Winter Peril

by Pinder, Victoria

  Chapter 6

  A huge boom echoed in Erica’s bedroom.

  As she sat up in bed, she flinched at the loud noise.

  She glanced around her bedroom and squeezed her knees to her chest. Pine and cedar clung to the pillow next to other. She was alone. She inhaled Gabriel’s manly scent, then swallowed and stared out the window. A huge breath relaxed her. The noise must have been a tree falling outside. As she tugged the blanket up to cover her nakedness, she trekked over to her window. White snow, and only white snow, all the way up beyond the last pane.

  The tree lay in the snow-covered distance. Last night’s whiteout revealed the brightness of pure, fresh powder snow. Mystery solved. Dizzy, she rubbed her hand on her head as she rolled back into bed. She didn’t need to face today.

  Ice crept up her back anyhow. They were truly trapped now. Alone.

  Her insides quivered from earlier activity, and she wasn’t tired. Not really. If Gabriel were in the room, she’d have curled into him. But he wasn’t here, and she needed to peak out the door to know how bad it was outside.

  She stared at her cell phone. Her mother never slept much, and Erica needed her sage advice now more than ever. She sighed. Mom had experience with men. She had to find a signal today. Her mother needed her, and she needed her mom.

  To build her courage, Erica reminisced. In Miami, hurricanes didn’t last that long. And the weather was usually sunny and warm. Pretty much the opposite of this house, all darkness and cold.

  A chill raced through her spine.

  The wind gushed past the window. This time she hardly blinked.

  She ought to go and find Gabriel. Her mother would say that to make a life decision, it was best to really know the guy. Was he interested in a short-term nothing, or was he interested in her?

  Her throat was dry. She gulped, then went to the closet to throw on clothes. Anything would be fine. She found a pair of sweats that didn’t cover her ankles, a long T-shirt, a robe, and long socks to throw on. Her phone had less than 10 percent battery life left now, and she held the small, white metallic lifeline firmly in her hand. As she stepped into the slippers, she locked her arms together and intended to take her disheveled look upstairs.

  She’d never been snowed in. This only happened to people in movies—horror movies, especially. Her throat constricted. Before she freaked out, she ran her hand through her hair and straightened out a knot. Then she bundled the blanket on her shoulders. Everything would be fine.

  Gabriel must be in his room with the door locked. She eyed his door first. She’d never gone in there, but first she needed to go out to see how high the snow went up the side of the house. And then she’d find a way to make that call.

  In the kitchen she stopped to find a candle and extra matches. The promised flashlight wasn’t in the library yet, which was another reason to find Gabriel.

  The phone in her hand heated. She’d deal with logistics later. A smile grew on her face. Perhaps another kiss too.

  Either way, at the library door, she stopped, took a moment, then opened it. It would be beyond frigid out there. Was polar a temperature? She rewrapped her blanket around her shoulders, and ensured it stayed tight around her. Then she lit the candle and proceeded out into the lobby.

  A draft ran through her hair, and her nose wrinkled from the cold. She took a step forward, but her body stiffened. The bay window, which gleamed white, shone back at her. Was the house strong enough if another storm hit?

  Outside the window, the ground sounded like there was an army battle. A chill rocked her body; then she flinched at the noise. Did icicles make that sound as they fell off trees and houses?

  She steeled her nerves and held the banister firmly, then climbed the large staircase. She needed to see out and find a signal. Her fingers froze halfway up the stairs, but she kept up her obstinate climb. Another draft of chilly air hit her, and she clutched her candle closer and refused to let the creaks of the old staircase stop her.

  At the next level, she pursed her lips and read the numbers on the room doors. This had definitely been a hotel once, though she had no idea what would have closed this place down. For a ski resort, this place was perfect. They had a mountain, snow, and a well-built lodge. Something bad must have happened. Something that paralyzed Gabriel from living his life. With slow, steady steps, she tried the first door, but it didn’t budge much.

