10

Faraway footsteps thudded in the darkness. Hayden tried to move, but pain seared, keeping him curled in a ball, clutching his shoulder, arm clamped against his side.

“Wait, Meredith, there’s a note on the door.”

Think. Meredith is Caitlyn’s friend. She could call someone.

“Help…” Hayden tried, his voice weak.

“It’s from Caitlyn, but not her writing. Must be Hayden’s.” A woman spoke this time. “Hayden and I have gone away for a few days. We’re going to Scotland to see his family and won’t be back ’til the New Year. Last minute decision.” Paper rustled. “Oh, well, I’ll give her a call tonight and make sure they got there safely.”

“Help…” Hayden tried again as the voices faded.

Car doors slammed.

He was all alone. As the darkness threatened to engulf him, he tried to place David, addled mind grasping for answers. David had seemed familiar when he’d brought the dresses over…

Of course. His mother’s son from a previous relationship, the half-brother, so much older than he and Rafe. He’d rarely seen the man who had never fully integrated into the new family formed when his parents had married. But his name hadn’t been David. It was…Tony?

Yes. He was Tony.



Caitlyn huddled in the car, her mind whirling, as David drove. He’d said her father was ill, a stroke, and she had to come quickly before it was too late. Would she be in time? She should have told Hayden. But David said he’d take care of that, while she grabbed her bag and coat and waited in the car. It took him forever before he reappeared, slightly out of breath, coat buttoned all the way up, but she wasn’t given a chance to ask why, as he started the car and drove like a maniac down the driveway to the main road.

She studied the man next to her. “Why didn’t Auntie Naomi ring me?”

“She was a little busy.”

“But she had time to call you. She has my number. She should have called me. This doesn’t make any sense.” She turned to the window as David stopped the car and switched off the engine. “This isn’t a hospital. Or their house.”

“It’s a nursing home. I suggest you hurry.”

Things weren’t adding up, but she didn’t have time to argue. Caitlyn snatched up her bag, and dashed out of the car. She ran up the steps of the huge Georgian mansion. There was no nameplate for the building, something else that didn’t ring true.

Let me be in time to see him.

She searched for the doorbell and pushed it. The bell clanged, and then echoed. Strange. Nothing should echo—unless the house was empty.

David reached her side and produced a key. He leaned over her and unlocked the door.

Confusion gripped her, accentuating her concern. “Why do you have a key?”

“Shut up.” He grabbed her arm, propelling her inside and down a hallway.

Caitlyn struggled, dragging her feet. “What are you doing? Where’s my father?”

“Get in.” He shoved her into a small room, devoid of anything, and locked the door behind her.

Terror replaced the confusion. She remembered all too well what happened the last time she was by herself in a room with him. Now she was alone in a house and he had the keys. She spun and pounded on the wooden barrier between them. “David. What’s going on? Where’s my father?”

David laughed. “He’s not here. He never was.”

“Let me out. I have to get to him.”

“You’re going nowhere, Caitlyn. Your father is fine. He never was sick. And you are not marrying my brother.”

Caitlyn stared at the door in disbelief, her anger at being locked in temporarily forgotten. “What are you talking about? Hayden’s brother is dead. He told me that himself. Rafe died when Hayden was six.”

“Did he tell you it was his fault Rafe died?” David asked. His voice sounded almost maniacal.

“He told me it was an accident that left him severely injured, that his parents abandoned him soon afterwards.” She paused. “Who are you really, David?”

“Hayden and I share the same mother. But his father never adopted me because at seventeen I was too old. He tolerated me, gave me a job as a gardener. Rafe and Hayden were spoilt brats.” Banging resounded with his words. “Everything they wanted, they got. Hayden used to goad Rafe into doing things he couldn’t do himself. Like climbing the tree to hang those infernal matching ornaments they had.”

Something crashed in the hallway. “Where was my ornament?” David yelled. “I was the oldest, but I didn’t matter any longer. When Hayden climbed the ladder after Rafe, I saw my chance to right things.” Fury made his voice tremble. “If those brats weren’t there, maybe my mother would love me again. I pushed the ladder away from the wall, bringing the ceiling and the wall down with it. It should have killed them both. I wanted to murder them both, but I failed then. I won’t fail now.”

