Girl in Trouble (An Alex Mercer Thriller Book 1)

by Stacy Claflin

  "I can be good."

  He shook his head. "It's too late." He gestured for her to go into the room.

  She stepped inside.

  "Don't try to unlock it. I'm going to stick a chair under the knob. You're not going to be able to get away."

  Intruder

  The phone rang, waking Zoey from a deep sleep. She sat up and scrambled for it, fumbling and nearly dropping it. Could it be news about Ariana?

  She stared at the screen. Blocked caller. Like she would answer that. They could unblock the number if they wanted to speak with her. She pressed ignore and lay back down.

  The phone rang again.

  Zoey reached over for it. Blocked caller again. She pressed ignore.

  "Leave me alone," she muttered.

  Something tapped on her window, just feet from her bed.

  Zoey gasped and sat up, pulling the covers with her.

  Tap, tap, tap. Scratch.

  Fear pulsed through her. She shook so hard she dropped the phone on the mattress.

  The silhouette of a man appeared in the window as it lit up from a car driving by.

  She pressed herself back against the headboard, unable to breathe.

  His form faded as the light disappeared, but he was still there.

  Tap, tap. Knock.

  Zoey cried out. "Go away! I'm calling the cops!"

  She felt around for the phone, but couldn't find it.

  Knock, knock, tap.

  Her pulse drummed in her ears. She still couldn't find the phone. Hadn't she just had it right next to her? She pulled on the sheet and blankets.

  The phone rang again, lighting up. It had gotten shoved under the pillow next to her. She grabbed it and threw it against the window.

  The man pounded on the glass so hard, Zoey was sure it would break. And now her only communication with the outside world was underneath the window.

  She climbed out of bed and pulled on a silky bathrobe that didn't cover much more than her nightie. She got down on all fours and felt around for the phone as the pounding continued.

  Why had she insisted on a ground floor unit?

  As she tried to find the phone, she came to a pile of dirty clothes on the floor. Kellen's stuff—she never left clothes on the floor. If only he was there. He had been the reason she thought she'd be safe on the first floor, but he hadn't spent as much time in the condo as she'd expected.

  Zoey cursed him as she continued looking for her phone. The pounding grew harder. Then the glass cracked.

  She froze. It would only be a matter of time before it shattered and the man could get inside.

  "The cops are on their way!" Zoey threw Kellen's clothes all over, still unable to find her phone.

  Why hadn't she thrown something else at the window?

  The glass cracked again.

  Then Zoey remembered something else. Her alarm system.

  She scrambled to her feet and ran out of the bedroom into the living room to the little white box with barely-glowing buttons. She pressed the red one. The system screeched all around her.

  A moment later, her phone rang in the bedroom. She ran back and saw the phone glowing under her nightstand.

  "Hello?" She had to shout over the alarm and the pounding on the glass. The window cracked again.

  "This is Mountainview Security Company," said a bored-sounding male. "Do you have an emergency?"

  "Someone's trying to break into my condo," Zoey cried. "He's almost in!"

  "I'll alert your local police. Please stay on the line while I put you on hold."

  "Okay."

  The window cracked again. This time, shards of glass fell onto the sill.

  Zoey cried out. Clinging to the phone, she ran out to the living room again.

  The pounding on the window continued. The glass cracked again. That time it did shatter.

  He was going to get in before the cops arrived. She had to do something.

  She glanced around. There was nothing that could be used as a weapon.

  Zoey ran back to the bedroom. Arms reached in through the broken window. She slammed the door shut and pulled a shelf in front of the door. It wasn't too heavy, but at least it should keep him in there for a few minutes.

  Something crashed inside her room. She screamed.

  "Are you there, ma'am?" asked the man from the security company.

  "Y-yes."

  "The police are already on their way. A neighbor called just before me. Can you look outside and tell me if you see them?"

  Zoey stumbled across the living room and lifted a blind. Flashing lights appeared across the street, but she heard no sirens. Maybe they were going to take him by surprise.

