Page 26 of My Bodyguard Neighbor
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THE MOTION SENSORSwent off at two in the morning.
Holly jerked awake to the sound of Jonah's voice, clipped and commanding as he spoke into his radio.He was already dressed, already armed, already moving toward the door.
"Get to safe room,” he said, his gaze locking on hers."Don't come out until I come get you."
"Jonah—"
"Promise me."
Holly swallowed her protests."I promise."
He kissed her, hard and fast, then disappeared into the hallway.Ellen appeared a moment later, her expression grim.
"Let's go."
The safe room was a reinforced closet in the back bedroom, windowless and fortified with a heavy door.Ellen showed Holly how to lock it from the inside, handed her a phone with a single emergency number programmed in, then left.
The lock clicked into place, and Holly was alone in the dark.
She could hear sounds through the walls.Muffled voices.Footsteps.Then the sharp crack of gunfire that made her flinch so hard she hit her head on the wall behind her.
More gunfire.Sustained bursts that seemed to go on forever.Holly pressed her hands over her ears but it didn't help.She could still hear it, could still imagine Jonah out there, could still picture him bleeding or dying or—
The gunfire stopped.
The silence was worse.
Holly counted her breaths.One.Two.Three.Tried to focus on anything except the scenarios running through her mind.Jonah was alive.He had to be alive.He'd promised to come get her.
Minutes crawled by like hours.
Then she heard footsteps approaching.Heavy boots on hardwood.Coming closer.
The doorknob rattled.
"Holly?"A man's voice.Not Jonah.Russian accent."I know you're in there.Why don't you come out and we can talk?"
How had he gotten past Jonah?Past the others?
"Your boyfriend is dead."The voice was casual, almost friendly."Along with his friends.You're alone now.But if you come out, I promise we'll make it quick.Better than starving to death in a closet, yes?"
Holly's hand shook as she reached for the phone Ellen had given her.Her fingers were numb, clumsy.She managed to unlock it, pull up the emergency number.
The door shuddered as something heavy hit it.Once.Twice.
Holly pressed dial.
"Breaking down this door will take time," the voice continued."But I have time.And when I get through, I'm going to hurt you before I kill you.Unless you open it now."
Another blow to the door.The frame cracked but held.
The phone rang once.Twice.Pick up.Pick up pick up—
The door exploded inward in a shower of splintered wood.
Holly screamed.
