Page 47 of His Loving Wife

Andrew remained on the bed.

“Willow, run!” Kate shouted.

Within seconds, Willow was gone. She disappeared into the hallway. The masked intruder struggled to follow her, but Kate refused to let up. It was like her body was made of lead, weighing them both down. Although the intruder was heavier, in that moment, Kate’s rage and desperation seemed to compensate for the difference. Like those stories of mothers ripping open car doors to save their young, Kate had an almost unexplainable strength, keeping the intruder in place.

There was movement in the hallway. Kate saw Willow run past, Noah in front of her. She was getting him out of the house. Kate only caught a glimpse of Noah’s frightened face, and felt another surge of adrenaline, helping her keep the intruder contained.

As quickly as they appeared, they were gone, and Kate thought—although it was hard to focus—she heard the front door open. They were out of the house. Away from that man. In some ways, it mattered little to her what happened next. At least her children were safe.

The intruder wriggled away from her grasp. He stood, hovering over her. He reared back and smacked her hard across the face. Kate tasted a salty burst of blood in her mouth. When she turned back to face her intruder, he was gone. She chased after him, catching a glimpse of his hooded figure as he exited the house and disappeared around the back.

Part of her wanted to follow him, hurt him—kill him? A rage pulsated in Kate she’d never felt before. Had never believed to exist. The type of rage that could only be exorcised in the defense of one’s children, and for that same reason, she chose not to go after him. The only thing more important than making sure that man was punished was making sure her children were safe. She changed direction, jogging the short distance toward Dana’s house.

They’d created an emergency plan for the family long ago. If there was ever a fire, Dana’s house would be the designated meeting place; the Brooks house was the same spot for Dana’s family.

Willow took Noah there, Kate told herself as she made the short, laborious jog across the street. They got out in time. She remembered to take him there. She’s smart.

Kate was delighted to find the downstairs lights on, despite the late hour. She banged on the front door, which was locked. Dana’s face appeared between the blinds. The door opened, and Kate’s heart leaped at the sight of her children. She ran to them, scooping them in her arms. Her tears and her breath and her love poured out of her all at once.

“Willow said there was a man in your house. The police are on the way,” Dana said, her face flushed. “Kate, you’re bleeding.”

Kate didn’t care. All that mattered was her children were safe.

“What about Dad?” Noah asked.

Relief exited her body as quickly as it came. She’d watched the man disappear into the night, but she had no idea what happened to her husband. She stood and ran back toward the house.

“Kate, wait!” Dana called after her. “You can’t go back over there.”

But Kate didn’t care. Already, more gruesome scenarios entered her mind. What if the masked man had rounded back and re-entered the house? What if Andrew had gone after him, and he needed Kate’s help?

She darted up the steps and found Andrew was in the exact same spot where she’d left him. He was crying, still fiddling with his damn phone. When he saw Kate, he threw it down.

“The kids?” His voice was desperate, full of fear and… shame.

“They’re at Dana’s. They’re safe.”

She went to him, wrapping him in her arms. She cradled him as he sobbed.

“What happened? Who was—”

“I don’t know,” Kate said before he could finish. It was true. She didn’t think of Paul. The only certainty was that someone had entered their home with the intention of hurting her family, and she’d refused to let it happen.

“I’m sorry,” Andrew whispered, his voice being overtaken by more sobs.

She remained there, holding him, her attention turning to the sound of approaching sirens in the distance.

Questions whizzed through her mind, gratitude pulsated within her heart. They were safe—from what, was unclear. All that mattered was that the people she loved most on this earth were okay.

And yet, in this moment, her arms wrapped around her trembling husband, she felt alone. She’d acted alone, hadn’t she? She’d fought back against the attacker, rushed to ensure her children were safe, even returned to check on Andrew, who had barely moved an inch since that first sound woke her in the night. A seed of anger had been planted, would be nurtured by her loneliness in the months to come, until it blossomed into resentment.

Chapter 24

Now

I’m trying hard to keep my panic at bay so I can focus. I need to find Willow.

I’ve told Noah to go back to his bedroom. Andrew is up now, doing his own search of the house. I know it’s useless. I’ve already searched everywhere.

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