37. Bridget

THIRTY-SEVEN

Bridget

It's been about thirty minutes since Mason left to stop by the office quickly, and nothing has happened. I've been in the living room playing with Mia just like I said I would be.

It's been quiet, all things considered, and she's happy to have a tea party and do some puzzles.

My nerves won't settle, though. I've been on edge since that moment last night, and I was not able to get back to sleep for long.

So exhaustion is the name of the game today.

"Bridgey!"

I turn around from where I'm leaning on the counter, checking my phone for the umpteenth time. Mia walks over from the living room, grabbing my hand and walking me to the pantry.

"Snack."

I chuckle. "Haha, okay, hun. Let's get you a snack."

Opening up the pantry, I realize that we have slim pickings right now. Thankfully, Mia adores pretzels and fruit snacks, which we still have some of.

I dish her up a bowl of pretzels and open the pouch of fruit snacks for her so that she can enjoy them in the living room.

"Here you go, sweetie. You want some Tru?"

Mia shakes her head, pointing at the screen when I pull up Netflix.

"That one!"

I look at what she's found, and it appears they've added a new mermaid movie.

"Oh, of course. Mermaids. Okay, here we go."

Right as I hit play for Mia, there's a knock at the door, and I jump. I've been very attached to not opening the door for anyone or anything, and there's a part of me that just wants to ignore it.

And then I remember the security app. I downloaded it this morning, and I'll be able to see and talk to whoever is at the door.

When I pull it up, the older delivery man is there with the groceries again.

Shit, of course. We're at the end of the week.

I look over at the pantry, knowing how sparse things are in there, and we have to have food. Mia can't survive on pretzels, and getting the delivery here is at least safer than going to the store.

Clicking the intercom button, I answer the man's ring. "Hi, Saul. I have my hands full right now. Would you be able to leave them on the porch?"

There's a pause, and I can see Saul look around for the source of my voice until he finds the video doorbell.

"Oh, well, hello there, Bridget." He waves, and I have to smile. "Be happy to leave them here, but don't take too long. There's chicken in there, and it can't sit out in the heat."

My stomach clenches. "Right. Of course. Yeah, I'll be there in just a second, but you're good to go."

"Sure thing, Ms. Bridget. I'll see you at your mother's later."

I nod even though he can't see me. "See you later, Saul."

Watching him set the bags near the door, I keep an eye out for anything else that's out of the ordinary. I don't see anything, and then Saul is walking back to his car.

Mia is still watching the mermaid show, happily munching on pretzels when I look at her, and I stare down at the screen for a few more moments.

Still nothing.

I check the time. Mason said he'd grab what he needed at the office and then turn right back around. If he did, that means he'll be back in roughly fifteen minutes.

You can't leave the chicken out there for that long.

I'm still torn about whether that would be so bad, though. If I just threw the chicken out, it would be a waste, sure, but we could always get more.

"No, come on. This is ridiculous." I watch the front door for a few more seconds. "There's no one there, and it's just to grab the groceries. Just do it quick."

Setting my phone down on the coffee table, I walk over to the door. My heart is beating too hard for my liking, but there's nothing I can do about it.

I poise my hand over the lock on the door. It takes a good thirty seconds before I can bring myself to flip it over.

The security panel by the door is just to my left. I disarm the system to immediately arm it again. It's set to "stay," so there's two minutes before it comes online again.

I just need to get all the groceries inside and lock things back up by then. That's it.

It's another few seconds before I can pull open the door, and even then, it's just a crack. I peek through the opening.

Still nothing.

Sinking down, I snake my hand out through the door to grab one of the three bags. I reach for the paper handles and quickly yank the thing back inside.

One bag down, two to go.

The next bag goes just like the first. I get the handles in my hand and pull the thing inside quickly.

Unfortunately, the third bag is too far from the door for me to reach like this. I have to take a step onto the porch to get it.

My throat is beyond dry, and I'm this close to having a fucking heart attack.

I could just shut things up. Two out of three isn't bad. But I've come this far, and nothing has happened. I just want to grab the thing and be done with this.

The countdown on the security panel chirps in a steady rhythm as the seconds pass by.

It's going to go off if I don't get the door closed.

