"Is she not back yet?" she says in almost a whisper, and the back door opens now, and Ethan and Beau come in.
"She isn’t anywhere out there," Ethan says.
"She left." I look over at her grandmother. My mouth is suddenly dry as the hair on the back of my neck stands up.
"Where did she go?" The panic in me makes my whole body shake as the back door creaks open again, and we all look over to see if, by some miracle, it’s her. But it’s only Kallie and Jacob. Their faces are showing the worry in them. "Where did she go?" I ask her again.
The tears start to flow down her grandmother's face as she wrings her hands. "She forgot my plate. I told her that I didn’t need it." I’m already one foot out the door when everyone’s phone starts going off.
I stop in my tracks, knowing that dread is coming. I stop in my tracks with this fear that rolls into me. I stop in my tracks with the rage that is so big I don’t know how to rein it in. Ethan is the first one to talk. His voice is low. "Alarm was triggered at Chelsea’s."
Chapter 30
Chelsea
I slam the door shut behind me as I make my way over to my grandmother’s truck. I know I should tell someone I’m leaving, but it’ll be ten minutes at max, fifteen.
I pull out of the driveway just as four other trucks start to park. I raise my hand to say hello to them as I drive by. As I make my way back over to my house, I take in the quiet of the roads. Sunday is usually quiet in general. Everyone is usually with family, or most of them are stopping by my grandparents’ house.
The sound of crunching rocks fills the truck as I pull into the driveway. Turning off the truck, I open the truck door. The soft breeze blows my hair back when I step out of the truck in my driveway. The sun is shining strong now, and I take a second to look up and feel the heat on my face.
I walk toward my front door when a movement to my side makes me jump. My heart speeds up, and I put my hand to my chest. Stopping to look at the trees moving just a touch, three birds come flying out as they chase each other. I laugh, shaking my head. "Smooth," I say, walking up the four steps to the front door.
Unlocking the door with the key, I turn the handle, and the cold air gushes out right away. I close the door behind me and toss the keys on the table at the front door. I rush to the kitchen, looking on the island where I put the crystal plate. The island is empty with only a cup on it. The sound of dripping makes me look at the sink to see the faucet dripping. I walk over and turn it off. My eyes go to the picture frame of my grandmother and me. It’s tilted to one side, and one of the bottom edges is off the ledge. My hand reaches out to fix it. I look down and see one of my dish towels is on the floor right next to my feet. Bending down, I grab the towel, folding it and putting it on the counter.
I look around now and spot the plate on the kitchen table. "That’s strange," I say to myself and then turn to look into the living room. Shaking my head, I walk around the island, and my foot hits one of the stools sticking out. I push it back into place and walk to the bedroom.
I don’t know why I’m expecting it to be trashed, and when I walk in and see everything is exactly where I left everything, I shake my head and kick myself for being so paranoid. "Idiot," I say to myself, going to grab the plate on the table. I stop when one of the shades catches my eye.
The white fabric moves from the air-conditioning vent blowing under it. That isn’t what catches my eye. It’s the brown spot I focus on.
Placing the plate back down on the island, I start making my way over to it. I pick up the sheer fabric in my hand and see that the brown spot looks like a dirty fingerprint. I rub it between my fingers and look out, seeing fingerprints on the white shades. I turn my head now to look out into the house as my eyes go right and left. I turn back around now, my hand coming up to trace the fingerprints I see on the shades.
I turn now, my head screaming at me to get the fuck out of here. I reach in my back pocket to get my phone out and come up empty. "Fuck," I say as I rush over to the counter and grab the plate in my hand. Turning, I rush to the front door, pulling it open and stopping in my tracks. As the blood drains from my body, I feel my head spinning as it catches up to what is happening right now.
I gasp the minute I spot him, and the plate in my hand falls at my feet, shattering all around me. "This is going to be fun." His beady blue eyes shine with happiness and evil all at the same time. His hands reach up, and I see the dirt on them, and I blink. Everything feels like it is happening in slow motion. The only thing I can hear is my inner voice screaming at me to run.
I turn to bolt away from him, but my foot slips on the broken glass, and I fall on my knees. My hands come out instinctively to break my fall. Looking down and trying to focus on my hands, I feel the burning now and turn them over to see I cut my right hand open. My heartbeat echoes in my ears as the sound of my breathing is suddenly the only thing I hear over his menacing laughter. "Where do you think you’re going?" he asks as I push myself up and try to run away from him. I don’t get more than one step away from him before he grabs my bicep so hard in his hand, I yell out in pain.
He pulls me back to him to get a better grip on me, bending to whisper in my ear, "Now is that any way to say hello to the father of the man you fucked this morning?" The bile now starts to rise up my throat as he yanks my arm back even more.
His front is pressed into my back as he squeezes my arm so hard, I cry out in pain. "I have to say…" His breath floats over on my cheek. "I’m going to have fun with you." I close my eyes and try to rip my arm out of his hand. I must catch him off guard because my arm falls free from his grasp. I take two steps before his arm goes around my waist, and he picks me up. My feet are no longer touching the floor as I struggle in his arm now, squirming to get away from him. My hands grasp his one arm as I try to push him off me.
My survival skills kick in when I lean my head forward just a touch and then whip it back as hard as I can. The back of my head hits his nose first and then the sound of our heads hitting together fills the room. He groans, his arm fallling from around my waist, and I stumble forward, falling again. My head spins with pain, and I blink, seeing spots in front of me, but push on through. I get up and fall again, this time falling on my wrist so hard I can feel something inside snap.
I close my eyes for one second, but it proves to be too long when I feel his hand in my hair. He grips it in his fist and pulls back so hard, the burning starts, and I yell out again.
With my hair in his fist, he turns me around. When he is in front of me, I turn my head, and I kick out with all my might, missing him. He laughs snidely, pulling me even closer to him. He looks down at me. His eyes now roam over my face. He leans in even closer, and I try to back away from him, but with his tight grip in my hair, I don’t move. "I’m going to take my fuckin’ time with you." His hot, sour breath hits my face, causing my stomach to turn over. "When I’m done with you…" He smiles now, almost as if he won. It fills his whole face. "They won’t even be able to piece you together."
"He’ll find me." I find the words in my throat. "He’ll find me, and then he’ll kill you."