Hidden Barriers (40 page)

“I guess you really are meant for me,” I say with a soft smile as Josh raises an eyebrow at me. I giggle just as I begin to lean down closer to his face because he has no idea he even does the
little
things. “What I said on the dock that day at the lake…you figured it out, and you have no idea you even did it with the s’more.”

Josh glances down at the s’more in his hand, his forehead wrinkling as he tries to put it all together. “Candy is the way to your heart.” His face creeps up to mine in a genuine smile. “Well, does that mean your answer is yes?”

I sit there, thinking for the briefest of moments, looking for any sign that he isn’t the right man to spend my life with. And, amidst all the troubles we’ve gone through, there isn’t an ounce of doubt or hesitation in my answer. “No, it’s not a
yes.
” I pause to see the look of dread on Josh’s face before continuing, “It’s a hell freakin’ yes!”

“Yes?” Josh questions while he stands. I nod in agreement. Josh pulls the ring from the marshmallow before sliding it onto my finger. I glance down at the simple, yet elegant diamond ring adorning my finger just as Josh’s loud voice breaks my admiring eyes. “She said ‘yes’!” he shouts before everyone storms the backyard, my family included. All of them had been watching the event from inside the house. Everyone rushes over around us, hugging and grabbing my hand to see the ring he kept secret from everyone.

Champagne is popped while the excitement of our engagement ensues. Surprisingly, the conversation between Grace and my mother about wedding planning doesn’t freak me out. I honestly thought it would, but having everyone around me with such loving personalities allows me to believe in my heart this is the correct path. Everyone here is my
family
, and I wouldn’t have them any other way.

Breaking from my hazy thoughts, as the champagne must already be affecting me a little, I turn to face Josh who continues to wrap his arm around my waist, keeping me close. “Did you tell any of the derby girls about this?” I question before taking another sip from my fluted glass. Josh proceeds to shake his head as he holds his glass at his side. “No, I knew I couldn’t trust Lucy with that info, and Rose and Kim left town for the road trip. I didn’t want to tell one and not all of them. Cara and Nick are the only other people who knew outside of Jeremy.”

“Josh! We have to go back to the house and get Lucy to come celebrate with us here. She’s like family, and I can’t have her not be a part of this,” I whine, hoping to get him to drive me home so Lucy and I can come back after I tell her the news.

“Fine, let me grab the keys to the Chevy, and I’ll drop you off and come back here quickly. We’ll hold off any further celebration until you girls get back,” Josh says as he unwraps his arms from my waist and begins walking to his parents to explain where we are heading.

Sitting in the car, Josh continues holding my hand while twisting my slightly sticky ring around my finger. I still can’t believe we’re engaged. I don’t know when that knowledge will finally sink in and hit me, but I know when it does, it’s going to be amazing.

As Josh pulls into the driveway, we see Lucy’s bedroom light on and her car parked in the driveway. I go to open the door to the car before getting out, but quickly turn back to Josh, who’s ready to go inside with me. “I’ll be quick. You should head back with everyone. Lucy and I will be five minutes behind you, tops.” I try to convince him that there is nothing to worry about. The look he gives me tells me he’s unsure about letting me go in alone and instead wants to check the house like he always does. “Look, if Lucy is up there, nothing is wrong. Stop worrying so much. I’ll be fine.” I lean in and kiss him on the lips before opening the door.

“I’m still coming in to see for myself,” Josh insists as he follows behind me up the walk to the front door. Once I unlock the front door, I begin to make my way up the stairs to the second floor, jingling my keys in my hand as I approach Lucy’s bedroom door. Josh continues past me, walking into my bedroom.

I knock on Lucy’s door, but don’t get any response. I knock again. “Luce, are you in there?” I ask loudly this time. Still no response.

Josh reappears beside me, as I am about to enter into the room. “It looks all clear to me,” he says.

“Am I safe to stay here now?” My tone is slightly sarcastic.

“If I don’t hear from you in ten minutes, I’m coming right back.”

“Yes, sir.” I stand at attention, giving him a salute.

“All right, be quick. I love you.”

“Love you too, Josh,” I say as I hear him walking down the stairs and out the front door.

With my hand on the doorknob, I turn the handle and push open the door. Only the nightstand light filters through the area. I walk in and slowly look around. A chill makes its way up my spine. As I stand in the middle of her room, something feels off, and that’s when the door slams behind me. My head turns, and I see Lucy standing before me. Her mouth is duct taped, and her arms are bound with rope, but it’s
his
eyes that focus on me before he pushes Lucy to the floor, knocking her head against the wall and making her seemingly unconscious.

“Hello, Sam.” My eyes shoot from Lucy’s lifeless body on the floor to narrow in on Stone. “It’s been a long time, babe. I bet you thought I’d never come for you,” he growls as he stalks toward me. I have two options. Either I fight like I’ve never fought before, or I flee to the only door and hope to hell he isn’t faster than me this time.

Something doesn’t sit right in my stomach as I leave Sam at the house. Even after I checked her room and closet, I had an eerie feeling overwhelm me, but I left regardless.

A smile creeps across my face as I’m heading back to my parents’ house, thinking about Sam’s shocked face as I proposed to her. Everything was timed right, and if ever there was a time to get it right, it was that moment.

My cell phone ringing from my passenger seat has me reaching across to grab it, since it’s probably Sam leaving now. Keeping my eyes on the road, I instinctively slide my finger across the screen without looking at the caller ID. I bring it up to my ear as I continue to make the drive back to my parents. “Hey, Sam. Miss me already?” I chuckle, knowing I’m the one who told her to call me or I’d turn straight around.

