Page 67 of Don't Trust Her

It’s only my overactive imagination. Still, I grip the railing so tightly my knuckles turn white. I take slow steps, pausing to listen for anything out of the ordinary.

Creak!

That wasn’t me. And the house is too new to be settling. It never has before, and it shouldn’t be now. Which can only mean one thing.

Someone else is in the house. That should be impossible, but nothing else explains the noise.

Unless one of the kids woke up. Maybe they’re thirsty or have to use the bathroom. That has to be it.

I hope.

All of my senses are on high alert as I make my way back to their bedrooms. Owen is still sleeping. So is Sophie.

That means somebody is in the house with us. I quickly check their closets and anywhere else a person could hide before closing the doors. Not that it will keep an intruder out, but it’s a small barrier. It gives me a little peace of mind.

I check Dakota’s and Nadia’s rooms again, still not finding anyone. Nobody is in the main bathroom or the master bedroom.

Whoever’s here must be downstairs. I look around for anything I could use for self-defense. As a rule, we don’t keep any actual weapons in the house. Not with four kids. The likelihood of one of the kids hurting themselves is higher than a burglar breaking in.

Now the odds have worked against us.

I grab a bat from Nadia’s room. Thank goodness she went through a softball phase. It might just save my life and that of the littles. I hold it close as I make my way down the stairs.

Crunch.

That sounded like it came from the back of the house. Near the kitchen or family room.

I’m ready to swing the bat at anyone I come across. No intruder stands a chance against me trying to protect my family. Unless of course they have a knife or a gun. But even then, I’ll stop at nothing to keep my kids safe.

Creak.

That’s from the same direction as before.

Someone is definitely over there.

If only I could call the police for help, but I don’t dare. Not until I know someone is actually inside. The last thing I need is to give them another reason for thinking I’m crazy.

That said, I can’t believe I’m about to face off with someone inside my own home. This stuff only happens on TV and in high crime areas. Not here. The worst crime I heard about was some teens jaywalking over the summer.

Crunch!

That was close. I freeze in place and mentally prepare myself for a fight. If I have to break a person’s arms and legs, that’s what I’ll do. I don’t want to think about having to do worse, but I’ll do that if needed, too.

Whatever it takes to keep my family safe and together.

Grasping the bat so hard my fingers ache, I step into the kitchen.

ChapterForty-One

The scream pierces my eardrums, momentarily stopping me from swinging the bat like a wild woman.

“Mom! What are you doing?”

It takes me a second to register my daughter standing in front of me.

Nadia looks at me like I’ve lost my mind. Can’t say that I blame her. “What are you doing with my bat?”

I struggle to find my voice, to stand upright. “I heard an intruder.”

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