Letting the door creak open a bit further, I rush forward to step out onto the porch and grab that last bag.

The handles are safely in my grasp, and this one is significantly heavier than the others. I turn around to go right back through that door with the last of the groceries.

Just as I'm crossing the threshold, I'm stopped short.

Thick arms circle me from behind, and a hand clamps down over my mouth. Pain flares through my face as the grip squeezes my cheeks.

And then a rose appears in front of my face.

No. No, no, no!

"Hey there, sweetheart." The raspy voice is right in my ear. "Miss me?"

The blood drains from my face, my stomach dropping into hell itself as the fear that I'd been fighting back rushes to the surface.

The hand on my mouth releases, but Jai still holds me pinned to his chest, his grip on my neck.

"H-how did you…"

My voice is so damned small, and I can barely form words. This can't be happening.

Of course, it is. You did this, Bridget. You led him here.

"Find you?" Jai's familiar cocky tone is strong, and he draws the rose in toward me, dragging the bud across my face. "You have yourself to thank for that. Though, I'm surprised you'd actually choose to come back here."

He squeezes my throat tighter before throwing the rose down to the ground.

"And apparently, you've been cozying up with that piece of shit from college. You were awful close in that hospital, weren't you?"

Realization hits, and I sag, struggling to breathe around Jai's grip. He saw the news report after the fire. He knew I was with Mason.

"I…I…"

"Don't bother denying it, baby. I saw it with my own eyes. It was tempting to burst into the hospital right then and there. But I enjoyed watching you stew in your juices, walking around this house like I might jump out at any time."

Jai presses his lips to the shell of my ear. Disgust and fear swirl, and I struggle against him in vain.

"Well, here I am, baby," Jai whispers. "Boo."

I don't know what the fuck to do. Mia is just inside the damn house, and my vision is going spotty as Jai presses down on my throat.

This is really fucking bad. Do something, Bridget.

Beep!

The security panel chimes loudly, the alarm starting as the computer voice says, "System not secure. Breech at front door."

His grip faltering, Jai whips his attention to the house, growling and cursing.

"What the fuck?!"

Suddenly, I realize the third grocery bag is right by my leg just a few inches away from my fingers. I stretch my fingers out, grouping for the handles.

It feels like years before I'm able to get a grip on the bag, but when I do, I use everything I have to hoist the thing in a wide circle toward Jai's face.

The groceries smash into Jai's face, and I rush inside, slamming the door back into place and locking it.

"Ahh! You bitch!"

Jai's screams ring out, and I sprint from the door to the living room. Mia looks confused and scared, and I try to offer her a smile as I scoop her up in my arms.

"Hey, sweetie. It's okay. That's just the alarm. I need to take you upstairs, okay?"

She stares up at me, covering her little ears because of the sound. "Loud!"

"Yeah, hun. It's loud."

As I run with her up the stairs, I hear the sound of glass breaking in the living room. Jai's broken in through the large window there.

Dammit! No, no, no. I need to keep Mia safe.

She buries her little face in my chest as we reach the top of the stairs. I swing a hard right and get her into her bedroom.

"Okay, honey. Stay right here for me, okay? I'm going to check on that loud noise."

Mia reaches for me, and I frown, trying so fucking hard not to break down in front of her.

"Bridgey?"

"It's okay, hun." Mia is still holding her stuffed unicorn that she's always carrying around. "Hold onto Uni. Keep her close. Here."

Stepping back, I reach for the colorful books she has on her shelves and pull a few down.

"Read some stories, okay? I'll be right back."

Pulling the books closer, Mia starts looking through some of her favorites, and I take the opportunity to leave the room, closing the door behind me.

I need to keep Jai away from her if it's the last thing I do.

Slowly, I shuffle down the hallway, keeping an eye out for any sign of Jai. I don't think he came upstairs, which is good.

Where do I go? Come on, Bridget. Think.

Eyeing the hall in front of me, my brain is churning like a damn storm. Jai is in the damn house, and I don't know when the police can get here.

Calling them would get them here faster, of course.

My phone.

Resolve strengthens me. I need to get to my damn phone to make sure the police come. And Mason.

