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A week after the wedding, she was relaxing in the claw-foot tub that took up most of the small bathroom, reading the latest Jennifer Youngblood romantic suspense novel, when the power went out.
She froze. The warm water suddenly had a distinct chill to it. Blinking in the dark, she set her Kindle down on the nearby counter, grabbed her phone, and turned on her flashlight. She climbed out of the tub and locked the bathroom door, then hurried to slide into underwear, a T-shirt, and some sweats. The light on her phone danced eerily off the shadows. She clutched it while she dressed, refusing to set it down.
A noise outside her window made her freeze yet again. Was it just the neighbor’s dog sneaking under the fence?
Her fingers trembled as she pushed on the recent calls and her dad’s number.
“Hey, sweetie,” he greeted her. “Everything okay?”
“My power just went off.”
“Okay.” His voice sounded only mildly concerned. She hadn’t told her parents about Ramone’s weird threats. They’d been so proud of her for going to the wedding, and she’d tried to act like it was all wonderful and focused on how beautiful everything was, Sophie’s engagement, and her new American ‘friends.’ She hadn’t wanted to worry them.
“Are your neighbors’ lights out?” her dad asked.
She hurried to her bedroom window and pulled up the blind. The neighbor’s house was lit up. She put the phone on speaker so she could use the flashlight. “Just a second.” Rushing through her bedroom and out into the main living area, she peered across the street and in the other direction. “No. They’re all lit up.”
“I don’t like that. Your doors are all dead bolted?”
“Yes.”
“Stay put and I’ll be right there.”
“Okay.” She hung up and paced the living room. Her light bobbed around the room as she walked, setting her even more on edge.
Her parents only lived ten minutes away. She’d be fine. It was probably a breaker situation or something.
She shouldn’t call Jensen. She definitely shouldn’t call Jensen.
But he had given her his cell phone number in case of emergencies.
He also hadn’t contacted her since the wedding.
A loud rap on the door startled her. She stifled a scream and eased toward it. Without power, her security wouldn’t be armed and the camera her dad had set up wouldn’t work either. She felt exposed, vulnerable, and terrified.
Peeking out the peephole, she couldn’t see anyone. The porch was dark, but with the neighbor’s lights she should be able to see a shadow blocking her view or whoever knocked walking away.
She stared for a few seconds. How could somebody have knocked and disappeared that quickly?
A couple strolled into view on the sidewalk. The Cortezes. They lived just down the street, a nice middle-aged couple with a bunch of teenagers. They were constantly feeding and entertaining a crowd of young people. They were enjoying a crisp late-evening walk, probably escaping another loud party at their house.
Yanking open the door, the chilly air stung her cheeks, fingers, and bare toes. “Hi!” She called out and waved to them. “Have you seen anyone else out and about?” Her voice pitched up with fear.
“No,” Mr. Cortez called back. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. Why do you ask?” She clutched at her neck.
“You just seem stressed and … no lights on besides your phone’s flashlight.”
“My power’s out,” she admitted.
The couple crossed the street and came up her walk. She didn’t even know their first names, but they were just the type of people who would check on a neighbor. Thank heavens for good people.
“My dad’s on his way to figure it out,” she explained. “Probably a breaker?—”
Her lights turned back on. The alarm screeched through the night air, but Mrs. Cortez’s scream was louder.
Livvy dodged inside and quickly typed in the code next to the door, silencing the alarm.
