Page 97 of Crow
Soft kisses covered her eyes and lips as one of his hands brushed the side of her breast. “Anytime,” he said in a low voice.
She turned back around and snuggled against him. They sat in silence, watching the flames dance while she rested her head on his shoulder, and he ran his fingers through her hair.This is nice.Warm comfort spread through her. After everything that had happened, Angie’s mind was exhausted. The smoky scent of the wood and soft crackle from the embers enveloped her. The fire’s heat began to make her drowsy, and as she drifted off to sleep, thoughts of Crow filled her head.
* * *
In the dark of night,Angie sat up in bed, her heart pounding. She glanced around the room in confusion.Where am I?As her eyes adjusted to the dimness, she saw the outlines of familiar furnishings. She was in the guest bedroom.Why am I sleeping inhere? Then the memory of being in Crow’s arms while watching the fire came back, and she looked over at the empty space in the bed beside her.Is Crow still here?
The rustle of leaves and muted whimpers of the trees as the wind kicked up interrupted Angie’s thoughts. She listened to the spring night. The hooting owl, the faint chime of the cathedral striking three, and the distant wail of a freight train clanking along the tracks. Then, amid the night sounds, something was scratching against the bedroom window’s screen.It must be a tree branch.Pushing aside the blanket, she got out of bed and stepped over to the window, then slowly pulled back the curtain a tad and peered out into the darkness.
The tree in the yard stood far enough away from the house that none of its branches reached the window. Across the street, the pine trees stood tall, blackened sentries lining the road. A shiver crawled along her spine as the hairs prickled on the back of her neck: something, orsomeonewas out there. She scanned the dark yard, but nothing stood out. A couple of windows from neighboring houses were blue, lit by television screens, but the rest were pitch-black. Anything could be crouched out there. Waiting.
Suddenly, from the corner of her eye, Angie saw a long shadow flit past the window.Shit! What was that?Pulling the curtain back a little more, she panned the area.Probably a racoon or a coyote. I bet that’s what it was. I’m scaring the crap out of myself.
Without warning, a man with a hoodie pulled down low appeared at the window. Angie choked on a scream. Her throat closed in terror. She let the curtain quickly fall back and leaned against the wall, her hand clasped over her mouth.
“Pretty lady,” a deep, throaty voice said.
It can’t be! It’s the man from the stairwell—Shadow Man.
“I’m coming for you.”
Forcing herself to stay calm, Angie shoved her terror aside, and ran to the nightstand to grab her phone. Groping for it in the dark, she couldn’t find it.
“Where the hell is my phone?” she said aloud as panic seized her. “Dammit!”
“Pretty lady.”
The scratching at the window started up again, and with a sick feeling, she realized the noise she’d heard minutes before had been this madman trying to pry off the screen.
“I’m calling the police!”
The bedroom door flew open, and a figure rushed in. A blood-curdling scream ripped from Angie’s lungs as she grabbed the small lamp on the bedstand and flung it at the person. Thethudsent a thread of satisfaction through her.
“Fuck! What the hell are you doing?”
The man approached and grabbed her arms as she kicked and twisted in a vain attempt to break free from him.
“What the fuck, Angie? Are you having a nightmare?”
Crow’s voice washed over her.
“Thank God, it’s you.” Tears choked her throat as she collapsed against him, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist and pressing her cheek to his chest. “I thought it washim. I was so scared.”
Crow slid his arms around her, drawing her closer. “It’s okay now. I’m here.” He kissed the top of her head. “You were just having a bad dream.”
She shivered and lifted her face, and he brushed his lips across her forehead and to her cheek, then melded their mouths together. For a long moment, nothing mattered except the kiss, and the fact that she was safe in Crow’s arms.
“Feeling better?” he whispered against her lips.
“Yes, safe and secure,” she whispered back, her gaze drifting over to the window. “I wonder if he’s still out there.”
Crow looked over his shoulder. “Who?”
“The shadow man. He was outside the window trying to pry off the screen. His voice was”—she shivered at the memory of it—“the same one as that day in the stairwell. He even said the same thing to—”
He pulled away, ran over to the window, and tugged the curtain aside. Silence filled the room as he stood rigid and stared out into the darkness. After what seemed like an eternity, he turned around and walked over to her.
“I’ll be back.”