  "They're here."

  "Okay. I'm going to hang up now, unless you need something else."

  "No."

  "Thank you for choosing Mountainview Security Company." The call ended.

  Crashes and banging sounded from her bedroom. Her bedroom door opened inward. The shelf wouldn't stop him.

  Zoey screamed at the top of her lungs.

  Her doorbell rang and pounding sounded on the door. "Police!"

  With tears stinging her eyes, Zoey ran to the door and opened it. "He's in my bedroom." She pointed to the open door behind the shelf.

  They ran over, guns drawn, and one moved the shelf out of the way, knocking nearly everything over in the process. They all stormed into her bedroom.

  Zoey fell onto her couch and shook.

  One of the officers came out of the room and over to her. "The intruder escaped out the window."

  "H-he's gone?"

  "My two partners ran after him. I'm going to take a look around the apartment."

  She nodded, too shaken to respond. Shouting sounded from outside. Something hit the outside of the building.

  A man ran inside the open front door. Zoey screamed, afraid it was the intruder again.

  "Zoey, it's me. Alex."

  Comfort

  Alex ran over to Zoey, who sat shivering on the couch. No wonder why—she was hardly wearing anything. He grabbed a blanket from the back of the couch and wrapped it around her.

  "How did you know to come here?" She stared at him with wide eyes.

  His heart softened seeing her so scared. He tightened the blanket around her. "Nick called me when he heard it was you."

  "I was so scared."

  He put his arm around her. "It's okay now."

  "Did they catch him?"

  "I don't know, but he's gone."

  "Why's he going after me? Is it the same guy?" She shook harder.

  Given the last threat, it was a good bet. "Let's not worry about it right now, Zo."

  "Not worry?" she exclaimed. "How can I—?"

  "I just mean we should focus on the fact that you're safe. Your window's broken?"

  She nodded.

  "Okay. I'll board that up for you until you can get it replaced. I—"

  A cop came over to them. "No one's inside. I know you're upset, but I'm going to need to take your statement."

  "Are you going to be okay?" Alex asked. "I'll try to fix the window while you talk to him."

  The officer stared at him. "It's a crime scene. You can't touch it."

  "It's her room. She needs to feel safe."

  "I'll never feel safe here again," Zoey muttered.

  "You can fix the window once we're done processing everything."

  Another officer came inside and turned to the cop next to them. "He got away on foot."

  "Would you process the bedroom?" Alex snapped. "I want to fix her window."

  "You are?"

  "A friend."

  Zoey nodded.

  "Were you here when this happened?"

  "No," Alex said. "I came after Captain Fleshman called to let me know what was going on."

  "You know the captain?"

  "Yeah, Nick and I go way back." Alex stared the officer down, daring him to continue being a pain in the neck.

  The second officer turned
to the first "I'll process the room while you take her statement."

  "How long's this going to take?" Alex asked.

  "Maybe twenty minutes. Depends."

  Alex rose. "My dad has the stuff to board up the window. If I'm not back when you're done, stay with her. I don't want her to be alone."

  Zoey gave him a grateful look.

  "Sure." The cop pulled out a tablet and turned to Zoey, asking her about the intrusion.

  Alex glanced back over at Zoey as he headed out. Seeing her so scared made her look like she was much younger—like she was the girl he'd fallen in love with so long ago. Like she was the girl he'd let down.

  He shook off that memory and headed home, grabbing what he needed from Dad's garage, and then returning to Zoey's condo.

  The officer rose from the couch. "We're all done here. Do what you need to for the window."

  Alex gave a slight nod. "Thanks."

  They left. Alex locked the door and set the stuff down. "Are you okay?"

  Zoey shook her head. "I can't ever stay here again."

  He sat next to her. "Maybe you'll feel different in the morning."

  "I won't! I'm not getting a ground floor unit ever again."

  "Okay. Well, I'll get the window boarded up so your stuff will be safe at least." He got up, grabbed the stuff, and went into her room.

