Tyrant (Sequel to King)

Chapter 24

•Doe•

Gone was the boy next door. With that last kiss he'd been replaced with the monster from my memory. That kiss brought it all flooding back and, what I saw, shook me to my very bones. "I'll run to my house and grab the truck. I'll meet you out front, on your porch in say, thirty minutes?"

"Thirty minutes. Yes," I nodded. With a little wave I turned and jogged up to the house, practically falling again, this time over the threshold of the back sliding glass door. I flailed my way up the stairs and ran into my room. I ripped open the top dresser drawer I'd hidden the burner phone in that Justin had given me, tearing it from its hinges, sending socks and the phone sliding across the room. I dove for the phone and hit the speed dial button. It rang several times.

"Come on, pick up," I prayed, nervously tapping my fingers onto the carpet. When there was so answer I shoved the phone in my back pocket. I was going to grab a duffel bag to toss some essentials into, but looking around that room, there was nothing there I needed.

Nothing I wanted. The only essential things to me were Sammy and Justin. And one of those was sleeping down the hallway. I'd try calling Justin again after I got Sammy from his room. "Nadine!" I called out down the hall. The only sounds were coming from downstairs, the hum of the refrigerator and the spinning lull from the running dishwasher. "Nadine!" I called again. "I need you to pull your car around. I'll explain when we're on the road, but we have to leave now!"

I opened the door to Sammy's room. I turned the knob as quietly as I could, closing it again behind me with a soft click. I'd hoped Nadine had heard me and was pulling the car around. I tip-toed over to Sammy's crib. Leaning over the railing I expected to see my sleepy man with his hair pointed in a million directions, clutching his favorite motorcycle blanket.

Sammy wasn't in his crib.

It was empty.

The light clicked on and every hair on my neck and arms stood on end.

"It was that fucking weak kiss that gave you away," a voice said, startling me so much I jumped and knocked into a pile of Sammy's toys, which came to life in a burst of music and flashing lights. "Tanner. I thought you were meeting us out front? Where's Sammy?" I tried to hide the shakiness in my voice. I fell backwards and landed against something soft but unmovable. When I turned around to see what it was, I eye to eye with a motionless Nadine. Her eyes unfocused and staring straight ahead. Her mouth still opened as if she'd been surprised.

Dead.

Nadine was dead.

"What the fuck did you do!?" I cried. Tanner stood from where he'd been sitting on the rocking chair I used to rock Samuel to sleep. "Where the fuck is my son!?"

Tanner knelt over me and smiled. But it wasn't the same toothpaste commercial smile I'd seen before. There was no perfect boy next door behind the menacing expression and crazed look in his eyes. "You used to kiss me like I was the most important person in the world," he said as he reached out and ran his thumb over my lips. I jerked my head away but he grabbed my chin and yanked it back to him. "You used to love me," he spat.

"At some point I probably did." I shook my head. "But I don't remember," I lied.

Tanner reared back, delivering a punishing backhand across my face. "Liar!" It stung so bad it rattled my cheekbone and I swore I could hear it vibrating in my ear. "There is no 'probably' about it. I know you remember. Do you want to know how I know?"

"Where's Samuel?" I asked again. "Let me up, Tanner!" I tried to stand.

"No!" Tanner shouted, pushing me down on my shoulders, pinning me to the floor. "You will stay right the fuck there while I'm talking to you. I'll ask you again, do you want to know how I know you remember me?" Tanner hissed through gritted teeth.