AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She imagined him as a little boy crying in the dark, pounding on the wood, desperate to be free. To be in the light again.
Sympathy welled in her heart for that young boy.
Though she wondered if his parents were ill-equipped to handle a troubled hellion, or if they were cruel and put him in that dark box and turned him into an unhinged monster.
She’d probably never know the whole truth.
Did abuse make him who he was?
Or was he born that way?
Could that disturbed child have been taught to be kind with patience and discipline?
Or was this inhumane punishment the only recourse for parents who felt they had no other way to stop someone they couldn’t reason with, who didn’t care how he hurt others?
Had they sought help for their son, or given up on him?
Kyle grabbed the door, slammed it shut, locked it, then turned to her. “I’m sorry you had to hear that. I thought they’d be happy to see you. Instead, they lecture me. They disapprove of everything I do.” He spun back to the door. “Stop being so critical! I’m leaving. Maybe if you behave, I’ll bring them back for another visit.” Kyle met her gaze and shook his head. “They always said stuff like that to me, but they never did anything they promised.”
Perhaps Kyle never behaved. Therefore, he never got whatever it was he wanted.
Or maybe his parents taunted him with something and never gave it to him no matter how hard he tried. Until he simply stopped trying and took whatever he wanted anyway.
All of those disturbing thoughts left her head spinning and her no closer to understanding Kyle.
There was only one thing she knew for sure. She needed to get out of here before he put her and Eliza in a closet and kept them to fulfill his delusional family fantasy.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chase was going crazy with worry and fear every second that passed. Not even Remmy’s constant comfort kept his darkest thoughts at bay about what might happen to the two most important people in his life.
He played mind games with himself while waiting for Hunt and his police buddies to feed him information. He denied the situation was as bad as it seemed, or that Kyle was as deadly as they predicted. He bargained with God, the universe, whatever higher power was out there listening that he’d be a good man, give his life, whatever they wanted to just bring Shelby and his daughter out of this alive and well.
Nothing worked.
The front door never opened to them walking out and right back into his arms.
He was ready to do whatever had to be done to make that happen.
His injuries were serious. He could feel the drag on his mind and body from the blood loss. The pain wouldn’t cease.
But he’d been through a hell of a lot worse and made it out alive.
He’d hold on as long as it took to get Shelby and Eliza out safe.
And to put Kyle down.
The cops wanted a peaceful end to this.
Chase knew in his bones that was never going to happen. Kyle had played his hand. He took them. And just like when he took Rebecca, he had no intention of giving them up. Ever.
When Kyle realized they were outside and he was surrounded with no way out, he’d know the only options he had left were to surrender, which Chase believed he’d never do, or hold on to Shelby and Eliza the only way he could and take them out with him.
Murder-suicide seemed the most likely outcome for a man as unhinged as Kyle. Chase didn’t believe for a moment they’d even scratched the surface of what Kyle was capable of.
Shelby was smart, intuitive, and empathetic. She understood hurt people because she’d been hurt. She knew the deep pain others felt about being misunderstood. She knew loneliness and regret. She’d use those abilities to try to connect with Kyle.
She knew Chase was coming to help her. He’d never leave anyone behind. He’d do anything to get her back.