  She checked her phone. No signal came here, but perhaps near a window she’d get service.

  The hotel room lock still worked. Her heartbeat stayed rapid and fast.

  Something wasn’t right up here. Her skin prickled.

  The second door opened. She hesitated for a moment, then pushed into the room. A rush of mildew entered her nose and made her sneeze.

  The battery was down to 9 percent. Soon she’d lose even this hope.

  With tense muscles, she continued to walk toward the window, but the flame in her candle blew out.

  Finally, she had a signal. A smile grew on her face and her heart raced a bit. The battery went lower. The lights of the phone kept her sane, and she quickly dialed her mother’s room at the hospital. On the second ring, her mom said, “Erica, is that you?”

  “Mom,” she cried out. Thank goodness. She had a connection. “I’m lost.”

  “Where?” He mother sounded calm and concerned. Erica almost cried.

  “Maine. Mom, I miss you.”

  Total blackness greeted her, and she backed up. Her phone flashed to the red battery and read 0 percent. No. She needed more time. She gulped and repeated, “Mom?”

  No answer greeted her. She twisted her hand. The phone turned off and went black.

  Ice went up her spine. Had her mother heard her? The blackness of the room was eerie and quiet. Goose bumps grew on her arms. She reached in her pocket and retrieved a box of matches. Her fingers froze. The fire didn’t light the first time. She breathed on her clammy hands, and fought to slow her increased heart rate. Then she tried again.

  With near-frozen limbs, this time she lit it. The candle brought back light, and she rubbed her arms. To finish her search, she continued to the window. Hypnotized, she peered outside the window to the winter wonderland. Then cold, small hands pushed her. She screamed, and the candle fell to her feet.

  In a heartbeat, she scrambled around, but no one was here in the room with her. She picked up the candle and lit it again. Nothing stirred. She must be crazy, but it felt like the hands on her back had been tiny.

  As she rubbed her hand on her forehead, she assumed it was just her nerves, and her heartbeat slowly reduced its rapid pace.

  Perhaps she ought to find Gabriel. His hands were big, manly, and warm. She tugged the blanket closer to her neck, covered her face, and blew on her hands again to heat her nose. She swallowed and tried to stop the panic, but she scouted for an exit to escape. She knew where the exit was. She knew this was the panic. She was about to hyperventilate.

  Her mind numbed. Gabriel wouldn’t hear her up here. No one would, though she wondered if someone was staring at her from the blackness. The thought grew in her mind, like someone was here and wanted her dead. Her entire body shook. No. This was impossible. If someone else were here . . . but that made no sense. She retreated backward and her skin crawled. Someone must hate her.

  She had to be fine. She had to. It was not like she had another choice.

  No one could be in here with her.

  Her head continued to ring. This wasn’t a good sign. As she clutched her blanket onto her shoulders, she fought her fear to get back downstairs in one piece.

  It was just snow and animals outside. Nothing else was here. She’d be fine.

  No one else was here except for her and Gabriel.

  The rapturous man who made her feel alive. She licked her lips. His kisses warmed her. The smell of pine on him had calmed her before, and she let the thought of him sustain her. She needed to stop, and shook her head. The walls had a vibe of hatred, and no matter where she turned,
every cell on her body was alert to danger. She ran her hand through her hair as she ran. She wished to be in his arms while she made it to the last step down. She took a deep breath and stopped her whiny voice in her head. Panic didn’t help anything. She had never needed a hero to save her.

  As she opened the library, the wind behind her blew the door shut. With a small struggle, she made her way back into the warmth.

  Her legs went weak. She fell to the ground near the fireplace and let her racing thoughts still. The labor in her every inhalation wasn’t normal for her. The light from the fire kept the room warm. The doors were closed and no one was here.

  Her every heartbeat was loud in her ears.

  At least she was back. She sat up and tucked her knees to her chest, as her heart stopped its frantic race.

  After last night, Gabriel should have gone out of his way to find her.

