Chapter Eleven
Try as she might, Hannah couldn’t fall asleep.
She’d been fine all through the day and never once felt unsafe. She had read a little, watched television, and thought she would fall asleep quickly like she did last night.
But now she was restless, as if something was about to happen.
Not knowing whether the rest of her family was safe was driving her crazy.
Coming to a decision, she put on the light and reached for her phone.
It was nearly midnight, but she had to speak to her agent now.
Fortunately, Karen was a night owl and seldom went to sleep before the early morning hours.
If anything had happened to anyone, they would have contacted Karen. She was sure of it. Her sisters and mother all had her agent’s telephone number.
Karen answered on the first ring.
“Karen. It’s Hannah.”
“Hannah, sweetheart!” she called out. “I’m so glad to hear from you. Listen…”
“My family—have you heard anything from them…”
“You have to call them, Hannah.”
A cold hand clutched at her trachea, forcing out most of the air. “Why? Did something happen to one of them?”
“Your mother and sisters are fine, it’s just… Please call them.”
Hysteria bubbled up, and Hannah breathed in deeply. “Is it Darryn? Has something happened to Darryn?”
“Yes, but he’s fine now, please phone them,” Karen insisted. “I’m going to put the phone down. Please get yourself a new phone. White is apparently capable of hacking into any system.” The next minute the line went dead.
Stunned, Hannah sat for a few seconds before she got up. An icy calm settled over her. Darryn had been hurt by Stephen. He wanted a reaction? Well, he’d get one. She was mad as hell and finished being the victim.
She grabbed her bag and flung her clothes in haphazardly.
Fortunately, she hadn’t brought much with her, so packing went quickly.
She stared at her phone then dropped it in the garbage pail.
Karen was right, she should leave it and get another one.
Where to get another one was a problem, the little village only had the bare basics.
She’d make a plan somehow to get a message to her family.
She would leave the groceries she’d bought here. She quickly messaged the owner and said she’d pay whatever they needed for someone to clean the place and she would drop the key off at her place.
Then, grabbing her keys and bag, she left the house and sprinted to her car.
All she could think of was getting to Darryn as soon as possible. But first she had to leave the key.
She looked back over her shoulder to the house as she drove away. Damn, she’d left the bedroom light on, but she’d let the landlady know. She was not turning around. Getting to Darryn was her only concern at the moment.
As she stopped in front of the landlady’s house, the porch light came on, and the woman appeared in the doorway. Hannah sighed. She had hoped she could just drop the key in the mailbox. Getting out and talking to the landlady would mean wasting more time, but she couldn’t just drive away now.
She met the woman at the gate. “I’m sorry, I didn’t want to disturb you. And I’m so sorry to have to leave so early, but I have a…a family emergency,” she said as she handed over the keys.
“You’ve paid for a whole month!” the woman exclaimed. “I—”
“I’ll come back on another date and will call you, if that’s all right?” she said. “Which reminds me. I’ve misplaced my cell phone and want to let my sister Caitlin know I’m on my way. Could I please ask you to send her a message?”
“Of course,” she said, “I have my phone in my pocket.” She gave Hannah her phone. “Put in her number, and I’ll send the message.”
Hannah quickly entered the number, told the woman about the light that was still on, and thanked her before she jogged back to the car. She’d filled up the tank when she’d arrived, so fortunately, she didn’t have to make another stop right now.
*
When Darryn next opened his eyes, his three brothers and Hank, a doctor friend of Dale’s he’d met before, were staring down at him, all frowning.
He groaned and looked around. He was in his bed.
A damn good thing, given the ringing in his ears.
The pain pounding away behind his eyes was driving him crazy.
“What are you all doing here, and how did I get into bed? What time is it?” he groaned.
“It’s half past one. I spoke to you on the phone, remember? Or tried to, but you passed out. So I had no choice, I had to call in the troops, so we could come and save your sorry ass,” Don teased. “Also your sisters-in-law threatened to come if we didn’t. What the hell happened?”
“It was White,” Darryn said and touched his head. He winced as he touched bandages covering the side of his head. “He hit me with a bat or something. First on my shoulder and then against my head. What the hell is this?”
“There is a lump on your head the size of a golf ball,” Dale snickered, relief replacing the anxiousness of moments ago on his face. “Hank had to do something.”
Hank handed him some pills. “For the pain. You have a concussion, and I’ll feel better if we can move you to a hospital, you—”
“Forget about it,” Darryn interjected, but he swallowed the painkillers.
“Told you,” Dale said, smiling.
“You should stay in bed, then, and come see me when you get up. I’d like to take an X-ray of your shoulder,” Hank insisted.
Darryn nodded.
“How did White get in here?” Dale asked. “You have security all around your place.”
“I don’t know. I didn’t look around when I opened the gate like I usually do, because I was distracted.
I don’t know whether he slipped in then or whether he’d somehow climbed over the fence—I wouldn’t put anything past that creep.
Anyway, he triggered the silent alarm, but by the time I saw the flickering light, he was already behind me.
Damned man. Next time I see him, I’ll…” He tried to sit upright, but a wave of nausea had him leaning back against the pillows.
“Yeah, you’re a real Rambo.” Don chuckled, but he couldn’t hide the worry lines on his forehead.
“He took my phone—that was the main reason I called you,” Darryn remembered. “I’d just messaged you guys with the names of three other small towns we missed the first time round and—”
“She was in Jacobsbaai,” David said.
