Page 14 of Swan River

She shrugged it off, assuming it was one of the swans or other waterfowl that made the pond their home, but then the hair on the back of her neck rose. A warning that came too late. She started to call out to Ramona as a black-gloved hand slid over her mouth from behind, and a muscled body slammed her back against it.

Shock hit her first. Panic second.

She struggled, trying to bite the hand covering her mouth, trying to slam her foot into a knee or drag it down a shin.

A new terror hammered through her as the truth hit home. She couldn’t escape. He was too strong, too well trained, easily countering her weak moves. Where was the rest of her security? Where were her friends? Her sister? The people who should have been flowing into the backyard for Ronan’s documentary?

Doors slammed in the distance, and through the fear, relief and hope tried to filter in as she heard Ronan’s deep voice giving directions to his crew.

She just had to get free enough to scream.

As if he’d read her thoughts, the arms around her tightened, squeezing until the air left her gut in a single whoosh. A knife flashed before her eyes, glinting in the ghostly white light of her phone that had fallen to the ground.

The slow tears that had come when she’d been thinking of Paisley were replaced with a rush of them. Fast and furious. She didn’t want to die. She had too much still to do. Too many things to beg forgiveness for.

But it was too late. The knife was there. The pain was sharp and fierce as the edge bit into her neck and...

Chapter Eight

Paisley

GONE AWAY

Performed by The Offspring

The blood dripping from the image of Jonas and her made her stomach lurch.

Whoever was doing this had been there on the street today. Watching them. Filming them. Why hadn’t their security seen them? Why was this happening at all?

Landry!

Paisley grabbed the handle above the picture and thrust open the door. “Landry! Nikki!” she called into the quiet of the house.

There were a few lights on, a lamp in the downstairs living room and the can lights in the kitchen, but other than that, the house was still and shadowy.

“Landry!” Paisley cried again, scrambling for the stairs with Jonas and Trevor right behind her. She threw open the door of her sister’s room with her pulse hammering. It was empty, but the outfit she’d had on earlier was tossed on the bed, which meant she’d been there.

Knowing Landry, she’d gone for a run around the pond. It was late and dark, but that hadn’t stopped her the other night. Paisley turned to leave and saw Trevor throwing open other doors, calling for Landry and Nikki.

She heard Nikki’s voice, groggy and startled. Paisley raced down the hall just as Nikki sat up in bed wearing nothing but a camisole and underwear. There was a glazed expression on her face that she often had when fighting her migraines.

“Have you seen Landry?” Trevor demanded.

Nikki shook her head, wincing.

They all ran down the stairs, searching the other rooms.

Later, Paisley would doubt what had sent her out the back door. It was as if she heard Landry calling her but from far away, like through a crowd that was loud and clamoring.

She flipped on the porch lights, stepped out onto the wooden slats, and rushed to the edge, searching the darkness. There. Down by the pond, a soft light like a phone glowed. Thank God.

“Landry!” Paisley called in relief.

She flew down the stairs and out toward the water. As Paisley drew closer, fear started to drift back in. The phone was on the ground, and a dark mound lay beside it.

“Landry…” Paisley called softly this time as her skin broke out in goosebumps, even though the night was hot and humid.

“Lan,” Paisley called.

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