  Perhaps it was time to find another way out of here.

  Upstairs, the storm, and the past few days had built up that panic. Her mother’s voice had been the best thing she heard in days. She’d be fine. Her mother needed her. If Erica stayed focused, the hospital and her mother would sink into her brain as a weight. Everything would work out. She needed to keep the faith. She’d find a way to keep her mother alive.

  Gabriel had left her alone all day. She liked him, but he should have checked on her. Perhaps she’d check on him, in the spring, away from this creepy house.

  Her skin was raw as her mind raced to judge. Her car was on the road. She’d made it here. She could make it back.

  She stared out the window. No sign of a storm remained. It was just the snow now. She’d need supplies if she was to make it out of this house alone through the whiteness and back to civilization.

  Her breasts ached.

  Perhaps this wasn’t the best plan, but she had no other. She’d not stay in this haunted, desolate place. She’d not think of the sexy man somewhere inside.

  Perhaps if the snow melted, this nightmare would end. Gabriel might be normal, if not for these walls. She’d look him up.

  She owed him her thanks. She was alive, and he had warmed her. Everything had to work out. The storm wouldn’t get her.

  And no one was here with her—no one except the man she wanted.

  Chapter 7

  For the next few hours, Erica could not find Gabriel.

  Dusk settled in the sky.

  Soon it would be night. She’d leave in the morning. And she should say good-bye.

  In her room, she took a nap.

  Gabriel had to come back eventually.

  Eventually though, she woke up. Her stomach gnawed with heaviness. She refused to let the emptiness inside her win. Everything always worked out in the end. She’d believed that all her life, and she hadn’t changed. Erica Mira fought for herself, and everyone else she loved. The way to win so far had always been to remain assertive.

  Though her muscles were weak, she fought off the fear that nothing in her life would ever be the same. She always banked on truths. Gabriel was around, somewhere, and no one wanted to kill her. The quietness of this house was too quiet for her taste. These were two truths. She let out an audible exhale and shook out her crazy fears. As she stood on her feet, she stretched, then wrapped her robe around her. Halfway done, she stopped.

  No more phone calls home. Not unless Gabriel hid a phone here. She shook her head and tied her robe. Could she make it back to her car to get her charger?

  The chill that someone hated her here racked her body, and her legs went weak. She rubbed her neck and hoped warmth would end these thoughts.

  She stared in the mirror and forced a smile. Fake it until she made it had always worked in the past. She threw on her shirt and decided to speak more with Gabriel, and not just for more amazing sex. He couldn’t hate her, not like that emotional sickness that hit her hard in this house.

  With him, she felt safe.

  Had she made up the hands on her back as an excuse to go and find him? Erica froze. She had never done anything like that in her life.

  She closed her eyes and let herself relax. The man had strength of character and body, which was more than any of her ex-boyfriend’s. A friend once mentioned a man good in bed had had his penis dipped in fairy dust. In the tall tale of men, he’d know where to put it to make her scream.

  Erica giggled. Gabriel must be one of those men women whispered about, because his coarse fingers sent her pulse racing. Ravishing men were too hard to find, and he fit the definition.

  As she ran her hand through her hair, she felt more knots.

  The man would prefer a clean woman, and she’d be more comfortable that way anyhow. Cold sweats shouldn’t rack her body. She’d had a fitful nap. She’d been half-frightened of shadows.

  She dropped the blanket and her nightclothes on the ground. Then she pressed her elbows into her side and stared around. In the mirror, she glanced at someone all in white. Erica rubbed her arms and twirled on her feet toward the door. No one was here. She was alone. She shook off the eeriness. She must have made up the woman as a figment of her imagination. The nightmare here never seemed to end. She rolled her shoulders, then headed into the en suite bathroom.

  A loud, long screech echoed in her ears. Her heart raced.

  She coughed, then grabbed the side of the door frame. “Who’s here?”

  Her gaze took in the entire room again, but she didn’t see anyone near.

  Gabriel wouldn’t answer.

