A surge of anger rushed through her. Helpless. Powerless. She had sworn that she’d never again be in that kind of position with a man.
With the rage of a driven beast inside her, she scooted her chair closer to the window and then crashed backward and sideways, driving the corner of the chair into the window.
Nothing happened. With a sob she repeated the action with the same result. Again and again she drove into the glass, gasping with the physical exertion, praying for a literal break.
On the eighth attempt, when she was certain she couldn’t do any more, the glass broke, several shards falling onto the windowsill. Thankfully she hadn’t broken the entire window, only a small portion.
Repositioning her chair, she used her right hand to find one of the larger shards on the sill and grabbed it. She cried out as she began to saw at the rope, feeling the warmth of blood flowing, the sting of cut flesh as she worked.
Hurry! Hurry! Her brain screamed the word over and over again. She had to get loose; she had to get away before he returned. Freedom. She could smell it; she could taste it. All she had to do was cut through the damned rope.
She gasped in relief as the rope gave and she was able to pull her hand free. She dropped the piece of glass on the floor and began to work the knots on her left hand.
Her brain screamed alarm, her body registering the emergency of working fast.
When her hands were finally free, she went to work on the knots that bound her ankles to the chair. Her heart hammered frantically, and finally she stood, free from the chair, her muscles aching from being set in the same position for so long.
Run, her brain commanded. Get as far away from this place as fast as possible. It didn’t matter which way she ran, just as long as she put as much distance as possible between herself and Chopper.
She was just about to open the front door and bolt outside when she heard the sound of tires crunching gravel. Too late. A new sob escaped her. She was too late. He’d returned before she could get away.
She looked around wildly. There was no back door, no way to escape now. She raced to a drawer and grabbed what looked like a sharp knife, and then hurried to the window and pulled the curtain a couple of inches farther closed to hide the break. Finally she sat back in the chair and arranged the ropes so that hopefully it appeared she was still bound.
As she heard his footsteps on the porch, she drew several deep breaths and dropped her head to her chest, hoping it would appear that she’d been sleeping while he’d been gone.
She prayed he wouldn’t notice that the ropes weren’t tied or that small droplets of blood were drying on the floor behind where she sat. The knife was cold against the bare skin between her legs, but thankfully her nightgown was just long enough to cover its presence.
She’d kill him if she had to. The thought was shocking, but she knew she could do it if it meant her survival or his. She’d prefer to sneak out while he slept. The idea of actually using the knife on him was repugnant, but she’d do whatever was necessary to survive.
He burst through the door with a clomping of his heavy boots and a sick energy that filled the room with his presence. She raised her head and tried to look drowsy, as if his return had just awakened her.
“Snoozing, huh?” he said as he walked past her with barely a glance. He went directly to the refrigerator and pulled out a beer.
“You need anything? A bathroom break? A beer?”
“No, I’m fine, although it would be nice if you’d just let me go.” The last thing she wanted was for him to approach her to untie her and find out that she was already free.
He laughed and threw himself into one of the chairs at the table. He pulled his gun from the front of his jeans and laid it on the table next to him. “Like that’s gonna happen.”
She watched silently as he unscrewed the top of the beer and lifted the bottle to his mouth. He took a long drink and then released a disgusting burp.
Marlene hoped he’d drink a twelve-pack. She hoped he’d drink so much beer he’d eventually pass out, and then she’d make her move.
She suspected they were someplace in the woods, and although she was hardly dressed for a hike in the wilderness, she’d run as fast as she could, barefoot and half-naked, through whatever brush and brambles she needed to in order to survive.
He finished his beer and then stepped into the bathroom. Her impulse was to run, but she fought against it, knowing that he’d be in there only a minute and that simply wasn’t enough time for her to get away.
No matter how difficult it was, she had to be patient and bide her time. Eventually he’d go to sleep and hopefully he wouldn’t notice the broken window, the shards of glass or the fact that her ropes were no longer holding her in place.
“You know that even if you kill me it won’t bring Stacy back,” she said as he came back into the kitchen and sat down at the table.
“I know that, but it will make me feel better,” he replied easily. He drained the beer and tossed the bottle into a nearby trash can, then got up and grabbed another one from the refrigerator.
Good, she thought. Keep drinking, Chopper. Keep slamming back those beers. She froze as she saw a flash of somebody go by the window behind where Chopper sat at the table.
In the instant she’d seen the person, she thought it looked like Jimmy. Was her desperation making her see water in a desert? Mirages of help just outside the door?
As another person flew by the window, she realized she wasn’t just imagining things. She’d been found. “Did you know I have two sisters?” she asked, wanting to keep Chopper engaged in conversation that would allow him to remain ignorant of whatever rescue plan might be in progress just outside the cabin.
“Yeah, I know. Sheri and Roxy. I also know that you were raised by your aunt and that something happened to her and she’s vanished.”
