Chasing Danger (5 page)

One of the top fifty songs from the current Billboard charts was pumping through the outside lanai speakers where Hannah stood next to one of the tiki bars. The mammoth backyard and pool area of the Sandors’ house was packed with hospital staff, dancing, talking, and having a good time. In an exclusive, gated neighborhood, the place wasn’t on the water, but they had an Olympic-sized pool and a tennis court—where another bar was set up along with another dance floor, in addition to the one near the pool. Where a game of increasingly inappropriate water volleyball was taking place. It was as if everyone forgot how to act like civilized humans when they got to this party.

“Here.” Her friend Alexis shoved a shot glass into her hand.

Hannah took it and saw that the other four people with her, including Shaun, had one. “What is it?”

“Sex on the beach, baby!” Alexis shouted over the music before downing it.

Even though she had a growing headache and she was still pissed that Dax hadn’t called, she took the shot, then the next one that Shaun gave her. Two was her limit for now, but the burn felt good going down her throat. She wasn’t going to do that stupid thing and get wasted because a guy hadn’t called her, but she was seriously thinking about getting a buzz tonight. Unlike in college when she bounced back from a hangover in no time, now it took her an entire day to recover. No, thank you.

But she didn’t have work tomorrow and she’d gotten a ride with Shaun. And . . . a light buzz sounded pretty freaking good right about now. Because it did suck that Dax hadn’t called. She’d called and texted him a couple of times after work, and when she had no word by eight thirty, she’d left her cell in Shaun’s car. Because she refused to obsessively check her phone all night. At this point she didn’t know how she felt about Dax anymore. She just wanted to enjoy the night and figure things out about him later. If he even called. Ugh.

“I’m going to dance,” Shaun said to Alexis.

Hannah was half listening to their conversation as she scanned the crowd. The shots she’d just taken turned in her stomach. There were so many people here tonight, and with half of them wearing masks of some sort, it was starting to freak her out. The reminder of her near attack last night was pressing in on her chest, making it difficult to pull in a full breath.

Her heart beat an erratic rhythm as she dragged in a breath laced with alcohol, perfume, and chlorine. Oh yeah, she needed some distance. Fast. She looked over at her friends and hoped she didn’t look as pale as she felt. She pointed over her shoulder to the open doors leading inside. “Bathroom, but I’ll meet you guys later. Do you know where you’ll be?”

She was met with answers of “dancing” and “pool” before Shaun told her to use one of the bathrooms upstairs because it would likely be empty. Grateful for the tip, she threaded her way through the crowd inside and finally found a set of stairs near the front of the house.

Though she could hear everything from the foyer as she started up the wraparound staircase, the noise from the music and voices was much lower in this part of the house. A shiver snaked down her spine as she moved quickly up the stairs. In her ripped wedding dress, which she’d found at a thrift store then got creative with, she made a lot of noise as she moved, the rustling of the tulle and thick lining swishing against her and dragging against the floor.

Following the instructions Shaun had given, she turned left onto the first hallway, then stopped at the second door on the left. The door was open, so she flipped the lights on and breathed out a ragged sigh of relief as she shut the door and sagged against it. A string of eight bright bulbs came on above the double sinks, showing her exactly how pale she was. She’d opted not to bother with costume makeup, and looking at herself now, she could see she didn’t need it.

There was another door in the bathroom partially cracked open, showing just darkness beyond. She opened the door a few inches and realized it was a lavishly decorated guest bedroom. Closing it, she shook her head at herself, then splashed cold water on her face. The icy slap of sensation was much needed.

She hated to bail on her friends, but she needed to get out of there. She’d thought she’d be fine coming tonight, but the costumes and masks were too much on such a large scale. The fear from what had happened last night still lingered inside her, growing each second that ticked by. It was the same fear she’d been feeling since a year ago, and deep down she knew it was time she did something about it.

