by Willow Rose
Chapter Sixty-Four
I was awakened by heavy steps outside in the hallway, and then my door was slammed open. I sat up with a small gasp, shocked and annoyed to be ripped out of my pleasant dream of our vacation to Greece. Instead of the azure blue ocean and the bright summer light, I was staring at my son, who, for once, was looking directly at me.
"Victor?" I asked.
"Where is she?" he asked, almost hissed.
I blinked. "Where's who?"
"Skye!"
"I don't know, sweetie," I said. "Is she not in your room?"
"She was gone when I woke up."
"Well, I don't know, Vic. I’ve been sleeping. Don't you think she’s downstairs or maybe in the yard? Maybe she woke up early and went outside? You know how she loves it out there."
"She's not there," he said, angrily. "Where is she?"
"I told you; I don't know," I said as the night's many activities came back to me and I remembered Daniel and his mother and all that had happened with them.
Morten was waking up now, rubbing his eyes.
"What time is it?"
I looked at the clock. "It's seven a.m.," I said, annoyed. "It's Saturday, Victor. Couldn't you have let us sleep in a little?"
"She's not here!" he said, alarmed.
I got out of bed and hurried to his room, suddenly feeling anxious. I opened the door and found it empty.
"She's not here," I said.
"That's what I said," Victor complained. "Stop stating the obvious."
"And you checked downstairs?" I said and rushed to the bathroom, but it was empty too. Then I walked down the stairs and called her name.
"Skye? Skye?"
But there was no answer. I walked to the back door and looked out the window. I even looked up in the trees. Nothing. Yet there was something, and it made my blood freeze over. Out in the snow on the porch and in the yard and on the steps leading to the house were what looked like hundreds of footprints. I opened the door and looked at them, my heart pounding. Those were no ordinary footprints. These were heavy boots in a size none of us wore in the house. It had been snowing most of the night, so they had to be very fresh. I stood by them, then looked up at Victor's window above.
Could they have…?
Morten came out after me. "What are you doing out here in the cold?"
"They took her," I said. Tears were pressing behind my eyes, and I tried to hold them back. Victor was standing in the doorway, his small body beginning to shake.
"Who took whom?" Morten asked, rubbing his forehead. "I'm not quite following you here."
"The men. Those men from last night. They were in my house while we slept. They took her, Morten. They took her."
Morten stared at me, then shook his head. "Nonsense. That's impossible. We would have heard it."
"She's gone, Morten. Skye's gone."
He threw out his hands. "Well, maybe she ran away again. She didn't really belong here; maybe she went back home, huh? How about we go inside? It's too cold out here; come."
I shook my head. "Didn't you hear me? Those men took Skye!"
"You're being paranoid," Morten said and pulled me back inside. "Maybe she just took a walk. She might be back in a few hours. Let's not jump to any conclusions here."
"Why won't you listen, Morten?" I said and pulled my arm out of his grip. "They took her."
"How did they get in, huh?"
"I don't know. They have their ways, I guess."
"Okay and what about the dogs, huh? Brutus would have eaten them alive if they came inside the bedroom."
I looked at Victor. "Brutus."
Victor ran ahead of me as we rushed upstairs, Morten still yelling at us that we were acting paranoid and to calm down.
But there was no Brutus inside his room. Kenneth slept with Maya, and he would never have reacted. To anything else, yes, but never to dangerous situations.
"Brutus?"
"Brutus?" Victor called, his small voice shivering.
"Maybe she took him for a walk," Morten said, finally catching up to us.
I gave him a look when we heard a scrape coming from inside Victor's closet, and he ran to open it.
"Brutus!" I said and rushed to the dog. He was lying on his side and still half asleep. I looked at Morten.
"Now, you see?"
"See what? The dog is sleeping."
"First of all, this dog never sleeps. Second, how did he get in the closet, huh?" I asked.
Morten nodded. "Okay, that is strange; I'll give you that. But who knows with this dog? He's always been a little…peculiar."
I helped Victor get Brutus out of the closet. He tried to lift his head and look at Victor, but it fell back down.