“I’ll bet you didn’t know that pink is my favorite color and someday I want to own my own bakery. I’m going to call it Marlene’s Magic Bites and it will be right on Main Street.”
He took another drink of his beer and then grinned at her with a sly wink. “Is this some sort of a plan for me to see you as a real person and not my victim? Are you trying to get me to bond with you, be sympathetic to you and change my plans?”
“You’re obviously a smart man, Chopper,” she replied.
“Smarter than most folks give me credit for,” he agreed easily.
At that moment the door burst open. Frank came through it like a bulldozer breaking down toothpicks. “Freeze!” he said to Chopper.
The entire world slipped into slow motion. Marlene watched in horror as Chopper grabbed his gun and aimed it at Frank. She wasn’t even cognizant of her own actions, but somehow she jumped up from the chair and grabbed the knife from between her legs. With a scream of outrage, she raced the short distance to Chopper and plunged the knife into his shoulder.
His shot went wild as he yelped in pain and dropped his gun to the floor. Suddenly somebody was pulling Marlene away as somebody else tackled Chopper to the floor.
Everything was a dizzying blur until she found herself wrapped tight in Frank’s strong arms. “It’s over,” he said as he hugged her against him.
“I s-stabbed him,” she stuttered. “I thought he was going to shoot you and I couldn’t let that happen. I would have killed him if I had to.”
“It’s okay now. Everything is going to be all right.” He stroked his hands up and down her back soothingly as she leaned into him and wept, overwhelmed by the entire ordeal.
Frank held her as Jimmy handcuffed Chopper and he and Steve took him outside. He held her as Steve came back inside to bag the gun that Chopper had dropped. Frank didn’t let go of her until her tears had finally subsided and she shuddered in final relief. “It took you long enough,” she finally said with a half-hysteri
cal laugh.
“We got here as quickly as possible. Let’s get you back home where you belong,” he said.
Thankfully the men had arrived in two cars. Chopper was in the back of Steve’s car, not only wearing the handcuffs but also with his feet tied together. He screamed and cursed as Frank and Marlene walked out of the house.
“I’ll kill you both. This isn’t over,” he screamed.
Jimmy walked over to where they stood, her purse dangling from his hand. “Steve and I will drive Mr. Charm back to town. We’ll do a quick stop at the hospital to have his shoulder cleaned up and then he’ll be taken to the station for lockup.” Jimmy smiled at Marlene. “And we’re really all glad to see you alive and well.”
He handed her the purse. “We figured you might need this. We have your other bags still at the station. You can either come in and pick them up or we’ll get them to you.”
“Thanks, Jimmy,” she replied.
Minutes later she sat in the passenger seat and Frank drove back to Wolf Creek. As she listened to him tell her about how they had finally figured out that he had been Chopper’s target all along, she drank in the very presence of him next to her.
Despite the fact that he appeared weary, he was the most handsome man on the face of the earth, as far as she was concerned. She’d thought she’d never see him again. She’d believed she might die in that cabin without being able to see Frank’s smile one last time.
As he drove, his gaze often shot to her, as if to assure himself that she was really okay. She felt love in his gaze. She felt a depth of caring that she wanted to feel for the rest of her life.
But instead of telling him how much she loved him, that she knew in her heart he loved her, too, she told him how she’d managed to break the window, grab a piece of broken glass, and cut herself loose and get to the knife. She explained to him how her escape plan had been stymied by Chopper’s return, but that she had planned to get away once Chopper fell asleep.
“You didn’t need us to rush to your rescue,” Frank said, admiration thick in his voice.
She smiled at him. “Maybe. Maybe not. All I can tell you is that I was blissfully happy to see you all. Chopper was doing some sort of drugs. It’s possible he would have never gone to sleep before killing me.”
His hand reached across the seat toward her and she placed her hand in his. “I’m sorry, Marlene. I’m so sorry that you had to go through all this.”
She squeezed his hand gently. “None of this was your fault. You couldn’t have known that Chopper believed Stacy was his girlfriend, that he would demand revenge for you having to kill her.”
“But maybe I should have known. At least I should have seen it sooner.”
“You can’t blame yourself for this, Frank. This was Chopper’s issue. Just like the domestic abuse I suffered was Matt’s issue. We can only be responsible for our own actions and choices.” She released his hand and leaned back with a sigh, suddenly weary.
She wanted to add that ultimately Grace had been responsible for the choices she’d made, even the devastating decision to take her own life. But she was too tired to open up that can of worms.
“Do we need to go by the hospital and have those cuts on your wrist looked at?” he asked as they approached the city limits of Wolf Creek.
“No, they’re fine. I’m not bleeding anymore. I’m just ready to go home to my apartment. I need some time to process everything that’s happened, some time to sleep.”
“You know we’ll need you to come down to the station to make an official statement.”
“Tomorrow,” she said. “It can wait until tomorrow.”
