Chapter 9 #2
My heart leaps to my throat.
Was that—
Another crack sounds, this time close enough to rattle the small window nearby.
Fear turns to horror.
Did Caleb get shot? Is he out there, hurt? Bleeding? Dying? And I’m still hiding inside like a coward?
No.
I won’t. Not anymore.
Before I can talk myself out of it, I’m out from under the table and moving. As I race across the basement, I shove the phone in my pocket and shift the gun to my right hand. It feels strange, like it doesn’t belong there.
Could I fire it, if I have to?
I’m not sure. But I would try.
At the top of the stairs, it takes several tries to unlock the deadbolt, my hand is shaking so badly. Once I slide the bolt back—finally—I cautiously open the door and poke my head through the doorway.
No one’s there. The kitchen looks just as it was before.
In the living room, the TV displays a selection of movies that the streaming service thinks we might enjoy after the one we just watched.
The plates and glasses are still sitting on the coffee table, undisturbed.
The throw blanket I started out using before deciding to cuddle with Caleb instead is still in a messy pile on the couch, just where I left it.
The only difference from before is the hole in the window and the bit of glass sparkling on the floor in front of it.
My heart stalls at the realization of how close one of us came to dying.
Could still die, I remind myself. Caleb’s still in danger. And until backup arrives, I’m all he’s got.
In my haste to leave the basement, I didn’t come up with an actual plan. The best I have is to get outside, creep along the exterior of the house where I hopefully can’t be seen, and keep an eye out for any sign of movement from the shooter.
Then what?
Warn Caleb? Shoot the person myself? I’m not sure. But now that I’ve set my mind to it, I’m not going back.
As I shove on the moccasins Caleb loaned me—they’re his mom’s, and a size too big, but they’re better than nothing—I allow a brief consideration for the danger I’m putting myself in. In the basement, the risk is significantly less. But heading outside?
I shake my head against the doubts as I carefully open the front door.
I can do this. I have to do this.
Caleb risked his life to protect me. It’s only right I do the same for him.
But it’s not just that, is it? I’m not doing this because I feel like I owe him.
No, I realize as I creep around the side of the house. I want a future with Caleb. Or at least, I want the possibility of one.
And I don’t want him to be alone. Not anymore.
I try to move carefully through the snow, but the crunch of the snow has me wincing every time I hear it. It’s only loud because I’m right here, I tell myself. If someone’s hiding in the woods that surround the house, they’re much too far away to notice.
At least, I think that’s where someone would be hiding. Unless they’re creeping around the house, same as me, and when I turn the corner, I’ll come face to face—
Off to my right, not quite in the woods, but close to it, I catch a glimpse of a dark shape moving across the snow.
I hold my breath as I watch them.
I don’t think it’s Caleb. The figure is too short. Too slender.
Could it be the gunman? Trying to sneak up on Caleb?
Crap. What do I do now?
I can’t shoot them from here, even if I had the courage to.
I don’t have a way to contact Caleb, so I can’t tell him where the person is.
But I can’t let them get away. Can’t let them get the jump on Caleb.
Glad that I’m wearing all gray instead of my bright red coat, I start across the snowy lawn, hoping I’ll blend into the shadows.
I dart to one small cluster of trees, then another, using them for cover.
I don’t take my eyes off the person moving in front of me as I hurry to close the distance between us.
I’m maybe halfway across the lawn when another dark figure emerges. This one is taller. Broader. My heart leaps at the hope that it’s Caleb.
But he’s in front of the other person. He doesn’t know they’re behind him.
As I’m watching, the smaller figure raises an arm. Something shiny in their hand glints.
My lungs seize.
No. No. No.
“Behind you!” I shout. Maybe it’s stupid, revealing myself. But I can’t stay silent. “Caleb! Behind you!”
The smaller figure spins in my direction.
My life flashes before my eyes.
“Get down!” Caleb yells. “Down. Now!”
