Page 81 of The Moment He Saw Her

Libby laughed.

“My face hurts,” Caleb moaned seconds later. “Like it will never thaw out.”

“Moan, moan, moan, and here’s me freezing my ass off to get you in shape so you don’t make a fool of yourself,” Jonathan said. “Now let’s hustle it along, Libby.”

She picked up the pace.

“What the hell is that noise?” Caleb asked, stopping.

They all looked around them at the sound of something smashing. Then she heard raised voices.

“Is it coming from the Heckler house?” Jonathan asked.

“I think it’s the one next door,” Caleb added.

“Who lives there?” Libby asked as she heard another loud crash followed by a shriek.

“Sydney Jane with her mom,” Caleb said, walking up the front steps. “Her mom’s away at the moment, visiting her sister in Hawaii.”

“What are you going to do?” Libby asked, watching Caleb knock. “Should we call the police?”

“Let’s see who opens the door first because I know Sydney Jane has been into some kinky stuff in her past, so no point calling anyone until we know for sure what’s going on,” Jonathan said. “We’ll use my phone, seeing as yours is no longer functioning.”

Caleb knocked again, and they all waited. When no one answered, he then opened the door and swung it wide.

“SJ, are you in there?” Libby called.

“I’m killing you!”

“That’s her voice,” Jonathan said.

“You bitch!” A man spoke those words.

The voices were coming from a room off this one.

“SJ?” Libby ran with Caleb and Jonathan on her heels, fear urging her on. She saw a man wrestling with Sydney Jane when she reached the kitchen.

“Stop!” He turned at her words and then advanced on her.

“Libby, back away!” Caleb roared.

The man swung a fist at her, but she blocked it like her brother had taught her, then another before lifting her knee and ramming it hard into his balls. Libby then came up with the heel of her palm into his nose and sent him stumbling back, moaning in agony.

“So I guess you don’t need my help, then?”

She turned to see Red walk in, in purple pajama bottoms and a checked jacket.

“Are we calling the cops, SJ?” Caleb asked.

“He hit me, so he pays,” the girl said, cradling her cheek.

“I’ll get you some ice,” Jonathan said, stepping over the moaning man on the floor.

“Let’s put him somewhere he’ll be really comfy waiting for the cops,” Red said.

He picked up one arm, and Caleb the other, and they opened a cupboard under the stairs and threw the man inside, then shut it again. Red stood with his arms folded before it. “Make the call, SJ.”

“I need to get to work,” Libby said.

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