but he wouldn’t hurt Eli.
“Ma’am you called us.”
Maggie panicked and hung up. She looked at the phone as if it were her enemy. What had she just done? A barrage of emotion choked her every move. Her feet felt like lead and her voice seemed vacant. Why was she afraid to go home? What was wrong?
She saved the number but she deleted it from her call log; then she wiped her eyes and walked home, terrified that she might actually leave Jack.
Much of the night went by like a blur. Ben poured her a drink to help her settle down. He also put Eli to bed and let Maggie run her bath. The heat drew the blood from her head, making her thoughts slow down. She didn’t want to sleep alone that night, and preferred that Eli be moved to her room. But for now, she needed another glass of wine.
The altitude affected her drinking. It normally took a bottle of wine to take the edge off, now Maggie could accomplish that with two glasses. She sat up in the tub and looked around. She must have nodded off for a bit in the tub, but that was usual. When the water cooled or a sound alerted her, she would wake up, slightly startled and then drain the tub.
The wine made her do strange things— but that could be a good thing. She needed a break in her routine; the same routine she put in place to maintain order and control.
The lights were dim as she entered the kitchen. The firelight illuminated the living room where Ben reclined on the couch. She opened the fridge, not sure if she wanted to go to sleep or enjoy his company.
“When did he fall asleep?”
“Over half an hour ago,” Ben whispered.
Maggie curled up beside him. “I must have fallen asleep.”
Ben put his arm around her and she eased her head upon his shoulder.
The roar from the fire billowed off the glass. Together they watched the
flames dance against the window. What would tomorrow bring? Maggie didn’t want to think about it. She was emotionally exhausted and needed to recharge.
She breathed in a whiff of Ben’s cologne. The piney scent aroused her senses, pushing away her fears. His hands were warm as they pressed again her shoulder. She could hear his strong heart pulse one beat at a time. She again, breathed deep, waiting for the stress to melt away.
Ben’s hands moved up her shoulders to her hair. He caressed the tops of her head. She nestled closer until every care for her future drifted away.
Switching vehicles seemed like a good idea. Ben had parked in her garage and Maggie loaded up Eli in his truck, hoping to venture out as she was urged. The storm had passed and Detective Brant called that morning to tell her that the man on security camera outside Eli’s school was not Jack. It was the older brother of one of the students, who just returned from Iraq, he wanted to surprise his little sisters, who were in fourth grade.
That piece of news brought down her anxiety, that and the wine that was working its way out of her system.
Ben reminded her to have a normal day and bring Eli with her wherever she went. The house was under surveillance and she had to pretend everything was back to normal. When he left for work that morning, he kissed Maggie on the forehead. He spent the night in her room, with Eli sprawled out between them.
She woke up in the middle of the night and slipped out of bed. Even in an induced state, her night panic attacks were still in full swing. She rarely slept through them. Maggie curled up beside Vala and rubbed her head until the fire embers burned out. That’s when the house grew silent. Every few minutes she’d look out the back window, wondering if Jack were out there. If he was, it was just a matter of time before he’d get inside. And then what? Would Vala respond the way she was trained? Maybe Maggie put too much faith in her and should have taken self-defense?
She buckled Eli in his booster seat and turned up the heat.
“Where are we going momma?”
“We are going to see Mommy’s boss.”
“Cwaus?” He asked in a silly accent.
She smirked. “Yes, honey. Do you want to see the dogs?”
Maggie realized that if Jack were tailing her, this was the last place he’d want to go. Then maybe he’d leave