When she’d returned to the store that evening, the only parking space she could find was by the small park. The white iron benches and bright green leaves appeared ominous amid the blackness of the night. In the shadows, the trees’ branches resembled grotesque caricatures of arms and fingers as they swayed and moaned. As she fumbled in her bag for her keys, a rustling behind the thick bushes made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.Where the hell are my car keys?She swore under her breath that she’d bought the tote without any compartments as her fingers kept grabbing at everything but her keys.
Rustling. Silence. The wind groaning. More rustling.
Where thefuckare my keys?Someone was behind the bushes. She could feel him.Nolan? Oh God. I hope not.Glancing around, there wasn’t a person in sight.
A crunch on the dirt. A snap of a twig. Rustling.
Hailey normally liked the quiet and darkness of night, but at that moment, it seemed to press on her like an awful weight.Someone is here. I can feel him watching me. I hear him.Heart pounding, she pasted her body to her car as if that would offer her any protection. Balancing the tote on her upraised knee, she clawed and shoved the items aside until her fingers curled around her remote entry. Pushing the button, the car’s headlights were two beacons offering her some comfort.
The rustling grew louder. She pulled at the door, flung herself onto the driver seat, slammed the door, and locked it. Rushing blood to her temples made her head feel like it was about to explode.
A burst of movement frightened her, and she cried out just before she saw the white tip of a tail peeking out from the bushes. Glowing honey-colored eyes stared at her as the fox scurried across the street, disappearing into the darkness in a flash. Nervous giggles erupted from her as she loosened her grip on the steering wheel.It was only a fox. It must be the wind that’s spooking me.Gulping in and releasing a couple of deep breaths, she turned on the ignition and pulled away from the curb. As she made a U-turn, a smudgy outline of a man stepping from the bushes filled her peripheral vision.
After clearing the turn, she stopped her car and looked at the bushes across the street. No one was there.Were my eyes playing tricks on me? I could’ve sworn I saw someone coming out of the bushes.Icy chills spread through her as she slowly drove away. Someonewasthere; her gut told her as much.But who? Nolan? The guy was shorter than Nolan. Why was he there watching me? He was probably a perv.The thought of a stranger staring at her from behind the greenery made her stomach twist.
When she reached the house, the wind had picked up substantially, howling around the darkened neighborhood. Shadows she never noticed before at night loomed everywhere, taunting, teasing, and scaring the hell out of her. Even the Victorian, which she loved, appeared gloomy and foreboding that night.
Taking out her phone, she dialed Goldie’s number.
“Hey.” He sounded surprised it was her; detachment laced his voice.
She didn’t care. “I’m like super spooked right now.”
Immediately his tone changed to concern. “What’s going on?”
“I don’t know. Nothing, probably, but I’m in my car in front of my house, and I’m petrified to get out and walk to the front door. I wish my aunt would’ve added a garage.”
“Okay. Is it the wind that’s freaking you out?”
“Maybe. But that man watching me from the bushes started all of this.”
“Whoa. What man? What bushes? I’m on my way. Keep talking.”
“I was super busy at the floral shop and ended up staying later than I normally would. When I was trying to find my car keys, I heard a lot of noise and stuff from the park. I had a real strong sense someone was watching me. It creeped me out. As I was getting ready to leave, this fox ran out from the bushes, and I thought that was the end of it. I hung a U and then I saw a man standing by the bushes as I passed the park. It totally freaked me out. When I turned to get a better look, he wasn’t there, but I know I didn’t imagine it.”
“Did it look like your ex-asshole?”
“No. Nolan is really tall, like over six feet. This guy looked about five nine or so.” The rumble of his motorcycle broke through the groaning wind and washed over her, bringing comfort. She jumped from the car and rushed over to Goldie, throwing herself into his waiting arms.
He rubbed her back and held her close. “Fuck. You’re shaking like a leaf. Did you get a good luck at the fucker?” She shook her head and buried it into his chest. “Let’s go inside. I felt a couple of drops on me.” He led her up the stairs and she opened the door.
Sitting on the couch, she watched him as he walked around the main floor, tugging at the windows. “What’re you doing?”
“Making sure everything’s locked up.” When he pulled at the side window in the dining room, she gasped as it flew open. He turned around. “You left this one unlocked.”
“I didn’t. I always check before I leave. I kind of got in that habit when I lived alone in Albuquerque. I could swear the window was locked this morning.” Her mind reeled backward to that morning. She’d been in a big rush since she’d overslept and had to meet a bride-to-be and her mother.Did I check the windows this morning?She couldn’t remember. Stretching out her legs on the couch, she said, “Maybe I forgot to do it this morning. I was in a hurry. But even so, I never open that window, and I know it’s been locked every time I check it.”
“Do you know how easy it is to break into this old house? I could get in here in less than a minute. I’ll send Army, Skull, and Chains over in the morning to help me change all the locks on the windows and doors. You really need an alarm, but I know that’s your aunt’s call. Talk to her about it. In the meantime, we’ll make it hard to break in here. I bet the windows in the basement are for shit. I’ll run down and check.”
“Don’t go down there,” she said, goose bumps carpeting her skin.
He jerked his head back. “Why not?”
She pulled at a loose thread on the couch. “I don’t know. I guess I watch too many horror movies, but whenever someone goes in the basement on a windy, dark night, something always happens.”
He came over to her and leaned down, tipping her head back with his finger. “You’re too damn cute. Nothing’s gonna happen to me. If the bogeyman’s down there, he better be scared of me.” He brushed his lips across hers. “I’ll be right back.”
She watched him go, nervousness and fear crackling around her. After what seemed like a very long time, Goldie came back into the living room. “All secure in the basement and here. I’ll check upstairs.” He rushed up, then came back about ten minutes later. “Seems like the only one unlocked was the window in the dining room. You feeling better?” He went over to the window and glanced out.