I slip down the hallway quietly, keeping my back to the wall until I reach the stairs. I've learned the creaks and sounds of this house over the weeks, and I make sure to avoid the noisier steps.

The house is too quiet, though. I don't like it, and I still don't see Jai.

As I reach the base of the stairs, I lean around the corner to peek into the living room. My phone is still on the coffee table.

I just need to make it over there. But I can't just stand in the damn front area to make a call.

Scanning around me, my eyes land on the patio doors. There's a pool house outside.

It'll have to do.

Psyching myself up with several quick breaths, I sink down and then run for my phone on the coffee table.

I'm there in a flash, my fingers curling around the slim cell, and I immediately turn on my heel and head for the patio.

The sound of my steps is too loud, though, and I push myself harder.

At the doors, I yank to the side, but they don't open. Goddamn it. The fucking bar!

Our security protocols have dicked me right now, and I unlock the sliding door and then go for the bar that keeps it from moving.

I'm fumbling with the little metal pin that holds it down when I hear a low series of thuds coming from the other side of the house near Mason's office.

"Shit, shit, shit. Come on."

The stupid metal thing finally slides through the little slot, and I yank the bar up. Pulling on the door, I throw the thing wide open just as the incoming footsteps reach me.

"There you are. You can't escape me, Bridget."

I turn over my shoulder, my eyes wide as I see Jai rushing toward me. He wears an evil smile that turns my blood cold, and I start to stumble backward through the door.

"Didn't you know?" He cocks his head, his hands balled into fists. "You're mine, and I intend on making sure you stay that way forever."

I can only guess what he means by that, and I don't really want to know. It doesn't matter in any case because my heel catches on the lip of the sliding door.

I fall backward onto my ass, and I have to scramble on my hands and knees to get myself turned around and up.

Everything I do feels too slow, just getting up taking the same time and energy as sprinting across the room. When I'm finally on both feet again, I launch myself forward, trying to run past the pool and into the little guest house behind it.

The door there locks. I just need to get inside and make a damn phone call.

My heart pounds along with my steps as I run into the sunny backyard with everything I have. But I'm short, and my legs don't cover the same amount of ground as someone taller.

Like Jai.

Suddenly, I'm hit by something solid from behind, and I fall to the ground as Jai tackles me. Pain roars through my knees and arms that took the brunt of the fall, and then Jai turns me to face him as he pins me down.

"Get off! Ahh!"

I scream and kick against him, but I know it's no use. Jai doesn't care if he's hurting me. On the contrary, that's what he wants.

"You really thought you could just run off and fuck some nobody? Hmm?" I twist and yank against his hold, but the flat of his blade presses to my cheek. "You belong to me, Bridget. And now no one will get to touch you again, you stupid whore."

Terror courses through my veins. I lash out, knocking the knife out of Jai's grasp, but we're right at the steps of the pool, and he just pushes my shoulders down.

The fear rushes through me all the harder as the cold water slips over the top of my hair. I try to crane my neck forward, to keep myself out of the pool, but Jai is too strong.

And then my head is underwater.

Panic grips me, and I try to hold my breath for as long as I can, still thrashing against Jai in a vain attempt to break free.

But water slips in through my nose, and in a moment, my body reflexively tries to breathe. Everything burns as the liquid fills my throat and lungs.

I'm going to drown.

My strength begins to slip away, and I hear a low thudding off in the distance. My malfunctioning brain can't tell what it is, and I just assume it's a part of dying.

In a whoosh, the pressure on my shoulders and head disappears. I have just enough in me to instinctively pull myself out of the pool, coughing up water that burns all the more as it comes back out.

Thwack!

I look to my right to see Mason on top of Jai. He lands several frenzied punches on the guy's face, and Mason isn't showing any signs of stopping.

Dragging myself toward them, I try to call out to him. "Mason!"

He doesn't respond, and Jai is looking more and more like a bloody pi?ata.

"Mason, stop!"

Something clicks, and Mason jerks his head toward me. Our eyes meet, and he drops Jai to the pool deck in a heap.

"Bridget!"

Rushing to my side, Mason scoops me against his chest, and I sag into him. "I'm okay. You stopped him. I'm…"

But my words falter because I realize what just almost happened, and all I can do is sob into Mason's arms.