  She was alone.

  She stared out the window. The wind shook the glass windows a little, but that wasn’t the same sound. Perhaps she’d heard an animal in pain? She blinked and gazed farther out into the wilderness. She saw no wolves or animals, but nothing else made sense.

  With no answer, she shook it off and closed the door to the bathroom. She’d leave with sweeter memories and cherish tonight. If she seduced him with food and company, her fears would be proved pointless. But she’d not befriend him, or anyone, if she didn’t like how she appeared.

  Besides, she didn’t have anything else to do.

  A good hot shower cured sore muscles, and she picked out an outfit that matched and would at least flatter her figure. This included her freshly cleaned jeans. For shirts and other clothing, the selection remained slim. The petite, dead wife’s clothing wouldn’t fit her hips or breasts well. Despite that, a genuine burst of happiness grew inside her. Dressed in a blue T-shirt and jeans, she peeked in the mirror and stared at herself again. Almost normal. Even her skin had color back in it now. Good. As she sucked on her lower lip, she left her room and headed toward the kitchen to make them dinner.

  The moment she saw Gabriel, everything else would be lighter around her. She should have found him today already.

  Why had he disappeared?

  Company would keep her heart calm. His body had been warm. At the kitchen bay window, she stared out at a wall of white outside the glass panes. A chill raced throughout her body, and with that came those crazy thoughts she continued to have.

  A gaze seemed to follow her, and Erica froze.

  Night was approaching fast. At least it hadn’t snowed today. She let her hands fall to her sides and relax.

  If she had to leave in the morning, a night without a storm helped her cause.

  In the kitchen, she turned on the oven and opened the refrigerator to prepare tonight’s feast. She became steady and sure of herself again.

  ***

  Later that evening, she searched the rooms and knocked on his bedroom door. Gabriel was not in the living areas. She hadn’t seen him all day, and that was strange. Last night might have meant more to her than him. She shivered and refused to think that thought.

  In the library, she wondered what part of the house he’d crept away toward. She paced the halls and continued her search.

  In the hall back to the kitchen, she tilted her head to the side and searched the place. A bang pierced the air. She stilled for the moment. Then she stared at the wall.
Was there someone else?

  As she pressed her ear to the wall, she heard the hum of a machine that cut something. At least, that was what she’d guess it was. The sound of mechanics might scare someone else, but it meant power, electricity, and Gabriel. What would be in those machines? Suddenly, she flinched. No one can cut snow.

  Gabriel must be working with machines somewhere in the bigger house. He had smelled of wood, and his hands were black the other day.

  A clink of something from the other side of the empty room ran through the air.

  Her hands went clammy, and she had another chest pain. Her mind raced. Someone who wished to harm her stared at her, hidden away. She took a step away from one wall and braced like someone would come out of another.

  With her hand to her collar, she shook off the thought. Walls don’t hold people.

  No one could climb through that mountain of snow to get to the pair of them. Her impossible thoughts didn’t add up. She rubbed her arms to chase the cold away.

  Then she headed back to the kitchen and prepped their dinner. Maybe he’d come later. As she chopped, her shoulders slumped.

  “Hey, how are you?” she asked herself.

  Then she answered how she wished Gabriel would answer. “Fine. You look nice today.”

  She hugged herself for one minute, but at least the ache that someone would attack her dissipated.

  The chop of her knife with the onion echoed in the air. Done. She stared into the darkened hall, and she had a longing so intense in her stomach that it became a real pain.

  Gabriel never came to dinner, though she made him a plate. Loneliness sucked. She shook her head. Had she made a huge mistake last night?

  If so, it was more reason to go.

  Without a smile, she wrapped him his dinner, then cleaned up her plate. She wasn’t tired, so she went to the library to find a book. He couldn’t have gone far and at some point would have to surface.

  Hopefully good food would soften his heart and bring him back toward her. Last night had been intense. Today had been the opposite, and she ought to confront him once more.