I fling myself to the ground.
A shot fires.
Then another.
Someone screeches; a high-pitched, feminine sound.
Caleb barks, “Don’t move! I don’t give a shit that you’re a woman.”
What? A woman?
I lift my head hoping to get a better look at what’s going on. Ahead of me, Caleb is standing over someone laying in the snow and aiming his gun at them.
“Vienna!” Caleb shouts. “Are you hurt?” Panic laces his voice. “Did she hit you?”
“No,” I call back. “I’m okay. But are you—”
A pair of headlights comes flying up the driveway, flashing across the snow.
As I turn my attention to it, the SUV comes to a rocking stop, and two men leap out. They both carry the same sort of posture as Caleb, which makes me think it might be Enzo and one of his friends.
The two men split up, one of them running in my direction, the other to Caleb. The man headed to me arrives first, and he drops into a crouch beside me. Then he flicks on a tiny flashlight and shines it at my body. “Vienna,” he says. “I’m Enzo. Are you hurt anywhere?”
“No.” I start to get up. “But Caleb—”
Enzo puts his hand on my shoulder, holding me still. “Ronan is with him. My teammate. And a trained medic, if Caleb needs it.”
I push Enzo’s hand aside. “I need to know if he’s okay. I heard shots. At least three of them.”
“I know,” he replies gently. “I know you do. But let’s make sure it’s clear, first.” He raises his voice. “Ronan. Sitrep?”
A second later, an unfamiliar voice replies, “All clear. Tango down and threat neutralized.”
“And Caleb?” Enzo asks. “I have someone who’s very worried about him.”
“I’m fine,” Caleb says. A beat passes before he adds in an irritated tone, “Ronan. I’m fine. The blood is from where—”
But I don’t hear more than that. My brain stalls at the word blood. And I’m up and running. Sprinting. Sobbing as I hurtle towards Caleb.
He catches me as I slam into him, his arms coming around me, hugging me tight. “Fuck,” he murmurs into my hair. “Ah, fuck.” Leaning away from me slightly, he frames my face with his hands. “Are you hurt? She didn’t hit you, did she?”
Enzo comes jogging up. “She looks okay to me.” He chuckles. “Fast one, there.”
Caleb grimaces. “Shit, Vienna. Your leg. Did you—”
“It’s fine. But you said there was blood.” My gaze sweeps up and down his body, freezing on a dark spot on his shin. “You’re hurt!”
“It’s nothing,” he says. “Stupid mistake. I ran into the damn—” He makes an irritated sound. “I ran into the fucking coffee table in my hurry to get outside. She missed me every time she shot at me.”
“She?” I glance at the person still lying on the ground. Ronan is kneeling beside her as he fastens zip-ties around her wrists. One hand is covered in blood. Long brown hair has fallen free of her hat and hangs in damp tangles over her shoulders.
“She,” Caleb affirms. He nods at Ronan, who pulls the woman to her feet.
At first, I don’t recognize her. But then her face screws up, and she spits, “You! How do you keep doing it? You’re like a fucking cat with nine lives!”
I gape at her. “Frieda?” The woman with Tom? The woman who claimed blood made her queasy and wanted to hang out in a ski chalet with a hot tub?
“Vienna,” she snarls. Fury twists her features. “You just can’t leave Tom alone, can you? I thought once you moved away, that would be the end of it. But no, you can’t be happy with one man. You need to take mine, too.”
“What?” Nothing makes sense. “Leave Tom alone? What are you talking about?”
“She’s crazy,” Caleb says. “You don’t need to talk to her.”
“First with all your little study sessions,” Frieda snaps. “I know what they were really all about. Trying to seduce Tom away from me. So I had to put a stop to it.”
“Put a stop to it?” I ask. “What—”
“You didn’t die,” she continues, “but at least with your broken leg, you couldn’t go to class anymore. And it ended up working out great. You dropped out of school, moved out of town… I thought that would be the end of it.”
