Behind the Facade Read Online Free PDF Page B

didn’t want to risk unwanted police attention merely by
speeding. Soon enough, he’d arrived at the place he had been heading for and
was pulling into a long, stony driveway flanked by sprawling vegetation and
tall, tired-looking spruce trees. The drive led to a large, modern,
glass-fronted building with a neat, compact garage attached to it which seemed
incongruous in the wild, untamed surroundings. Sean drove around the back of
the house and parked up. He climbed out of the car, locked it and headed
towards the garage.
    He
glanced through the side window, noticing with satisfaction that there was no
vehicle occupying it. He then checked out the house. There were no lights or
sounds emanating from it and it seemed completely deserted but he tried the
doorbell just to be sure. Once he’d established there was no-one home, he used
the key he still had to unlock the door and he disengaged the alarm. He was
pleased to find that neither the alarm code nor the locks had been changed
since he last visited. Something had gone his way at long last.
    Returning
to the car, he released the belt that bound Kate
to the car seat and scooped her into his arms. She wriggled in protest but the
words, “I’ll happily drop you on your arse, if you don’t stay still,” put paid
to this.
    He tried
to minimise the physical contact by carrying her as he would carry some large,
inanimate object and staring straight ahead. However, when he stumbled on a
fallen tree branch she disarmed him by gripping hard on his neck and pulling
her body closer to his. He grimaced inwardly. Why did she have to keep
reminding him that she was not just a bloody troublesome complication but a
human being as well?
      Sean carried her into the
house along a short hallway and up a steep, spiralling flight of wooden stairs.
He entered a bedroom containing twin beds and placed her down on one of them.
With him looming over her she didn’t dare risk any attempt to vacate the bed.
She simply crouched there shivering, waiting for his next move, eyes wide and
skittish. She looked like a survivor of some catastrophe with her dirty, torn
dress and bruised body. He couldn’t leave her like this. He made a decision.
Pulling her towards him by her feet, despite her resistance, he forced her off
the bed yanked her upright and shoved her into the bathroom.
      “Get cleaned up and I’ll get you something to wear.” He stalked
out of the room, glancing at the door on his way out to ensure that there was
no internal lock.
      Katie stood there trying to gather her confused thoughts and
control her battered emotions. As adrenalin coursed through her, her mind
cleared and her gaze travelled desperately around the bathroom, trying to take
in her new surroundings and any opportunities it might offer. The bathroom was
a true sanctuary to femininity. There was everything from pot pourri to soft fluffy towels but nothing that looked
remotely useful.
      She jumped and nearly fell when he strode back into the bathroom
and dropped some items of clothing on to the floor. He frowned at her. “What
are you doing standing there in those rags? Can’t you obey a simple
instruction?”
      She gaped at him. “Get your clothes off and get yourself
showered...or do you need me to stay and help you?” he asked. He lifted an
eyebrow and a smile played on his lips that prompted her to flinch backwards.
He noted her reaction and said “I guess not....but I’ll be just outside the
door if you change your mind.”
      He suddenly paused on his way back out and turned back to her,
any trace of humour wiped from his face. “You have fifteen minutes and then I’m
coming back in, ready or not.”
      Once he’d left again Katie collapsed against the wall, strung
out and dejected. She glanced briefly round the bathroom again, more in hope
than expectation, but there really was nothing it afforded that might help her
situation and whilst she dawdled she was running out of time. She had no