Color Her Red (12 page)

“What happened?”  He looks at me with the most serious expression.  I try to respond but before I get the words out of my mouth his gaze moves to the mirror.
She was here. 
My make up drawer is open and in red lipstick she wrote on the mirror: Mine.  My heart drops warped into a painful ball and my lips part in horror.

Michael’s voice drops, “I need you to dress quickly.”  He releases me and points the gun at the door
, holding it with both hands now.  I do as he says.  Moving out of his direct sight I quickly put on the clothes.  I’m so shaky it takes longer than it should.  My heart beats loudly in my ears but not so loud that I can’t hear a door down the hall.
The study?  The guestroom?  The bedroom? 
A ball in my chest forms making me want to be sick.  I feel the side of my head; it’s sore but not bleeding.  I move to look in the mirror and then refrain; I don’t want to see.  I return to Michael’s side and nod with tears in my eyes.  We have to pass all of those doors and she is behind one of them.  I panic with fear.  My body begins to heave.

Before I can object Michael picks me up by my waist carrying me on his hip.  I am as still as I can be.  As we pass
the doors my heart stops.  He’s silent, unbelievably silent.  My body tenses and the overwhelming dread makes my body quiver.  We get to the stairs and he turns facing the gun at the hall.  He releases me and tilts his gun.  He mouths, “go.”  He keeps his body close to mine although he doesn’t watch me; his eyes are fixed on the hallway where his gun is pointed.  I creep down the stairs mirroring his movements. 
Be quiet.  Be silent. 
His body protects me from whatever could come out of those doors.  I hear a creak from up the stairs. 
The bedroom. 
He stops me and waits with his gun firmly pointed at the door.  We stand motionless for what seems like hours, maybe seconds, minutes? 

I can’t hear anything except my heart.  I expect her to shoot out of the room any moment, and then what?
My mind races as I stare at the barren hallway.  I try to swallow quietly but every movement my body makes sounds so loud.  Every small sound seems to echo in the hallway, giving her the knowledge that we’re on the steps.

Finally
, after what seems like an eternity of waiting for her to make her move, he motions to start moving again.  As soon as we get to the foyer, he moves me to the cold wall, pushing me against it, and he glances around the room, moving his gun quickly but steadily down each of the three halls.  We’re so close; I just want to run out the door.  I swallow hard as I think I hear a creak from upstairs and the sick feeling to my stomach returns. 

H
e returns his gun to the stairs and then quickly places it in his holster under his shirt.  In a swift motion he lifts me up and runs for the door.  This is the first time we make any noise.  The door slams and in a second we’re by the car.  He opens the driver door and pushes me into the passenger side, hurling me over the center console.  I’m stunned at his speed and ability to move so hastily. 

As I steady myself in the passenger’s side I look up at the house and I see her.  Standing in the bedroom window holding the curtains open, watching us with a cruel glower. 
A frightened chill rushes through my body.  Michael reverses out of the driveway, yelling at me to stay down.  My body wills me to stay up right as Lillian’s cold eyes meet mine, I can’t break her gaze, but Michael forces my head down.  My body heaves for air; I didn’t realize I had been holding my breath.  I feel light-headed and nauseous.  My body jolts as he puts the car in drive and slams on the gas.

“Nate, did you call the police?”  I watch Michael as he screams into the phone.  “Why the fuck are they taking so long?”  He pauses and looks at me.  I start to speak and he holds the mout
hpiece of the phone, “One moment Mrs. Grant, please.”  He returns to the phone.  I try to calm my breathing and swallow hard as my body rocks.  I grab my head in my hands, trying to digest what has just happened. 

“Has he been notified?”  His professional demeanor has returned.  He glances at me again and reaches into his glove box to take out a tissue.  I gratefully accept and attempt to stop the tears that have been mercilessly falling from my eyes. 

He hangs up the phone and looks at me, “Emma, did you tell anyone the new security code?”

“I- I didn’t even know it had changed,” I stutter.  Of course they would have changed it, that’s how she got in before. 
How did she get in this time?

