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Authors: Annslee Urban
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wind, blowing trees, even distant traffic can sound distorted.”
“But he ran past my window. And I saw his car—”
Nick cut her off. “You saw a man?”
Kylie’s heart was sinking fast. “Well, actually, more like a shadow.”
“And a car? What kind?”
“I don’t know.” She gave a quick shrug. “Just a car. It was racing down the street....” Her words trailed off.
Silence fell between them, along with a sudden chill that crept into her bones. Now she wasn’t sure about anything.
Kylie stared at him for a moment. Then with a sigh, she dragged her fingers through her tousled curls. “You think I’m crazy, don’t you?”
Nick shook his head. “No, I think you’re scared. You have every right to be. I’m not discounting what you heard. You may be right, someone may have been inside the house. Although I hope not.”
Kylie got to her feet, swallowed visibly. “I hope not, too.”
Right then, Nick’s heart shattered along with the protective wall he’d erected between them. He gathered her in his arms, held her tight. She needed his comfort, and like it or not, he needed hers.
* * *
The tension between Kylie’s shoulders slowly abated. She leaned deep into Nick’s embrace, savoring his tender touch. Instead of fear, warmth and safety trickled through her. She felt safe in his arms. Dangerous. He’d broken her heart once. She needed to remember that, keep her thoughts in perspective. But for now, that worry would have to wait.
She glanced up at him, conscious of his attentive gaze, soulful brown eyes blazing with concern. A hint of a grimace stretched across his jaw. She blinked, noticing for the first time the bloody gash on his chin.
She broke loose from his grip. “Nick, you’re bleeding.”
He ran a finger across his half-stubbled chin. “I guess the razor got the best of me this morning.”
“More likely my text got the best of you. I feel terrible.” Kylie turned and hurried to the cabinet. From a small basket near the sink, she grabbed a napkin, feeling foolish for overreacting. She turned back.
“No worries. I’m fine, really.” Nick’s voice trailed off as he cast a curious glance at something on the floor. Crouching, he reached under the table and palmed something in his hand.
“What is it?”
“Probably nothing.” Nick stood upright and between his fingers he clutched a sheet of paper folded into a small rectangle. He opened it and started to read the note.
Seconds ticked by and the weight of concern strangling her chest pulled even tighter when the muscles in Nick’s jaw visibly tightened. Her breath caught.
“Nick?”
He glanced up, a dire expression on his face. “I don’t like this.”
Struggling to control her rising fear, Kylie sidled up beside him and stared at the words. One scribbled sentence: Never more than a heartbeat away.
Her heart stopped.
* * *
At Steven’s kitchen table, Kylie sat bundled in her bathrobe, cupping a mug in her hands. Barely eight in the morning and her day had escalated from rocky to rotten.
“Okay, Kylie. Let’s get back to the make and color of the car you saw speeding by the house this morning.”
Before she could explain to Dave for the umpteenth time that the fog and gray skies made identifying the car impossible, the front door swung open and another uniformed officer walked into the house. He joined the others already combing through the rooms, taking down notes and dusting for fingerprints.
A pointless venture. Kylie sighed. Nick’s words from the day before resonated in her head. This guy isn’t going to be careless.
Whoever this madman was, he’d planted the note. Along with the pictures and the body at the airport. He wanted them found. Wanted her scared.
She shivered with a sigh.
Accolades to him. He had succeeded in doing just that.
“Kylie.” Dave pulled out a chair and sat beside her. “Do you have any idea of who this guy might be?”
“Believe me, Dave, I’ve racked my brain over and
“But he ran past my window. And I saw his car—”
Nick cut her off. “You saw a man?”
Kylie’s heart was sinking fast. “Well, actually, more like a shadow.”
“And a car? What kind?”
“I don’t know.” She gave a quick shrug. “Just a car. It was racing down the street....” Her words trailed off.
Silence fell between them, along with a sudden chill that crept into her bones. Now she wasn’t sure about anything.
Kylie stared at him for a moment. Then with a sigh, she dragged her fingers through her tousled curls. “You think I’m crazy, don’t you?”
Nick shook his head. “No, I think you’re scared. You have every right to be. I’m not discounting what you heard. You may be right, someone may have been inside the house. Although I hope not.”
Kylie got to her feet, swallowed visibly. “I hope not, too.”
Right then, Nick’s heart shattered along with the protective wall he’d erected between them. He gathered her in his arms, held her tight. She needed his comfort, and like it or not, he needed hers.
* * *
The tension between Kylie’s shoulders slowly abated. She leaned deep into Nick’s embrace, savoring his tender touch. Instead of fear, warmth and safety trickled through her. She felt safe in his arms. Dangerous. He’d broken her heart once. She needed to remember that, keep her thoughts in perspective. But for now, that worry would have to wait.
She glanced up at him, conscious of his attentive gaze, soulful brown eyes blazing with concern. A hint of a grimace stretched across his jaw. She blinked, noticing for the first time the bloody gash on his chin.
She broke loose from his grip. “Nick, you’re bleeding.”
He ran a finger across his half-stubbled chin. “I guess the razor got the best of me this morning.”
“More likely my text got the best of you. I feel terrible.” Kylie turned and hurried to the cabinet. From a small basket near the sink, she grabbed a napkin, feeling foolish for overreacting. She turned back.
“No worries. I’m fine, really.” Nick’s voice trailed off as he cast a curious glance at something on the floor. Crouching, he reached under the table and palmed something in his hand.
“What is it?”
“Probably nothing.” Nick stood upright and between his fingers he clutched a sheet of paper folded into a small rectangle. He opened it and started to read the note.
Seconds ticked by and the weight of concern strangling her chest pulled even tighter when the muscles in Nick’s jaw visibly tightened. Her breath caught.
“Nick?”
He glanced up, a dire expression on his face. “I don’t like this.”
Struggling to control her rising fear, Kylie sidled up beside him and stared at the words. One scribbled sentence: Never more than a heartbeat away.
Her heart stopped.
* * *
At Steven’s kitchen table, Kylie sat bundled in her bathrobe, cupping a mug in her hands. Barely eight in the morning and her day had escalated from rocky to rotten.
“Okay, Kylie. Let’s get back to the make and color of the car you saw speeding by the house this morning.”
Before she could explain to Dave for the umpteenth time that the fog and gray skies made identifying the car impossible, the front door swung open and another uniformed officer walked into the house. He joined the others already combing through the rooms, taking down notes and dusting for fingerprints.
A pointless venture. Kylie sighed. Nick’s words from the day before resonated in her head. This guy isn’t going to be careless.
Whoever this madman was, he’d planted the note. Along with the pictures and the body at the airport. He wanted them found. Wanted her scared.
She shivered with a sigh.
Accolades to him. He had succeeded in doing just that.
“Kylie.” Dave pulled out a chair and sat beside her. “Do you have any idea of who this guy might be?”
“Believe me, Dave, I’ve racked my brain over and
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