Caitlyn slumped against the door. She closed her eyes. Lord, help me here. David has consistently lied to me, about his job and so on. How do I know this is true? Is there a way for me to reach his sick mind? Hayden may have had selfish motives, but the only thing he hid was the extent of his facial damage.

David’s voice softened. “And then you came along. The first girl to even look at me twice, despite the age difference. He never showed any interest in you, until I asked you out. He plotted to ruin my life the way he ruined Rafe’s. The way he’s always ruined my life.”

“Kidnapping me isn’t helping anything.” Her mind raced. Her emotions seesawed between panic and anger. Where was Hayden in all this? Had David really told him where they were going? A horrid thought crossed her mind. What if he’d actually hurt Hayden and that part wasn’t a lie? “Why don’t you let me out and—”

“No way. You’re not getting out of here until you marry me.”

“Not happening.” She rubbed her fingers over the wedding ring she wore. Perhaps he assumed it was an engagement ring. “Hayden and I got married three days ago.”

A sick scream of fury came from the other side of the locked door. “Then you can die, as well.”

Caitlyn froze. “What do you mean ‘as well’?” Her heart sped as she pounded on the door. “David, what have you done?”

“Slain the monster, Caitlyn. Hayden is dead, like Rafe, or will be soon. Doesn’t matter which. And now you can die right along with him.”

Something splashed in the hallway and the footsteps began to recede. The stench of petrol seeped under the door.

Petrol? She banged on the door. “You let me out of here, right now. David!” No answer came. She thumped harder, knuckles bruising, his senseless ravings rebounding in her brain.

Caitlyn paused. Crackling came from the other side of the wooden barrier. She wrinkled her nose. Something was burning. She glanced down, backing away as smoke wafted under the door. She turned and flew to the window. In desperation, she struggled to open it, shoving with all her might, but it was either jammed or locked.

David’s contorted face appeared on the other side of the glass.

She rattled the frame and shrieked, “Let me out! You can’t do this.”

“Think you’ll find I already have,” he sneered. “If I can’t have you, no one can.”

Liquid splashed over the window, making her jump back. Oil smeared the glass and she assumed it was more petrol. An explosion sent her flying to the floor. She screamed and curled into a ball, throwing her hands over her head as the window shattered, spraying her with glass.

Hot, searing flames shot over her, singeing her hair and charring her sleeves. Intense heat prickled her skin. Her stomach knotted with raw fear, but she refused to let it take over.

David had said Hayden was dying. She couldn’t let that happen.

She loved him.

Caitlyn caught her breath. She. Loved. Him. When had that happened? She wasn’t sure, but what she did know was that she didn’t want to live without him.

She glanced over at the door. The explosion had blown it open. Flames rushed into the room, licking at the woodwork. Beyond lay an inferno. There was no way she could get through there unharmed.

She turned, but the window was blocked by ceiling timbers. Now she had no choice. It had to be the door and the flames.

“A little help, Lord,” she whispered. Caitlyn stood and gathered her skirts, pulling them close around her. Taking a deep breath, she darted through the door and into the blazing hallway. Dodging pockets of flame, she raced to the front door and yanked it open.

She stumbled down the steps into the cold air, coughing, eyes watering. Fresh, chilly air struggled to fill her lungs.

David tackled her to the ground. “Oh, no, you don’t.”

Had he been lying in wait? Caitlyn fought back with everything she had, bringing her knee up hard and fast into his groin. Making the most of him rolling in agony, she scooped up the fallen car keys and rocketed to her feet. She pressed the unlock button as she sprinted toward his car.

A cry of rage reached her ears. Her fingers fumbled the keys and they tumbled to the ground. Scrabbling to pick them up, she glanced behind to see David struggle to his feet and lurch after her.

Wrenching the door open, Caitlyn was more scared than she had ever been in her life. Once inside, she locked the doors as David reached the car. He pounded on the window and screamed curses at her. Her chest hitching, she ignored him, shoved the keys in the ignition, and started the engine. She pulled away, running over his foot. “Not sorry,” she yelled, glancing in the mirror. “I ought to be, but I’m not. Forgive me, Lord.”

Pressing her foot hard on the accelerator, Caitlyn headed back to Stetford Park, praying she’d get there in time to save Hayden from whatever evil David had begun.



