gang. Any one of them could be following her. “What happened?”
“False alarm,” he said. “Guy ran because he was buying dope.”
Relief whispered through her. “Thank God.”
Micah nodded and squeezed her arm. “Go to bed and try to rest, Lenora.”
His touch made her tingle all over. But that tingle frightened her in another way, so she hurried up the stairs. When she reached the landing, she paused and turned to look back at him. “Micah, you’re welcome to sleep in my office.”
“Thanks, but I’d rather stay down here so I can keep watch.”
The reminder intensified her anxiety. She’d prefer he was upstairs with her, chasing away her nightmares.
But if he was downstairs, he would hear if someone tried to break in.
“There are sheets and a pillow in the closet for the fold out. It’s not very comfortable—”
“Trust me, I’ve slept on much worse.”
His dark gaze pierced her, and he looked as if he wanted to say something, but he didn’t. Instead he walked back toward her living room.
She slipped into her room and closed the door, but as soon as she turned off the lights, the images flooded her. Dark images of the room where that monster had kept her, of his hands touching her, his mouth biting at her.
Suddenly she couldn’t breathe. The room was stifling hot, the walls closing in, the sound of his footsteps shuffling as he came nearer echoing in her head.
She flipped the light back on, then moved out to the terrace. Desperate for air, she dragged in several deep breaths, then paced, forcing herself to look at the pale moon. The sky loomed above with glittering shapes that sparkled like diamonds.
Micah was downstairs. Only a few feet away.
Repeating the reminder in her head, she finally crawled onto the chaise, pulled the blanket over her, closed her eyes and let exhaustion claim her.
But in her sleep, the demons came.
Heavy breathing echoed in the silence. The rancid odor of her own sweat and the blood on her fingers where she’d clawed at Simpleton’s arms when he’d tossed her in the cage. The cage that he’d kept her in before he took her to the house with the basement. A cage meant for an animal.
Bile rose in her throat as his odor permeated the air.
He smelled like sweat and dirty sex. His breath like stale beer. Cigarette smoke.
She gripped the bars of the cage, hating that he’d trapped her like a dog. Hating that she was helpless and weak and couldn’t fight him off.
Hating that she’d begged like a baby for him to stop.
He fed on that weakness. On her tears and cries to release her. On the blood that he’d drawn from her when he’d cut her.
Another woman’s shrill scream rent the air, the sound filled with terror.
Lenora buried her head in her hands and cried for the woman.
She knew what he was doing to her now.
That soon it would be her turn to die.
Micah tensed at the sound of a scream. He jumped up from the sofa, hand on his gun and raced up the steps. He had no idea how Simpleton could break in upstairs, but the man could have found a way. Maybe a rope or ladder…
His pulse pounded as he glanced inside Lenora’s bedroom. She wasn’t in bed. He ran to the bathroom, but it was empty. The terrace door was open.
He jogged to the door and quickly scanned the area, but he didn’t see Simpleton anywhere.
Relief mingled with an ache in his chest when he saw Lenora twisting and turning in the midst of a nightmare on the chaise.
Except her nightmare was real. Memories that she’d tried to escape. Ones he’d resurrected when he’d informed her of Simpleton’s escape.
Tamping down his emotions, he sank onto the chaise and pulled her in his arms. “Shh, Lenora, it’s all right. It’s over.”
He stroked her hair, her back, her shoulders, gently whispering reassurances until finally she opened her eyes and looked up at him. The big luminous orbs were filled with tears, glazed with the pain of the past.
“You’re safe now,” he
“False alarm,” he said. “Guy ran because he was buying dope.”
Relief whispered through her. “Thank God.”
Micah nodded and squeezed her arm. “Go to bed and try to rest, Lenora.”
His touch made her tingle all over. But that tingle frightened her in another way, so she hurried up the stairs. When she reached the landing, she paused and turned to look back at him. “Micah, you’re welcome to sleep in my office.”
“Thanks, but I’d rather stay down here so I can keep watch.”
The reminder intensified her anxiety. She’d prefer he was upstairs with her, chasing away her nightmares.
But if he was downstairs, he would hear if someone tried to break in.
“There are sheets and a pillow in the closet for the fold out. It’s not very comfortable—”
“Trust me, I’ve slept on much worse.”
His dark gaze pierced her, and he looked as if he wanted to say something, but he didn’t. Instead he walked back toward her living room.
She slipped into her room and closed the door, but as soon as she turned off the lights, the images flooded her. Dark images of the room where that monster had kept her, of his hands touching her, his mouth biting at her.
Suddenly she couldn’t breathe. The room was stifling hot, the walls closing in, the sound of his footsteps shuffling as he came nearer echoing in her head.
She flipped the light back on, then moved out to the terrace. Desperate for air, she dragged in several deep breaths, then paced, forcing herself to look at the pale moon. The sky loomed above with glittering shapes that sparkled like diamonds.
Micah was downstairs. Only a few feet away.
Repeating the reminder in her head, she finally crawled onto the chaise, pulled the blanket over her, closed her eyes and let exhaustion claim her.
But in her sleep, the demons came.
Heavy breathing echoed in the silence. The rancid odor of her own sweat and the blood on her fingers where she’d clawed at Simpleton’s arms when he’d tossed her in the cage. The cage that he’d kept her in before he took her to the house with the basement. A cage meant for an animal.
Bile rose in her throat as his odor permeated the air.
He smelled like sweat and dirty sex. His breath like stale beer. Cigarette smoke.
She gripped the bars of the cage, hating that he’d trapped her like a dog. Hating that she was helpless and weak and couldn’t fight him off.
Hating that she’d begged like a baby for him to stop.
He fed on that weakness. On her tears and cries to release her. On the blood that he’d drawn from her when he’d cut her.
Another woman’s shrill scream rent the air, the sound filled with terror.
Lenora buried her head in her hands and cried for the woman.
She knew what he was doing to her now.
That soon it would be her turn to die.
Micah tensed at the sound of a scream. He jumped up from the sofa, hand on his gun and raced up the steps. He had no idea how Simpleton could break in upstairs, but the man could have found a way. Maybe a rope or ladder…
His pulse pounded as he glanced inside Lenora’s bedroom. She wasn’t in bed. He ran to the bathroom, but it was empty. The terrace door was open.
He jogged to the door and quickly scanned the area, but he didn’t see Simpleton anywhere.
Relief mingled with an ache in his chest when he saw Lenora twisting and turning in the midst of a nightmare on the chaise.
Except her nightmare was real. Memories that she’d tried to escape. Ones he’d resurrected when he’d informed her of Simpleton’s escape.
Tamping down his emotions, he sank onto the chaise and pulled her in his arms. “Shh, Lenora, it’s all right. It’s over.”
He stroked her hair, her back, her shoulders, gently whispering reassurances until finally she opened her eyes and looked up at him. The big luminous orbs were filled with tears, glazed with the pain of the past.
“You’re safe now,” he
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