“Easy, boy.” I pet his head, but it does nothing to calm him.
I sidestep to the side of the window and wrap my fingers around the edge of the curtain. But I hesitate. My blood is rushing through me at such a violent force that it sounds like thunder is booming in my eardrums. My fingers tremble as I pull the curtain back a few inches, then I peer out the window. The porch light is on and shines against the darkness seeping through every bone and fiber of the land that encompasses the property, and the stars and moonlight add to the brightness. From what I can see, nothing appears to be around, but bushes and trees are scattered all over the property, offering plenty of places to hide. I skim the darkness for a while before letting the curtain fall closed.
I turn around. “There’s no one out there?—”
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Clara lets out a scream while I run forward, away from the door where the knocks came from. Bailey totally loses his shit, barking and growling.
“Call Ellis,” Clara pleads as she presses against the sofa with her eyes trained on the door.
I dial Ellis’ number. He picks up after three rings, his voice laced with sleepiness.
“Hello?” he murmurs.
“Hey, it’s me. Ava. Can you come over to the place we’re staying? Someone’s banging on the door—” I jolt and squeal as they bang on the door again.
“I’m on my way right now.” He sounds wide-awake now. “Are all the doors and windows locked?”
“Yes… I think anyway.”
“Double check them. I’ll be there in ten minutes tops.” A crash echoes in the background, and he curses. “Call me if anything else happens.”
“Okay.” I hang up and hurry to check all the doors and windows.
Clara helps. The knocking briefly stops, but then starts up again, growing louder and louder. I want to peek outside again, but I’m too scared.
“It feels like someone is trying to scare us,” Clara whispers as we hunker down on the floor in between the sofa and the coffee table.
I’ve turned the interior lights off to avoid anyone being able to see inside, and Bailey is growling at the front door.
“They might be,” I whisper. “With what happened with Camilla today…” I shudder at the thought of going to jail again. “I’m worried someone is trying to scare us?—”
The knocking morphs into full-on banging. “Help me.” A woman’s voice pleads through the front door. “Please… They’re going to kill me.”
Clara’s fingernails pierce into my arm as she freaks out. “Should we let her in? What if she’s really being attacked?”
“Who is she, though?” I ask in a hushed tone. “We don’t know… What if she’s Camilla or someone like Camilla?” Someone who works for this group—cult—whatever the hell this group of evil people is in this town.
“But what if it’s not?” she asks, her voice trembling.
“Ava, please help me,” the woman begs. “Don’t let me die again.”
I go rigid, my attention fastening on the front door. While it’s dark inside, a sliver of light from the front porch slips through the side of the curtain. Bailey starts to whine.
“How does she know your name?” Clara asks, her grip on my arm tightening, her fingernails delving into my flesh.
“I don’t know.” I swallow thickly, barely able to breathe. “But whoever it is… I think they want me to believe they’re Clover.”
“Did you get the flowers I left you?” the woman asks as she knocks again. “Did you see me at that party?”
That’s it.
I have to know who it is.
I begin to push to my feet, but Clara latches on to me.
“What’re you doing?” she whispers shakily.