She had hoped for something more from him. She had hoped for words of love, for the offer of safe haven at his house. She had believed that maybe the possibility of losing her might have awakened him to what they could have if he was just willing to believe.
But as he pulled up in front of Minnie’s store, it was obvious that none of that was going to happen. “You’ll call me if you need anything?” he asked as she opened the passenger door.
“I won’t need anything,” she replied firmly. What she truly needed he wasn’t in a position to give her. “Is there any specific time you want me to come into the station tomorrow to give my statement?”
“Whenever you’re rested and feel up to it,” he replied.
She nodded and stepped out of the car. Aware that she was clad only in her pink nightgown, she didn’t hang around on the street to watch him pull away.
She scampered up the stairs as she pulled her keys from the purse. Unlocking the door, she stumbled inside, locked the door behind her and then headed for a shower.
Minutes later she stood beneath a hot spray of water, imagining that the ugliness and stench of Chopper and his cabin were vanishing down the drain.
At some point she leaned weakly against the tile and began to cry, her tears mingling with the spray of the shower. They were tears wrought by how close she’d come to death, by the horror of her kidnapping.
Finally they were signs of her grief over the fact that she’d let down her guard and had fallen in love with a man who couldn’t, who wouldn’t, love her back.
It was almost three the next afternoon when Marlene left the Dollhouse, where she’d had a joyous reunion and lunch with her two sisters.
The time spent with Sheri and Roxy had certainly helped her ground herself in the new life she intended to take advantage of as the days wore on.
Roxy had again offered money for the bakery of Marlene’s dreams, and Marlene had taken her up on the offer with the understanding that it would be a loan that would be repaid in a timely fashion.
Earlier that morning Marlene had called a Realtor about a particular empty storefront on Main. They’d made an appointment for the next day to see the place. Marlene didn’t intend to let any grass grow beneath her feet. The past was gone and the future had yet to be written. She planned on working in the present to assure herself the future she’d once dreamed of.
As she got into her car to head to the police station to give her report, she tried not to think about the fact that she would see Frank again.
In future days they would run into each other occasionally. It was a small town and she couldn’t expect to never see him again. Still, it was going to take some time for her heart to let go of him, for her to heal over the fact that he’d loved being with her and making love to her, but he wasn’t at a place where he could offer her anything else.
And she wanted more. She was ready to move on despite her reluctant heart. She deserved to be loved by a man who wanted forever. She knew it wasn’t going to happen anytime soon, but when the right man came along she’d be ready to make a commitment and build a family.
She would never forget the little girl she’d lost through violence, through her own inability to leave Matt. But she also knew she wanted children, and she’d found it in her heart to forgive herself for the terrible decisions she’d made in the past.
She parked in front of the station and got out of the car, self-consciously brushing an imaginary wrinkle from her coral-colored blouse.
The minute she walked into the patrol room, her gaze went to Frank, who stood and moved forward to greet her. He looked rested and his gaze was warm as it swept her from head to toe.
“You look amazing for a woman who has been through what you’ve been through in the last couple of weeks.”
She smiled. “And I was just thinking that you look far more rested than you did yesterday when we said goodbye.”
“A night of good sleep does that for a man.” He ushered her toward his desk and motioned for her to sit.
From that moment on it was all business. As she told the story from the moment she’d awakened in the room in the tavern to a bright flashlight blinding her to the day before when he and his
men had arrived, Frank typed up notes.
He stopped her occasionally for clarification, and she stopped several times to catch her breath and tamp down the memory of the horrific time spent with Chopper and knowing that the countdown to her death had begun.
It took a total of two hours to complete the report. She learned that Chopper had survived the knife wound she’d inflicted, although he would require surgery before he moved into his new home, the jail, to await trial for a variety of crimes that would see him behind bars for years to come.
Throughout the interview process she tried not to smell the familiar spice scent of Frank’s cologne; she attempted to keep herself from falling into the depths of his blue eyes.
When they were finished, he leaned back in his chair. “I’m putting my house up for sale,” he said.
She looked at him in surprise. “Really?”
“It’s time for a new start. I was wondering if maybe you’d come with me now and tell me from a woman’s perspective what I need to do to get it ready for putting it on the market.”
“A Realtor would probably be better able to help you with that,” she replied, wondering if he had any idea that he was torturing her, that inviting her to have anything more to do with him or his life only prolonged the aching, yearning want for him.
“I’d really like for you to help me out,” he said, his gaze so blue, so intense. “Please, Marlene. I promise it won’t take long.”
He stood and held out his hand toward her. She didn’t take his hand, but got up from her chair with a faint nod. “Okay, as long as it doesn’t take long.”
They didn’t speak until they were outside the station. “I’ll just follow you in my car,” she said. That way she could take a quick look around and then beat it out of there.
As she got into her car and waited for him to do the same, she told herself that this was a mistake, that if he touched her in any way, if he tried to kiss her, she wasn’t sure she had the willpower to deny him.
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