Page 56 of Montana Heat

Oh shit.

Oh shit.

Oh—

The second I touched the doorknob, the room went dark. A faint hum stopped as the power went out, and the bathroom fan that was attached to the room’s light cut off.

What the actual hell?

I blinked, desperately listening for rattling as I wrapped my fingers around the doorknob, yanking hard over my labored breathing.

Nothing.

I jiggled it, pulled again, still nothing.

I couldn’t breathe, pressure building up in my throat until dizziness assailed me. My heart threw itself against my ribs.

Behind me, I heard the rattle.

That actually reassured me the slightest bit. At least the snake was still in the bathtub.

For now.

“What the hell?” My throat felt tight, and my mouth went dry.A faint thread of light glowed from the thin crack at the bottom of the door. Again, I frantically tried the knob. It didn’t budge.

I was trapped in here. Alone with a rattlesnake. Cold sweat broke out along my spine. I took a deep breath and tried to hold myself together.

Think, Kenzie. Just think.

Stay calm and think!

The utter silence scared me. I blinked, straining to listen and resisting the urge to whimper. Calling out might startle the snake. No one would hear me anyway. And my phone. I patted at my pockets again, confirming that I didn’t have it. I’d left it in my purse on the kitchen table.

No way to call for help. No way to get out. I licked my lips, daring to spin and face the direction of the tub. My eyes were getting used to the darkness now, and I could make out the vague shape of the tub. I didn’t want to creep closer, but I had to do something to protect myself. I had no weapons, no shields. But the shower rod captured my attention.

I couldn’t just stand there and hope the snake dismissed me. I eyed the shower rod, then the tub to check that the snake was still there and not on the move. I’d see it, I realized. It was a darker color than the off-white of the tub.

Eyes wide and not blinking and my heart pounding, I held my breath and crept closer to grip the rod. It was a heavy one, made ofa metal that seemed sturdier than aluminum. It’d be a decent stick to beat at the snake for defense.

As I stretched to unhook the brackets from it, I realized that I’d underestimated its bulk. I stumbled, off-balance from the weight of the long length. It swung down, taking the plastic curtain with it.

The rod landed with a thud on the rim of the tub. Falling and floating after it, the curtain drifted down over the tub space.

The sound of the snake’s rattle filled the room. It was no longer quiet, angered by the noise and entrapment.

I didn’t know what to do.

Picking up my curling iron I’d forgotten was out on the counter, I stepped back slowly, hoisting myself up onto the counter, keeping my back to the wall. As long as I could hear the rattle, it was okay.

It was the silence that would be deadly.

Chapter Eighteen

Jensen

“Now that’s quite the big smile ya got there. And I don’t think it has anything to do with that miserable coffee you’re staring at.”

I looked over at Susanna from the second mug I’d just poured. Normally, she avoided me in the mornings since I was more of a grouch in the early hours and generally liked to be left alone. But I’d been sort of hovering around the office.

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