The thought of seeing a therapist made her want to roll her eyes, but this thing wasn’t going away on its own. So unless she wanted to keep trying to deal with all these emotions by herself and get the same empty results, it was time to do something about it. At the sudden decision, the tension in her chest eased. Feeling better than she had in months, she opened the door and flipped off the lights.

Her white ballet slipper–type shoes were silent against the hardwood. After last night she couldn’t help but glance down the perfectly lit hallway.
No one is there,
she mentally berated herself. Turning back around, she sucked in a breath to see a man standing at the other end of the hallway wearing a Jason-style hockey mask. He was about fifteen feet away.

“Nice costume,” she said, glad her voice didn’t shake. It was definitely time to leave when she was jumping at everything. She was only a couple of doors down from him, but because of the lighting she couldn’t see his eyes or the left half of his body.

So she nearly jumped out of her skin when he took a step forward and she saw the long blade in his hand. Way too realistic for her.

Hannah took a step forward, automatically moving to the right so she could avoid the man. He moved with her, his body swaying in her direction. The action was subtle, but enough to make all the hair on her arms stand on end.

Her gaze snapped to his, as if she could see through the thick mask somehow. Something about him was too still, too focused on her.

Not bothering to question her instinct, she pivoted and dove back through the bathroom door. Slamming it shut, she immediately locked it, then let out a short-lived scream when he slammed his palm against the solid door.

The other door.

Rushing to it, she clicked that lock into place.

Oh God, what the hell was she going to do? The one time she didn’t have her freaking phone with her
this
happens? What the hell was happening anyway? First she was nearly attacked at her home and now some lunatic with a Jason mask and knife was coming after her?

She scanned the marble-topped counter. Just towels and hand soaps next to both sinks. There was a window, but it was too small and high.

Think, think.

A rattle from the second door sent a surge of pure adrenaline shooting through her. If he was there, she could escape through the door to the hallway. The knob rattled again, followed up by a slam of someone’s palm and an angry curse.

Acting on instinct and praying this was the right move, as quietly as she could she slid the other door open. Blood rushed in her ears so loudly she couldn’t hear anything above it. Risking a quick glance in the other direction to see if it was clear, she raced out into the hall.

There was no way to stay quiet as she ran, her dress swishing loudly. Her instinct was to scream, but no one would hear her up here. Not with the music and insulation. And she needed to remain quiet until— Damn it! Footsteps pounded behind her as she skidded into the open area by the stairs.

She raced for them, her entire body numb as she reached the top. She wasn’t risking looking over her shoulder and slowing down.

Flying down the stairs, she was grateful she hadn’t worn heels as she nearly slid across the wood floor at the bottom. As she turned, racing down another hallway that led straight to the party, she saw the masked man out of the corner of her eye storming down the stairs.

On a burst of speed and panic, she tore down the hallway, barely aware of the fact that she’d entered one of the living rooms until she slammed into a solid male figure.

“Hannah.” Two strong hands gripped her shoulders.

Shaun’s concerned voice sliced through the gauzy haze of her panic. Blinking, she looked up into his concerned eyes. “You okay?” he demanded.

She could feel her pulse in her throat, beating wildly as she nodded. She glanced over her shoulder to the room’s entrance. Two female nurses she recognized stood there talking and drinking flutes of champagne. She swung her gaze around the room at the throng of people.

No one wore a creepy Jason mask. It was like the guy had disappeared.

Panic surged through her, a tremble working its way through her entire body. She started to tell Shaun what she’d seen, but the words died on her tongue. She dealt with the local PD enough that if she called the police and told them a masked man carrying a knife had chased her down at a costume party—which she’d been drinking at—her statement would be written off. No one would take her seriously, and then she’d be talked about at work. She’d just taken the position as chief nursing officer, and even though she hated to think about work politics, she had to. No . . . she couldn’t tell Shaun or anyone else. She needed to get the hell out of here, though.

Slowly, her heart rate started returning to normal as she turned to find Shaun staring at her with serious concern. “I’m fine, I swear. I just . . . Can you take me to your car? I need to get my purse.” Because she was calling a cab and leaving. Whatever had just happened had to be connected to what had happened outside her house. She didn’t believe in coincidence and she needed help.

