“It’s not going to work.” Anne watched her sister’s face go from pleading to pouty.
“Really?” She bit her lip.
Anne dropped back against the pillows on the bed. She knew she’d been beaten, and to be honest she almost reveled in being able to give her one simple pleasure. She didn’t really want to deal with the Aundine’s either.
“Okay … tomorrow. After all, how much could one more day hurt?” She tossed a pillow at Grace, and then headed for the shower.
Chapter 35
As the afternoon wore on, Grace could tell Anne’s nerves frayed with every hour that passed. The closer it came to Chad’s arrival, the more she flitted around the kitchen trying to stay preoccupied with preparing dinner.
“What time is it?” She asked, sliding a pan of enchiladas on the counter, near the stove.
“Only a few minutes after the last time you asked me.” Grace laughed. “You have a solid thirty minutes before he gets here.”
“Ugh,” she groaned. “Why am I so nervous?”
“It’s normal. Think about it. You had to share him with how many other women… and now it’s just you.”
“Don’t remind me.”
“What? Aren’t you happy?” She frowned.
Anne turned the oven on, and leaned against the counter to face her sister. “Of course I am, but now it’s real. It’s not a ‘maybe he’ll pick me’ situation. He’s already picked me. Now what if he changes his mind?”
“What? Are you crazy?” Grace laughed. “I’ll tell you who’s crazy. He is … about you.”
Burke slid the lanai door shut behind him and joined the girls in the kitchen. He’d heard the tail end of their conversation and thought he’d offer his two cents.
“You want a guy’s perspective?”
She looked up to him with her big brown eyes without a word. Burke took it as a yes.
“He wouldn’t have let the others go if he wasn’t sure. And trust me, I saw them … they were gorgeous.”
“Hey!” Both girls said in unison, making Burke laugh.
“I’m just saying … they were. And if he didn’t think you were it … he’d have stuck it out with his harem.”
“Really? You call that help?” Grace gave Burke an evil eye. “Harem?”
Anne laughed. “I understand. Thanks.” She let out a breath, steadying her nerves.
“So what are we having tonight?” Burke rubbed his hands together, looking at the pan on the counter.
“Anne used to cook with my mom and then our cook, at Grandmother’s, when I was a kid. She’s amazing. This is her famous Mexican food.” Grace grinned.
Burke’s mouth watered with the smells that were beginning to waft from his oven. Nothing he’d ever cooked made his home smell this good.
“We’ll have enchiladas, tex-mex dip, and chili rellenos,”Anne said, digging through cabinets. “Hey, I’m using the only pan I could. I need two more of the same size. Do you have any more?” Anne looked to her sister, who shrugged.
“I didn’t think to look before we ran to the store.” Grace said, apologetically.
Burke shook his head. “I’m no gourmet cook. That pan there…” He pointed toward it. “… is usually reserved for French fries or chicken fingers, and it’s all I need.”
Anne dropped her head. “Crap. Chad will be here in half an hour. I need to get the chille rellenos in the oven now.”
“Hey, no worries. I’ll run to the store. What kind of pans and what size. I’ll go pick them up.” Burke reached for some scrap paper. “Just write down what I need and I’ll run in and ask someone who knows what to look for.”
“Thank you.” Anne wrote down exactly what was needed, before turning back to open the chille’s and grab some eggs.
“I’ll be back before you’re ready to pour that stuff in a pan … promise.” He winked and ran out the door.
“And that is my knight in shining armor,” Grace said lovingly, as she looked out the window.
Anne grabbed a whisk and tossed it to Grace. “Don’t think you’re getting out of any work here.”
Anne laughed at her sister’s dreamy face, and continued, “Once I crack these eggs in this bowl, I’ll need you to beat them.”
“I don’t cook.” Her eyes went wide.
“Well, from the looks of it your knight in shining armor has minimal kitchen skills, so you two are going to starve if one of you doesn’t learn. This is an easy dish to make, so take notes.”
Anne smiled, happy to be back in the kitchen and with her sister. She slipped the only pan of food they had in the oven, and set the timer.
“Okay, that should be done by the time Burke gets back.” Anne shut the oven door, and reached for the eggs only to see a stranger staring at her from across the counter.
“What the?” She took a step back as the stranger took a step forward. She bumped into Grace, who laughed at her sister’s clumsiness until she saw the reason for her misstep.
It was then that Grace’s eyes connected with Zach’s and she froze.
“Surprised to see me, Grace?” His eyes were hard.
Zach’s partial beard might have been enough to disguise him, but Grace would know those steely blue eyes anywhere. They pierced through hers, sending chills down her spine.
“Zach!” She gasped and grabbed her sister’s arm, unaware that she’d stepped in behind her for protection.
“That’s right. And this has gone on long enough. I’ve watched you play house for a couple weeks, and it stops now. You think you can leave me – just like your mother ditched my father all those years ago?”
“What?” Grace stammered. “What are you talking about? What does my mother have to do with this?”
“She was promised to marry my dad, but then she deserted him and ran off to marry your father, humiliating my family. I grew up in that shadow, knowing I was second best. He never wanted my mom or me. It was always about her!” Zach screamed. “And now you’ve ruined everything. You couldn’t just follow your grandmother’s orders and get to know me, could you? I wasn’t good enough for you, was I? You make me sick.”
