Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 77889 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77889 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Attack? Sammi thought in confusion, and then everything came rushing back.
Sonny-boy, forcing her to wear the awful dress and heels…the strange, disgusting meal of cold spaghetti and clams with grape juice to wash it down…the “dancing” where he had jerked her around like a rag doll and then the way he had forced her down on the bed…
Her mind shied away from the awful memories and she closed her eyes tightly for a moment, wishing she could just go back to sleep—or back to unconsciousness, at least. But someone was stroking her hand and a familiar voice was calling her name.
Sammi opened her eyes reluctantly and saw Meg sitting there beside the bed she was lying in. Her best friend had tears in her eyes, though she tried to smile when she caught Sammi’s gaze.
“Hi there,” she murmured. “How are you feeling? No—don’t answer that,” she added quickly. “You can’t talk right now—doctor’s orders.”
Sammi put a hand to her throat and felt how tender it was. She swallowed tentatively and winced in pain. What had happened to her? The memory of Sonny-boy’s thick thumbs digging into her neck surfaced in her mind in answer to the question.
But just because she couldn’t talk, didn’t mean she didn’t have questions.
My babies? she mouthed at Meg and put a hand on her lower belly, raising her eyebrows. My babies—are they okay?
“Yes.” Meg nodded vigorously and squeezed her hand again tightly. “Yes, hon, the babies are fine. Liv says they’re developing normally and they’re both still okay.”
Thank God! Sammi felt herself sag in relief.
“I knew you’d want to know that.” Meg grinned at her. “You’re going to be okay. And you don’t have to worry about that horrible stalker anymore—Commander Roark killed him.”
Sammi widened her eyes, wanting to know more about Roark. But Meg mistook her questioning look.
“The police were looking for him in seven states—did you know that?” she asked. “His real name was Joseph Renner and he’d killed twenty-six women! The police found a photo album with pictures of all of them—and locks of their hair. They said it was like his trophy case, if you can believe that!”
Sammi could well believe that what her friend was saying was true. The memory of the way Sonny-boy had snipped off a piece of her hair as a “souvenir” was still fresh in her mind. She nodded.
“But here’s the worst part…” Meg’s eyes went even wider. She squeezed Sammi’s hand again fiercely and leaned forward. “The very first one he killed was his own mother. Isn’t that awful?”
Remembering the strange, Oedipal scenario Sonny-boy had forced her to play out with him, Sammi wasn’t a bit surprised. Still, she nodded because it was awful. Clearly she had barely escaped the jaws of death—and only because Roark had come to save her.
“The guy who helped him kidnap you is in police custody too,” Meg said, a note of satisfaction in her voice. “That stoner kid who was apparently in one of your classes. They’re getting him for conspiracy to commit murder, since he was complicit in the kidnapping and he delivered you right to the killer’s hands. And he told them he did it because you gave him a failing grade on a test! Can you believe that?” She shook her head. “I’m so glad you’re up here now. You never have to deal with that bullshit again!”
Sammi appreciated all this information but the person she really wanted to know about was Roark. She knew her best friend could keep talking for hours if she didn’t find some way to stop her and get the conversation back to where she needed it to go.
Taking Meg’s hand in hers, she squeezed it and mouthed his name while raising her eyebrows.
Roark?
Meg frowned and then her face brightened.
“Oh yes—he saved you! You know, Sammi—I’m beginning to think he’s not such a bad guy. Maybe everything that happened between the two of you was a big misunderstanding. At any rate, he certainly got to you in the nick of time!”
Can I talk to him? Sammi mouthed.
“Oh, you want to talk to him? Of course!” Sammi nodded. “He’s been at your bedside night and day for this whole week, you know. I just made him leave to grab a shower and something to eat a little while ago, but he should be back any minute.”
Sammi’s heart gave a little leap. If Roark had been so attentive to her while she was ill, surely he must still have some feelings for her! Surely they could get things straightened out between them and have the kind of relationship she’d been longing for from the moment she’d fallen for him.
As if on cue, there was a knock on the door of her room and Liv stuck her head in.
“Excuse me, Meg but Commander Roark is back and he’d like to see Samantha.”