Never Let You Go(106)

I move quickly inside, touch Jared’s shoulder, and feel softness. I push again, and almost sag in relief. It’s a pillow. I close the door and move down the hall, holding my breath as I cross in front of the bedroom door, then head up the stairs to Sophie’s room. I smell fresh rain, shiver in the cold air. The bed is near her open window, a sheet still tied to it. They made it.

I’m halfway back down when my shoulder brushes against a frame on the wall, pushing it with a loud scrape. I stop, wait in silence. Did he hear? The wind is loud outside, gusts making the house shake and moan. I start moving again, set my feet down lightly on each step.

“Everything okay?”

I jerk back with a startled gasp. Marcus is standing in the shadows at the bottom of the stairs. How long has he been there?

“I heard something, but it was just the wind,” I whisper. “Kids are fine.” I take the rest of the steps, pause in front of him.

“One of the windows might’ve broken in the storm,” he says. “I feel a draft.” I don’t like the way he’s peering up the stairs with a frown, like he’s thinking about going to check.

“Everything looks okay. Sophie’s under a few blankets.”

“You find Angus?” He’s facing me now. I hope this means he’s decided to leave the windows alone, but I’m not in the clear yet. He’ll be suspicious if I don’t want to search for Angus. Then it comes to me. That’s exactly how I can escape.

“Not yet. I’m going to look around outside. He must be hiding from the storm.” I walk toward the bedroom, praying that Marcus follows. I have to get him away from the stairs.

“It’s blowing pretty hard. I’ll come with you.”

I grit my teeth, glad he can’t see my face. He’s just being polite. I can still get out of this.

“I’ll be fine. One of us might as well stay dry.”

“I can’t let you go out there alone.”

We’re in the bedroom now. I can’t protest anymore or he’ll catch on. I grab a sweater from the drawer, pull it over my shirt, and slide on some jeans. I delay for a few moments as I rummage for socks. What if Angus is waiting at the front door? We’ll have to come back inside. Maybe I can break away, run into the forest, hide somewhere. I’ll have the element of surprise.

Marcus picks up his silver flashlight from the night table. “Ready?”



The wind almost yanks the door out of my hand as I open it, snatches at my coat. I press my hood tight to my head, glance around. I don’t see Angus. He’s never disappeared like this before. He must be with Sophie and Jared. Marcus is behind me. I need him to walk ahead.

“Angus!” I shout into the wind.

Marcus whistles loudly, the noise piercing through the storm. I stiffen, count my breaths. Stay away, Angus. Stay away. Each moment drags into the next. I can hear the rustle of Marcus’s rain gear as he shifts his weight, the rain beating against my shoulders.

“Let’s check the woodshed,” I say.

Marcus nods, his face shadowed under his baseball cap, gestures for me to go first. He shines a beam of light ahead. The concrete stairs are slippery, wet with rain and leaves. I scan the forest as though I’m searching for Angus. Where would be a good place to take off? The land is rugged, steep with cliffs.

“I need to fix my boot.” I bend over to lace my hiking boots, wondering how fast I can run in them. Marcus is standing behind me on the narrow stairs, the light aimed at my feet. I’d hoped he would pass, but he’s still playing at being a gentleman. I scour the ground, looking for a rock, a branch, something I can grab fast, but there’s nothing, only a river of rainwater.

I start to stand up. Something slams into the back of my head and I pitch forward, land hard on my hands and knees. Pain ricochets through the back of my skull, down my spine in a sharp jolt. I try to get to my feet, but my arms sway, the steps rush toward me, and my face smacks into the edge of the concrete. My teeth snap together, my cheekbone throbs. I taste blood.

Beside me, Marcus’s boots. Black tips, shiny with rain.

“Lindsey?” His voice sounds far away, floating in and out like I’m underwater. “Can you hear me?” The world is crumbling at the edges, darkness pulling me down. I need to stay awake, need to protect myself. I try to crawl, reach for the step below. I slide down on my torso, topple to the side, and land in the mud, the river of rain flooding my legs. I’m looking up at Marcus.

He’s raising his arm, the flashlight coming toward my head.





CHAPTER FORTY-THREE


I blink slowly as I wake up. The ceiling blurs. I blink some more until it comes into focus. I try to raise my hand to feel the side of my head, but there’s something sticking to my wrists. Duct tape. More across my mouth, pulling at the skin. My legs won’t move either. My ankles are taped together. I’m soaking wet, and cold. So cold. I’m just wearing my shirt and jeans; my coat and boots are gone.

I look to the side, and the world shifts and distorts and spins. My stomach rises into my mouth, bitter acid. I can’t see Marcus, but I hear movement, rustling. I slowly lift my head.

He’s at the other end of the room, hunched over in front of the dresser. He’s changed into a camouflaged coat. I’ve never seen it before. He looks like a hunter.