Page 71 of Sanctuary at MacLeod's Cove
She opened her mouth to speak his name, but no words emerged. She felt frozen — inside and out.
He cocked his handsome head to one side and narrowed his eyes as he surveyed her.
‘How did you get in?’ she asked.
‘Glass is easy to break. All the locks in the world won’t keep me away from you.’ His voice was soft, almost loving. ‘I’ve been waiting for you in the garden next door.’
His words made her want to vomit. Sam didn’t know. Neither of them had thought to check the neighbour’s property. Sam was still in his car, completely unaware of what was happening.
‘You’ve changed since you’ve been here.’ He frowned. ‘I remember the moment I fell in love with you. Outside the café. You looked waif-like and lost, and I thought, I’ll take care of her. Remember, Jennifer? I sent you the photo to remind you of how you were when we first met.’
‘What?’ Then she remembered.
‘But you look different now. Being away from me doesn’t suit you.’
He shone a torch over her. She blinked in its bright light and shrank from him instinctively. She only just stopped herself from putting up her hands to protect herself.
‘Go away,’ she rasped, her voice dry, barely louder than a whisper.
‘Why,’ he said, ‘when it took me a while to find you? Luckily for me, your mother was so helpful in giving me your address.’
‘She what?’
He smiled. ‘I don’t know why you wiped it off your computer and destroyed your old letters. In the end it was easy enough, though. A bit of detective work revealed your home phone number. I rang and said I was from the school.’
‘Mum will be down when she hears us talking. You won’t get away with this.’
‘She’s not here. I checked.’
She swallowed hard and clenched her fists. She had to think. She had to use her brain; it was her only defence. ‘Why did you come here, Alistair?’ she asked in a softer voice. ‘Surely you have everything you want?’
He was silent for a few moments, his gaze shifting over her face. ‘You’re wrong,’ he said in an equally quiet tone. ‘It was only ever you I wanted, and you I couldn’t have.’
She’d got through to him. Now, all she had to do was keep him talking. It hadn’t always worked, but sometimes it had. Sometimes it had been enough to stop him in his tracks.
‘You wanted too much of me. You wanted to consume me.’
‘You’re wrong. I love you, Jennifer. I’ve always loved you, and I don’t understand why you can’t see that. I don’t get why you’d want to run from that.’
‘Because you hurt me. Because you controlled my every move. Because you made me and Liam live in a state of fear.’
He shook his head vigorously. ‘No. It wasn’t like that.’
‘Alistair, it was exactly like that.’
‘No!’ He stepped away and rubbed his hand agitatedly against his head. There was blood on his hand, but he didn’t appear to notice.
‘Alistair,’ she said again, needing him to focus on her voice, on reason. But when he looked at her again, that wild, lost look had returned to his eyes.
‘You have to come with me. Back to England. Now. I’ve got everything ready for us.’
She’d lost him. ‘We’re not leaving.’
His lips twisted into a parody of a smile, and he lunged forward and tried to grab her arm. She leapt away in time.
‘Stay away from me and Liam!’
He shook his head, his smile like a rictus grin, malevolent and horrifying. ‘Don’t tell me what to do.’ He came closer to her and bent his head to hers. She could smell the whisky on his breath, could feel the cold drops of rain trickle onto her from his dripping hair. ‘You know it never works out well for you.’