"They must have sedated him somehow," I said. "It'll wear off. Don't worry, Victor. He'll be fine."
Victor caressed the dog while letting a couple of tears roll down his cheeks. I let him tend to the dog while panic erupted inside me. I knew these people had to work for Omicon and they had probably taken Skye back to that awful lab.
Where no one hears you scream.
How was I supposed to get her out of there again?
I had barely finished the thought when Morten's phone rang. He rushed into the bedroom and picked it up, then came back a few seconds later, completely pale.
"What's wrong?"
"It's…it's Jytte. She's in the hospital. A fishing boat pulled her out of the ocean this morning. She's at the hospital in Esbjerg on the mainland."
"Oh, dear God, Morten, what…how?"
He swallowed. His eyes were in complete shock. "I…I have to go."
"Let me take you," I said. "You're in no condition to be driving. Maya is home; she can look after Victor."
"Allan is picking me up. He's the one who called. I'll…I'll call you later."
Chapter Sixty-Five
I paced in the kitchen for hours, waiting for news from Morten, but none came. I was so worried about Jytte and about him, it drove me nuts. Victor was inconsolable. Even after Alex was picked up by his father and taken home and I showed Victor that Daniel was here with us, it didn't seem to cheer him up at all. He sulked all day, sitting in the corner of the kitchen, looking at the floor. It just about broke my heart. Brutus woke up and came down to be with him. It was sweet how that big ugly dog could sense he needed him. And he did. Victor needed him more than ever.
I made breakfast for all the kids, including Maya, whom I had a long chat with as soon as Alex had been picked up and they had hugged goodbye. I told her the entire story from the night before, about Daniel and his mother and even though I could tell it was a little much for my young girl, she seemed to understand what I was telling her by the time I told her that Lyn had asked me to take care of the boy and not tell anyone.
"I just don't know how to…I mean, I think we're dating now. I don't quite know if he'll still want to after all this, you know losing his mother and all," she said. "But I don't want to lie to him."
"I’m afraid you'll have to," I said. "At least for a while. I don't like lying to Morten, but I have had to do it a lot lately."
"Maybe Alex would understand if I told him the entire story?" she asked.
I shook my head violently. "No, Maya. We can't run that risk. These people took Skye last night. They're dangerous. If Morten hadn't been there last night, there’s no telling what they might have done to me. They tried to hurt me, Maya. You would also be putting him in danger if he knew and had to keep it a secret. Please, Maya. It's best this way."
She sighed. "All right. Hopefully, it won't be long."
Sophia stopped by later and took a quick glance at Daniel. "If you keep this up, you're gonna have more children than I do."
I poured us both some coffee and we sat down. Then I began to cry. I told her the entire story about Daniel, his mother, and Skye, who had disappeared, and then about Morten, whom I hadn't heard from all day, and I was about to die from worry.
"What if she dies? I mean, they said she
was still alive when they brought her in, but what if…"
Sophia stopped me. "You can't do the what if's."
I sighed and sipped my coffee when there was a knock on my door. I rushed out and opened it.
Outside stood Morten.
I nearly dropped my jaw. "Morten? How? How is she?"
"She's awake," he said.
I exhaled, relieved. "Oh, thank God…what was she doing…?"
"She took pills," he interrupted me.
"What?"
He swallowed. He was even paler than this morning. "She took pills, then jumped into the ocean in the middle of the night. Because she was lonely, she said. Because she didn't want to live anymore."
"I…I…that's awful, Morten. Do you want to come inside?" I asked.
He shook his head, and that was when I noticed a shift in his eyes. Something had changed, something deep within him.
"You're blaming me, aren't you?" I asked. "Because I told you to stay last night?" I shook my head while tears piled up in my eyes. "You're thinking she would never have done this if you'd been home, if I…I hadn't asked you to…?"
He didn't dispute it. Instead, he shook his head. "I…I have to get back to the hospital. I only came to get some of her stuff."
"So…so, where does that leave us?" I asked.