Hayden lay strewn on the floor at the foot of the Christmas tree. “The irony isn’t lost on me, Lord,” he said. “Been here before. It’s where I first found You, as a small child of six. You kept me going through the darkest time of my life. And I’m in that place once again.”

Wet drops of misery crept down his face. “I need Your help here, because without You I’m nothing.” He rolled over, clutching his arm. An involuntary cry wrenched from him as pain spiked. He inched across the floor to the wall where he pulled to a sitting position.

Stars floated in front of his eyes, nausea rising. He swallowed hard and pressed his head against the wall. He didn’t want to throw up or pass out. Closing his eyes, he sucked in several deep breaths, allowing his body time to adjust to its new situation.

Hayden tugged his handkerchief from his pocket and wrapped it around his bleeding fingers. He ripped open his shirt, sending buttons flying across the floor. The upper chest wound appeared deep and it was certainly painful. He had a good chance of bleeding to death if he didn’t do something soon.

He cried out as he yanked off his shirt, using it as a makeshift bandage across his chest, binding the hole in his shoulder. He checked his mobile. No signal, and if he were David, he’d have disconnected the phone lines to prevent anyone calling for help. No point in even trying the landline in the study.

Biting his lip, he stretched up and used the coat stand to pull to his feet. He clutched his shoulder, his injured arm clamped across the wound in his side. Not having a free hand for the cane, he left it where it lay and painstakingly limped his way to the chapel. If he was to die, that was where he wanted to be.



Caitlyn shot the red light, ignoring the camera flash. She didn’t have far to go now. Besides, it wasn’t her car. Behind her blue lights flashed, siren’s wailed and flashing headlights instructed her to pull over.

“Thank you, Lord,” she cried. “I’ve never been so pleased to pick up the cops for speeding.” It had only happened once before, on her way to church of all places—not that the officer had believed her or let her off the fine.

She increased her speed slightly, knowing they wouldn’t give up the chase. “Let me be in time. I can’t lose him. I love him. He can’t die without me telling him that.”

The car skidded to a halt outside the house. Caitlyn didn’t even bother turning off the engine. She threw open the door and jumped out.

The cop car pulled up next to her. “Stay where you are,” one of the officers ordered.

“I can’t,” she shouted over her shoulder. “My husband’s hurt…” She ran up the steps. “Hayden!”

The front door stood locked and she didn’t have her keys. Thumping the door hard, she screamed his name over and over.

Footsteps ran behind her. “Step away from the door, miss.”

“I’m Mrs. Shade. I live here. A man, David, kidnapped me and hurt my husband. He said Hayden was dead. I had to get back here. I ran David’s foot over, took his car…”

She peered through the letter box. “Hay…” She broke off. Blood glistened on the floor. Desperation tore at her heart and soul. She turned to the police officer. “There’s blood everywhere. I don’t have my key. Please, break the glass.”

The police officer peered through the letter box, before pulling his baton from his belt. “Stand back, ma’am.” He smashed the glass, and then reached through for the latch.

Behind her, a radio chattered as the other officer called in the emergency.

She rushed to the study, but there was only more blood and a blood-stained sword.

“Hayden!”

Where could he be?

The chapel. Perhaps he’d gone there.

Caitlyn gathered her skirts and set off at a run. Blood droplets on the floor provided a trail, indicating her thought was correct.

The chapel door stood ajar.

She pushed it open to see a dark figure lying by the altar. Caitlyn hurried down the aisle. She dropped to her knees beside Hayden and gathered him into her arms. “Hayden? I’m here.”

His eyes flickered open. “Caitlyn…”

She stroked his hair. “I’m here. You’ll be all right.” She raised her head, tears blurring her vision. “We need an ambulance!”

“It’s on the way.” The officer knelt beside her. “Let me see what I can do.”

Hayden reached up and pulled off the mask. “No…more…secrets…” he whispered.

Caitlyn stroked his ruined face, gently kissing it. “I love you,” she told him. “Just stay with me.” Tears dripped onto his torn, misshapen face. “I love you.”

Sirens echoed from outside, and then footsteps clattered down the hallway.

Hayden’s eyes shuttered closed, and his head tilted to one side.