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Her purse was tucked neatly on the desk in the corner. Grabbing it, she dumped it on the bed, pawing through it until she found her cell phone. A second later, she threw it back on the bed.
The screen was black. Her cell was dead. Not that it mattered. She’d forgotten that there wasn’t any service, or a phone number that she could call. It had been another instinctual reaction to go right for her phone, but it was worthless in Hamlet. She needed one of those radios—
Maria had a radio.
She didn’t bother with the intercom. Pausing only to jam her tender feet into her slippers, Tess hurried down the hall that led to her hostess’s room. It didn’t matter if Maria was home. After watching her habits these last few days, Tess knew that Maria usually left her radio in her bedroom.
She could use it. She would use it.
Maria’s door was still closed. She remembered herself, then remembered the story of Mack Turner and his attack on Maria in time to keep from barging into the room. Panting slightly, still out of breath, she pounded the flats of her hands against the wood.
“Maria?” The words came out strangled, her voice strained. She swallowed roughly and tried again. Bam! Bam! Bam! “Maria? Please, are you here?”
No answer.
She tried the handle anyway. It didn’t turn at all.
Locked.
What was she going to do now?
“Tessa? Why are you trying to break into my room?”
Maria!
Tess whirled on her. Wide-eyed and flushed, she blurted out, “You have to help me! Please, I need to use your radio!”
Maria hurried forward. She recognized the panic in the other woman’s voice, the fright that kept her pupils wide, her eyes staring. She’d felt like that herself not too long ago.
Something was wrong.
Though her first instinct was to grab her bat, Maria forced herself to put her hands on her knees and bend enough that she was eye to eye with Tess. “Shh, sweetie, I’m here now. I'll help.”
“It’s Mason. He—” Part of Tess thought she was overreacting. Maybe she was. But if something happened— “It’s the sheriff… he went to go talk to her.”
Maria straightened, bemused. That’s what had Tess so worked up? “Caity’s his boss. I’m sure it’ll be fine. He reports to her all the time.”
Tess shook her head. “Not like this. You didn’t— okay. Okay. This is what happened—“
In between shallow breaths, Tess struggled to explain how Mason came to take her out only to lose it when she told him how Sheriff De Angelis refused to treat her as a victim instead of the villain.
And then, that last look he shot her… the determination, the drive. He got it in his head that he would be her white knight, riding in to save the day. She could live with that, she could deal, except she couldn’t deny the desperation in his kiss.
That’s what scared her. Because Mason was suddenly desperate. And Tess knew better than most that desperation and impulsiveness could be a very dangerous combination.
“He kissed me,” she bit out. Maria saw a lick of color creep into Tessa’s pale cheeks. “I didn’t ask him to. I didn’t want him to. But he did and then he left and I’m so very scared because he was talking crazy, Maria. I don’t know what he’s going to do.”
She just knew it wouldn’t be good.
Tess didn’t say that last part out loud. From the furrow in Maria’s brow to the way she released Tess to stroke the silver chain at her throat, she knew she didn’t have to.
Maria finally understood.
She nodded. “Mase is going to see Caity? Let’s give her fair warning, yes?”
Or maybe she didn’t understand.
Tess threw her hand behind her, slapping the closed bedroom door. “I’m trying to!”
