Chapter 1
CHAPTER
ONE
Casey’s dream pulled her back to that terrifying night she wanted to expel from her memory.
The air was thick with the smell of mold and fear. She was tied up in the dark basement of her neighbor’s house. Her heart pounded as she heard footsteps descending the creaky wooden stairs.
“No, no, please,” fifteen-year-old Casey whimpered, tears streaming down her face. She knew those footsteps too well. It was Michael’s dad, a man she had trusted, a man who had betrayed her.
“You’ll be quiet if you know what’s good for you,” he hissed, his breath hot against her ear as he leaned in close. “No one’s coming to save you, Casey. You are all mine.”
The nightmare gripped her, refusing to let go. Casey’s body thrashed in bed as she relived her abduction.
“Casey!” Max, her boyfriend, called to her, his voice filled with concern, as he gently shook her shoulder. “Casey, it’s just a dream. Wake up, honey.”
Casey’s eyes snapped open, looking around wildly and unfocused. She gasped for air, her body drenched in sweat. “Max,” she choked out, her voice trembling.
“Hey, hey, it’s okay. You’re safe,” Max soothed as he pulled her into his arms—her safe place. “It was just a nightmare.”
She clung to him, her body shaking with sobs. “It felt so real, Max. I was back there again. I could feel him and hear him.”
Max held her tighter, stroking her long red hair. “Shh, I’m here. He can’t hurt you anymore.”
Casey buried her face in his chest, trying to calm her racing heart. “I hate that these dreams still haunt me,” she whispered, hating how scared she sounded. “It’s been years, but sometimes it feels like it happened yesterday.”
Max kissed the top of her head. “I know, baby. I know. But you’re strong, and you’ve come so far. You’re not that scared fifteen-year-old anymore.”
Casey took a deep breath. The feel of Max’s steady heartbeat slowly calmed her. “Thank you, Max. For always being here for me.”
“I’ll always be here, Casey. Always,” Max promised, his voice firm and reassuring. “You’re my everything, and I’ll do whatever it takes to help you through this.”
Casey pulled back slightly, looking into his deep green eyes that were full of compassion. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
Max smiled softly, using his thumb to brush a tear from her cheek. “You’ll never have to find out.” He glanced at the clock that sat on his nightstand. “It’s almost time to get up. How about I make you breakfast while you get ready for work?”
She nodded, loving his thoughtfulness. “That sounds great. Thank you.”
He kissed her forehead and helped her out of the bed. As he left the room, Casey made her way to the bathroom to start getting ready for her shift at the hospital.
She prayed that the surgery schedule was light.
She was not only a Captain in the Navy but a well-known, sought-after general surgeon.
It had been an exciting career, having worked in military hospitals, and even on ships all over the world.
That was how she met Max, her boyfriend of three years.
They had met in San Diego. She worked at the Naval Medical Center San Diego while Max was a Navy SEAL instructor at Coronado.
As Casey stripped down to get into the shower, she couldn’t stop thinking about her reoccurring nightmare and wondered why, twenty-some years later, she started to relive that horrible time.
The hot water cascaded over her body as she stood under the shower, her mind drifting back to a time she wished she could forget. The steam filled the bathroom, but the warmth did little to soothe the chill that crept into her bones as the memories surfaced.
It had been a sweltering summer day, the kind that clung to your skin and made the air feel thick and oppressive.
She was fifteen and home alone while her mom was at work.
Her best friend Michael had come over to escape the heat.
They’d spent most of the day by the pool, splashing around in the cool water, laughing about nothing in particular.
Michael was a good friend. He was someone she had grown up with and trusted.
She could still remember how uncomfortable she’d felt when Michael’s dad arrived to pick him up that day.
He had stared at her in a way that made her skin crawl, his eyes lingering too long on her body, still wet from the pool and barely covered by her bikini.
The moment was seared into her memory. She remembered how she had grabbed a towel in a rush and wrapped it around herself to block his gaze as her heart pounded with a discomfort she couldn’t quite place.
After they left, Casey’s mom called. Her mom’s voice had been filled with happiness as she told Casey that she would be late coming home because she had a date.
Casey had been thrilled for her mom. After all, she deserved some happiness after the heartbreak her father had caused when he left them both for another woman.
Hanging up, she had gone upstairs to shower, wanting to wash away the sweat and pool water.
The shower had been refreshing, a brief respite from the heat and the uncomfortable feeling that had settled over her.
She’d changed into her pajamas, ready for a quiet evening at home, but as she walked back downstairs to fix something to eat, that uneasy feeling returned.
The back door was ajar, just a crack, but enough to send a shiver down her spine. Casey paused her hand on the handle, debating whether she had left it open or something was wrong. She had brushed it off, convinced she was being paranoid, and closed the door, locking it securely behind her.
But she hadn’t known then that someone was in the house with her, hiding just inside the pantry.
Casey’s breath hitched as the memory of what happened next flooded her mind. The steam from the shower did nothing to dispel the chill of fear that gripped her.
She had turned her back to the room, unaware of the danger lurking behind her. Everything had happened so fast when the wet cloth was pressed over her nose and mouth.
She had fought, of course. She’d tried to scream, to struggle, but the world had slipped away so quickly, darkness consuming her before she could even process what was happening.
When she woke up, she was in a dark, cramped space, her hands bound behind her back and tethered to something on the wall behind her.
Her feet were tied together, and panic surged through her as she realized she couldn’t move.
She had tugged at the restraints, her heart racing until she heard the sound of footsteps approaching.
Every detail was sharp in her mind, as if it had just happened yesterday. The footsteps stopped in front of the door, and she held her breath, her entire body trembling with fear. When the door finally swung open, Michael’s dad stood there, his eyes gleaming with something dark and sinister.
That look on his face had haunted her for years.
The image of him standing over her, towering and menacing, was etched into her mind.
She hadn’t understood why someone she had known her entire life would do something so horrific.
But the why didn’t matter when she was trapped, helpless, and terrified.
Casey shivered despite the hot water, her chest tightening as the memories threatened to overwhelm her.
She squeezed her eyes shut, forcing herself to focus on the present, to remind herself that she was safe now.
Michael’s dad could no longer harm her as he had killed himself when the police raided his home looking for her.
Plus, she was no longer that frightened girl trapped in the dark.
Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes and reached for the soap, trying to scrub away the lingering remnants of the past. But she knew that no matter how much time passed, some scars would always remain just beneath the surface.