Page 27 of Holiday Loss

Sooner or later you're getting caught

Don’t make this harder on yourself

You're the one making it harder on yourself

You should have listened

This is all your fault

Where are you?

Standing outside your front door.

The bottom dropped out of his world.

If the stalker had made it to his door, that meant the guards he had watching over Jessica and Freddie had somehow been neutralized, leaving his family alone and unprotected with him on the other side of town and no way to get to them in time.

Chapter

Nineteen

December 23rd

5:10 P.M.

A knock at the door caught her by surprise.

Jessica glanced at her watch. It was after five, and Donovan should be on his way home by now, but there was no way he could be there already. Even if he was, there was no reason for him to knock on his own front door, this was his place after all not hers.

Although she did love the pretty penthouse.

It had gorgeous views across the city, a huge living room that she could already picture the three of them sitting in together, playing board games or building with Lego. The kitchen was also huge with enough space for a large table even though there was also a formal dining room. There was another cozier living space, more of a den, which looked like the perfect spot to curl up on a cold winter’s night, turn on the TV, and binge-watch a show. There were four bedrooms, all of a generous size, and like everything else in the penthouse, the master was also huge with the biggest bathroom she’d ever seen in her life. It was kind of a shame she’d opted for one of the guest rooms since she would have loved toshare it with Donovan, but she didn't want to rush things when she had a child to consider.

Staying with him was only for while she recovered. After the winter break, when Freddie went back to school the two of them would be moving back to their place. Of course, she’d keep dating Donovan, and when they both felt like the time was right for all three of them they’d get married and move in together.

But not yet.

Definitely too soon.

A second more impatient knock at the door had her giving the newly decorated room a final glance before heading for the foyer. It was likely one of the guards Donovan had hired to watch over them all while they stayed there. There were supposed to be two downstairs and one standing outside the lift so no one could get up.

Still to be safe, Jessica brought up the camera feed to check. Before he left this morning Donovan had set up her phone so she had access to all the security cameras. Just as a precaution, they’d both believed she was safe there.

Jessica still believed she was.

On the screen was Donovan’s secretary.

Worry took hold inside her. Had something happened to Donovan? There should be no reason for the secretary to be there unless there was something wrong. What that could mean, though, she had no idea. Had Donovan been in an accident? A problem at his building? Sick? Hurt? Had there been another issue with the stalker?

“Mom, who’s at the door?” Freddie asked, wandering out of the kitchen with some crackers. Her son was certainly making himself at home. He’d loved staying with Donovan’s parents, loved that they’d fallen quickly into the roles of doting grandparents, and he loved that the building the penthouse was in also had a pool.

Her little water baby was a sucker for any body of water he could go swimming in. Pool, lake, ocean, it didn't matter to Freddie, as long as he was swimming he was happy.

“It’s Donovan’s secretary,” she told him as she unlocked the door and opened it.

As soon as she did, her cop instincts sprang to life.

Something felt wrong.

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