“Josh, it’s Nick.” I hear though the phone.

“Dude! Hey, she said ‘yes,’ man. Can you believe it?!” I say, turning the wheel onto another street.

“That’s great, Josh. Congrats. But, hey, is Sam with you right now?” Nick asks as I hear the cruiser radio in the background, letting me know he’s working.

“No, I just dropped her off with Lucy at the derby house. They are supposed to be coming back to my parents’ house. Why do you ask?” My forehead starts to sweat as I think of all the possible reasons for Nick to be calling me about Sam.

I hear him sigh through the phone before calling something in over the police radio. “Josh, man, their security company just called. Something
malfunctioned
on the alarm system, which is odd, because we just had it checked a few weeks ago.”

“I’m heading back now. Nick, if you’re working the area, get over there right now. I don’t even care what the sergeants say. I’ll handle any backlash from this afterward. I gotta go.” I hit the
End
button and then immediately call Sam’s cell phone.

I hear the dial tone through the earpiece.
C’mon, Sam. Pick up the fuckin’ phone.

Hi, you’ve reached Samantha Daley. I can’t come…

“Mother fucker!”

I speed dial Sam’s number again, only to get the same result. I immediately call Lucy’s phone. Once I hear her voicemail pick up, I throw my phone onto the passenger seat in a fit of rage. I punch the Chevy into gear and gun her through the streets as fast as she can turn.

What the hell did I miss when I searched the house before? I hit the steering wheel with my closed fist as a million scenarios run through my mind. I can only hope Sam and Lucy are perfectly fine, except I have an unsettling feeling running through me that I need to expect the worse.

The unfortunate part of this whole thing is if Stone does make his move tonight, my work issued gun is in my storage locker I have at my house. In one last-ditch effort, I reach for my phone next to me as I keep my eyes on the road. When I feel it between my fingers, I quickly unlock the screen and tap Sam’s name on my screen, hoping upon hope that she picks up.

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

Hi, you’ve reached Samantha Daley. I can’t come…

“Fuck!”

Tears pool in my eyes as I screech my way around the final corner to her house. I reach the front of the house after making a typical thirty-minute drive in twenty minutes and park the car on the street away from view. Popping open the glove box, I reach around for the pocketknife I know I’ve kept in there all these years. Sure as hell, my unsteady hands finally touch it, and I pull it out quickly.

When I see Lucy’s car sill parked in the driveway, I know things aren’t right. I slowly open my car door to avoid the loud, old, squeaky sounds in which it normally alerts the world. I stuff the knife into my pocket as I approach the door. I turn the handle, assuming to find it locked from when I left, but it opens right up.

Steadily and cautiously, I step through the front foyer and into the pitch black of the living area. I can’t see a soul move in front of me, even if I wanted to, it’s so dark. My heart starts beating at a rapid pace at the thought of where Sam could possibly be at the moment and if Stone does in fact have her, like I assume he does. I listen for any sign of a struggle or something,
anything
, to let me know Sam is okay, but silence is all that filters through the stale air in the house. My feet finally find the stairway down the hall, and a sound startles me from behind.

A light flickers on in the living room as I turn to see him standing over the lamp. “Tsk…tsk…tsk. I thought you were supposed to be a smart cop. You’re not so good at searching out houses, that’s for sure. Otherwise, you would have searched all the rooms in the house. It’s too bad you fuckers haven’t been able to track me down before today, too. I really did enjoy watching those girls screaming just moments before you pulled up.” Stone sneers with a cold- hearted smile curving at his lips.

“You son of a bitch! What did you do to them?” I demand. “Sam! Sam!” I shout, hoping there’s a chance she’ll respond. When I hear nothing, I begin slowly dancing around the living room, avoiding getting any closer to Stone. With only the knife in my pocket, I have to bide my time until Nick shows up with backup.

“They won’t be able to answer you.” Stone laughs deeply. “Your precious little
Sam
is patiently waiting for me to come back to her upstairs.” He reaches down to lift a carving knife from the table next to him. Even from here, I can tell there is blood on it. I growl as I imagine what he has already done to Sam.

“What did you do to her?” I ask with a steady voice, even though my body wants to bolt for the stairs. I need to get to Sam soon, and I know I have to come up with a plan.

Stone paces slowly in front of me, yet still far enough away that I can observe his movements. He is tapping the bloody knife against his cheek as his heavy boots thump against the hardwood floors with each step. Then, he pauses and turns to stare at me before tilting his head in bewilderment. “You know how much fun it was watching you two together these past few months and then fucking that other chick?”

“Her name is Lucy.” I walk further toward the stairs, one step at a time. Stone presses forward a few inches, nearing me.

“Well, whatever her name is, she had no trouble letting me know all about her roommates. You really should have seen her face when she opened the front door to find me standing there. And, shit, if it wasn’t just the easiest thing to fuck with that alarm system tonight. It led you right to me, like a moth to a mother fuckin’ flame. Only thing is, you are going to be the one to watch me kill those girls up there. I had just started the process before you got here. If only you knew how many times I’ve actually been in this house without anyone knowing. I’ve had months to prepare for this.” Stone relaxes his stance as he crosses his tattooed arms in front of him, still tapping the knife against his cheek. He raises a hand to scratch the top of his buzz-cut scalp and laughs with a sinister grin. “You know what? Shit, that’s a lie. I’ve actually been planning on killing that bitch up there since she and her fucked-up family of lawyers tossed my ass in jail.” He moves to pick up a rope from the table where the knife was just moments ago, and
I know I’ve got to move fast or distract him a little longer.