When Twilight Comes - By B. J. Daniels Page 0,50
glued to the television. Jenna didn’t allow her daughter to watch much TV, so this was a treat for her. She felt she had failed Lexi in so many ways.
A mother protected her child. Even against the child’s father. Jenna hadn’t done that. Worse, she wasn’t sure she could in the future.
She closed the door to the sound of Lexi’s childish laughter and Fred’s irritated meow. Lexi hadn’t said any more about her father. Only that she wanted a “new” daddy, a nice daddy.
Hurry, Charlene, hurry.
When Jenna heard a soft knock, she ran to the door of the suite and threw it open, belatedly realizing she should have asked who it was first.
Charlene stood in the doorway, soaking wet and looking as if she’d aged. She was panting, her face ashen, as she burst into the room, motioning wildly for Jenna to close the door.
“Did someone follow you?” Jenna asked as she quickly closed and locked the door. “Lorenzo? Is he after you?”
Charlene seemed surprised by the question. She shook her head and, putting a hand to her breast, said between breaths, “It’s not Lorenzo.” She glanced around the suite, eyes widening.
“Are you all right?” Jenna had to ask. Her neighbor didn’t look all right. For a moment Jenna wondered if Charlene was having a heart attack.
“I’m fine. Just…winded. Where’s Lexi?”
“In the other room watching cartoons,” Jenna said. “Thank you so much for driving up here. I really appreciate it.”
Charlene nodded, her gaze going to the taped-up box sitting on the table. “That it?”
“Yes. I just need you to leave it in my apartment. I’ll call Lorenzo and tell him where to pick it up once I know you made it home safely.”
“Yeah. This place…” She waved a hand through the air and met Jenna’s gaze. “It doesn’t bother you?”
Bother her? Jenna wanted to laugh. This place made her crazy. “I’m anxious to leave, if that’s what you mean. I’m all packed. I was hoping you could give me a ride to the nearest town.”
Charlene was starting to breathe a little freer and didn’t look quite so pale. She dragged a sleeve over her face and Jenna saw her shiver.
“I’m already packed,” she repeated, motioning to her suitcase by the door. “I just need to get Lexi.”
Charlene nodded.
“Are you sure you’re all right?” Jenna asked her. “Would you like a glass of water?”
“No,” she answered. “I’m fine. It’s just the altitude up here. I’m not used to it.”
Jenna smiled at her. “Thank you again for doing this. I owe you.” She stepped to her daughter’s door and opened it. “Time to go, baby.”
“Go?” Lexi said from the bed. “No, Mommy.”
Jenna turned off the TV. Lexi protested, burrowing down under the covers. Jenna picked up Fred. He began to protest, too.
She carried the cat and Lexi’s suitcase into the living room and put the suitcase by the door next to her own. Charlene was standing at the window, looking out through the rain-streaked glass.
Jenna went back into the bedroom. “Lexi, please don’t fight me. Not now. Baby, we have to leave. Don’t you want to go on a big plane?”
Lexi peeked out from under the covers. She’d been crying, her face tearstained. It broke Jenna’s heart. The child had been uprooted so much, and now Jenna was taking her away from the one place Lexi truly seemed happy.
“A really big plane,” Jenna said, hearing the pain in her voice. She smiled, hoping to hide it from her daughter.
“Is Daddy going with us on the big plane?” Lexi asked.
Jenna could hear the fear in her daughter’s voice. “No. He’s not going with us.”
Lexi pushed back the covers, scooped up Clarice and reached out to her mother. Jenna grasped her in her arms and headed for the living room. Reaching the bedroom doorway, she halted.
Charlene was standing near the front door. She had the box of Lorenzo’s money under one arm. She held a gun in her free hand. The barrel was pointed at Jenna, and it had a silencer on the end.
“Give me Lexi,” Charlene said in a voice Jenna scarcely recognized. “Give me the child. Don’t make me force you.”
“Charlene—”
“Now!” the woman snapped.
Lexi started crying. Jenna stepped back, thinking that if she could get into the bedroom and close and lock the door…
Charlene dropped the box and grabbed Lexi’s arm before Jenna could carry out her plan. Struggling to hang on to her child, Jenna didn’t see Charlene swing the gun in a deadly arc.
She felt the stunning blow, though, felt