“I sat where I could see the front door.  No one came in.  Even if someone knew the code and came in through the back, I would have seen them go up the stairs.”  He presses his lips into a frown and dials his phone again.

“Nate, she was already in the house when we got there.  Make sure this time they do a full sweep this time.  Every fucking room.  I want the entire team in that house.  When we left she was in the master suite.  Make sure there’s no way she could have possibly gotten into that house without setting an alarm off.”  He sounds calm but he looks worried.  I have to will my body to stop trembling. 

I grab my knees to my chest. 
It’s not over
.  Mine?
  She wants him; she wants the house. Tears continue to flow freely down my face.  I’m standing in her way, keeping her from what she wants. 
Why didn’t she kill me?
  She could have if she really wanted me dead.  I feel helpless.  All I can do is hope they find her.  I’m not going back until they find her. I angrily wipe the hot tears from my face. 
There is no fucking way I am going back there until that psycho is caught.

THOMAS EMBRACES ME as soon as I get out of the car, holding me tightly in his arms.  I still haven’t stopped crying, seeing Thomas makes me cry even harder; I’m practically hysterical.  He pulls me to his chest and kisses me hard.  I feel his chest pounding against mine.  My hair is still soaking wet and it’s freezing outside making me tremble in his embrace.  Thomas pulls me into the building, kissing me over and over again. 

“Are you alright?  Did s
he hurt you?”  His voice is low and distraught. I nod my head in his chest and let the sobs out but he pulls me away to look at me.  His eyes widen as he gently touches my temple, making me wince with pain. 

“I slipped in the shower
… when I heard…”  He eyes me warily.

“Mr. Grant, she
couldn’t have left the house.  She didn’t come through the front or back and she didn’t go up the stairs.  She was there before we got in.”  Thomas looks angry, unforgiving, and cold.  Michael continues, “We aren’t trusting the police this time.  I’ll do the final sweep with the entire team before you return.”  Thomas doesn’t relax but he nods his head. 

“Thank you Michael.  I don’t want this to happen again.”  His voice is calmer and I can feel his heart
beat start to slow.

“Yes Sir, I’
m going to get in touch with security and add more alarms to the house.  I would ask next time that two men be with Emma.  If there had been someone with me,” he glances at me for a moment and then returns his gaze back to Thomas, “I would’ve been able to get her.  My priorities were keeping Emma safe.  Had there been someone with me, I would’ve been able to do both.”  I move my head away from Thomas’ chest, wiping the remaining tears with the bottom of Thomas’s t-shirt exposing a bit of my midriff, and feel the cool breeze on my face. 

“I understand. 
Thank you for getting her to me.”  He holds my waist tighter as he talks. 

“Of course.  I’
m going back to the house to speak with the police.  Unless you need my assistance with anything.”

“No, we’re fine here.”

“I’ll inform them that Emma is with you.  Do you have security here?”  He asks as he looks behind us and answers his question himself.  He nods.  “I’ll report back as soon as I can.”  He turns to leave and I reach for him.

“Thank you Michael.”  I hug him hard.  He hesitates before giving me a small hug in return.

“It’s my job, and my pleasure and privilege to look after you.”  He releases me and gives Thomas a nod before turning back to the car. 

I return to Thomas’ embrace and we walk up the stairs to the back of his building.  Calvin and Nate are following us a few steps behind. 
There is an echo of hard footsteps as we travel to the safety of his office, the only other sound that accompanies us is my heavy breathing, and I’m desperately trying to quiet it.  I can’t stop holding Thomas’ side.  I’m attached to his hip and his arm is still tight around my waist.  Thomas stares straight ahead as we head for the elevator. My breathing calms as we cross the large, yet empty, reception room. Two girls behind computers at the reception desk are staring, but they don’t dare speak.
Their eyes dart away as Thomas catches their gaze.  I close my eyes and rest my head on his chest as the elevator doors close, leaving us in utter silence.

