men waiting to drag her back … to pry answers from her unwilling lips.
She shuddered at the same time her stomach gurgled. Too bad. Until she had more money in hand, she wasn’t going to squander her last bill when she could easily go a while longer without food. For now, the priority was finding a place to stay.
Her mind drifted to a handsome cowboy and a pair of blue eyes that made her warm and happy inside.
Absolutely not
. Completely out of the question for two reasons. One, she’d have to tell him the truth or lie through her teeth. She wasn’t going to do either. She’d gotten this far on half truths and knew exactly what her father would say about that:
A half-truth is a whole lie
. And two, if she was followed back to the Neeley ranch, those intent on getting to the truth would use Colton and his family as a means to extract the information from her.
Trapped. Stranded. Alone.
Piper dug her fingers into her hair and screamed behind squeezed lips. Why? Why must it be this way? She just wanted some hope that the insanity that had stolen her life would end, that her father would be saved, and that she would have a chance at a happy life.
A familiar melody dropped into her mind—the
Hatikva
. Hope infused her to the very bones. The national anthem of Israel spoke of hope. Was that a sign, a message that things would turn out okay?
Yeah. Right.
The ache burned raw and hot. Every good thing in her life had been crushed or stolen. She banged the back of her head against the head rest. How could she be so idiotic as to think she could fall in love with Colton and have a happy life? Things didn’t work that way for her. Her mother and baby brother died. Then Bazak. When Dodie left her, the only family member she had left was their father … who also stepped out of her life. Yes, for her own safety, for his safety, for the safety of a nation, but that still left her alone. Utterly alone.
Tears streaked down her face. “Oh Yeshua, help me.”
Again, the Hatikva played through her mind. Sitting at a red light with the crimson blur splashed over her windshield, she let out a shuddering sigh. Then gasped.
The music box. She had to get the music box. Which meant she
had
to go back.
When the light changed, Piper drove on, peering in the rearview mirror at the ever-shrinking bank that had put a huge roadblock in her escape plans.
She slapped the steering wheel. How could the bank keep her ten thousand dollars like that? It was all she had left of the trust fund that had kept her afloat. It was her entire life—how would she survive on her own?
And how on earth did the griefer know?
Her heart skipped a beat. Then two. The only way he could’ve known was if her father had sent a message. Right? The griefer didn’t know who she was, so how could he tell her she was found?
Desperation chased her through the streetlamp-lit city, clogged with heavy traffic and a mountain of fear. She had to do something. Maybe … maybe if she parked at the strip mall and walked back, she could spy out her apartment, see if anyone was coming or going.
Parking in front of the pizzeria gave her little comfort despite the throng of cars. Still, she had to do what she had to do. Piper left the car and hurried down the street. Near the park, where she had a bird’s-eye, though distant, view of her apartment, she sat on a swing and waited. And waited. Once dark nestled in for the night, Piper made her way closer.
She tugged her lightweight jacket around her shoulders. Every shadow seemed to come alive as she passed it. The alley next to her building twisted the wind into howling ghouls.
Crossing the corner to her street, as the trees seemed to move aside and grant her unfettered access to what lay before her, she spied Mrs. Calhoun rocking on her porch.
Piper’s hopes soared. Of course! She quickened her steps until she came to the side of the neighbor’s fenced-in front yard. Gripping the iron bars, Piper waved at the lady,
She shuddered at the same time her stomach gurgled. Too bad. Until she had more money in hand, she wasn’t going to squander her last bill when she could easily go a while longer without food. For now, the priority was finding a place to stay.
Her mind drifted to a handsome cowboy and a pair of blue eyes that made her warm and happy inside.
Absolutely not
. Completely out of the question for two reasons. One, she’d have to tell him the truth or lie through her teeth. She wasn’t going to do either. She’d gotten this far on half truths and knew exactly what her father would say about that:
A half-truth is a whole lie
. And two, if she was followed back to the Neeley ranch, those intent on getting to the truth would use Colton and his family as a means to extract the information from her.
Trapped. Stranded. Alone.
Piper dug her fingers into her hair and screamed behind squeezed lips. Why? Why must it be this way? She just wanted some hope that the insanity that had stolen her life would end, that her father would be saved, and that she would have a chance at a happy life.
A familiar melody dropped into her mind—the
Hatikva
. Hope infused her to the very bones. The national anthem of Israel spoke of hope. Was that a sign, a message that things would turn out okay?
Yeah. Right.
The ache burned raw and hot. Every good thing in her life had been crushed or stolen. She banged the back of her head against the head rest. How could she be so idiotic as to think she could fall in love with Colton and have a happy life? Things didn’t work that way for her. Her mother and baby brother died. Then Bazak. When Dodie left her, the only family member she had left was their father … who also stepped out of her life. Yes, for her own safety, for his safety, for the safety of a nation, but that still left her alone. Utterly alone.
Tears streaked down her face. “Oh Yeshua, help me.”
Again, the Hatikva played through her mind. Sitting at a red light with the crimson blur splashed over her windshield, she let out a shuddering sigh. Then gasped.
The music box. She had to get the music box. Which meant she
had
to go back.
When the light changed, Piper drove on, peering in the rearview mirror at the ever-shrinking bank that had put a huge roadblock in her escape plans.
She slapped the steering wheel. How could the bank keep her ten thousand dollars like that? It was all she had left of the trust fund that had kept her afloat. It was her entire life—how would she survive on her own?
And how on earth did the griefer know?
Her heart skipped a beat. Then two. The only way he could’ve known was if her father had sent a message. Right? The griefer didn’t know who she was, so how could he tell her she was found?
Desperation chased her through the streetlamp-lit city, clogged with heavy traffic and a mountain of fear. She had to do something. Maybe … maybe if she parked at the strip mall and walked back, she could spy out her apartment, see if anyone was coming or going.
Parking in front of the pizzeria gave her little comfort despite the throng of cars. Still, she had to do what she had to do. Piper left the car and hurried down the street. Near the park, where she had a bird’s-eye, though distant, view of her apartment, she sat on a swing and waited. And waited. Once dark nestled in for the night, Piper made her way closer.
She tugged her lightweight jacket around her shoulders. Every shadow seemed to come alive as she passed it. The alley next to her building twisted the wind into howling ghouls.
Crossing the corner to her street, as the trees seemed to move aside and grant her unfettered access to what lay before her, she spied Mrs. Calhoun rocking on her porch.
Piper’s hopes soared. Of course! She quickened her steps until she came to the side of the neighbor’s fenced-in front yard. Gripping the iron bars, Piper waved at the lady,
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