Loving the Ice Queen

Chapter 8

Barbara

Eleanor's phone call that morning should have warned me. She never called during working hours.

I had turned off my phone because I was in a meeting. Then I had to go out to meet up with a business manager. When I was finally back to the company, Eleanor had called my office number a few times.

I called her back as soon as I got into my office.

"Eleanor, is something wrong?" I asked when my sister picked up.

"He's out, Barbara!" Eleanor cried, tears and hysteria in her voice. "He's out!"

"Who's out?" I asked, my blood running cold.

"My father!"

I dropped to the chair. My hands shook, and my mind groaned under the onslaught of memories. My heart rate picked up. It took me a moment to realize that Eleanor was still speaking.

"Who told you?" I asked. My voice sounded all wrong.

"Officer Brenda," Eleanor replied, sniffing.

Officer Brenda was one of the people in charge of the case seventeen years ago. Many years after that, Eleanor had mentioned meeting her by chance. They must have kept in touch.

"Apparently, he got out on parole for good behavior," Eleanor spat out the words. "That f*cking asshole! I can't believe they let him out!"

I closed my eyes as Eleanor went on a cursing spree. Beneath that anger, there was fear. We might be adults, but what we had been through did not disappear simply because we were now bigger.

"Eleanor," I said. "Where are you now?"

Eleanor sniffed. "I'm in John's place."

"Is John there?"

"No, he's at work. If I call him, he'll come. There's no need to call him. That asshole won't come after us," she said, then added in a hesitant voice, "right?"

"He won't come after you," I said, standing up. "If he's coming after anyone, it's going to be me. Stay right where you are. I'll come see you."

Eleanor sighed. "You don't have to. I'll be fine."

"I'm coming," I said and hung up. My hands were still shaking. Damn it. I closed them into fists. The memories kept pushing away any rational thought.

I had to be with Eleanor right now. I looked around. Where was my phone?

It took me a minute to realize that my phone was in my hand. I hurried out, only to be back again for my car keys.

"Is something wrong?" Amanda asked, standing at the door of my office. I took a deep breath and tightened my grip on the keys.

"Amanda, do me a favor and cancel everything I have this afternoon," I said.

"I got it," Amanda said as I brushed past her.

Other than Amanda, no one seemed to think anything was amiss. The elevator ride down filled me with dread. I could not believe that the bastard was out of prison.

Moving on autopilot, I walked out of the company and stood on the curb. Then I cursed myself. My car was in the underground parking lot. About to go back inside, someone grabbed my arm. Startled, I jerked my arm away and whirled around to see Ryan.

He frowned, holding his hands up. "Hey, are you okay?"

Damn it. I had forgotten about our lunch date.