Chapter 8

              I practically crawl into the soft seat of the large leather chair in his office.  Thomas moves beside me, caressing my back.  He doesn’t sit down though.  His blue eyes search mine.  I bite my lip.  I have calmed down significantly, I feel safe in his office, with his comforting touch.  Calvin and Nate are outside the office so we are alone.  I just want him to hold onto me and let me cry myself to sleep but his eyes tell me that he needs me. 

“Tell
me everything that happened.”

I hesitate before answering him.  I don’t want to talk about it.  I feel so drained; I just want to lie down.  I try to protest with my sad eyes, but Thomas is not swayed.  I take a deep breath and stare at the ground, avoiding his gaze.  It doesn’t last long though; he moves my chin with his steady hand and gently kisses me.  His warm lips are soft on mine.   

“I need to know everything,” he calmly urges me. 

“We got home.  Michael stayed downstairs, I
went up stairs to take a shower.”  I take another deep breath and close my eyes.  My heart begins to race but Thomas’ gentle hand relaxes me as he rubs my cheek.

“Was the door locked behind you?”

“Yes, I heard the alarm signal.  I know Michael locked it.”  He nods his head for me to continue.  “I went upstairs and I didn’t see or hear anything.  I thought I was alone.  Actually, I did think that I saw something in the bedroom, but then I figured I was just shaken up.”

His brows furrow as he
interrupts me, “Did you call for Michael?”  He looks alarmed and cross.

“No- no.  I thought I was just being-”

“If you think you see something, feel something, hear something, whatever, you call for help immediately.  I pay them to help you; that’s their job.  Security can’t help you if they don’t know.”  His face is angry, as though I’ve defied him.  I look down at the beige carpet as my breathing picks up.  Tears prick the back of my eyes and my body heaves. 
This isn’t my fault.  Don’t be mad at me; hold me, comfort me.  For God’s sake don’t lecture me!

“I’m sorry, Emma.”  He lowers his voice dramatically, back to the soothing and comforting tone.  He reaches out to me and gently rubs my hands and arms, calming my breathin
g.  “I don’t mean to yell.  I’m sorry.”  I swallow hard and rest my hands in his as I try to stop the tears.  I don’t respond to his apology, I do accept another small kiss.

“I went back to the shower and a few minutes later I heard the door and I didn’t move or make a sound.”  His eyes glare at me but
he bites his tongue.  I look back to the nonjudgmental ground and continue.  “And then the door shut and I screamed.  Michael ran up the stairs and grabbed me out of the shower.”  I glance at his eyes as they widen.  I know he must be unhappy that Michael saw me undressed but I continue to talk.  “She wrote on the mirror, that’s the only way I really knew that I wasn’t fucking hallucinating.  Michael had his gun and he picked me up we quietly went down the stairs and then ran out the door.”

“Did you hear anything?” He asks; his expression is still frustrated and heated. 

“I heard her in the bedroom, just the floors creaking.”  I bite my lip, remembering the noise.  “I saw her too.”  His expression changes to distress.  “She was in our bedroom looking at us as we drove away.”  My eyes search for comfort in his; he responds instantly.  He kisses my nose, making me close my eyes.  When they open his eyes are soft and forgiving.

“
Was she holding anything?  A gun?”  The question catches me off guard. 

“I – I don’t know.  I don’t think so.”  He grabs me gently by my shoulders.

“Baby think; close your eyes.  Did she have anything in her hands?”  I do as I’m told.  I can see her looking at us and it makes me uneasy; I have to open my eyes.  “I can only see her face.  I don’t know.”  I take in a deep breath, calming myself. 

“It’s okay.  It’s okay.  What matters is that you are safe.”  He holds me for a moment, letting me relax in his arms.  I kiss his chest, grateful that I have him. 

“I don’t know what I would do without you.  When Nate told me,” he hesitates; his eyes are filled with wretchedness.  “He didn’t tell me until you were already in the car on your way here.  Michael sent an emergency signal for him to call the police, but Nate didn’t tell me until he spoke with Michael.  I had no idea.”  He kisses my hair.  “Even knowing you were safe, I lost it.”  He rubs my shoulders and down my back and I look up at his soft, caring, loving eyes.  “I promise this will never happen again.”