her, her whole body practically having a seizure at the contact.
Embarrassment flooded her at the memory, as well as fresh anger at Brad and what he’d put her through. When would that nightmare no longer have that kind of effect on her? When would she finally, fully, be able to move past what he’d done to her?
“I’m as fine as I can be,” she assured him. “We should try to get some sleep. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Good night.”
Ducking her head, she turned away. Her room was farther down the hall away from the others. Close to where they’d put Haley, she acknowledged with a shudder. At the time she’d thought it would be best if she stayed nearby in case anyone needed anything. She’d never imagined how necessary that would prove to be.
She quickly made her way there, eyeing the closed doors she passed along the way. Prickles of warning rose along her skin, as though her instincts were telling her that any moment one of those doors could burst open and someone would lunge out at her, knife in hand....
She finally arrived at her room. Unlocking the door, she pushed it open, then glanced back.
Tom stood in his doorway, watching her.
When he saw her looking back at him, he raised his hand in acknowledgment. He made no move to enter his room, simply standing there facing her. She realized he was waiting for her to go in first, waiting to make sure she was safe and secure behind closed doors.
She knew she shouldn’t read too much into it. It was exactly as he’d said earlier—they should stick together, stay in pairs. He wasn’t doing for her what he wouldn’t do for anyone else. It wasn’t really personal.
And yet, it felt personal all the same. A heady warmth poured through her at the knowledge, at the feeling of his eyes on her. After everything that had happened and working so hard to take care of everyone else, she had to admit it felt good knowing someone was looking out for her. And to have it be this man, of all people, only made it sweeter.
With one last little wave good-night, she stepped inside and closed the door, firmly locking it behind her.
* * *
ONE DOWN...
Everything had gone even better than anticipated. It had been so easy. Haley hadn’t understood how much trouble she’d been in until the very end. Then she had. She’d been terrified.
And then she was dead.
The best part had been watching the reactions of the others afterward, particularly the ones who needed to suffer. The fear in their eyes. The panic about what was happening. The realization that they were trapped. The concern that they could be next.
They were scared.
They should be.
Chapter Seven
After a few restless hours that left her feeling like she hadn’t gotten any sleep at all, Meredith was awake by 6:00 a.m. Rising from the bed, she automatically moved to the window and peered out.
Nothing but a wall of white. She couldn’t even see where the snow on the ground began. It was as though everything outside Sutton Hall had simply been erased. The world had been reduced to what lay inside the mansion’s walls.
Trying to shake off the chill that came over her, Meredith quickly dressed. She was about to leave the room, her hand reaching for the lock she’d bolted only hours ago, when she stopped. The lock was a vivid reminder of what had happened last night, what she’d been trying to keep out.
What could be lurking on the other side of the door.
She quickly turned and scanned her surroundings, searching for something she could use as a weapon. Maybe she was being overly cautious, but she didn’t think that was possible given the circumstances.
Her gaze finally fell on an empty flower vase sitting on the table by the window. Crossing to it, she picked it up, gripping it upside down by the neck. It had some weight to it, and if she hit someone with it, it would either hurt or smash against them. Either sounded good. At the very least she could throw it if necessary. It wasn’t perfect, but at least it was something.
The hallway was empty when she finally stepped out of her room. She eyed the closed doors of her guests warily as she passed by. She hadn’t heard anything in the night, and she hoped that meant nothing else had happened. With any luck, everyone was safely in bed, sound asleep.
Quickly making her