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Melanie smiled and nodded. “Sounds good, but only if Zack says so. I don’t want to do something to jeopardize your safety.”
A sly smile slid across Sadie’s mouth. “Of course, it’s fine with Zack.”
She slapped my back and walked in front of me as I drew a deep breath and walked out the door with the love of my life.
Chapter Three
Sadie
Seeing Zack nearly killed me. The hurt in his eyes felt like a million wasps stinging my heart as he followed behind me in his truck to my apartment. My heart pulled when I approached the small building nestled among the trees. I’d had so many good memories here.
It had felt like I was starting over the moment I’d signed my lease, and Zack had been with me every step of the way.
As I pulled into the parking spot in front of my apartment, Zack pulled in next to me. I caught him glancing at me through the window, and I couldn’t help but smile.
Breaking up with him was the hardest thing I ever did, apart from fighting to stay alive. Being kidnapped had been entirely out of my control. But ending things with Zack was completely in my control and decided by me, which made it so difficult.
He walked over and opened the door to my Honda. Our fingers touched as I climbed out of the car, and I instantly felt the pull to him. I shut the door and yanked my hand away.
“This isn’t going to be easy, is it?” I grumbled, marching past him toward the front door of my apartment, painted a bright green to match the trim of the building. This apartment complex was a small eight-unit building and looked like a rustic lodge. I’d been looking forward to decorating for my first Christmas here, but that was before everything changed.
It hadn’t helped that I’d suddenly heard from someone who had left a bad taste in my past. It was just one more reminder telling me it was time for a change, and I didn’t want Zack to get wind of any of it. My life had tipped into the realm of bizarre mortification, and I couldn’t just blame bad luck any longer. I had to start taking accountability.
As I put my key in the lock, Zack approached me and shook his head, taking over the job as he pointed for me to stand to the side.
Even though I wanted to protest, I knew he wasn’t doing it to be a jerk. This was what he did for a living. This was how he’d saved me in the first place.
By being methodical.
Disciplined.
His hand gripped the doorknob, and he turned it slowly as my heart started to race.
Two minutes ago, it hadn’t even occurred to me someone could be waiting inside for me.
Now, reality set in, and dread filled me to the brim. This was going to be my new life until Carmella was arrested again.
And with everything I’d been feeling these last few weeks, my anxiety was just getting started.
I stayed outside as Zack slowly opened the door, scanning the small apartment, now empty and void of anything that made it mine. His movements were stealthy and calculated as he made his way to the corner wall. He motioned for me to come inside and shut the door as he moved through the rest of the apartment.
Watching him move down the hallway toward my bedroom made my heart sink even lower. This man was risking his life for me yet again.
“Sadie,” Zack’s voice boomed down the hallway and smacked me with the urgency I feared. “The apartment’s clear, but I need you to see something.”
My pulse raced as I dashed down the hallway to my bedroom to see Zack standing next to a pile of garbage I certainly hadn’t left on the floor.
His eyes met mine as he knelt and picked up some rope. My throat constricted the moment I saw it. The same type that had been wrapped around my wrists and ankles.
Nausea sloshed deep inside me as I tried to focus on what else was in the pile.
Zack shook his head as he tossed the rope aside and rummaged through a lighter, duct tape, plastic, and some empty plastic cups. He reached for a newspaper and held it up, glancing at the front page, and my heart sank.
“None of this is yours,” he stated flatly.
A chill ran up my spine as I glanced over my shoulder down the hallway. “Someone was here? What is the paper for?”
He let out a deep sigh and turned it around to reveal the front-page news about my rescue.
