Page 64 of Caged in Desire
It turns out our errand is picking up a gigantic playhouse that Santa is bringing to seven-month-old LJ, who, to my knowledge, isn’t even crawling yet. I didn’t even know Henry owned a truck, especially not one so big that he has to pick me up to put me in my seat.
We have a lovely evening, walking through the shopping center, lit up with Christmas lights and decor. The cold weather is perfect for snuggling up to each other with hot cocoa as we walk around, dipping into store after store, finding way too many last-minute presents. It’s frivolous, but I’ve never gotten to enjoy the whole holiday shopping experience before, so I don’t feel too bad. Our night ends with a fantastic dinner at a cute little taco restaurant with holiday-themed margaritas. Well, Henry ordered them and then gave them to me.
Walking into our home, Henry is loaded with bags. “Time to get these wrapped and ready to take to your mom’s house tomorrow!” I say.
“Yes, darling,” he sighs, winking and going to grab our wrapping supplies.
We’re hours into wrapping when Henry holds up the “I heart boobies” onesie I bought for LJ. “Really?”
“He’s a Sinclair man after all! It’s only fitting.” I’m barely able to stifle my laughter, knowing that he, Ledger, and Jack all have matching shirts already wrapped up.
“Touché.”
“Oh!” I hop up, remembering the matching boobie rattler I have in a bag in my room. Well,oldroom.
I practically sprint there, eager to show Henry the toy. Turning right at the top of the stairs, I realize how strange it is to go this way. I haven’t been here in weeks. I’m several steps into the room when I freeze, a bloodcurdling scream leaving my lungs at the sight of my destroyed room.
I’ve moved most of my belongings to mine and Henry’s suite, but plenty of things were left behind, all of which are thrown about the room. The mattress is leaned against the bed frame, cut in half, all the drawers are pulled out, the curtains torn down, the pillows shredded, and clothes strewn about.
I’m still frozen in place when I hear Henry running down the hall. “Katarina?” When he finally reaches me, he wraps his arms around me and pulls me to him. When he’s taken in the state of the room, he turns me around, holding my head and angling it up to him to search my eyes while his are wide with fear. “Katarina, are you okay?”
He holds me there a moment after I nod, making sure for himself that I’m okay, then tucks me behind him as he assesses the destruction.
“Who do you think could’ve done this?” I whisper. When he doesn’t answer, I start going through a list of people who might have access to the house, when a name stands out. “Do the groundskeepers have keys to the house?”
He nods. “I don’t think Mr. Frederick would do this. I’ve known him most of my life.”
“No, I love Freddy!” I say, earning a warning glance from Henry. Rolling my eyes, I continue. “I don’t think it’s him, butthe replacement he had while he was away kinda gave me the creeps.”
“Replacement?”
“His name was Thomas or, erm, Tommy. He said he was helping Freddy…” My heart rate spikes again, thinking of that day in the woods.
“There’s been no other approved groundskeeper,” Henry practically growls, fisting his hands by his side. He pulls me along as he walks around, careful not to step on anything, then opens the door to the creepy storage room that sits against mine.
“Did you open this window?” he asks.
I could just be hearing or seeing things, but all the windows in this room are in fact closed. Sensing my confusion, he walks over to one of the windows and pulls it up.
“I know for a fact I locked these a few nights ago, so have you opened this window?”
“I’ve never opened either of them. I’ve hardly ever even come in here.”
He pulls out his phone, looking frantically through it, apparently not pleased with his findings. “Fuck!” he says, throwing the device against the wall.
“Henry, are you…?”
“The surveillance has been tampered with,” he says, pacing back and forth now, his hand running through his hair. “Alright, I’ve already got our bags packed in preparation to leave tomorrow. We’re going to go to Mother’s tonight and stay until I deem it safe. I’ll send someone for anything else we might need later on.”
Before I can respond, I’m in his arms as he strides to our room, grabs our bags, and carries me out the door.
Chapter thirty-one
“Alright, girls! This next gift is only for our eyes, so come over here, and we’ll open them together!”
My mother gathers Katarina, Sloane, and Margot over in a corner by the tree, mostly hidden from my brothers and me on the couch. Whatever they tear into has them all howling with laughter, and Mom catches my eye with a wink. Sloane grabs my wife’s arm to say something in her ear, then throws her head back, laughing even harder. This Christmas Eve has been more stereotypically magical than any that I can recall since my childhood, and I’m feeling particularly sentimental watching Katarina.
We’ve talked about the lack of emotional connection that she endured as a child, although Sasha and some members of her father’s staff helped. If there was ever any concern of how she would handle my family, who on the best day can bea lot,I knew after Thanksgiving that she was fitting right in. Being here in my mom’s house has been a storybook holiday so far, and I’m doing my best to keep Katarina’s mind off the break-in at our home. We still aren’t any closer to figuring out who’s behind it, but mywrath will ensure that whoever it was will never have a chance for a repeat once we catch them.
