See Me .(76)

“O-Okay.”

Abigail set the phone back on the coffee table. A wash of relief drifted over her as she leaned over to pet Penelope. “He’s finally leaving. Maybe now we can move on, girl.” She got up from the couch and padded into the tiny kitchen. “Let’s make something special for tonight,” she said to Penelope, who sat patiently waiting for a treat. Abigail opened the cookie jar on the small counter and tossed the little bone onto the floor. The dog scrambled to snatch up the biscuit. “Spaghetti and meatballs. Sean will like that.”

She opened the refrigerator. As she grabbed a package of meat, her thoughts drifted to her belly. She closed the door and rubbed a small circle over her abdomen. Knowing the little life inside her body was growing made her smile. For a moment, she remembered how Caroline liked to kick around in the evening and how her hiccups made Abigail’s stomach feel like a million butterflies were taking off inside her.

She set the meat on the counter and started searching through the cabinets for a bowl. Only a few cabinets lined the wall, but she still wasn’t familiar with the small space. Sean did most of the cooking. He’d learned a few new recipes to add to his delicious macaroni-and-cheese-and-pancake menu. His love of cooking was one of many things she was learning about the man she loved. He was tidy and never missed a day at the gym. He and Ron had become quite the sparring partners, and he’d even gotten Ron to volunteer with him at the boys’ center.

Abigail was impressed by how well he managed his time. She’d taken a few pointers and was now able to schedule her days so that they weren’t quite so hectic. In turn, her anxiety about work was calming down. And now, with the news that Justin was on his way out of her life, maybe she could breathe again and find peace in the rest of her life.

She tossed the meat into the bowl and began searching for spices. After dumping an eclectic array of dried herbs into the bowl, she started mashing the concoction with a wooden spoon. Penelope stood at her feet and whimpered.

“He’s gotten you way too spoiled,” she said and took a moment to grab another biscuit out of the cookie jar. The dog shoved her nose in the air and caught the biscuit that Abigail tossed down to her. “Good catch! He taught you that, didn’t he?” Penelope, seemingly satisfied now, walked back into the living room to enjoy her treat.

What sounded like a door handle rattling made her look up. She could see the front door from where she was standing in the kitchen. She waited. Nothing. She went back to mashing the spoon into the bowl. When everything was mixed, she set the spoon on the counter and wiped her hands on a small towel.

Her phone rang, making her jump. She started to walk to the coffee table when something crashed against the front door. Penelope barked. Abigail ran to the coat closet where Sean kept the baseball bat he’d brought from her apartment. As she passed the door, another bang rang out, the wooden door bowed inward at the center, and flew open.

Abigail screamed.

Justin reached out to wrap his tight grip around her throat. She felt the breath fly from her lungs and a burning start to rise as she struggled to catch a breath. She clawed at his hands, trying to free herself from his clutches, but he was too strong. He squeezed tighter, and the world went black.

* * * *

“What the fuck?”

Sean listened to Abigail’s recorded voice asking him to leave a message. He knew she planned on going home. Why wasn’t she answering her phone? He pressed the green button to call her again. One…two…three rings went by. He pressed his foot on the accelerator.

He pulled up against the curb behind Abigail’s new car. He’d insisted she buy the car to throw Justin off. As he ran up to the front porch, he scanned the yards on either side of the house. Mrs. Connelly was sitting on her porch swing, but other than that, no one was out. He took the stairs two at a time. The door was closed but had obviously been pummeled. The splintered center had been hit hard. He turned the knob, and it wobbled. He took a breath. He needed to think. Had the fucker taken Abigail somewhere, or were they still inside? He had to be careful with his next move. He heard a sound coming from behind the door. A whimper. It was the mutt.

Crouching down, he silently slid the door open an inch, just to peer inside. He needed to see inside the apartment and make a game plan real fucking fast. Penelope was lying on her side on the living room floor. He tapped the floor to get her attention. When she looked over at him, she didn’t come running. Sean’s heartbeat went into overdrive. He scanned the living room and the kitchen. No one was there. He took a deep breath and listened. A man’s voice came from somewhere deeper in the apartment.