When A Heart Stops Part 28

Looking forward to more than a high school reunion, I'm looking forward to exposing the truth about that night. I'm just trying to stay alive while I figure out how to do that.

Love and hugs,

Jillian

For the hundredth time since receiving the letter, she refolded it and slid it back into the envelope.

What had Jillian seen that night?

Serena stared at the unopened envelope. Did she have the right to look? There was no doubt in her mind this was what her intruder had been looking for.

She should really put this somewhere safer than her house. Like a safe deposit box. Serena shot a glance at her briefcase, then looked back at the envelope.

Then out the French doors one more time. If she left now, she'd have time to run by the bank before going to the girls' home.

Grabbing her briefcase and everything she needed, she prioritized. She'd go by the bank later. She needed to see if she could find Camille.

Serena exited the house into the closed garage and stilled. The echo of the door closing behind her rang in her ears. Her pulse pounded. Fear clogged her throat.

And she took a deep breath.

Was someone hiding in the s.p.a.cious area?

Inside the boat under the tarp?

In the backseat of her car?

If so, she couldn't have this package on her.

As the blood thrummed through her veins, she whirled and fumbled with her keys, finally getting the lock open, then the door. Then she slammed it shut, twisting the dead bolt as her keys fell to the floor with a clank.

With dread in her stomach, she grabbed her cell phone. Should she call the police?

911?.

Dominic?

The cop sitting outside watching her house?

As she watched out the window, her nerves started to calm. There was no one there. She was being silly.

"There's no one out there," she whispered aloud. "Get in the car and go. Camille might need you."

But the thought of opening the door and walking out of the house terrified her.

And some small part of her realized what was happening. He was gaining control of her life, her thoughts, her actions-and she was allowing it.

Oh Lord, help me. I don't want to let fear rule me.

For another few minutes, she just stood at the door, looking out into the garage. Nothing moved.

"Get in the car, Serena," she told herself. Putting the package back where she thought it would be safe, she thought about her nerves and the fact that the killer had done everything in his power to keep her off balance and constantly on guard. No doubt, a tactic meant to exhaust her and make her careless.

With determination, she unlocked the kitchen door dead bolt and stepped back into the garage. With jerky movements, she opened the SUV door and shot her gaze to the pa.s.senger seat.

She was almost surprised to find it empty. She slid into the driver's seat and slammed the door, locking it in one quick motion. She pressed the b.u.t.ton on the garage door remote.

As the door behind her rose, her phone rang and she grabbed it from the cup holder. "h.e.l.lo?"

"Hey, pretty lady. How are you this morning?"

Dominic. She backed from the garage, her heart picking up even more speed. She smiled, although she couldn't help the nervous glance at the covered boat.

"I'm doing great. I actually slept last night." Should she say anything about her nervousness? About the feeling that someone was in her garage?

Before she closed the garage, she waited at the end of her driveway for one last, long look.

Still, nothing moved.

"You feel like going to a meeting with me?" Dominic asked.

"Nate?" she guessed.

"Yep. I'm meeting him at 11:00. I know this is your day off, but-"

"No, I want to go." She tapped the steering wheel. "I need to go see Camille first at the girls' home, but I can meet you there."

"Okay." He paused. "You sound funny. You sure you're all right?"

She breathed a laugh. "I'm fine. Just my imagination working overtime."

"Are you sure it's your imagination?"

Serena bit her lip. Was she? "Probably."

"You don't sound so sure."

"Yeah. I know. Never mind. I'm just jumpy."

"With good reason. Is your shadow with you?"

She glanced in her rearview mirror. "Yes, he's there."

"Great."

Serena pulled up to the four-way stop and pressed the brakes. Her shadow hugged her b.u.mper. A car to her right seemed to be traveling fast as it approached the stop sign, so she waited to be sure the driver planned to stop. When it seemed like the vehicle slowed, she pressed the gas.

But she was wrong. Heart in her throat, she realized too late that the driver planned to run the stop sign. The other vehicle plowed into her pa.s.senger door.

25.

FRIDAY, 10:15 A.M.

Dominic heard the screech of metal crunching metal, Serena's terrified scream. The roar of a motorcycle.

Then seconds later, the sound of a gunshot.

"Serena!" Panic clawed at his throat, helplessness spinning his mind. "Serena! Answer me!"

