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24 Nathan

I hit the weights as soon as I got home. I literally parked the Jeep beside the house and jogged into the house in the fading light of day. I didn’t bother to change. I just stripped off my shirt as I went down the steps into the unfinished basement.

It was cold down here, and the thud of my boots rang out over the concrete floor. My weight bench was set up in the center of the room. It was a welcome sight. I hadn’t always enjoyed working out as much as I did now, but I found it was a good way to keep stress in check. It was a good way to blow off steam without getting drunk and spending half my life in some alcohol-induced stupor.

Besides, it seemed like a better idea to channel all my energy into something positive than drowning myself in a bottle.

Before I got started, I docked my iPhone on the speakers and cranked up some Aerosmith. I warmed up with a run on the treadmill. The pace started out casual but then worked up to a flat-out sprint. I liked the way my muscles exerted themselves. I was able to focus in on my body and my breath. Everything else fell away for a little while.

Once I was good and warm, I wiped my brow with the back of my arm and hit the weights. Usually I alternated muscle groups. Tonight I worked a little bit of everything. I went on autopilot doing bench presses, curls, and squats. After those were completed, I moved into push-ups and pull-ups. In the Corps, we were required to be able to do twenty pull-ups. I did forty.

I worked out for at least an hour, putting my body through its paces, and then I finished off by hanging from my pull-up bar upside down and holding a twenty pound disk to my chest while I did sit-ups.

When I was done, I stripped down naked and tossed all my clothes in the washing machine. As I walked upstairs, I checked my phone. And I wondered about Honor.

I took a quick shower and threw on a pair of dark-grey Nike sweatpants and a long-sleeved white T-shirt. Then I grabbed a beer out of the fridge and sat down in front of the flat-screen.

I turned on the news, hoping to see some breaking story about the arrest of Lex.

But I didn’t see that.

“Local police are still searching for the man they believe responsible for the disappearance of Mary Alderson several weeks ago. They now believe the suspect, a Mr. Lex Sullman, is responsible for many of the kidnappings in the area over the last year. The police department issued an arrest warrant for Sullman early this morning when another young woman, who happens to be best-selling author Honor Calhoun, was brought into the Allentown ER for treatment to several injuries that she claims she received at the hands of Mr. Sullman. Ms. Calhoun claims that Sullman abducted her early yesterday morning and held her hostage near the town of Slatington. Ms. Calhoun’s injuries have been treated and sources tell us she has been released from the hospital and is now resting at home.

“The search for Mr. Sullman continues. If you have any information about this man, please contact your local police department immediately.”

I stared at the pictures that flashed on the screen as the anchor blabbed to all the damn world. When she said Honor’s name, my blood ran cold, and then she flashed a picture of her, one that showed her face completely unmarked.

I was right.

She was even more gorgeous without bruises.

Then a photo of Lex popped up on the screen. He looked like a regular guy. He was someone that no one would suspect of something like this.

He was still out there.

And if he was anywhere with a TV, he now knew Honor’s full name. And that meant her address wouldn’t be hard to find.

I got up from the couch, leaving the beer on the coffee table. I grabbed my keys, another jacket, and jammed my feet into a pair of sneakers. I left the TV and the lights on and locked the door behind me.

When I got behind the wheel, I pulled my phone out of my pocket. I could just call her. Ask her how she was.

I shook my head and started the engine.

A phone call wasn’t good enough.

I had to see, see with my own eyes that she was okay. And I sure as hell wasn’t going to leave her alone the entire night while her kidnapper was pissed off and still out there.

I swore. Thanks to the f-ing news, not only was Lex pissed off, but now he was very well informed.

I called up her address in my memory and drove there in record time. Across the street from her house was a small pull-off shoulder on the road. I pulled off there and parked, checking out the surroundings, looking for anything that seemed out of place.

Her house was dark, and I wondered if it was because she wasn’t home or if it was because she was asleep.

I settled back in the seat, thinking I was acting like a crazy stalker and how my mother would kick my ass if she saw me now. I didn’t know what else to do. I couldn’t just sit around at home and wonder if she was okay, not after watching the news.

Her house was pretty nice looking. Not real big, but still a decent size. It was newer looking with vinyl siding and white trim around the windows. The driveway was gravel and led to a two-car garage. A set of concrete steps led up to a covered front entryway and a large porch light hung just above. It was on, which made me think she might be home. The front door was painted yellow, a welcoming sunny color.

Off to the right of the house was a wooded area. The perfect place for some crazy ass to hide. I was pretty sure that behind her house ran the Slate Heritage trail. The trail ran for thirty miles and was built on an old railroad. It was also the trail she was attacked on. It would lead Lex right to her door.

I knew then that I would be spending the night. I would rather feel like a stalker than hear about her murder on the news in the morning.

Besides, I was a lot of things. A stalker wasn’t one of them.

Outside, the wind beat against the ragtop of the Jeep, rattling the vinyl windows, but I didn’t mind the sound. It helped keep me awake. I was tired. I was operating on a couple hours of sleep, and the thorough workout I did mellowed out my body.

A little while later, a light clicked on in one of the windows of Honor’s house. I sat up a little straighter. Now I knew she was home. I watched the house, wondering what she was doing, waiting for the light to click off or another to click on. Neither happened.

The suspense of not knowing what was happening in there drove me insane. I debated for a while until I couldn’t debate anymore.

I was knocking. I was just gonna have to admit that I was out here. She would probably be mad. She would probably tell me to leave and then bolt the door.

But at least I would know she was safe.

Mind made up, I jumped out of the Jeep and jogged across the street. She had potted flowers lining the concrete steps. I paused at the front door, listening for any kind of sound. There was none.

I lifted my hand and knocked.

Several minutes ticked by. I didn’t knock again. I could almost feel her hovering on the other side of the wood. She was probably scared.

“Honor, it’s Nathan,” I yelled.

I heard a few locks unlatch and then the door opened a fraction, enough for one blue eye to peer out. Above her dark head was a sturdy-looking chain across the door. “Nathan?”

“Hey,” I replied. “I know it’s late. But I was worried—”

She slammed the door in my face.

I figured that meant she didn’t want to see me. As I turned to walk away, I heard the chain on the door being slid free. I turned back.

The door opened.

Honor launched herself out of the house and into my arms.

“Hey,” I said, catching her against me, trying not to squeeze her too hard around the chest. “What’s the matter? Are you okay?”

She nodded against me but said nothing. Her feet were bare against the cold concrete of the porch. I lifted her up and went inside, pushing the door shut behind us. I took a moment to throw a couple of the locks before turning back to her. I chose not to acknowledge the knife clutched in her hand. But later we were going to have a talk about proper weapons.

She was wearing an oversized gray T-shirt and a pair of skintight black leggings. Her dark hair fell around her shoulders and cascaded down the center of her back. She still wore a bandage on her hand and some of the swelling around her eye had gone down.

“Are you okay?” I asked again.

“Yeah.”

“What are you doing up? It’s late?”

“I couldn’t sleep.” Her eyes met mine. I knew the look that swam in their depths.

I ran the pad of my finger over the dark smudge beneath her eye that wasn’t swollen. “Bad dreams?”

She nodded again.

“You should have gone home with your mother,” I said sternly.

“I’m making pie.”

I couldn’t really be mad about the change of subject. I mean, she was talking about pie. “You’re making pie?”

“Apple. Wanna help?”

“Do cows have tails?”

She giggled and started up the steps that led into the living room and kitchen. I left my shoes down by the door and followed behind her.

I would have followed even if she didn’t have pie.