“Sure, come on.” He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and started for the hallway she’d just come from.

Hannah stopped in her tracks. “No, let’s go out the back and around the side exit. I want to see the rest of the property.” A lie, but there was no way she was going back the way she’d just come.

For a brief moment she debated calling the police again, but her gut told her not to. She’d seen a man wearing a mask and carrying a blade.
At a costume party.
And she’d been drinking. Oh yeah, she knew exactly how she’d sound. Like a paranoid drunk. Even though she knew the guy had chased after her and tried to get into the bathroom, she’d seen stuff like this spiral out of control before. No, she’d just make a report to the same officer she’d talked to the other night instead of calling some random patrolmen out here for everyone to gawk at her and talk about her.

Glancing over her shoulder again, she couldn’t stop another shiver from skittering over her skin. Even if Dax hadn’t called her tonight, she was asking him for help because she knew she couldn’t handle this situation on her own.

* * *

Dax rubbed a hand over the back of his neck as he got out of his truck. Tension pulsed through him, the beginnings of a headache making the back of his skull throb. He’d tried calling Hannah back but she hadn’t answered.

She likely thought he was the biggest asshole on the planet. As soon as he found her he was going to lay everything out there and hopefully convince her he wasn’t a dick.

He’d parked near the entrance of the long, winding driveway of the address Hannah had given him. In the distance he could see flashing lights and hear faint music thumping.

Wearing a plain green T-shirt and camo fatigues, he figured this would have to work for his costume. He’d come straight from the training warehouse, and this was the only clean thing he’d had in his locker.

As he strode down the driveway, he paused as a couple appeared from behind a cluster of vehicles, walking straight toward him. The man was tall and wearing a skeleton mask of some kind and the woman . . . “Hannah,” he said, increasing his stride, his heart rate kicking up.

Her head snapped up, the long blue-and-purple wig moving against the ripped wedding dress she had on. She slid out of the man’s embrace and hurried to him. “Dax.” God, just the sound of his name on her lips made all his muscles tighten. But the fear in her brown eyes sliced through every defense he had.

It wasn’t fear of him—of that he was certain. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she quickly said. Too quickly.

The man moving up behind her took off his skeleton mask. It was the same blond from the night before. He nodded politely at Dax, his expression speculative. “I’m Shaun.”

“Dax.” He looked back at Hannah. Her mouth was still pinched, and yeah, that was fucking fear in her gaze. The sight of it pierced him. “What’s going on?”

Her lips tightened again and she gave him an almost imperceptible shake of her head. “Shaun just walked me out to get my purse. I left it in his car. He was going to wait with me until a taxi showed up. I was just about to call one.” She held up her phone and purse.

“I’ll give you a ride.”

Relief bled into her gaze. “Okay, thank you.”

The fact that she was ready to leave with him, that she wasn’t pissed at him for not getting here earlier or calling her, told him something bad had happened. Something she didn’t seem to want her friend to know.

Sliding up to Hannah, Dax slid an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close as she slid her phone back into her purse. The move was proprietary and he didn’t care. It didn’t matter that this man clearly had no romantic interest in her; the most primal part of Dax wanted to stake a claim. This woman was his.

Now Shaun’s expression lightened with humor, as if he knew exactly what Dax was doing. His gaze flicked to Hannah’s. “Text me when you get home so I know you’re safe.”

“I will. And you too. Call a taxi if you drink too much.”

Chuckling, he nodded. “I will.”

Hannah was quiet but kept her arm tightly around Dax as they headed back to his truck. The tension in her body was palpable, her breathing short and almost erratic as she nervously glanced around the long driveway.

Dax was armed and the place was well lit, so he wasn’t worried about an attack, but he didn’t like this at all. At his truck, he opened the passenger door for her and waited until she was in before heading to the driver’s side. Once he was in he locked the door but didn’t start the engine. Before he’d turned fully to her, Hannah started talking.