Page 28 of No Control

I distract myself with scouring her room for weapons.

And the search does not disappoint. The woman really loves shotguns, apparently, which is as much of a turn-on as it is concerning. I slide out a ten-gauge from under her bed along with a set of hunting knives. This woman is the epitome of a country woman, I think. I set them over by the door as Duke finishes his treat and drifts off to sleep.

I make my way to Lydia’s side of the bed. I’m still missing the gun she tried to shoot Mason with, and I know it’s going to be close to her. I squint in the darkness and see the steel barrel resting on the nightstand beside her.

This is the one that will make the biggest impact. When she wakes up, she’ll know immediately it’s gone. And that’s exactly what I need. Maybe she’ll call the cops. Maybe she’ll point the finger at Mason.

After all, she did shoot at him.

I take one more look at her, her blonde hair spilled over the burgundy pillow. My breath catches. Someday, she’s going to let me into her bed. In fact, she’s going to beg for it. We’re just not there yet.

But we’ll get there.

Goodnight, Lydia.

eleven

Lydia

I shoot up in my bed, my body trembling. If I had a nightmare, I don’t remember it. My head whips around to Duke, sleeping peacefully beside me. A shiver runs down my spine. It’s not even daylight yet. My eyes drift to the clock projecting on the wall.

4:57 a.m.

My hand flies to my eyes, rubbing the sleep from them. It’s early, but not that early. I flip back the covers, jitters still creeping down my arms. I reach for my phone, picking it up from the nightstand…

And then I freeze.

Where’s my gun?

Did it fall off? I peer over the edge of the bed at the hardwood floor. There’s nothing there. I slide off and drop to my knees, reaching under blindly and checking between the nightstand and my bed frame.

Nothing.

My heart starts to race as I lower my head to get a more thorough view.

Where’s my shotgun?

Now I’m about to panic. I know it was there last night. I double-checked. I made sure, considering the moment I stepped through my door, I started panicking about Mason showing back up unannounced. I nearly run to the other side of my bed, going for my set of hunting knives before I go creeping through the house.

But they’re gone, too.

What. The. Hell.

I reach for Duke, shaking him slightly. “Duke, wake up.” My heart sinks when he doesn’t instantly respond. However, a few moments later, he lifts his head, peering up at me with sleepy eyes. He slowly climbs to his feet before stretching his front paws forward, letting out a loud yawn.

“Come on,” I tell him, my hands shaking as I go for my bedroom door. It’s unlocked. A sob jars my chest as I touch the knob, terrified of what might be on the other side. I turn it slowly, pull the door inward, and brace.

But there’s no one there.

And Duke races happily for the backdoor like he does every morning. In fact, he might be a little more excited than usual. My body trembles as I white knuckle my phone, stepping into the hallway. However, instead of joining Duke at the door, I step into the office, heading straight for the gun safe. I’m not walking through this freaking house without something.

I peer around me, but the room is quiet, the only sound being my fingers punching in the code. The lock clicks and I open the safe.

And then gasp.

Tears slip down my cheeks as panic fills my chest. There’s only one person who knows the code to my safe.

Mason.

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