Ah, the story has two villains. “Has your daddy seen this? It’s really good. You think maybe Athena should consider a career in illustrating children’s books?” Possibly also writing them.
The last page of the sketchbook doesn’t contain a drawing of the bunny or any of the woodland critters. A sketch of Kenda smiles at me. A sketch accompanied by the familiar photo that at one point also included Garrett and me. Our existence has since been cut away. Disposed of.
How very metaphorical.
I flip the photo. My handwriting is on the back.
True friendship stays strong, no matter the distance.
What the hell?I wrote those words on only one copy of the photo. The copy that was in my apartment. The copy that recently went missing.
Why would Athena steal the photo and cut it up? It’s not even Garrett’s picture she kept…not unless that part is under her pillow.
A muffled sound, so quiet I almost don’t hear it, comes from somewhere in the direction of the front door.
Shit. Athena.
The last thing I want is to be caught in her room, going through her things, even if I apparently had the right to, given she stole the photo from my apartment.
I return the photo to where I found it, close the sketchbook, and quickly shove the book and the box of pencils under the bed.
I make sure the bedding looks close to how we found it and usher Peony toward the door, hoping to get out of Athena’s room before she finds us here.
A thick wall of a man steps into the doorway, blocking our exit. A surprised shriek catapults from my lungs, the sound barely louder than my now racing heart. I stumble back a step.
I’m not the only one who screams. But Peony’s scream isn’t one of surprise.
It’s a scream of terror. The kind of terror that turns you cold from the inside out.
52
ZARA
“Who-who are you?”I ask the hulking man standing in the doorway to Athena’s bedroom. Gray peppers his short dark hair, and a scar cuts across the outside corner of his eyebrow. He’s wearing jeans and a plain blue hoodie and is holding something in his hand, but I can’t make out what it is.
Joanne didn’t mention anyone coming over to do work on Garrett’s house. She must have expected to return from her appointment before the man arrived.
Peony’s arms wind tightly around my leg from behind me. Her screams morph into uncontrollable wails. She presses her face into the back of my leg, muffling her cries, but her arms remain in place.
With a little patience and gentle coaxing, I untangle myself from her hold and lower to a crouch. “Hey, Princess Peony. It’s okay.” But as I say the words, the sharp claws of an unsettling feeling dig into my stomach. The man didn’t bother ringing the doorbell. He just entered the house like he belongs here.
Maybe Garrett is fine with that, but something about the situation doesn’t sit right.
I kiss Peony’s cheek, trying to comfort her, her small body trembling in my arms. She’s still leery with men she doesn’t know. And given thesize of this man and his muscles, it doesn’t matter how sweet he might be, he’s intimidating as hell.
“Where’s Nina?” The man’s low, harsh tone comes close to that of a wolf baring its fangs, dispelling any belief there might be a sweet bone in him.
I push to my feet with Peony in my arms, the growing ache in my joints reminding me I’m due for ibuprofen soon. “You have the wrong house. You better leave or I’ll call the cops.” I infuse my voice with indignation and an unspoken promise that I will carry through with my threat.
He doesn’t need to know, though, I left my phone in my purse.
Which is in my car.
The whisper of a voice pokes at me.Is it possible Peony hasn’t been mispronouncing Athena’s name? It really is Nina?
But that can’t be right. I saw the letter Kenda wrote for Garrett. She referred to Athena by that name. And not once has Athena let on her name is something else.
“I’m not going anywhere until you tell me where Nina is.” The man’s voice doesn’t soften. If anything, it grows scarier. Somehow, deadlier.