Anne panicked as he rounded the kitchen island. His cold eyes narrowed, as he looked through her to her sister. She took a step back blocking him from Grace.
Zach’s darted to the two exits from the kitchen, debating on how he was going to trap them, and continued, “You are just like your mother, running off with a nobody! Only I’m not going to let you get away with it. You will not humiliate my family name again.”
“Zach, no.” Grace shook her head, not sure what to do.
Anne’s protective instincts kicked in. This was the man her sister had told her about … the one who’d beat her and from the looks of it – was mentally unstable. And although she was scared, she wouldn’t let him harm her little sister again.
“You’d better not come any closer,” Anne warned him.
“You need to back away. I came for Grace. I don’t want to hurt you, but if you get in my way… I will.”
Zach lifted his shirt and showed them his gun.
Grace quickly jumped from her sister’s protection and ran in the other room, trying to draw his attention away from Anne. The last thing she needed was to lose her sister after all this time. Although she was scared out of her mind, she had to try to reason with him. He spun to the open living room, keeping his focus on her.
“Zach, you don’t want her. You want me, remember?” She tried to smile, but her lips were shaking too hard. The adrenaline was crashing into her system faster than she could process it.
Zach sneered and slid the gun from his shorts. As it sat in the palm of his hand, he felt a vast surge of power.
Anne watched him step away from the kitchen, and frantically scanned the counters for anything she could use as a weapon. She took stock of a set of knives, but that would mean getting in too close. No, she needed something to knock him out.
Burke’s kitchen was sparse, but thankfully the man had
a heavy frying pan. She watched Zach, hoping his gaze was solely trained on Grace, and slowly inched for the pan to her left.
Zach, sensing movement behind him, spun around and narrowed in on Anne.
“What are you going to do with that, huh?” He watched Anne stop short of grabbing a pan, from the far end of the counter. “I told you I didn’t want to have to hurt you, but it’s clear you’re not listening. You think you could come at me with a frying pan? Come here!”
His gun pointed toward Anne, who wished with all her might she was within distance to knock him over the head. As it stood right now, he had the upper hand.
Zach pulled down the hammer of the gun, clicking it in place. When it was clear Anne wasn’t moving as instructed, he clenched his teeth.
“I said come here.”
Out of desperation, Grace jumped in-between the two of them.
“I’m the one you want. Don’t hurt anyone … I’ll come with you if you leave her alone.”
“What’s she to you?” Zach asked, still not able to connect the dots.
Grace looked to Anne, who sent her a pleading stare.
Don’t tell him you’re my sister.
The last thing they needed was to confuse him with a bigger vendetta against the Aundines.
“Don’t do this Gracey,” Anne begged.
“No, it’s okay…I can handle it.” She lied.
“There you go, Grace. Now, you’re being a good girl.”
He grabbed for her arm, and gave it a good squeeze. She needed a reminder of what he could do to her if she didn’t obey.
Grace winced in pain, and bit her upper lip. She wouldn’t let him hear her whimper.
“Let’s go.” He turned to push her out the front door, toward his car. His gaze was solely on Grace now, and Anne knew she only had one shot.
In haste, she was finally able to grab for the frying pan. With one gliding motion, she slammed it down on the back of his head with all of her strength, sending Zach tumbling to his knees.
He abruptly let go of Grace’s arm to shield his head, which felt like it split in two. As he struggled to sit up, he felt warm blood oozing from the back of his skull. Zach was in so much pain that all he see were stars right before he passed out.
Grace quickly freed herself and jumped back to the protection of her sister. She looked to the gun, he still held firm in his hand wondering how to get it free from his clutches.
“Is he dead?” Her hands were shaking.
They both heard him moan, as he struggled to come to his knees.
“Come on. We’ve got to go.” Anne backed up, gently pushing her sister away from his body.
“What about Burke!?” She cried. “He’ll be home any minute, and Zach could hurt him.”
“Let’s go now,” Anne said in a rush, not thinking clearly. All she knew was that she needed to get her sister to safety. She desperately pulled Grace out the back, knocking over a lamp in the process.
Anne’s lungs were burning, almost as much as her legs, as they pounded against the sand. As she dragged Grace behind her, she frantically searched over her shoulder. It was then that she felt her dream coming back to haunt her.
This is it, she thought. This is how it happens.
As they ran down the shore, she replayed the dream that had been haunting her for weeks, only to feel like it was going to choke the life from her. She looked again over her shoulder to see her sister’s scared face, which mirrored her own. Behind them, darkness was enveloping any hint of danger … but she knew it was there.
“Stop,” Grace panted, tugging at Anne. “I think we lost him.”
“No!” Anne drew in a breath, looking once more over her shoulder. “He’s after us. I know it.”
“We don’t know that for sure. He was on the ground when we left. Burke could be coming home right now. What if he’s in danger? I’ve got to warn him.”
Grace dug in her pocket for her cell phone.