“What?” This time Darryn managed to sit upright, although the world tilted scarily around him.
Don scratched his head. “Caitlin and the other women figured out that she was in Jacobsbaai, but before—”
“You see, they didn’t listen to Don here when he sent them to the kitchen.” David snickered.
“I didn’t send anyone to the kitchen, damnit, I just didn’t think—”
“They could do anything.” David slapped Don on the back. “It’s time we all realize—the women we married are not the kind who sit quietly in the kitchen. They take action.”
“Before what?” Darryn asked, trying his best to get the conversation back to what was important.
“Before they could leave… That was their plan—to leave us behind and go and find Hannah themselves.”
“You shouldn’t have sent them to the kitchen.” David grinned.
“Damn it, stop saying that. Get on with it, man!” Darryn said, upset and worried. He felt helpless, lying there, his head pounding, his whole body aching.
Don launched into a long description of who said what until Darryn’s head was spinning. Don’s last words took a while to register.
“So, what you’re saying is that Hannah is on her way, but she doesn’t have a phone, and we can’t reach her?”
“That’s about right,” Don agreed.
“So where the hell is she?” Darryn demanded.
“We’re not exactly sure when she left, but she could be here any minute now,” Don said.
“So, she’s driving through the night while that maniac is on the loose?” Darryn bellowed and winced as pain nearly blinded him.
“If you don’t calm down, we’re dragging you to the hospital,” Hank cautioned him.
“Just get her here, please?” he asked before dizziness and fatigue forced him to close his eyes again.
*
How exactly she finally reached Darryn’s house, Hannah wasn’t sure. She kept her eyes on the white line of the road, her foot on the pedal, and she drove. Anger kept her wide awake throughout the ninety-minute drive. She made one stop to put in more gas, but she hadn’t even gotten out of the car.
She’d left Darryn after spending an incredible night with him, had left her sister, hadn’t contacted any friends or anyone else in her family to make sure they would be all safe. And what did the bastard do? He attacked Darryn—the love of her life, in spite of everything.
So she was done playing nice. It was time to confront this creep. If he wanted her, then that was what he’d get. She didn’t often get angry, but this had gone on long enough. How many people had to get hurt because this guy was out of control? It was going to stop.
Don’s car was parked in front of Darryn’s house when she finally turned into his driveway and stopped in front of the gates. She checked the clock. It was three o’clock in the morning.
As she got out of the car, the front door opened and Don stepped out. She rushed forward, so glad to see a familiar face. He caught her in his arms.
“Hannah, I’m so glad you’re here.” He breathed while he held her close. “Are you—”
“I’m fine. Where’s Darryn? How is he?” Her voice wobbled slightly on the last word.
“He’ll live.” Don smile was lopsided and he pulled her into the house. “He’s sleeping at the moment.”
“What did Stephen do to him?” She bit her trembling lip.
“Hit him with something—on his shoulder, his head. I have to warn you, he doesn’t look good. His usually ugly face is even uglier.” He chuckled and pressed a hand to her shoulder.
A sob escaped and Don took her arm. “Come and sit down, I’ve made tea.” He handed her his phone. “But first, please call Caitlin.”
He didn’t have to say they were mad with worry at this point, she could just imagine.
“He threatened to hurt Darryn, to hurt my family,” she tried to explain. “That’s why I left. But now he’s hurt him anyway,” she ended on a near-sob.
“We thought that was probably what happened. What you seem to forget is that we’re family now.
You’re not alone in this. If you are in trouble, we all are; if you’re unhappy, so are we.
White succeeded in cutting you off from your family and friends—that’s not a place where you have to be.
You are not alone. Call your sister,” he said again.
With unsteady fingers, she dialed Caitlin’s number.
“Hannah?” It was her mom on the other side of the line.
Try as she might, she couldn’t stop the tears. “Mom.” She got the word out before the tears started falling.
“Sweetheart?” her mother asked in a broken voice. “Where are you? Are you okay?”
Hannah sniffed and wiped her face. “I’m okay, Mom. Mad as hell, but fine. I’ve just arrived at Darryn’s house.”
“Mad is good,” her mother said, and she could hear the smile in her voice. “We’re all mad now. You go to sleep now, you hear? We’ll all be there tomorrow morning.”
“Thanks, Mom,” she said.
Smiling, Don took the phone from her while he pushed a cup of tea in front of her.
“Drink up. I’ve added something a little stronger to make you sleep.”
“I want to…I need to see Darryn, please?”
“Of course. Drink up. I’ll get your suitcase from the car.”
A few minutes later she was standing next to Darryn’s bed. Don had left the light on in the hallway. One side of Darryn’s face was swollen. He was restless, turning his head, fidgeting with the sheets.
Swallowing her tears, she bent down and kissed his forehead.
“Hannah.” He groaned without opening his eyes.
“I’m right here,” she whispered and sat down next to him on the bed. She took his hand in hers, and he relaxed immediately.
When he was breathing calmly again, she tried to pull her hand out of his.
She wanted to have a shower, put on clean clothes.
But Darryn wouldn’t let go of her hand. Lifting the sheets, she moved so she was lying next to him, his hand cradled in hers.
There was time for a bath tomorrow, time to talk, to explain.
But, right now, she just wanted to be close to him.