Page 67 of Every Breath

“So what?”

“So what, indeed. Hey, I’m not knocking it. As long as he treats you well, you have my support. I just wonder what Dad will say.”

“What can he say? I’m thirty-four and I don’t need my parents’ approval for who I love.”

“So you love him, do you?” Lisa was like a dog with a bone.

“Maybe I do.”

“You know I only want you to be happy, right?”

“I know, but do you have to be so damn nosy?”

“That’s what big sisters are for. There was something else I wanted to ask.”

“What?”

“Has Rodney been bothering you lately?”

Brandi frowned. She didn’t want to be reminded of him. She still couldn’t believe how crazy he had turned out and it seriously made her wonder how he fooled her and Damon for so long. It also made her wonder about the night she’d gotten engaged. Was it possible that she hadn’t accepted his proposal? She certainly couldn’t remember having done so. Until recently, Brandi hadn’t given it much thought because she never would have suspected that Rodney might have lied. Just thinking about him now sent a chill down her spine.

“No. I haven’t seen him since the day in the park.”

“You never did tell me exactly what happened.”

“I’d rather not get into it. I’m just glad to have him out of my life.”

“I’m glad, too. I had this nagging feeling about him, but I didn’t realize that he was nuts.”

“I know,” Brandi agreed uneasily. So many things that didn’t quite add up plagued her, but hopefully with the restraining order against him, he would leave her and the children alone.

Lisa stood up. “Well, I guess I should get the cake out. I hear the little savages getting restless.” She walked over to the counter where the cake sat. “Damn!”

“What?” Brandi asked.

“I forgot to buy the candles. I’ll have to get Ed to run to the store.”

“I’ll go. The 7-11 is just a few blocks down. I can be there and back in fifteen minutes. Can you hold the kids off for that long?”

“Of course, I can. You sure you don’t mind?”

“Not a problem. I could use the exercise, and it’s such a nice day.”

“Thanks, hon, you’re an angel.” Lisa gave her a brief hug.

Brandi looked out the kitchen window to see her children happily playing with the rest of the partygoers. Satisfied that they were okay, she grabbed her purse and walked out the door.

She hummed to herself, excited that things felt right in her life again. She was so madly in love with Mason, and Rodney was out of her life. There was no more guilt, no more uncertainty, and she felt free for the first time in over two long years.

The convenience store was just ahead when a hand holding a rag covered her face. An arm wrapped around her waist, nearly squeezing the breath from her. She tried to scream, but the rag muffled her voice. With all her strength, she struggled against her assailant, kicking and clawing.

The awful smell of the rag overwhelmed her senses and she could feel herself blacking out. As she drifted into unconsciousness, a voice whispered, “I told you that you were mine.”

Mason’s head ached like a son of a bitch. When the car had flipped over, his head had slammed against the steering wheel before the airbags were deployed. When he had come to the doctors told him he had a mild concussion and a fractured collarbone.

Mason’s first concern, however, had been Ben. To his great relief, Ben was okay except for a few minor scratches on his face from the broken safety glass. His son was a bit shaken up, Mason was told, but nothing major to worry about. Ben had briefly visited his room to make sure he was okay.

The cops had just left after taking his statement. Where the hell were they when that psycho tampered with his brakes?

---