Chapter 28
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Victoria followed Cillian into the restroom, her gaze aiming in the direction of his.
You will be next.
Someone had written a threat on her mirror? In her house?
“Call the police.” He cupped her shoulders as he moved behind her to leave the bathroom. “I’m going to check the house.”
“Be careful.” The words nearly stuck in her shrinking throat as she yanked her gaze from the unnerving message—evidence someone had been in her home. And perhaps still was.
The possibility spurred her mind out of shock and into action. Her phone. It was in her purse in the kitchen.
She hurried into the hallway and grabbed Sydney’s arm. “Come with me.”
The girl moved with her. “Who—” Sydney’s voice choked on what sounded like fear.
Adrenaline pumped through Victoria, keeping her gaze sharper than normal and nerves standing on end. She listened for strange noises as she walked, keeping her gaze ahead.
She turned into the kitchen, quickly checking the room.
No one lurked there.
But she didn’t breathe normally. Not yet. She dug in the pocket of her purse.
“Who would do something like that? Write that…” Sydney stumbled into the center of the kitchen, wild eyes landing on Victoria.
“I don’t know.” Victoria pressed the emergency call button for 911, then pressed the phone to her ear.
“9-1-1, what is your emergency?”
This scenario shouldn’t be so familiar. It could even be the same operator from the day Victoria had discovered Thomas, dead.
She pushed aside the crippling memory and told the operator about the evidence of an intruder in her home, adding she didn’t know yet if the intruder was still there.
Satisfied that the operator had officers on the way, Victoria ended the call.
She went to Sydney and gently ran her hands along the girl’s upper arms. “I’m sorry you had to see that. Are you all right?”
“Yeah, I guess.” Normal color had returned to Sydney’s cheeks, and her breathing appeared more regulated again.
Thank you, Lord.
At least the incident hadn’t caused premature labor. Victoria would never forgive herself if she brought danger upon this young mother.
“What does it mean?” Sydney looked up at her. “‘You’ll be next.’ Next for what?”
Next to be murdered. Victoria kept the thought to herself and mustered a smile. “I’m not entirely sure. Bad people say very unkind things sometimes.” She glanced over her shoulder to the other doorway into the kitchen. Shouldn’t Cillian have completed his search of the house by now?
Unless something had happened to him. Her chest squeezed. “I’d better check on Cillian.”
Though she shouldn’t leave Sydney alone.
Max. The thought came to her on a wave of fear. She’d assumed he was safe in his crate in her bedroom. But what if—
“Stay with me.” She hurried out of the kitchen, glancing back to make sure Sydney was following.
They returned to the hallway. Victoria glanced into the bathroom but kept going to the end.
Her bedroom door stood open.
Her breath stopped. She always closed it when she left.
She stepped closer and looked in.
Max stared at her from the crate by the far wall, watching her with his alert expression, mouth closed and ears lifted.
She scanned the room. Her bed was still made, and everything appeared to be as she’d left it.
Heavy footsteps made her jerk back out of the room.
Cillian stalked toward them up the hallway.
Relief brought air to her lungs even as her pulse raced at the sight of him. He was all right. “Did you check in here?”
“Yep. First thing.” He slowed as he reached Sydney. “Wanted to make sure Max was okay.”
Victoria’s heart pinched. She met his sincere, protective gaze. “Thank you.”
“I didn’t see anything to suggest anybody went in there. And even though Max is afraid of everyone, an intruder would likely take one look at him and decide not to mess with any dog that huge.” The hint of a smile angled Cillian’s lips.
“I hope you’re right.” It would be much longer before Victoria would feel like smiling. Someone had compromised the safety of her home and endangered those she cared about. “Did you see evidence of the intruder anywhere else?”
“He got in through the rear. The window by your back door was broken.”
“He broke my window?”
“Yep. Ever think of getting a security system installed?”
“Do you know how expensive those are?”
He grinned. Probably thinking of how incongruous it was for a Weston to say such a thing. But she had stopped living on her father’s money when she’d moved out of his house years ago.
She sighed. “Perhaps I should look into it. But first,” she turned toward Sydney in the narrow hallway, “I need to find a different place for you to stay.”
“You’re kicking me out?” The girl’s eyes grew as large as when she’d seen the threat on the mirror.
“No, sweetie. I’m not kicking you out. But it isn’t safe for you to stay with me right now. I can’t bear to think of what could’ve happened to you if you’d been here alone when the intruder—”
“I don’t think there’s danger of that.”