  It was a disaster with glass and clothes all over the place. He stepped over everything and hammered the plywood over the window. Once it was done, he gathered up the pieces of glass, dumping them into a small, white trash bin with the Eiffel Tower painted on the side. A portrait of the landmark hung over the bed. Clearly, she still loved Paris.

  He wondered if she had ever made it there. More than likely her golden boy had taken her. Mr. Perfect had probably flown her out for their first date.

  Alex shook his head and shone his cell phone's flashlight around the room, looking for any remaining shards of glass. A tiny piece shone from the carpet near the molding. He picked it up and continued scanning the room. She would have to vacuum to be sure to get it all, but for the time being, he couldn't find anything else.

  Peeking back out into the living room, he saw her sleeping. As tempting as it was to crash himself, he couldn't. Not here. He picked up some photos and knickknacks that had fallen on the ground.

  The first picture was one of Ariana at the beach, laughing at the shore. Alex's heart constricted. How much of her life had he missed? And would he get the chance to make up for lost time? He set it on the nightstand and picked up another by the dresser. Zoey and Golden Boy both holding glasses of champagne and gazing at each other like they adored each other wholeheartedly. He put it face down on the dresser.

  Another frame lay half-under the dresser. This one was of Zoey, Ariana, and Golden Boy in front of a Christmas tree. They looked so happy—like the perfect family.

  He put that frame face down, also, and picked up the other random stuff lying around. Finally, only clothes remained. He threw some jeans into the laundry basket. Then a pair of boxers. His stomach twisted, but again, what did he expect? Alex gathered the rest of the clothes without paying attention to what they were and tossed them in the basket.

  The room wasn't perfect, but at least it was better. Zoey wouldn't have to be reminded of the intrusion—at least not too much. If she wanted, he could help her replace the window. Unless of course, Golden Boy jumped in, which he probably would. The only reason he wasn't there instead of Alex was because Nick had called him.

  Past

  Alex woke in a leather recliner, confused. He looked around the unfamiliar room, until his gaze landed on the empty white leather couch and the black knit blanket that had been wrapped around Zoey.

  He lowered the chair, got up, and stretched. A shower sounded from somewhere in the condo.

  His stomach rumbled. Zoey had to be hungry, too. He went to the fridge and found some eggs and bacon. There wasn't much he could cook, but frying things was simple enough.

  By the time she stepped out of her bedroom, Alex was almost done with the breakfast—the coffee was even done brewing. He was pretty proud of himself. It was a lot better than the fast food he usually picked up on the way to work.

  She gave him a double-take. "You made breakfast?"

  "Thought you might be hungry after everything."

  Zoey scrunched her damp hair. "I am. Hey, thanks for picking up my room. I assume it wasn't the cops."

  "No, they probably made it worse than Flynn."

  She arched a brow. "You're on a first-name basis with my attacker?"

  "I got another threat yesterday. There's no way it's a coincidence." He slid the last egg onto a plate with several pieces of bacon and another egg, and he handed it to Zoey.

  "You really think the same guy who took Ariana did this to me and also hit Macy?"

  "We're getting close." Alex grabbed his plate and set it on the table across from Zoey and then filled two mugs with coffee. He gave her the one with the Eiffel Tower etched on the side. "Still into Paris."

  She nodded and sipped the coffee.

  Alex took a piece of bacon and sat. "Is it as magical in person as you always hoped?"

  Zoey shrugged. "I wouldn't know."

  "You haven't been there?"

  She shook her head and cut an egg.

  Maybe Golden Boy wasn't as perfect as he appeared. Speaking of the devil, why hadn't he come to check on her yet?

  They ate in silence. He studied her from the corner of his eye. She seemed far more vulnerable than usual, reminding him of when she was younger. He longed to run his fingers through her hair, down her soft cheek, and to finally place his mouth over her soft lips.

  He shoved his desires away.

  Zoey set her fork on the empty plate. "Thanks for everything, Alex. I…" Her voice trailed off.

  "It was nothing."

