I eased my head against the glass, wanting nothing more than to take a walk on the pristine white sand, still pretending. A flash caught my eye. As I lifted my head, shielding my eyes from the morning sun, I scanned the perimeter. The entire location was sequestered in a beautiful cove, all sides surrounded by the same kind of trees that we’d driven through. From what Rafael had told me, there were few houses, and almost no businesses within several miles of the house.
Yet I saw a single person walking with purpose down the beach. I shrank back, blinking several times as the sun certainly had the ability to play tricks given the light level mixing with the remaining shadows. I moved a few inches to the left, peering out the all glass door again.
I wasn’t seeing things. There was a person walking in this direction. From what little I could tell, it would appear he or she had on a jacket of some kind, a hood covering a good portion of their face. Sadly, from the position of the house on the knoll, there would be no way I could identify the intruder. I shrank back even further, my heart racing, uncertain whether or not I should be concerned.
What fucking recourse did I have? Shooting the person? Hiding in the safe room in hopes of Rafael’s return? I huffed, moving into the kitchen and pouring the half full cup down the drain. I was still able to catch a glimpse, hopeful whoever had ventured onto the forbidden turf would keep walking.
Except they didn’t.
Whoever the person was stopped almost right in front of the house, peering up as if waiting for some level of acknowledgment.
Butterflies floated into my stomach as I tried to figure out what to do. There was no way to communicate with Rafael. I was a sitting duck even with the great security system. What about the windows? Were they also bulletproof? If not, anyone could smash the glass if determined to get inside. I studied the lone figure for a full minute, even more fearful when the person didn’t move.
Think. Think...
The binoculars. Of course. I rushed into the office, my hands shaking as I grabbed them. By the time I made it back into the living room, the intruder had seemingly disappeared. I flew from window to window, trying to see where they’d gone. The fact the person had moved was almost more disconcerting.
As I paced the floor, peering over my shoulder every few seconds, I realized that panicking wasn’t going to help the situation. Maybe it was a great big coincidence that someone had decided to take a walk several miles and ended up in front of the house. Perhaps someone’s car had broken down in close proximity and strolling the beach for help seemed more viable.
Coincidences.
Hell, no.
As I looked again, I could just make out the intruder on the outskirts of a bank of trees. I was certain of it. Even though I brought the binoculars to my eyes, the angle was still bad. The only way to get a good look was to... go onto the deck. “Shit.” However, if I could at least describe the person when Rafael returned, perhaps that would be of help.
Convincing myself didn’t take much, although the inner voice nagged at me. I was risking a hell of a lot. My hands were clammy when I walked to the door, staring at the console. I’d take a quick look and return inside, locking everything down and remaining away from the windows. I had no other choice. I certainly wasn’t going to allow anyone to sneak up on me.
After disarming the security system, I raced into the kitchen, grabbing the Glock and sliding it into the pocket of the sweatpants. A quick glance into the binoculars told me the person remained exactly in the same position. Now I knew my instincts weren’t wrong. The house was being cased. I unlocked and opened the door, hunkering down and crawling toward the railing. I sucked in my breath then stood, positioning the binoculars immediately.
It took a few seconds to focus but when I did, I fought another round of biting fear. Whoever was watching the house also had a pair of binoculars and they were tilted in the direction of the house. I quickly studied the outline of the intruder, who wore jeans and a dark jacket with a hood. The breeze was