View Park. Angela Winters

felt that familiar tingling sensation at the idea of doing something wrong and knowing she was going to get away with it. She almost wished she could see the look on their faces when the idiot went crying that she was missing.

      She tiptoed to her vanity, checking herself in the mirror. Tight, red silk, BCBG top, black suede, low rise hip-hugging Missoni pants, her hair thrown aimlessly around and a dab of MAC mink satin lipstick. It was a crime to keep someone who looked this good inside. She grabbed her cell phone off the dresser and quietly made her way to her bathroom, closing the door so her phone call would not be heard.

      Carly Longoni had a sore throat and she wasn’t supposed to be going out either, but neither of them found any interest in doing what they’re supposed to. The plan was for Carly to wait at the corner on Kelly Street until Haley, who was sneaking off her trellis, got there.

      Exiting the bathroom, Haley tiptoed through her room. She stopped for a second certain she heard something fall or clank like glass or porcelain. Her eyes focused on the doorknob, but it didn’t move. After what seemed like a full minute, she slowly reached for her favorite club purse, a tiny Burberry, dropped her cell phone inside and slid it up her arm. She heard a slight squeaking sound as she slid the balcony door open and wasn’t about to risk it to slide it closed.

      As soon as she reached the ground she had her path marked out. She had done this plenty of times. Her feet firmly on the ground, Haley didn’t have a chance to scream before a strong hand grabbed her by the shoulder and forced her back. Another hand muffled her screams as she struggled to get free. She wasn’t going out like this. She hadn’t taken two self-defense classes in college for nothing.

      Her leg went up and back, her hard-heeled Pradas connecting with his groin. She heard a loud groan as she was let go. Haley knew she should have just run, but being the curious cat she was, she turned around for one more kick while he was down so she could have a head start in getting away. Seeing Sean struggling to get up both surprised and amused her, but angered her more than anything.

      “What in the hell are you doing here?”

      “Trying to protect you!” Sean finally stood up, his body still vibrating with pain.

      “Protect me? You’re the one on the ground.”

      “What do you think you’re doing?”

      Haley wondered if he was even worth lying to. “I was just trying to get some air without that goon upstairs trying to follow me around.”

      “Dressed like that? Please. You’re probably off to meet one of your other married boyfriends.”

      The amusement gone, Haley jabbed him in the chest with her elbow. “Get out of my way.” When he grabbed her by the arm, she tried to break free, but his grip was too strong. “What just happened to you the last time you grabbed me?”

      “You got lucky that time.” He swung her around, his grip tightening. “You’re getting back in that house.”

      Sean ignored her threats as he dragged her across the immense yard and around the house. He wanted to get some sleep at home, but the balcony kept nagging him and he was glad he’d come back if for nothing than just to spoil her plans.

      “You need to get a life,” Haley said, already thinking of how she was going to make him pay for this. “I can do whatever I want.”

      He stopped suddenly, jolting her as he pulled her to him. He stared into her eyes, using her shock to his advantage. “When your life is in danger, you can’t do whatever you want.”

      Haley pushed away from him. “You know I’m not in danger. This is just so you can feel important.”

      “Just shut up and come on.”

      Haley quickly changed her strategy. Her bellowing was only making him feel superior and when her mother greeted them at the door, she knew playing up his more brutal tendencies would work in her favor and it did. More than her anger at Haley’s attempt to escape, Janet was incensed at Sean’s aggressive grip on her daughter and spent most of the trip back to Haley’s bedroom warning Sean of the repercussions if even the slightest bruise showed up on Haley’s delicate skin. When Haley observed Sean’s mounting frustration, she realized this was much more fun than sneaking out for the night. He was about to explode.

      Janet’s incessant nagging ceased to exist when Sean realized what was before them. Still in the chair outside Haley’s bedroom, Jeff was hunched over and he wasn’t moving. As Sean rushed to him, Haley attempted to follow him but Janet held her back.

      Sean lifted the heavy man’s upper body. He checked for a pulse and felt it faintly before noticing the cup of coffee half spilled on the floor. “Who gave him this?”

      “It had to be Maya,” Janet said.

      “This man was drugged.” Sean reached for his gun, pulling it out of his holster.

      “Haley, don’t.” Janet reached for her daughter, but Haley escaped her grip. She followed her, adrenaline running through her veins. Whatever was happening, she wanted to get her child out of there.

      “There’s no one here.” Sean came out of the bathroom. “We need to search the rest of the house.”

      Haley looked around her room, the hair on the back of her neck standing straight up. She felt the same fear as she had on Jack’s boat. Who had been in here? What had they touched? How had they gotten in? What were they planning to do to her? It was too much. Her knees began to give out on her as she called out to her mother.

      In the minutes after the intrusion, Sean ushered everyone into the kitchen while they waited for the police and ambulance to arrive. With her mother’s arms around her, Haley watched feeling helpless as chaos ensued around her.

      Sean interrogated an anxious Maya even though he didn’t suspect she had anything to do with the drugging. She confessed to making the coffee to help keep Jeff awake, leaving it alone for less than five minutes to chase after Daniel, one of Michael and Kimberly’s twins, who had escaped his bedroom and was traveling the house. Whoever it was had been roaming the house for some time. He had more questions for Jason, who responded with defensive anger toward him and a livid Steven whose yelling was upsetting everyone.

      Michael seemed upset that his and Kimberly’s bathroom sex romp was interrupted more than anything, and Janet’s insistence that Kimberly’s negligence was to blame started an argument that brought Haley to the edge. When she screamed for them all to shut up, the sheer volume caused immediate obedience. Everyone looked at her in a way that made her feel damaged, only angering her more.

      Sean felt a certain sense of compassion for her, but was glad she finally got it.

      Janet looked to her husband. “Steven, I want more police officers here.”

      “Make that possible, Detective.” Steven approached Sean.

      “Mr. Chase…” Sean wanted to head him off. With baseball playoffs for the Dodgers, and Athletics starting, the Kings’ first home game and the Lakers playing the Spurs, there wasn’t going to be a free cop for days.

      Steven leaned in close, his hand firmly but not too aggressively grasping Sean’s elbow. He knew what he was doing. “I know you’ll get it done. What I’m concerned about is now. You saved my daughter’s life.”

      Sean tried to ignore the sense of pride a compliment from a man like Steven Chase brought on. “I caught her sneaking out of the house.”

      “You’re the only one I trust to protect her.”

      Grateful for the ringing of his cell phone, Sean turned away, hoping he hadn’t gotten himself into something he would have to go through hell to get out of.

      “Damn!” Only seconds later, Sean faced the curious crowd. He looked at Haley whose eyes were so wide they made her look like a child. “On the way to the hospital, Jeff had an allergic reaction to whatever was given to him. He went into cardiac arrest. He’s dead.”

      CHAPTER