“Didn’t what? Go on a date with Joshua? Introduce me to him? He would have found me anyway. Hell, Nat, he was following you everywhere. Even if I had never laid eyes on him he would have cornered me. Nothing was going to stop him from getting to you.”
I looked down at the tiles on the floor. My bare toes wiggling against the cold laminate squares.
“Thank heavens for Ray, right?”
“Oh, what a nice guy he is.” Diamond said wiping her eyes.
When I couldn’t get Diamond to pick up the phone to tell her I had arrived at my parent’s house I immediately called Marty. I wasn’t sure what he could do to help but I knew he was a better bet than the police. They wouldn’t do anything until she was missing for twenty-four hours and even then, what could they do? They would be polite and reassuring saying that in most instances the person shows up a day or two later. In most instances that probably was correct. But I knew different. I knew the poisonous element in my equation that was missing from all those others. No. I called Marty and managed to tell him what was happening and where I was just before I heard the glass break. Then the phone went dead.
Suddenly the home I had grown up in became a carnival funhouse with a maze of dark corners and deep shadows that could hide a full grown man, a strong man with ill intensions.
My parent’s home was a beautiful Cape Cod. As you stepped in the house there was a hallway that lead to the left to the front room and to the right was the kitchen. Before hitting the kitchen was a set of stairs that lead to the bedrooms and bathroom. Across from the stairs was a door leading to the basement. It wasn’t a mansion but it was my home, cozy with loving memories of Christmases and birthdays and coming home from school and hundreds of other every day, average occurrences that suddenly became tainted. This unwelcomed devil was oozing his evil and hatred all over everything that had felt so pure and safe just a few seconds earlier.
I hadn’t brought my cell phone ,figuring there was a good possibility Joshua had had a GPS on it. It was the only way I could figure he always knew where I was.
Using the landline proved to have its own drawbacks. Like when someone snips the cable that connects it to the poles that connect it to any kind of help.
Holding my breath I listened. Every creak and snap that I know I had heard a million times before throughout my life as this house settled became threatening.
Hanging up the phone and looking across the foyer I stared at the front door. It seemed miles away. Then, my hand instinctively went to my belly. It wasn’t just me. My heart sank into a pool of terror as I thought that I might not be able to protect this little angel.
“Nat.” I couldn’t be sure if it was him or my imagination but it sounded sinister like something that was hissing and talking at the same time.
From where I was standing I couldn’t tell if the sound of breaking glass came from the upstairs or the basement. I inched my way backwards and quietly slip a small knife from the wood block that stood on counter. It was either that or a meat fork with the two prongs. How many years had my parents kept that half empty wooden block in the same place? I had decided at that moment what I was buying them for Christmas this year. If I made it that far, I thought morbidly to myself.
Holding the little knife down low and as concealed as possible I tip-toed down the hallway listening and stood between the basement door and the landing of the stairs. I couldn’t hear anything.
“Nat!” It called louder this time making me jump and whirl around. Nothing was there. I had had enough. Before I could turn completely around and dash for the front door I went sprawling across the floor. Instantly, I grabbed my stomach with one hand and tightened my grip of the small paring knife with the other. Rolling over I saw him emerge from the shadow next to my father’s grandfather clock. He had beaten me there. He had to have gotten there before me.
“Natasha! You need to be more careful.” He said pulling his leg in. Was he hoping I would have landed on the knife? Did he know I had it? Did he know I was pregnant? And if he did, did he hope it would hurt or worse, kill my baby?
A feeling of rage swirled around in the pit of my stomach and I was ready to fight to protect this innocent baby inside me. I waited, getting my bearings, doing a slow but steady mental check of all my limbs and calming my heartbeat as best I could.
“The police are on their way, Joshua. If you leave, I’ll say it was an intruder but didn’t see his face. No one will know you were here.”
“What? You say that as if you didn’t invite me here.”
It was so dark in the house that I could just make out Joshua’s silhouette but even in the shadow I could see the sadistic look of crazy on his face.
“You weren’t invited here, Joshua.”
“Of course I was. You invited me here. But when you found out your other lover, Marty, my big brother was no his way you decided to change your tune. You are just a whore who got caught in her own lie and tried to make me look like the bad guy.”
“You’re crazy.” My voice trembled.
“Oh, the name calling is really unnecessary. What I am is rich, richer than you can even dream. And so that makes me more believable than you. No one is going to take the word of a slut who’s banging a set of brothers.”
My gut churned at his words. I couldn’t help but feel a part of me try and go to him as if to say yes, your right. Why bother.
“I haven’t been with you for months, Joshua. Please, you’ve got to just let me go.” I said. “There are plenty of women who…”
“Shut up, Natasha! Don’t you get it? I’m not going anywhere. I’m sure my handsome big brother will be speeding to your rescue. When he arrives, well, you’ll be waiting to tell him whatever you want. It won’t matter because within a few seconds he’ll be dead. Self-defense, you know.”
“I’ll never let you hurt him.”
“Oh, you won’t’ be able to do a thing about it. You’ll be dead too. Marty never could control his temper. I tried to save you but was too late. They’ll believe me. I’m rich, like I said.”
Slowly I went to stand up but Joshua rushed me. Without thinking, as he brought up his leg to kick me I swung the small knife and felt it bury itself into the flesh of the front of his calf.