Page 28 of Jenna's Threatened Sanctuary

“Okay. I’m going to bed now. I’ll be in the guest room if you need anything.” She nodded her goodbye then left a piece of her heart with the man she somehow still loved, but for the life of her couldn’t figure out how to win back.

Soft moonlight floated into the guest room through a crack between the heavy curtains. Shadows infiltrated the corners, shapes shifting with each step. Jenna tiptoed to the queen-sized bed, careful not to wake Oliver. Sighing, her mind spun yet again over the facts that had brought her to this place—a guest in her first love’s house, about to spend the night with her son.

The ache in her heart expanded, building pressure in her lungs and laboring her breath. At what point would being away from Calvin stop hurting so damn much? Burrowing under the comforter, she let the soothing sound of lapping waves from Oliver’s sound machine lull her into a restless sleep.

Grrrr

Jenna blinked awake. Her tired eyes searched the darkness for whatever woke her from the sleep that had finally come after tossing and turning for hours. She stilled, straining to hear beyond the sound machine and regular shifts and groans of the old, unfamiliar house.

Grrrr…. ruff!

She bolted upright. The hairs on her arm stood on end.Boo!Ripping off the blanket, she searched for the giant dog.

Boo crouched low in front of the window, teeth bared.

“Hey, Boy. What’s going on?” Jenna whispered.

Boo whipped his head toward her, barked once, then faced the window once more.

She parted the drapes. The window looked out on the backyard. She scanned the darkness. A shadow shifted on the deck, morphing into a dark figure creeping along the worn planks and crouching beside the door.

Terror tensed her muscles. Someone was trying to get into the house.

13

Fatigue clawed at the insides of Calvin’s closed eyes, demanding sleep, but his mind refused to shut off. Images of Jenna asleep down the hall plagued him, refusing to let him relax. Refusing to let him drift away for a few blissful hours where his ex-girlfriend couldn’t taunt him.

Muffled footsteps on the other side of his door chased away his exhaustion seconds before Jenna burst inside, Oliver in her arms. Boo stayed glued to Jenna’s legs with his ears pinned back.

“What’s going on?” He scooted to a seated position, confusion furrowing his brow.

“Someone’s in the backyard, sneaking up to the kitchen door.”

The hairs on the back of his neck stood up, and Calvin dashed out of bed.

Oliver pressed his face against Jenna’s chest and squeezed his eyes shut. Low growls continued from Boo, who now stood at the foot of Calvin’s bed.

“Stay in my room with Oliver and Boo. Call the police.” He unlocked his phone and tossed it to Jenna before throwing on apair of joggers and t-shirt he’d left in a pile on the floor. “I’ll be right back.”

Jenna’s fingers flew over the screen. “What are you doing? Stay in here. The police will be here soon.”

Ignoring the desperation and fear in her voice, he dropped to the gun safe stored under his nightstand. He twisted the dial and the door swung open. A Glock sat on a black velvet lining. Grabbing the weapon, he checked the chamber, satisfied with bullets found, and dropped his arm to his side with the barrel pointed toward the ground.

“No way. You’re not going out there.” Jenna held up a finger, silently asking him to wait, and spoke into the phone. “We have an intruder at 621 Ridge Road and need police assistance immediately.”

Calvin took a deep breath to calm his nerves and hurried out of the room. He closed the door, blocking out the sound of Jenna’s protest, and crept down the hall toward the kitchen. The gun hung heavy in his hand. He tightened his grip, resting his index finger against the trigger.

Crash!

Calvin jumped, fear mixing with adrenaline. There was no mistaking the sound of shattering glass. He forced his feet to keep moving. The doorway to the kitchen loomed. He sucked in a silent breath of air. Training the gun in front of him, he supported the weapon with both hands and swung around the corner to face the kitchen.

The back door stood open, the windowpane smashed, and a cool breeze whipping into the room. Broken glass scattered around the wood floor. A man stood in the moonlight, dressed in black with a handgun pointed at Calvin.

“Drop your gun. Police are on their way.” Calvin moved his finger to the trigger.

Bang!

Pain erupted on Calvin’s side. He leapt behind the island to take cover. Every move, every breath, every thought running through his mind made his injured flesh scream in agony. He pressed his free hand against his ribcage and blood coated his palm. His pulse spiked and terror seized his movements. The bullet had grazed his side. He just had to fight through the pain and make sure this asshole didn’t get off another shot. Didn’t get a chance to come through him and hurt Oliver or Jenna.

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