Dead silence echoed back to him.

Was she dead? Terror streaked through him as he pressed the gas pedal. Oh G.o.d, please no.

Where was the officer who was supposed to be protecting her?

Heart thudding, he spun the wheel of his car to race back toward Serena's house. They hadn't been talking long, so she couldn't be very far from her home.

His adrenaline flowed, free and easy. He took in a deep breath and forced himself into cop mode, emergency response instinct. It terrified him that the person involved was Serena, but emotions had no place in his response.

He realized he still had the phone pressed against his ear, but no sound penetrated. He looked at the screen and saw the call had been disconnected. He pressed redial.

No answer.

He dialed the officer who was supposed to be watching out for her.

No answer.

His gut tightened and sweat broke out on his forehead.

If he knew her location, he'd call for backup.

But he didn't.

Quickly, he called in the wreck, giving what information he had-which wasn't near enough.

He just prayed he could find her before he was too late.

Serena groaned and pressed a hand to her aching head. She'd whiplashed, the impact jerking her head toward the car that hit her, then slamming back against the driver's window. A motorcycle rumbled. She heard what sounded like a car backfiring twice, then someone cursing behind her, followed by an angry "What are you doing here? Why'd you shoot that cop?"

She lifted her head to see two figures, blurry and distorted. She closed her eyes, pressed her finger to the lids, tried to gather her scattered thoughts. When a hand reached in to grab her by the upper arm, she looked over, thankful for the officer who'd been behind her.

But her eyes didn't land on the officer.

A black masked face stared down at her. A scream bubbled in her throat even as dizziness made her head spin.

"Where is it?" the low voice hissed.

"What?" Serena blinked against the dark spots swirling before her eyes.

The hand on her bicep tightened and gave her a shake. "The package from Jillian. We know you have it. Where is it?"

Where was the officer who'd been following her?

She squinted through the throbbing pain and ignored her attacker.

Then the person leaned over and s.n.a.t.c.hed Serena's briefcase from the pa.s.senger seat and brought a gun to her head.

"Is it in here?"

Serena brought her hand up in a quick defensive move, knocking the gun to the ground. Her attacker let loose a string of curses. A fist connected with her already aching head. From the corner of her eye, she saw him bend down. As she fought the encroaching darkness, she heard the other person say, "I'll see you soon." A low chuckle sounded. "And I shot the cop because I couldn't let the game end before it's even begun, could I?"

A gunshot sounded, then all went black.

Through the winds.h.i.+eld, Dominic saw the figure leaning over Serena and at first thought it was the officer who'd volunteered to protect her. Then he saw the man on the ground beside the unmarked Escape. Dominic recognized the officer as the one who'd been following Serena and grief stabbed him as he wondered if the man was dead.

As his mind pieced together the scene at mach speed, the person near Serena turned at Dominic's approach, lifted his right hand, and fired a shot.

Dominic swerved as the bullet slammed into the side of the car. Keeping his head low, he yanked his weapon from his holster and grabbed his radio. "Officer needs help! Intersection of Dove Park and Spring Ridge at the four-way stop sign." He tossed the radio down after receiving notification that help was on the way. Dominic noticed a bag clutched in the person's left hand.

The killer bolted toward the car parked behind Serena's, leaped over the officer, and dove into the driver's seat.

Through the open window, Dominic aimed his weapon and pulled the trigger. The bullet shattered the winds.h.i.+eld, but the person slammed the Escape into reverse, whipped the steering wheel around, then sped off.

Dominic pulled his vehicle in as close as possible to Serena's and climbed out, keeping low. Into his radio, he said, "Suspect is going east on Spring Ridge in a Blue Ford Escape. License plate Delta-William-Victor Zero-Two-Four."

Hating his inability to be in two places at once, Dominic abandoned the idea of giving chase and turned to check Serena's pulse.

It pounded beneath his fingers strong and steady.

He went to Officer MacDougall, who lay on his back, eyes wide and staring. Blank. Dominic checked on him even though he knew the man was already gone. No pulse.

And a bullet to the center of his forehead.

Nausea rolled. The loss of life. A good man with two children in their teens. Teens who needed their dad. Fury grappled with grief as the ambulance and other law enforcement arrived on the scene.