Anonymous(21)

She grabs her bookbag and I follow her to the back door to make sure she gets safely to her car. Once she’s out of the parking lot, I shut and lock the door. Vikki is in the break room, putting on her coat. Looking down at my watch, it is closing time.

“I’m sorry you have to deal with my mess, Vik.”

She turns around and waves me off. “I just hate that you have to deal with it. This guy must seriously have some issues. Stalking isn’t exactly the way to a woman’s heart.”

Owen appears in the doorway. “I’ll walk you both out when you’re ready.”

Nodding, I put on my coat and walk past him to the front. I turn off the front lights, but leave the ones over the sweets counter on, so that it’s not completely dark when we come back in the morning. Owen opens the door for us and I lock it once we’re all out. It’s already dark and I can’t help but look around to see if I see movement. Owen is doing the same thing.

Once Vikki is in her car, she waves and drives away. Owen looks everywhere but at me, and I can’t help but feel grateful that he’s doing this for me. “Thanks. You don’t have to be my bodyguard. I really appreciate it.”

He looks down at me. “I’d rather it be me than someone else. This way, I know you’ll be okay.” He opens my car door and I get inside.

“How are you going to watch over me and look for Bryan?”

He shrugs, but I can see the slight hint of an arrogant smirk on his face. “Multitasking.” The snow starts to come down harder and he sighs. “Let’s get out of here.”

He shuts my door and I don’t waste any time.





Nine





Ellie





Owen follows me home and does a quick search around the house before we go inside. It seems a little overboard, but he’s seen firsthand what people are capable of. “Jake working late tonight?” he asks, standing by the door.

I nod. “Most likely. I know there’s a lot to be done before we move to Phoenix.” Grabbing a couple of chicken breasts out of the refrigerator, I dash a few spices on it and put it in the oven. “Do you want to stay for dinner?” I ask, fetching the potatoes from the pantry.

He shakes his head. “I’d love to, but I need to get going. I have some phone calls I have to make if I’m going to be your bodyguard.”

Holding the bag of potatoes to my chest, I sigh. “Is that going to cause problems?”

“Let me worry about that.” He squeezes my shoulder and opens the door. “Lock it behind me.”

I do as he says and lock the door. Once all the food is in the oven, I pour a glass of wine and sit down on the couch. From the window, I can see the snow falling. The yard is covered in a sparkling blanket of white, and not even a blade of grass is showing through. Our mountain roads are no doubt getting worse by the minute.

Grabbing my phone out of my purse, I call Jake. He sounds flustered when he answers.

“Hey, babe.”

“It’s snowing like crazy out there, Jake. When are you coming home?”

Releasing a heavy sigh, I can hear the squeak of his office chair as he sits down. “Soon. I promise it won’t be long.”

I breathe in the smell of the chicken. “Good. Because I have chicken roasting in the oven and it smells delicious. I might have to eat without you if you’re not home in the next hour.”

He chuckles. “That’s fine. I don’t want you waiting on me. Did you find out anything on Bryan’s whereabouts?”

“No. Owen’s working hard to find him.”

“Motherfucker. This is getting ridiculous. Make sure to keep the doors locked while I’m gone. Your gun is in the safe.”

“I know. You know I’ll use it too.” My father taught me how to shoot when I was a little girl. I’ve also gone to the gun range with Owen and Jake plenty of times. If I have to use my Glock 19, I will in a heartbeat. “Just be careful on your way home. I’ll make sure to keep your food warm.”

“Thanks, cupcake. I love you.”

“I love you too.” We hang up and I finish off my glass of wine. I have a strong suspicion that he isn’t going to be home in time for dinner. Thankfully, we both have four-wheel drive on our vehicles, which is standard for people living in the mountains.

Ten minutes pass by. Then thirty, then an hour. I take the food out of the oven and pile a chicken breast, along with fingerling potatoes and Brussel sprouts onto a plate. Instead of eating at the dinner table alone, I set my plate on the coffee table and turn on the rest of Journey 2: The Mysterious Island. It’s one of my favorites because it has Dwayne Johnson and Josh Hutcherson in it.

Once I finish eating, I lie down on the couch and finish watching the movie. It’s closing in on eight o’clock and I have an unsettling feeling in my gut. I hate pestering Jake, but I call him anyway. It rings and rings, eventually going to voicemail. I hang up and call again. He doesn’t answer.

Maybe he’s in his truck and wants to concentrate on driving in the snow? No, Jake couldn’t care less about that. He’d answer the phone, even if he was on a tight rope and his life depended on him making it across. So many scenarios run through my mind on why he’s not answering his phone, and none of them are good.

Another hour passes by and I’m pacing across the living room floor. The last time I couldn’t get a hold of someone was when I was in college and I’d tried to call my parents. Neither one of them picked up the house phone or their cell phones. I’d driven home, only to find an empty house. I waited and waited, until finally my mother walked in, her face red and covered in tears. My grandmother had died, and no one even thought to call me. Ever since then, when someone doesn’t answer their phone, I always think the worst.