Five
Page 28
And tonight, his sole mission was killing Paige Hood.
Sofia deserved happiness. She had it with Ryan and their children.
No one was going to take it from her.
So, revving his car engine, he prepared to slam it into Paige’s car.
* * * * *
3:59 A.M.
Paige was so tired.
When she got to the hospital, she was going to call Elias and ask him to come and get her and take her home. Assuming Xavier wanted to stay with Eliza until they knew whether or not she was going to survive her surgery, she would get her boss to organize a car to be posted at her house overnight so the boys wouldn’t worry about her.
In the morning, she still intended to discuss with her boss her plan to use herself as bait to catch the stalker. Right now, though, all she cared about was going home, falling into bed, and curling up in her husband’s arms to sleep.
Her phone, which sat in her bag on the passenger seat of Xavier’s car, began to ring.
Paige ignored it.
She didn’t want to talk to anyone right now.
She was too tired to deal with anything.
The storm was growing worse, making her glad she’d left the crime scene when she had. She hadn’t been able to get warm since the stalker had tried to run her down with his car. Getting drenched in the pounding rain and sleet, with the wind howling, she would have been utterly freezing.
It was only a ten-minute drive from the cemetery to the hospital, but she was driving slower on account of the storm. Their house was only fifteen minutes from the hospital. If she called Elias now, he could start driving before she even reached the hospital. That meant she could be home and taking a steaming hot shower then climbing into bed in less than forty-five minutes.
That sounded like heaven.
Her phone began to ring again.
Maybe she should answer.
What if it was news on Laura?
Hopefully, if indeed Laura was in labor, the doctors would be able to stop it. Paige didn’t want anything to happen to Laura or her baby. If anyone deserved some happiness, it was Laura—especially after tonight’s events.
Reaching over to pull out her phone, she saw her partner’s name on the screen.
“Where are you?” he screamed at her before she could even say hello.
“On my way to the hospital, why?” she asked, confused by his panicked tone. At the crime scene, she had been surrounded by cops. She had agreed to let Xavier stay with her. She was even going to be good and make sure she wasn't alone tonight. There was nothing for him to be panicking about.
“The stalker is following you.” Ryan’s words tumbled out in a rush, causing the car to swerve as she turned in her seat to search for another car on the road.
Seeing no headlights, she said to her partner, “I don’t see anyone. How can you be sure he’s following me?”
“Because he just called Sofia and told her he’s going to kill you tonight,” Ryan yelled. “What road are you on?”
“Woods Drive, down by the river,” she replied.
“I'm on my—”
All of a sudden, her car was rammed from behind. The force jerked her forward and her phone flew from her hand.
“Paige? Paige?” Ryan’s voice yelled at her from her cell, which was now lying uselessly out of reach on the floor under her seat somewhere.
She had no time to even think about trying to retrieve it because the blows from the other car kept coming. One after another. Her body jerked forward, straining against the seat belt with each hit. She tried to brake, but her tires couldn’t find traction on the slippery roads.
Another blow, more powerful than the others, sent the car skidding off the road and hurtling toward the river.
Again, Paige tried to brake, but the wet grass was even more slippery than the wet roads had been.
Her car built up speed as it went down a small decline.
She was bounced about, her body jarring as even the seat belt couldn’t prevent her from hitting the door and the steering wheel.
A second later, the car crashed into the water.
The river was deep, and almost immediately, the car began to sink.
Paige knew she didn’t have much time to get out.
She fumbled with the seat belt.
But it wouldn’t undo.
It was jammed.
Water was quickly flooding into the car.
Freezing water.
So cold it almost stole her breath.
It numbed her quickly, making her efforts at forcing the seat belt undone virtually pointless.
She was going to die.
The stalker had succeeded.
Ryan knew where she was, but he could never get to her in time.
If she had been cold before, it was nothing compared to being trapped in her car that was quickly submerging in the river.
Water continued to pour inside.
Already, it was up to her waist.
She was shaking badly and her teeth were chattering. If the water didn’t claim her first and she drowned, then she would die of hypothermia.
The cold became all-consuming.
Paige couldn’t think of anything else.
Her whole body was numb.
Her mind was quickly going numb, too.
Her movements as she continued to fight with the seat belt were sluggish now.
The cold continued to seep into her bones.
There was no escaping from it.
The water had risen to her chest.
Paige didn’t know how long she’d been in the car.
It felt like hours but couldn’t have been more than five to ten minutes.
It wasn't just cold in here, it was dark, too.
Like a coffin.
Which, in a way, it was.
She wasn't getting out of here alive.
Water began to tickle at her neck.
Soon, it would cover her head.
The cold was making her sleepy.
Still, she didn’t give up.
Her hands continued to try and pry the seat belt loose.
If she could get it undone, she might still have a chance of getting out of this car alive.
It wasn't until the water reached her mouth and she was forced to take a breath and hold it, that she gave up her struggle with the seat belt.
She closed her eyes.
Sleep was lapping at her mind.
No, not sleep, she thought.
Death.
Death was lapping at her mind.
Ready to tug her under as soon as her starving lungs forced her to take a breath.
She seemed to be immune to the cold water now despite the fact that it filled the entire car and covered her body.
Instead, she felt oddly warm.
A small part of her brain that still functioned knew that wasn't a good thing.
Vainly, she continued to hold her breath.
For what, she wasn't sure.
No one was coming.
She was going to drown.
Paige thought that she saw a light moving toward her, but she was probably wrong.
She wished she could see Elias just one more time. To hold him, to kiss him, to make love to him, to tell him how much she loved him.
Unable to hold her breath any longer, she opened her mouth.
Water filled it.
And then she passed out.
Also by Jane Blythe
Detective Parker Bell Series
A SECRET TO THE GRAVE
WINTER WONDERLAND
DEAD OR ALIVE
LITTLE GIRL LOST
FORGOTTEN
Count to Ten Series
ONE
TWO
THREE
FOUR
FIVE
Christmas Romantic Suspense Series
CHRISTMAS HOSTAGE
Flashes of Fate Series
CHARITY'S WRATH
MACKENZIE'S TRUST
Subs
criber Book
FLASHES OF FATE
Jane has loved reading and writing since she can remember. She writes dark and disturbing crime/mystery/suspense with some romance thrown in because, well, who doesn’t love romance?! She has several series including the complete Detective Parker Bell series, the Count to Ten series, the Christmas Romantic Suspense series, and the Flashes of Fate series of novelettes.
When she’s not writing Jane loves to read, bake, go to the beach, ski, horse ride, and watch Disney movies. She has a black belt in Taekwondo, a 200+ collection of teddy bears, and her favorite color is pink. She has the world’s two most sweet and pretty Dalmatians, Ivory and Pearl. Oh, and she also enjoys spending time with family and friends!
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