Victoria aimed an irritated gaze at Cillian. “How can you say that? He accessed my house to threaten me.”
“Not while anyone was here. Think about it. Glenn is doing everything so far when nobody can see him up close or ID him. I don’t think he would’ve broken into your home if anyone had been here.”
Cillian’s reasoning made sense. But Victoria wasn’t about to tell him that.
His head was far too oversized as it was.
“It would still be irresponsible to allow Sydney and her baby to stay here when I know my house isn’t safe.
And when I’m apparently a target of someone with evil intentions. It’s far too dangerous.”
“But you can’t send me away!” The agony that twisted Sydney’s voice jumped Victoria’s attention to her. Tears ran down the girl’s cheeks.
“Sydney, I—”
“You have to let me stay here. Please.” She grabbed Victoria’s hands, squeezing them hard. “I never told you this, but I’ve been having bad dreams. Nightmares, I guess. And what Kathleen says are panic attacks.”
Concern twisted Victoria’s stomach. “Sydney, I’m sorry. I had no idea.”
“I know, because I try to stay positive. But I’m not always so sure L—” Sydney clamped her mouth shut.
Had she been about to say the name of her boyfriend?
“I’m not always sure he’s going to come for me like he promised.
And if he doesn’t, I could end up on the street, and…
” Her terrified gaze aimed at Cillian, then swung back to Victoria as she gripped her hands even harder.
“And child services would take my little girl away.” Sydney’s breathing grew shallow and quick as she continued. “And then I won’t—”
“Okay, Sydney, please.” Victoria tried to interrupt her spiral with a gentle return squeeze on the girl’s hands.
“I want you to slow down and take a few breaths for me, okay?” She locked her gaze on Sydney’s, infusing her voice with calm confidence.
“None of that is going to happen. I will not let you be alone, and I and Kathleen will help you with your baby, okay?”
The teen nodded, her nostrils still flaring.
“Breathe, sweetie. One deep breath.” Victoria took in a long breath herself.
Sydney mimicked her.
“Good, one, two, three, and now exhale.” Victoria started exhaling first, and Sydney followed suit. “One, two, three.”
The girl’s death grip on Victoria’s hands loosened as she breathed.
“There. Isn’t that better?”
Sydney nodded, the size of her eyes decreasing to normal as her body relaxed. “This is what I was trying to say.”
Victoria looked at her, uncertain what the girl meant.
“Being around you is the only time I feel calmer. You’re like so chill, it helps me feel better. I feel safe with you. It’s not like that anywhere else.”
Surprise filtered through Victoria, and she glanced at Cillian.
A warm smile rested on his closed lips.
In a way, she shouldn’t be surprised. “That’s not me, Sydney. That’s Jesus. The Bible says those who belong to Christ carry His aroma.”
“Aroma?” Sydney’s eyebrows drew together.
“His scent. You’re sensing His peace and the safety He offers through me. I’m safe because He saved me from something even worse than an intruder. He saved me from eternal condemnation, the punishment I deserve for my sins.”
A knowing quirk of the mouth replaced Sydney’s confused expression. “Kathleen talks like that, too. But you and her haven’t done anything bad.”
“Of course we have. Every human being has sinned, many times over, and we all deserve death, suffering, and separation from God for those sins.”
A sound reached Victoria’s ears. Sirens?
“Sounds like the police are here.” Cillian turned away and marched up the hallway.
Too bad Victoria hadn’t looked at him while she was speaking to see his reaction.
She’d shared the Gospel with him once when they’d been dating.
But very poorly. She’d only been a Christian for one month when he’d first asked her out, which was her excuse for not realizing she shouldn’t have dated an unbeliever.
Her mother, the one who had led Victoria to Christ, had been too ill at the time, or perhaps too eager to see her daughter happy, to warn Victoria.
“So can I stay with you longer?” Sydney seemed glad to ignore the message Victoria had tried to convey, as well.
Victoria held back a sigh. All in God’s timing. “Yes, you can stay.”
Sydney squealed and let go of Victoria’s hands to clap hers together. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
“But I don’t think you should be alone.” And she needed more than company.
She might need specialized help. Perhaps Victoria should ask Robert if he could meet with Sydney.
Panic attacks indicated an extreme level of anxiety.
Especially with a baby on the way and the need to minimize stress, Sydney could benefit from talking to a psychiatrist.
“Aren’t you going to be here?”