Page 23 of A Burning Rage

“What’s wrong with Mama?” Luke asks, watching his mother disappear down the hallway.

Cooper steps up beside me, concern written all over his face as he stares after her.

“Let’s give her a few moments,” I say quietly, as Sam—thank God—takes Luke from me and carries him back toward the kitchen.

“She’s not handling this well,” Cooper says.

“I’ll go check on her.” When I step into our bedroom, I quickly scan the room, but I don’t see her. Then I notice the bathroom door is shut. I cross the room and try the knob. It’s locked.

She locked herself in the bathroom.

Not a good sign.

I knock quietly. “Beth? Sweetheart?”

No answer.

I walk away from the door and pace at the foot of our bed, wanting to give her a few minutes in case she’s indisposed.

After I’ve waited as long as I can stand, I return to the door and knock. “Beth?”

She doesn’t reply, but almost immediately I hear the water running in the sink.

I knock again, this time with more force. “Beth, open the door.” I raise my voice to be heard over the water.

Still no response.

My pulse picks up as this moment brings back a lot of painful memories around the time of her attack.

“What’s she doing in there?” Cooper asks.

I hadn’t even heard him come into the bedroom. “I don’t know. She won’t answer me.”

Cooper knocks hard on the door. “Honey, open up, please.”

I nudge Cooper with my elbow. “Can you get me something to pick the lock with?”

“I’ll be right back.”

While I’m waiting for Cooper to return, I talk to Beth through the door, hoping she can hear me over the sound of the water. “Sweetheart, I know you’re upset. I understand, and it’s all right, but you need to open this door and let me talk to you face to face. Please, Beth.”

She still doesn’t respond, and now I’m trying hard not to freak out and possibly overreact. Maybe she just wants to be alone right now. That’s understandable.

When Cooper returns, he pushes me out of the way and leans down to jimmy the lock. He actually retrieved a lock pick.

“A toothpick would have worked just as well,” I note.

He ignores me as he finishes the job, turns the handle, and pushes the door wide open.

I step into the room, and my heart slams against my ribs when I see Beth sitting on the floor, leaning against the vanity with her knees drawn up to her chest. Her arms are wrapped around her legs, and she’s pressing her face down on her arms. Her shoulders are shaking, so I assume she’s crying.

“Damn it,” Cooper mutters from somewhere behind me. “I’m going to kill that little shit.” Of course he means Andrew.

“Sorry,” I mutter, “but you’ll have to get in line.”

At the sound of our voices, Beth lifts her tear-stained face. Strands of her hair have fallen free and are hanging down, partially concealing her tear-filled eyes.

She turned on the faucet to mask the sounds of her cries.