started to sprint after her, but yelling made him turn back.
“Hey! You still owe me for the ride!”
Cursing a blue streak, Jason’s trembling hands retrieved his wallet. He lifted two twenties, balled them up and tossed them at the growling cabbie. “Keep the change!” he shouted as he took off after Sabrina.
Thank God it was the middle of the night. Anyone who saw him chasing her inside might get the wrong idea. Hell, for all he knew, the cabbie might get curious and call the police. Whatever. He’d deal with that later.
Faster than he thought possible, Sabrina took the stairs two at a time. Her legs moved like an athlete’s, the climb to the fourth floor barely a hindrance. By the time he hit the second floor, he was already winded and had no idea how she managed to keep going without slowing.
Forcing down the burn, he kept moving, stumbling on a few steps, but keeping himself upright with a death-grip on the banister. “Sabrina!” It didn’t matter who heard him bellowing in the stairwell now. Laura’s damn words echoed in his thoughts. “Her mind will never come back and stay in the world of reality without them. Get them to her.”
Why did he insist on bringing her home first? He should have gotten those meds.
Somehow made her take them.
Then again, if he had, would she have said Felice’s name? Maybe this way she’d remember what was said in the morning. It was a bitch of a way to think, but desperate times called for desperate measures. He’d never purposefully withhold her medications, but his conscience would have to live with taking advantage of a defenseless woman. Way to be an asshole, but the guilt he’d have to deal with later.
39
Dee Carney
He lost sight of her when she reached the fourth floor. She threw open the stairwell door and ran through the opening, heedless to his cries. He was only twenty seconds behind her, his chest heaving from exertion when he pulled on the handle. For a split second he thought he might have triggered some sort of alarm, because a vibratory boom thundered down the hallway toward him. “Sabrina!” he called over the noise, at once fearful for her.
The sight that greeted him sent goose bumps racing over his flesh. Sabrina pounded on the door of her apartment with double fists, spreading that awful ruckus down the hall, no doubt waking everyone on the floor. She threw her weight into every one of those swings, the force hard enough to probably break her bones against the unyielding metal.
“I need him!” she screamed over and over again.
Who was in that apartment? Who did she cry for with such desperation it made his heart plummet into his stomach?
If he approached her in the same harried state, it would do neither of them any good. Despite every urge to take her and shake her until her teeth rattled, he called down a shower of calm and walked slowly. Struggling to get his breathing under control, Jason tried again. “Sabrina. Look at me.” When she kept up the awful pounding, he tried again. “Sabrina!”
He’d never be able to put words to how he got through, but she stopped to look at him. Tears washed down her face. Red-rimmed eyes stared at him, pleading silently for help.
Like talking to a wounded bird, he kept his voice gentle. “What’s wrong, baby? Let me help you.”
“Who’s in there?” he continued, walking as slowly and smoothly as the tone of his voice. Keeping his eyes above the level of the doorknob she’d apparently not bothered to try, he prayed like hell she’d left the door unlocked. Her keys could be anywhere.
“I’ll help you.”
“I need him,” she whimpered before clamping her hands over her ears. Tears flowed fast and furious now, the sight enough to battle with his own emotions.
Whatever spoke to her, didn’t just speak. There was torture in her stance, in the way she tried to block out the voices.
The gentle click of a doorknob turning came from down the hall. He didn’t turn to face it, but heard
“Hey! You still owe me for the ride!”
Cursing a blue streak, Jason’s trembling hands retrieved his wallet. He lifted two twenties, balled them up and tossed them at the growling cabbie. “Keep the change!” he shouted as he took off after Sabrina.
Thank God it was the middle of the night. Anyone who saw him chasing her inside might get the wrong idea. Hell, for all he knew, the cabbie might get curious and call the police. Whatever. He’d deal with that later.
Faster than he thought possible, Sabrina took the stairs two at a time. Her legs moved like an athlete’s, the climb to the fourth floor barely a hindrance. By the time he hit the second floor, he was already winded and had no idea how she managed to keep going without slowing.
Forcing down the burn, he kept moving, stumbling on a few steps, but keeping himself upright with a death-grip on the banister. “Sabrina!” It didn’t matter who heard him bellowing in the stairwell now. Laura’s damn words echoed in his thoughts. “Her mind will never come back and stay in the world of reality without them. Get them to her.”
Why did he insist on bringing her home first? He should have gotten those meds.
Somehow made her take them.
Then again, if he had, would she have said Felice’s name? Maybe this way she’d remember what was said in the morning. It was a bitch of a way to think, but desperate times called for desperate measures. He’d never purposefully withhold her medications, but his conscience would have to live with taking advantage of a defenseless woman. Way to be an asshole, but the guilt he’d have to deal with later.
39
Dee Carney
He lost sight of her when she reached the fourth floor. She threw open the stairwell door and ran through the opening, heedless to his cries. He was only twenty seconds behind her, his chest heaving from exertion when he pulled on the handle. For a split second he thought he might have triggered some sort of alarm, because a vibratory boom thundered down the hallway toward him. “Sabrina!” he called over the noise, at once fearful for her.
The sight that greeted him sent goose bumps racing over his flesh. Sabrina pounded on the door of her apartment with double fists, spreading that awful ruckus down the hall, no doubt waking everyone on the floor. She threw her weight into every one of those swings, the force hard enough to probably break her bones against the unyielding metal.
“I need him!” she screamed over and over again.
Who was in that apartment? Who did she cry for with such desperation it made his heart plummet into his stomach?
If he approached her in the same harried state, it would do neither of them any good. Despite every urge to take her and shake her until her teeth rattled, he called down a shower of calm and walked slowly. Struggling to get his breathing under control, Jason tried again. “Sabrina. Look at me.” When she kept up the awful pounding, he tried again. “Sabrina!”
He’d never be able to put words to how he got through, but she stopped to look at him. Tears washed down her face. Red-rimmed eyes stared at him, pleading silently for help.
Like talking to a wounded bird, he kept his voice gentle. “What’s wrong, baby? Let me help you.”
“Who’s in there?” he continued, walking as slowly and smoothly as the tone of his voice. Keeping his eyes above the level of the doorknob she’d apparently not bothered to try, he prayed like hell she’d left the door unlocked. Her keys could be anywhere.
“I’ll help you.”
“I need him,” she whimpered before clamping her hands over her ears. Tears flowed fast and furious now, the sight enough to battle with his own emotions.
Whatever spoke to her, didn’t just speak. There was torture in her stance, in the way she tried to block out the voices.
The gentle click of a doorknob turning came from down the hall. He didn’t turn to face it, but heard
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