AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Spencer stepped into the room. “Mustang Valley Police. Drop the knife and put your hands up.”
In a blur of movement, the intruder grabbed Katrina’s wrist and dragged her up from the sofa. Shifting his hold so that one arm was around her neck, he pressed the tip of the blade to a point just below her chin.
“Call off the dog, or I’ll cut her throat.”
Spencer was faced with a stark choice. He couldn’t guarantee any shot he took would incapacitate the intruder before he could harm Katrina. Nor could he be sure Boris would be able to take down the attacker in time to prevent that knife slicing into Katrina’s tender flesh.
Reluctantly, he gave Boris the signal to come to heel. “Let her go.”
“Okay.”
Shoving Katrina full force at Spencer, the guy took off toward the kitchen. Reaching out to steady Katrina, Spencer was momentarily unbalanced. Although he managed to call out to Boris to give chase, he took a few moments before he followed his partner.
First, he steadied Katrina, holding her by her upper arms. “Are you all right?”
She nodded. “Just shaken.”
“I need to—” He jerked a thumb in the direction of the kitchen.
“Go.” She sucked in a shaky breath. “Catch him.”
When he reached the kitchen, the door was open and there was no sign of the intruder or Boris. When he dashed into the yard, he caught a glimpse of Boris’s reflective harness and headed in that direction. By the time he caught up with his trusty companion, Boris was si
tting next to the fence with his head tilted back. As Spencer approached, the dog gave a soft whine as though expressing canine disappointment.
“I know. But it’s not your fault he got away. And we will catch him.” Spencer patted the faithful dog on his broad head. “That’s a promise.”
* * *
Although Katrina was shaken, by the time Spencer returned to the house, her fear had been overtaken by anger. The hurt she felt was like an inferno rising up inside her, trying to burst through her outer shell and scorch everything around her.
Having answered Suzie’s worried text and reassured her that the emergency message was a mistake, she walked through to the kitchen and waited by the door. As soon as Spencer stepped inside, she was ready for him. Not caring what had happened in the yard, whether he had caught up with the bad guy or not, she turned on him. Unable to disguise the quiver in her voice, she faced him full-on.
“I suppose I imagined that? Made it up so I could look like a victim and get your attention? Like I did with Christie Foster and the speeding car and the other break-in...” Her breathing got the better of her voice and she paused for breath.
He gave her a wary look. “Katrina—”
She threw up a hand. “Don’t even try to explain. I’ve already heard all about it from the guy who just pulled a knife on me. How you’re here not because you want to look after me. No, you just need to make sure I’m not going to make up any more stories about being threatened. Isn’t that right?”
“That’s not how it is.” For some reason, his calm tone fanned the flames of her rage.
“No? Then tell me he was wrong. Tell me you didn’t think I was a fantasist who wanted you to believe I was a victim.” When he didn’t speak, she dashed a hand across her eyes. “Oh, it doesn’t matter. Don’t tell me anything. Just leave.”
“No.”
For the first time in her life, Katrina experienced full-on, wanting-to-throw-something fury. “What do you mean no? This is my house.”
“And some guy just broke in here with a knife. You can be as angry with me as you want...and we’ll talk about that some more when you’re feeling calm. But I’m not going anywhere.”
As if to illustrate his point, he leaned against the door frame with his arms folded across his chest. Even through her anger, Katrina could see the wisdom of what he was saying. She was in danger. If that hadn’t been obvious before, it was now. A cop and his canine partner were about the best protection she could get. Even if the cop in question was the last man in the world she wanted under her roof.
Could she tolerate Spencer’s presence until this was over? There was only one way to find out.
Huffing out a breath, she strode past him. “We will not be talking about this anymore. The subject is closed. Just do your job and catch whoever is doing this.”
When she reached her room, she alleviated some of her frustration by slamming the door behind her. Leaning against it, she reviewed what had just happened with a sensation of disbelief. Not only had a stranger broken into her home and threatened her with a knife, but he had also told her he was going to do it in a way that made it look like she could have inflicted the injuries on herself.
Because that’s how people are seeing me now.
