quickly distracted by the singing the group was doing. Livvie looked at her as she joined the circle of kids and smiled briefly before turning a more serious face to Jayne.
“Is everything ok?” she asked again, more calmly this time.
“There’s been no alarm, so I assume so. However, he won’t be able to take you home tonight. He sent the key to the house and said you were to go directly there after school.”
“Unescorted?” Livvie asked, surprised. She touched her collar briefly.
Jayne nodded, her expression leaving no doubt that the woman thought Livvie should be walked home under armed guard.
“Where’s the key?” she asked, annoyed with Jayne and her absolute unwillingness to accept her, to even offer her the smallest chance.
“Here you are,” Jayne said, retrieving the ring of keys from her pocket and handing it over.
“Thank you,” Livvie said.
Jayne grunted with a nod and walked away. Livvie pocketed the ring and returned to the classroom. He was trusting her to be alone. Her mind raced at the possibilities, but at the forefront was the knowledge that tonight, he’d told her he had a surprise and that she should be ready for him when he got home. And he’d explained exactly what he meant by ready: naked and kneeling at the foot of the bed. The disappointment she felt at the chance that this emergency could potentially make that not happen was unsettling.
* * *
Walking home alone was strange. Most people went about their business, but she didn’t miss the curious glances that turned her way. She took the long way, looking down streets and into windows as she went. She wondered if his letting her walk home alone was a test, wondered if he was watching her from somewhere himself. She brushed her fingers over her collar, knowing he wouldn’t need to watch her at all. He could track her easily via the GPS.
It didn’t matter anyway, at least not this time. She’d decided to go home and wait for him. She wanted to pass his test, if that was what this was. And if it wasn’t, she didn’t want to jeopardize the trust that was growing between them.
The sun was disappearing behind the high mountains when she slid the key into the lock of the front door. The street was deserted, his house the only one standing on this road. She walked inside and closed the door behind her, then locked it. She wasn’t sure why she did that. Well, that wasn’t exactly true. She did it because without him, she didn’t feel as safe as when he was there.
Walking into the kitchen, she poured herself a glass of water and drank it down while leaning against the counter and surveying the place. She looked at the keys in her hand. In the weeks she’d been here, she’d investigated every inch of the house and there had only been one place she hadn’t been able to enter. It was the trap door hidden beneath the carpet on the living room floor. She rinsed her cup in the sink and walked toward it, figuring this was her best opportunity. Pushing the carpet up, she knelt by the lock and tried the first key. It was the third one that slid perfectly into the lock and she turned it, feeling the latch release as she did. Her heart raced as she pulled the heavy door upward. It was pitch black below, so she picked up a flashlight and pointed it into the opening.
A ladder much like the one to the bedroom led the way down and she began the descent. It wasn’t that deep and once she was below, she shone the light along the walls until she found a switch. She flipped it and a brighter-than-expected light bulb lit up what looked to be a storage space. She switched off the flashlight and set it on one of the rungs of the ladder so she wouldn’t forget it. She then began her search of the contents of the first box.
* * *
Hayden made his way home earlier than he’d thought he would. The emergency that had come up had been Mary—again. He’d been putting her off for weeks and today she’d shown up at headquarters
“Is everything ok?” she asked again, more calmly this time.
“There’s been no alarm, so I assume so. However, he won’t be able to take you home tonight. He sent the key to the house and said you were to go directly there after school.”
“Unescorted?” Livvie asked, surprised. She touched her collar briefly.
Jayne nodded, her expression leaving no doubt that the woman thought Livvie should be walked home under armed guard.
“Where’s the key?” she asked, annoyed with Jayne and her absolute unwillingness to accept her, to even offer her the smallest chance.
“Here you are,” Jayne said, retrieving the ring of keys from her pocket and handing it over.
“Thank you,” Livvie said.
Jayne grunted with a nod and walked away. Livvie pocketed the ring and returned to the classroom. He was trusting her to be alone. Her mind raced at the possibilities, but at the forefront was the knowledge that tonight, he’d told her he had a surprise and that she should be ready for him when he got home. And he’d explained exactly what he meant by ready: naked and kneeling at the foot of the bed. The disappointment she felt at the chance that this emergency could potentially make that not happen was unsettling.
* * *
Walking home alone was strange. Most people went about their business, but she didn’t miss the curious glances that turned her way. She took the long way, looking down streets and into windows as she went. She wondered if his letting her walk home alone was a test, wondered if he was watching her from somewhere himself. She brushed her fingers over her collar, knowing he wouldn’t need to watch her at all. He could track her easily via the GPS.
It didn’t matter anyway, at least not this time. She’d decided to go home and wait for him. She wanted to pass his test, if that was what this was. And if it wasn’t, she didn’t want to jeopardize the trust that was growing between them.
The sun was disappearing behind the high mountains when she slid the key into the lock of the front door. The street was deserted, his house the only one standing on this road. She walked inside and closed the door behind her, then locked it. She wasn’t sure why she did that. Well, that wasn’t exactly true. She did it because without him, she didn’t feel as safe as when he was there.
Walking into the kitchen, she poured herself a glass of water and drank it down while leaning against the counter and surveying the place. She looked at the keys in her hand. In the weeks she’d been here, she’d investigated every inch of the house and there had only been one place she hadn’t been able to enter. It was the trap door hidden beneath the carpet on the living room floor. She rinsed her cup in the sink and walked toward it, figuring this was her best opportunity. Pushing the carpet up, she knelt by the lock and tried the first key. It was the third one that slid perfectly into the lock and she turned it, feeling the latch release as she did. Her heart raced as she pulled the heavy door upward. It was pitch black below, so she picked up a flashlight and pointed it into the opening.
A ladder much like the one to the bedroom led the way down and she began the descent. It wasn’t that deep and once she was below, she shone the light along the walls until she found a switch. She flipped it and a brighter-than-expected light bulb lit up what looked to be a storage space. She switched off the flashlight and set it on one of the rungs of the ladder so she wouldn’t forget it. She then began her search of the contents of the first box.
* * *
Hayden made his way home earlier than he’d thought he would. The emergency that had come up had been Mary—again. He’d been putting her off for weeks and today she’d shown up at headquarters
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