Page 61 of Savior
I surprise myself by laughing. Chloe glances over and beams at me, and I have to admit...I needed this more than I realized.
* * *
The next morning, I wake up before my four thirty alarm, and I’m still smiling as I wake Logan up so he can go get ready for work. It doesn’t even damage my good mood when I find out I’ve run out of coffee
The sun is just brightening the sky as I lock and re-lock my front door. Dew sparkles on the patch of grass between my house and Logan’s. The sound of a door opening draws my eyes up as Logan exits his own front door.
I tear myself away from watching him and keep my gaze on my feet as I go down the steps and cross the front yard to the sidewalk leading to the B&B.
Even though I tell myself not to do it, I glance back before crossing the street, and I find Logan watching me. Surprise and then heat, flares and I duck my head back down as I cross the street with a hidden smile. His eyes follow me until I open the kitchen door and close it behind me.
Leaning heavily against the wood, I focus on catching my breath and calming my racing heart. Once blood isn’t thundering in my ears, I push off the door and hang up my purse in the close just off the kitchen. Work will help me push him from my mind. After the whirlwind lunch with the girls, I could use the monotony of cleaning the now empty guest rooms in preparation for the next occupants.
Before I get started with the cleaning, I make a pot of coffee for Rose and Diane, who normally rise mid-morning to start the light brunch for the early rising guests. Once it’s ready, I fill a cup for myself and sip it while I greet the morning sun through the kitchen window as it rises over the deep, calming blue of the lake. Once finished, I rinse out my cup and set it on the drainer by the sink. Rocky waits patiently by the back door for his walk. I decide I’d better take him before I get distracted by work.
Tonight’s the night, I decide as Rocky winds around me on our normal route through the trees to the rocky edge of the water. I’ll make him a romantic dinner, and we’ll see what happens.
Because he’s right. What’s the point of being alive if you don’tlive?
Lightness suffuses my being, and I whistle to Rocky, who has disappeared over a small hill. Knowing he likes to wander, I step off the path and follow him.
“Rocky! You silly boy, c’mon. We’ve got work to do.” His urgent barks answer me, and I speed up.
When I crest the hill, I wish I hadn’t. The smell hits me first, and then I recognize the bloody heap below me. Initially, all I can see is Paige. A few panic-stricken seconds pass before I can blink away her face. I can’t be sure as she’s been badly beaten, but I’m almost positive the dead woman in front of me is the sweet baker I met a few nights ago.
Lena.
My legs threaten to give out, and I stumble back against a tree for balance. As my brain trips over itself to understand the sight in front of me, I put a hand to my mouth to keep from vomiting my breakfast.
When I manage to still my breathing stir labored. I run back to the B&B and grab my phone. As I wait for the police to answer, I press my fingers to my eyes, trying to separate my memories of the past from the terrifying reality of the present.
Logan
Iknowbefore Colson even opens his mouth that he isn’t coming for a friendly chat. His wizened eyes are drawn and his normally tan, weathered face has a gray pallor that I’ve only seen on Marines who’ve seen death.
“What is it?” I ask as I get to my feet, already pocketing my keys and getting to my feet.
“There was another attack,” he says as I follow him to his truck.
“Goddammit,” I mutter under my breath. We’d gone weeks without anything and several of the members of the department were sure the perpetrator had moved on. For a few short, blissful days, I thought maybe Sienna would get a reprieve from the horror of repeatedly revisiting her past.
Colson’s voice turns serious. “He didn’t just beat this one. You were right. He’s escalating. He raped, assaulted, and then strangled her.”
The stale pizza and shitty coffee I had before Colson arrived turns into a rock in the pit of my stomach. He ducks into the cool interior and flicks on the emergency lights. It’s midday and even crossing the street can be hectic.
“What do we know?” I ask as he pulls out of the lot.
“She was attacked this morning as she was walking around the lake. She’s a tourist here, visiting.”
Ironically, the bottle of water I nab from his console leaves my mouth feeling dry. It’s always the most stressful moments when the need for a drink becomes overwhelming.
“A the lake?” I ask.
He sighs before pulling out into traffic. “She was staying at your aunt’s,” he says before I can ask. There aren’t many places to stay in Nassau and since Aunt Diane’s is on the lake, it’s a prime location for tourists. What bothers me even more than that is that it was so close to Sienna’s house. He’s already made a try for her once. A second so close to where she lives and works can’t be coincidental.
“I’m going to go out on a limb and say this wasn’t a random attack?”
He shakes his head. The radio on the dash squawks with chatter. I can make out nearly every voice on our small police force.