His eyes avoided mine. "I need to focus on her right now," he said. "I didn't know it was this bad. I’ve overlooked a lot of signs. I don't want that to happen again. She needs me, Emma. I need to be with her and take care of her. Full time."
"So…so, this is it? For us?" I asked, half choking.
He exhaled and took a step away from me. "I can't ask you to wait for me."
"But I will," I said.
"I can't ask you to do that. I don't know how long it will take. I can't promise you it'll ever get better."
"So, what are you saying?" I said with a sniffle. "This is it?"
"I…I guess so," he said. He lifted his head and looked into my eyes.
"But…Morten…?"
"I'm sorry, Emma. I really, truly am."
And with those words, he turned around and walked to his car. I felt like screaming and yelling at him, demanding him to stop, yelling that I would wait for him no matter how long it took, but no words left my lips. Instead, I watched him drive away, taking a big chunk of my poor aching heart with him. When I finally made it back into the kitchen, Sophia had already poured me a whiskey.
"Guess it's back to being just us, huh?"
I downed the entire drink in one gulp and put the glass down. Sophia poured me a second one, and I sat down, my body feeling heavy and so incredibly tired. We sat there, staring into our drinks for a few minutes, no one saying a word. I couldn't stop thinking about Morten and all we had together, and how mad I was at him for ending it like this, for throwing it all away. But also, how I understood him completely. I would have done the same if it had been Maya. We both knew I would.
"So…how are we going to get Skye back from that place, huh?" Sophia asked and downed her drink as well.
I lifted my head and looked at her, then emptied my glass. As I put the glass down, I sucked in air between my teeth.
"I think I might have an idea."
Sophia chuckled.
"That's what I thought. I have never known Emma Frost just to sit there and feel sorry for herself. At least not for very long."
THE END
Afterword
Dear Reader,
Thank you for purchasing Drip Drop Dead (Emma Frost #12). I hope I haven't scared you from ever taking a shower or going to the restroom again. This was a fun little part of Emma's new adventures, but it is far from over yet. This story continues into the next book, so don't worry. You'll get more answers as the story progresses.
Again, thank you for all your support. Don't forget to leave a review if you can.
Take care,
Willow
About the Author
The Queen of Scream aka Willow Rose is a #1 Amazon Best-selling Author and an Amazon ALL-star Author of more than 80 novels. She writes Mystery, Paranormal, Romance, Suspense, Horror, Supernatural thrillers, and Fantasy.
Willow's books are fast-paced, nail-biting page-turners with twists you won't see coming.
Several of her books have reached the Kindle top 20 of ALL books in the US, UK, and Canada.
She has sold more than six million books all over the world.
Willow lives on Florida's Space Coast with her husband and two daughters. When she is not writing or reading, you will find her surfing and watch the dolphins play in the waves of the Atlantic Ocean.
