didn’t bother going by your apartment, but I did pick up some clothes for you. They’re in the bag in there.”
She paused in the doorway between this small room and the smaller bathroom and started ticking off the details on her fingers. “You saw the police report. You know Galloway’s in custody. You knew I’d been kidnapped when apparently no one else did.” She met his gaze directly. “You aren’t dead. Why won’t you just tell me how you’re connected to this awful situation?”
She needed to know, but she wasn’t sure what kind of reply she hoped for. His answers might tempt her into a few admissions or confessions of her own. Not smart, on any level.
He shook his head. “Clean up, then we’ll sort it out.”
“ I’ll be quick,” she promised, thinking again of the cold water. She closed the door, needing to block the view of his face and the concern shining in his eyes.
But when she reached out, her hand missed the light switch and the complete darkness swallowed her whole. The scream built in her chest, burning in her throat. She clamped her lips shut in a desperate effort to contain it while she slapped at the walls. The switch had to be here somewhere. She reached out in every direction, her eyes locked on the sliver of light leaking in from the bottom of the door.
Open it, she thought, but the handle wasn ’t where it should have been. Her nails scraped against the thin wood and the scream finally broke free.
She sucked in a deep breath as light spilled into the small space. Matthew filled the doorway and she tumbled into his embrace.
“ Breathe,” he murmured.
She clung shamelessly, her face buried in his shirt, her fists clutching at his shoulders. Caught between his steady heartbeat and the strength of his arms, she started to believe she was safe. “The dark –”
“ Just breathe,” he repeated gently, his fingers combing gently through her hair. “It’s okay.”
“ The dark,” she began again. “I didn’t expect to be so afraid.” She dropped her forehead against his chest. It was a little like banging her head against a wall brick wall covered by the soft fabric of his shirt. “Where the hell is the light switch?”
He laughed. Not outright, more of a low, rumbling chuckle. “It’s a pull string.” Slowly, as if he was afraid of setting off another overreaction, he let his arms fall away from her. He reached up and pulled the string and the bare bulb glowed from the ceiling. “Better?”
She nodded, embarrassed.
“I’d be more surprised if you didn’t have moments like that.”
She chewed on her lip. How could he know? Then again, he’d watched her jump from the trunk of a moving vehicle. That kind of action made it obvious how urgently she’d wanted to escape. He’d tended to the wounds of her ordeal. In the past, Matthew had always known just what to say in every circumstance. “Thanks.”
“ Do you want a buddy?”
Was he teasing her now? “Pardon me?”
“ You’re not moving. If you need someone to, you know, stay in there with you…” He wiggled his eyebrows. “I’ll make the sacrifice.”
Here was the Matthew she remembered so fondly . “How gallant of you,” she said, throwing in a colorful insult in her native Italian.
His sudden burst of laughter chased away the last of her fears.
“Just don’t leave here without me.”
“ Wouldn’t dream of it,” he said solemnly. “I’ll stand right here and keep watch.”
Whatever had brought him out here, whatever he ’d endured in the years they’d been apart, some things hadn’t changed. He was still an innate protector.
She studied him for another long moment. Just in case he did up and disappear again, she wanted to remember every detail. With more than a little gratitude, she entered the bathroom again. Even with the light on, she left the door cracked just a bit.
Chapter Six
New Year’s Eve 4:08 a.m.
From his lookout in the farm house attic, John Noble
She paused in the doorway between this small room and the smaller bathroom and started ticking off the details on her fingers. “You saw the police report. You know Galloway’s in custody. You knew I’d been kidnapped when apparently no one else did.” She met his gaze directly. “You aren’t dead. Why won’t you just tell me how you’re connected to this awful situation?”
She needed to know, but she wasn’t sure what kind of reply she hoped for. His answers might tempt her into a few admissions or confessions of her own. Not smart, on any level.
He shook his head. “Clean up, then we’ll sort it out.”
“ I’ll be quick,” she promised, thinking again of the cold water. She closed the door, needing to block the view of his face and the concern shining in his eyes.
But when she reached out, her hand missed the light switch and the complete darkness swallowed her whole. The scream built in her chest, burning in her throat. She clamped her lips shut in a desperate effort to contain it while she slapped at the walls. The switch had to be here somewhere. She reached out in every direction, her eyes locked on the sliver of light leaking in from the bottom of the door.
Open it, she thought, but the handle wasn ’t where it should have been. Her nails scraped against the thin wood and the scream finally broke free.
She sucked in a deep breath as light spilled into the small space. Matthew filled the doorway and she tumbled into his embrace.
“ Breathe,” he murmured.
She clung shamelessly, her face buried in his shirt, her fists clutching at his shoulders. Caught between his steady heartbeat and the strength of his arms, she started to believe she was safe. “The dark –”
“ Just breathe,” he repeated gently, his fingers combing gently through her hair. “It’s okay.”
“ The dark,” she began again. “I didn’t expect to be so afraid.” She dropped her forehead against his chest. It was a little like banging her head against a wall brick wall covered by the soft fabric of his shirt. “Where the hell is the light switch?”
He laughed. Not outright, more of a low, rumbling chuckle. “It’s a pull string.” Slowly, as if he was afraid of setting off another overreaction, he let his arms fall away from her. He reached up and pulled the string and the bare bulb glowed from the ceiling. “Better?”
She nodded, embarrassed.
“I’d be more surprised if you didn’t have moments like that.”
She chewed on her lip. How could he know? Then again, he’d watched her jump from the trunk of a moving vehicle. That kind of action made it obvious how urgently she’d wanted to escape. He’d tended to the wounds of her ordeal. In the past, Matthew had always known just what to say in every circumstance. “Thanks.”
“ Do you want a buddy?”
Was he teasing her now? “Pardon me?”
“ You’re not moving. If you need someone to, you know, stay in there with you…” He wiggled his eyebrows. “I’ll make the sacrifice.”
Here was the Matthew she remembered so fondly . “How gallant of you,” she said, throwing in a colorful insult in her native Italian.
His sudden burst of laughter chased away the last of her fears.
“Just don’t leave here without me.”
“ Wouldn’t dream of it,” he said solemnly. “I’ll stand right here and keep watch.”
Whatever had brought him out here, whatever he ’d endured in the years they’d been apart, some things hadn’t changed. He was still an innate protector.
She studied him for another long moment. Just in case he did up and disappear again, she wanted to remember every detail. With more than a little gratitude, she entered the bathroom again. Even with the light on, she left the door cracked just a bit.
Chapter Six
New Year’s Eve 4:08 a.m.
From his lookout in the farm house attic, John Noble
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