Family Jewels Read Online Free PDF

to do her harm.
    Suddenly hiding in the closet didn’t seem like a good idea. He could trap her in there without any room to fight. She had to get out now. Before he could reach this side of her bedroom, Cynthia burst out from her hiding place and dived into the corner where the golf club rested against the wall. She landed hard on her knees and curled her fingers tightly around the cold, hard metal. Breathing hard, she stood up, ready to swing.
    The man walked in slowly, his steps measured and careful. He trained the light on her face and eyes but wasn’t able to blind her. The penlight he used wasn’t strong enough for that. She saw him clearly when the light flicked away.
    She had to notice everything about him, even the tiniest details. Information was power and you never knew what you could use in your defense.
    Dressed from head to toe in flat black, his body outline was medium height, thin and wiry. Cold, dark eyes glittered from between the slits of the black ski mask that covered his face.
    He chuckled as if her assessment amused him. “Look at you, trying to act so brave.”
    Adrenaline zapped through her veins with an icy rush. She forced the rising bile that spiked up her throat back down. There would be time enough for throwing up later.
    The man flexed his gloved fingers almost as if he anticipated a fight to the death with her. Cynthia’s stomach clenched. She jerked her weapon up higher, drawing upon her determination not to go down without a fight.
    He stood at the foot of her bed, scanning the walls and floors with his penlight. “Where’s the safe?”
    Her mind raced. Don ’ t answer him .
    “I know you have a safe. Tell me where.”
    “Get out!” She tightened her grip on the golf club, fingernails biting into her palms “Get the hell out!”
    He moved forward again, turning the corner around her bed, pinning her in so that no hope for escape remained. She didn’t trust her legs enough to jump up on the bed and run. He’d lunge. He’d catch her…
    “Don’t be stupid, bitch. Just give me the Russian diamond and I’ll leave.”
    How could he know about that? Her mind dizzied with speculation.
    She sucked in a deep breath and caught the cloying, musky scent of his perspiration. In combination with the bitter taste in her mouth, she fought the urge to gag.
    “I have an alarm,” she announced firmly. “The police have already been notified of your break-in.”
    His laughter sounded so evil, it raked her spine with lethal intent. “You have an alarm,” he mimicked with ghoulish delight. “Piece of cake. Now where’s the fuckin’ safe?”
    Cynthia’s gaze automatically sought out the monitoring panel on the wall by the door. That’s why no alarms had gone off, why the panic button didn’t work. He’d bypassed it! Horror rushed into her brain with dizzying speed. She was on her own.
    “Have it your way, then.” He flicked off his tiny penlight. “Guess I’ll just have to work it out of you.”
    A shiny metal object slid out from his sleeve, catching the city lights from her window. He flipped a switchblade open and waved it in the air, letting her have a good look. Cynthia’s heart stopped and then thundered back to life like a galloping wildebeest inside her chest. Even in the dim light of her bedroom, the polished steel gleamed. Sharp, so sharp. Like a surgical blade. She couldn’t believe this was actually happening to her. This sort of thing happened to other people, anonymous faces on TV and in the newspaper.
    Cold reality sank in. He was going to kill her. “I don’t have anything! I swear!”
    “Lying bitch.” His teeth glowed white against the black ski mask. He sliced through the air with that deadly knife and laughed.
    This was it, the moment of truth. She sucked in another deep breath, keeping her eyes on the hand with the knife. If he got close enough, she’d swing the golf club at him with all her might and hopefully break his arm.
    A white streak shot out from