  "No, it wasn't." She held his gaze. "You didn't have to, and I didn't want to be alone."

  "I had to do something. At least now you feel safe again. You can keep living here."

  She shook her head. "The only reason I could sleep is because… Never mind."

  "What?"

  "Because you were here."

  His eyes widened. She looked away and slid her finger around her phone's screen.

  She felt safe because he was there? Even after everything they'd been through?

  The silence seemed to scream.

  He squirmed in his seat. "Do you want me to take you shopping for windows?"

  "I should call my insurance company. It might be covered."

  "Okay."

  She turned to him, her eyes wide and her expression even more vulnerable. "What happened that night?"

  He twisted the hem of his shirt, not wanting to talk about the night he'd screwed everything up with her, and changed the subject. "Like I said, Fleshman called me about the break in. I came right over—"

  "Not last night. When we broke up." Her expression held sadness rather than anger and bitterness.

  Alex's shoulders slumped. "I was an idiot. Worse than that."

  She sighed. "It was a long time ago. We both need to move past it, but I need to know why. Why did you do it?"

  He felt like added weight had been placed on his shoulders, but this was his chance to apologize. "Zoey, I'm really sorry. I know that doesn't change anything, but I am. I've always regretted walking away from you."

  She frowned, but didn't say anything.

  Alex searched for the right words. If he was honest with himself, he couldn't even remember what they'd been fighting about that night. What he did remember were the harsh words that spewed from his drunk mouth. The things he'd said to her… they were things nobody deserved, much less her. There was no excuse for the things he'd said. "I wish I could take back all the things I said. That and abandoning you when you needed me most."

  Her mouth dropped open. "What about cheating on me?"

  Alex's eyes nearly bulged out of his head. "What?"

 
"Don't you regret cheating on me?" Pain filled her eyes.

  The room spun around Alex. "I never cheated on you."

  "But… but… yeah, you did."

  He shook his head. "I swear on my life I'd never do that to you."

  They stared at each other.

  "What about Amanda Culbertson?"

  "Amanda?" Alex exclaimed.

  Zoey nodded. "Everyone said you slept with her."

  "That explains why she slapped me in English class." Alex rubbed his face and held Zoey's gaze. "I was horrible to you. Those things I said to you…" He shuddered. "But no, there was no one else. Not before you dumped me, and not for a long time after that. I didn't want anyone else."

  "You never cheated?" she whispered.

  "Never. And I didn't mean any of the crap I said about you, either. You and Ariana are the best things to happen to me." And now it was too late. Ariana was gone and Zoey was engaged to Golden Boy. They would have the perfect wedding and then little angelic children, finally giving Ariana the siblings she'd always wanted when she returned. Alex would go back to his one-track existence building roofs and drinking his pain away.

  Zoey opened her mouth and then closed it.

  "What?"

  She picked at a nail and then looked him in the eyes. "I'm sorry for how I've treated you. I always thought you had betrayed me in the worst way."

  He found himself wanting to walk around the table and wrap his arms around her. To smell her sweet perfume and to taste her kisses. If only one of a thousand things had turned out differently.

  Alex cleared his throat. "You should call Kellen. Does he know what happened?"

  "Alex, he—"

  Zoey's phone sounded and his buzzed. Alex's heart plummeted. If it was another threat, he was going to lose it. He whipped out his phone. It was from his dad.

  Turn on the news.

  Alex exchanged a worried expression with Zoey. They hurried over to the TV and she flipped it on. The newscaster spoke too fast to understand—or was it because Alex's mind was spinning?—but he managed to read the ticker at the bottom of the screen.

  Someone had confessed to the kidnapping.

  Confession

  Nick stared at the full interrogation room from the other side of the mirrored glass. The young, slightly heavy-set Hispanic man looked nothing like the description Alex had given of the skinny, balding white guy who'd taken Ariana. The only way this made any sense was if he was the guy Alex had bumped into at the grocery store after confronting Myer, and that was a stretch. Sanchez was too young to have started killing thirty years earlier.