there. Priscilla? Look at me,” Travis said.
She was alive?
Bliss sprinted the last couple of steps and went to her knees next to Travis. Her stomach revolted at the sight of the ugly, thick slash across her throat and up the side of her face.
“Oh, my God, Priscilla.” Bliss sobbed, horrified and sickened by the sight. Priscilla might be their housekeeper, but she was also a friend. Someone who loved and cared for their family.
Travis grabbed Bliss’ hand and put it in Priscilla’s.
“Hang in there, we’re here with you,” Travis said. He smoothed her hair out of her face and never once shied away from looking at her.
Priscilla opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
“No, no, don’t try to talk,” Bliss said. She leaned down, just as close as Travis. “We’re getting help, okay? Hang on.”
She glanced at Travis, but his face was grim.
Where was the help? Why weren’t they there yet?
“Look at her,” he mumbled.
Bliss stared down at Priscilla. Her eyes were dilated, the pupils huge. The grip on Bliss’ hand went lose and a breath hissed from between Priscilla’s lips.
Was that...?
Bliss sat in shocked silence for several seconds.
Oh God, she was dead.
Priscilla was dead.
And Wendy was gone.
Bliss sat down hard and stared at her hand. Priscilla’s blood stained her fingers.
“Why did you do that?” she said. “She needed help.”
“That’s a couple pints of blood. He didn’t miss her throat this time like he did with Don. He made sure to kill her. At least she didn’t die alone, Bliss. That’s something.”
“What the fucking hell?” Connor stood over them wearing track pants and a hoodie. “Who was watching those cameras?”
Three other officers circled them, guns out.
A radio crackled.
“They’ve got a visual,” one announced.
Officers and agents ran this way and that, but Bliss continued to sit there, staring at another casualty of Daniel Campbell’s obsession.
“Bliss, you need to get inside.” Travis grasped her by the
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