It feels like something heavy slammed into my chest. “You hit me?”
“You were right there in the street,” she replies defensively. “I was protecting my man. Just like anyone would.”
“By running her down?” Caleb asks. His tone is murderous. “You ran her down and left her there? You could have killed her.”
“The fuck?” Ronan mutters. “And I thought I’d seen everything.”
“It was all perfect until you tried to poach him again!” Frieda whines. “There you were, fluttering your stupid eyelashes at him in the bakery. Flirting with him. And after, Tom was all, I’m so glad Vienna’s doing okay. She looks like she’s doing really well.”
I’m so shocked, it takes a few seconds to find my words. “So you decided to kill me? Because I was sitting in the bakery having lunch with another man?”
She scowls at me. “I knew what you were going to do. So I had to stop you. And it would have been so easy. I asked around to find out where you were staying, snuck out here and stuck some shit in the chimney… But this stupid hero had to come save you.” Frieda glances at Caleb.
“She doesn’t want you, you know. She wants Tom. She’s just using—”
“Shut. Up.” Caleb looks like he’s close to losing it.
In the distance, sirens approach.
“We can watch her,” Enzo offers. “Until the police get here, which sounds like it’ll be soon.” He gives Caleb a meaningful look. “If you want some time with Vienna first.”
Caleb takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly as he visibly tries to calm himself. Then he lifts his chin. “Thanks, Enzo. I’ll take you up on that.”
Before waiting for a response, Caleb picks me up so my feet are dangling and carries me away from them.
Once we have a little privacy, he sets me back down and takes hold of my arms. “Why did you come out here?” For the first time since we met, he looks angry at me.
“I told you to stay in the basement. Where it was safe.”
It feels terrible, knowing he’s upset with me. Quietly, I reply, “I know. But you were out here all alone—”
“I told you I’m trained for this.”
“But you were alone. And I heard gunshots. I couldn’t help thinking… you didn’t have anyone for backup. I couldn’t—” My voice catches. “I just didn’t want you to be alone.”
Some of his anger fades. “Vienna. Do you know how dangerous that was? She wouldn’t have hit me. I’m honestly shocked she got as close as she did when she shot into the house.”
“But she was behind you,” I protest. “She was sneaking up—”
“I heard her,” Caleb interrupts. “I was letting her get close.”
“Oh.” Tears spring to my eyes. “I thought I was helping. I—” A small sob slips out. “I’m sorry, Caleb. I didn’t mean… I was so worried about you. And… I care about you. A lot. And I was scared I might not get a chance—”
Caleb’s mouth slams down on mine.
Then he hauls me into his arms as he kisses me hard.
I kiss him back desperately, putting everything I feel for him into it. I twine my arms around his neck so tightly I’m not sure he can breathe. But he doesn’t complain. Doesn’t tell me to let go. Caleb just keeps kissing me with the same fierce desperation.
Only when a cluster of flashing red lights arrives does he release me. Gazing down at me, he brushes his thumb across one cheek, then the other.
“I can’t be mad at you,” he says. His gaze is soft with something that makes my heart flutter. “You scared the shit out of me, V. But the reason you did it…” He exhales. “I don’t want you to be alone, either. And when I knew you were in danger, I would have done anything for you.”
“So… you forgive me? For leaving the basement? And—” I grimace. “Bringing a homicidal woman to your house?”
Caleb brushes his lips across mine. “Of course I do. Because I care about you a lot, too.” After a beat, his mouth twitches. “I guess, after all your talk of serial killers, I shouldn’t be surprised about this.”
As contrary as it is to the circumstances, a small laugh bubbles up. “I guess not.”
He kisses me again. “I guess I’ll just have to get more security,” he says. “Since I plan to have you here all the time.” His gaze searches mine. “If that’s okay with you?”
I smile at him. “It’s definitely okay with me.”