Books by the Author
MYSTERY NOVELS
Don’t Lie To Me (Eva Rae Thomas Mystery #1) - Click here
What You Did (Eva Rae Thomas Mystery #2) - Click here
Never ever (Eva Rae Thomas Mystery #3) - Click here
Say you love me (Eva Rae Thomas Mystery #4) - Click here
Let Me Go (Eva Rae Thomas Mystery #5) - Click here
It’s Not Over (Eva Rae Thomas Mystery #6) - Click here
All The Good Girls (Harry Hunter Mystery #1) - Click here
Run Girl Run (Harry Hunter Mystery #2) - Click here
No Other Way (Harry Hunter Mystery #3) - Click here
Never Walk Alone (Harry Hunter Mystery #4) - Click here
What Hurts the Host (Mary Mills Mystery #1) - Click here
You Can Run (Mary Mills Mystery #2) - Click here
You Can’t Hide (Mary Mills Mystery #3) - Click here
Carefull Little Eyes (Mary Mills Mystery #4) - Click here
Hit the Road Jack (Jack Ryder #1) - Click here
Slip Out the Back Jack (Jack Ryder #2) - Click here
The House that Jack Built (Jack Ryder #3) - Click here
Black Jack (Jack Ryder #4) - Click here
Girl next door (Jack Ryder #5) - Click here
Her final word (Jack Ryder #6) - Click here
Don’t Tell (Jack Ryder #7) - Click here
One, Two... He is Coming for You (Rebekka Franck #1) - Click here
Three, Four ... Better Lock your Door (Rebekka Franck #2) - Click here
Five, Six ... Grab your Crucifix (Rebekka Franck #3) - Click here
Seven, Eight... Gonna Stay up Late (Rebekka Franck #4) - Click here
Nine, Ten... Never Sleep Again (Rebekka Franck #5) - Click here
Eleven, Twelve... Dig and Delve (Rebekka Franck #6) - Click here
Thirteen, Fourteen... Little Boy Unseen (Rebekka Franck #7) - Click here
Better not cry (Rebekka Franck #8) - Click here
Ten little Girls (Rebekka Franck #9) - Click here
It Ends Here (Rebekka Franck #10) - Click here
Edwina - Click here
To Hell in A Handbasket - Click here
Umbrella Man - Click here
Black Bird Fly - Click here
Itsy Bitsy Spider (Emma Frost #1) - Click here
Miss Polly had a Dolly (Emma Frost #2)- Click here
Run, Run, as Fast as you Can (Emma Frost #3) - Click here
Cross your Heart and Hope to Die (Emma Frost #4) - Click here
Peek A Boo I See You (Emma Frost #5) - Click here
Tweedledum and Tweedledee (Emma Frost #6) - Click here
Easy as One Two Three (Emma Frost #7) - Click here
There's No Place like Home (Emma Frost #8) - Click here
Slenderman (Emma Frost #9) - Click here
Where the Wild Roses Grow (Emma Frost #10) - Click here
Waltzing Mathilda (Emma Frost #11) - Click here
Drip Drop Dead (Emma Frost #12) - Click here
HORROR SHORT STORIES
Eenie, Meenie - Click here
Rock-A-Bye Baby - Click here
Nibble, Nibble, Crunch - Click here
Humpty, Dumpty - Click here
Chain Letter - Click here
Better Watch Out - Click here
Mommy Dearest - Click here
Th
e Bird- Click here
FANTASY AND PARANORMAL ROMANCE/SUSPENSE
Flesh and Blood - Click here
Blood and Fire - Click here
Fire and Beauty - Click here
Beauty and Beasts - Click here
Beasts and Magic - Click here
Magic and Witchcraft - Click here
Witchcraft and War - Click here
War and Order - Click here
Order and Chaos- Click here
Chaos and Courage - Click here
The Surge - Click here
Girl Divided - Click here
Beyond (Afterlife #1) - Click here
Serenity (Afterlife #2) - Click here
Endurance (Afterlife #3) - Click here
Courageous (Afterlife #4) - Click here
Savage (Daughters of the Jaguar #1) - Click here
Broken (Daughters of the Jaguar #2) - Click here
Song for a Gypsy (The Eye of the Crystal Ball -The Wolfboy Chronicles) - Click here
I am WOLF (The Wolfboy Chronicles) - Click here
BOX SETS
Eva Rae Thomas Mystery Series: Book 1-3 - Click here
Jack Ryder Mystery Series Box Set: Vol 1-3 - Click here
Jack Ryder Mystery Series Box Set: Vol 4–6 - Click here
Mary Mills Mystery Series Box Set: Vol 1-2 - Click here
Mary Mills Mystery Series Box Set: Vol 1-3 - Click here
Rebekka Franck Series Vol 1-3 - Click here
Rebekka Franck Series Vol 4-6 - Click here
Rebekka Franck Series Vol 1-5 - Click here
Emma Frost Mystery Series Vol 1-3 - Click here
Emma Frost Mystery Series Vol 4-6 - Click here
Emma Frost Mystery Series Vol 7-9 - Click here
Emma Frost Mystery Series Vol 1-5 - Click here
Daughters of the Jaguar Box Set - Click here