“Listen, I know this is going to sound strange … but I’ve dreamed this a few times.” Anne tried catching her breath. “And in my dream, we’re definitely running from him.”
“Burke will be home any minute,” Grace repeated, trying to reason with Anne.
“I know, but Zach’s got a gun, and I know he’s after us. I feel it. We have to hide.”
It was then that they heard a gunshot, which was closer than either of them would like to admit. Both girls screamed, ducking down, not knowing if it was aimed at them or where it was coming from.
“You think he was shooting at us?” Grace clutched the sand beneath them, eyes wide.
“I don’t know. I can’t see anything.” Anne peered through the dark, down the beach.
The moonlight gave them some light, but no real indication of where someone might be lurking.
Anne, once again, grabbed for her sister. “We have to take cover. We’re sitting ducks out here.”
It was then that they heard him yelling from the distance.
“I didn’t come this far, to leave empty handed. Grace!”
Both girls panicked, knowing he couldn’t be far.
“Hurry!” Anne frantically searched for a hiding place, wishing the dark night could swallow them whole.
“He’s going to find us.”
“No, we’re going to be fine. Work with me. We can do this.”
Anne looked around them realizing they’d come to a long stretch of beach, where there were no homes. Instantly, she began kicking herself for not trying to seek refuge with someone earlier – but all she could think of was getting as far away as possible.
The moon, which was shrouded in cloud cover, gave off just enough light that she could see a small ravine nearby, which led out the ocean. Her eyes darted to a small overpass, which bridged the ravine, but within it there was nowhere to hide that didn’t leave them vulnerable.
“Look.” Grace pointed to a picnic area above them. A small overturned boat lay lodged in the sand just next to the grass.
Anne turned toward the small boat, which had seen better days. Her mind was spinning with possibilities, but she knew that even if she had time to drag it to water – there was no guarantee that it wouldn’t sink.
Grace watched her sister’s mind at work, and quickly deduced what she was after. She was familiar with this boat, as she and Burke had spent many evenings sitting on top of it as the sun went down.
She knew it to be firmly placed in the sand, and wasn’t sure of how much cover it would provide, but she made a split decision to find out.
“Follow me,” she said, taking the lead and splashing through the water across the ravine.
Anne grabbed the lip of the boat and joined her sister in trying to raise it. After a couple tries, they finally succeeded in lifting it high enough for one person to slip inside.
“Get in and stay underneath,” Anne ordered.
“What about you? We have to stay together!” She shook her head.
“We’ve done a good job of running, but we can’t outrun him – he’s not stopping.” Anne overheard Zach, who was yelling something inaudible, in the distance.
“He’s still coming! And, now that we’ve crossed the ravine, our footprints made a definite mark in the sand. They’ll lead him straight to us! Get underneath! I have to cover our tracks. “
Again, Grace shook her head. She wasn’t leaving her sister to face this monster alone.
“Go. I should have protected you better when you were young…let me do this now. I’ll be right behind you,” Anne urged.
“No, I should have believed in you more. We’ll do this together … we stick together. Okay?”
“Grab a couple of those branches from that small palm tree. And we’ll cover our tracks by brushing them away. We need to make it look like we were never here.”
They dropped the boat and snapped into action. Grace pried loose some braches from a nearby tree, and handed one to her sister. They were exactly what they needed to wipe away their footprints in t
he dry sand.
Anne stopped when she saw the ones by the water’s edge. Their footprints were deeply lodged down into the wet sand, and wouldn’t be so easily wiped away.
“What about these? They’re too deep.”
Grace was struck with inspiration. “Step carefully in them once more.”
“Huh?” Anne wasn’t following.
“Trust me. We’ll step in them only to run in a different direction, up to another area from where we’re going. It might throw him off. Then we’ll stick to the edges of the grass and hide under the boat till Burke can find us. He’ll find me … I know he will.”
“Okay. Get going.” Anne ordered.
Both finished their task and ran back to lift the boat. This time it easily pried loose from the sand, and lifted high enough so that both could slip inside. Anne figured it was due to adrenaline that was surging through her system, and was grateful to bring it back down around them.
As she settled in the sand, Anne prayed they couldn’t be heard from outside their hiding place.
“Shh. Try to breathe in slow and don’t move,” she whispered to Grace, grabbing her hand.
She closed her eyes and listened to the pounding surf outside, praying it would be enough to keep Zach from hearing them inside the boat.
“What if he finds us?” Grace’s broken whisper tore at Anne’s heart.
“Hold my hand, close your eyes, and pray. Just pray.” Anne felt like she was counseling herself as much as she was her sister.
Dear God, help us, she begged.
Burke pulled into his drive with haste, as it took twice as long at the store than it should. Although he found what he needed almost immediately, the lines at the store were unreal. He figured everyone in the surrounding areas had the same idea he did, and almost laughed as he came through the front door. He couldn’t wait to tell Grace how long it took just to buy two Pyrex pans.
The laugh that was about to erupt from his throat died the second he stepped into his home. He could smell the burnt enchiladas wafting through the air, and the silence that enveloped him. Something was wrong.
“Grace? Anne?” He yelled, dropping his pans at the entryway table and rushing in. There was no answer.
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