Page 82 of The Secrets We Treasure

When he was satisfied that whatever sound he’d heard was nothing, he pushed her toward the front door. “Open it,” he ordered.

It was already unlocked. He must’ve entered the house through the front door. Treasure’s breath came in shallow gasps as she grasped the doorknob. She had to think of a way out of this. An image of Tray flashed through her mind, filling her with a bleak sadness. He was already growing up without a father, must he lose his mother too? A prayer of desperation went through her mind. Help me. Please.

They stepped outside into the cool air. The rain had stopped, filling the air with mist. She looked up at the clouds trailing stringy fingers across the vanilla moon. Trembles ran through Treasure, cutting through her thin pajama top and bottoms. The porch was wet and cold against her bare feet.

The man gave her a rough shove. “Down the steps.” When they reached the bottom, he released her.

Doubling over, she coughed before taking in several gulps of blessed air. She turned to face him, her body jerking with the knowledge that it was Leo Clark. “You,” she sputtered.

“Surprised?” he sneered.

She took a good look at him. His dark hair was shaggy, with a layer of scruff covering his jaw. He’d seemed so brutal in the dark when she couldn’t see his face, but now he looked unsure of himself. Definitely a computer geek. Maybe it was fear that she’d sensed or smelled on him. She gritted her teeth. “Why have you been stalking me?”

He slurped out a phlegmy chortle. “Don’t flatter yourself. You’re not my type.” He kept squinting over and over. In most of the pictures Treasure had seen of Leo, he’d worn glasses. His eyes were probably strained without them. Or maybe it was a nervous tick.

She was swimming in confusion. “I don’t understand.”

Nervous energy radiated off him. He glanced around before taking in a breath. “We might as well get this over with. This place is as good as any.”

Her blood ran cold. He was going to kill her. Right here and now, in the front yard. She thought of Greer. If only he were here right now. Her heart wrenched. Just when Treasure’s life was finally starting to come together, it was being ripped away.

“I’m sorry for what I’m about to do,” Leo said, steeling his jaw.

She held up her hands, panic fluttering through her. “Wait a minute. Can you at least tell me why?”

A bemused expression crossed his features. “Do you really not know? You seem like a smart woman. I’m sure you could figure it out.”

Anger crowded out the fear. He was toying with her. All she could think to do was to keep him talking. Isn’t that what they always did in the movies? Keep the villain talking until help arrived? But who would help her? No one even knew she was out here. Even so, Treasure had no other alternative but to keep Leo talking.

A sudden thought occurred to her. If she could somehow get him to the backyard, she could lure him to the hole that she’d dug. The shovel was nearby. She could hit him over the head with it. Leo was small-boned and wiry but strong. Would he overpower her and use the shovel to kill her? It was a risk she was willing to take.

Her words rushed out. “Your girlfriend in Florida, Sheila.”

His eyes bulged before narrowing. “How do you know about Sheila?” he growled.

It was all she could do to keep her voice even. “I know about her and your son. I’m sorry about his leukemia.”

Pain flashed over his features.

“He’s only five years old,” she continued. “I have a son too. His name is Tray.”

Leo’s jaw worked as his voice went shrill. “I know what you’re doing. You’re trying to make me care.”

“I know you care about your son.” Leo wasn’t an obsessed stalker. There had to be another reason he was doing this. “Are you working for someone? Is this a job for you?”

A trace of amusement flicked over his face as he gave her a mocking nod that had an element of ceremony to it.

That nod. The faintly conceited smirk. She’d seen it before. It nibbled at her consciousness the second before understanding punched through her. Leo had family in the Southeast. “Sterling Smith,” she blurted.

“Huh?”

“He’s your brother, right?” Laci’s butler had looked familiar. No wonder. Now that she was standing in front of Leo, the resemblance was clear.

He grunted. “His name is Sterling Clark, not Smith. And yes, he’s my brother.” A grin spread over his lips. “See, I knew you’d get it.”

Laci had lied about the butler’s last name … because she didn’t want Treasure to connect him to Leo. “Did Laci hire you?”

“Bingo,” he dinged. “You get a gold star.”

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