Chapter 1

Twelve years earlier

His heart racing, Ethan Davies slowed his steps as he neared Zoe’s locker.  Finally stopped a couple lockers away to watch her.  She was shrugging off her jacket, so she was facing away from him.  Finally she got it off, hung it in her locker, then rummaged in her backpack for her books.  Cradling them in one arm, she slammed the locker closed, spun the lock and finally turned around.

She spotted him immediately.  A sign she was as tuned to him as he was to her.  “Hey, Ethan,” she said.  “See you in class later today.  You ready for the test?”

He tapped his fingers, one at a time, on his thigh.  One, two, three, four, five.  Over and over.  Shrugged.  “I guess.”

Zoe grimaced.  “I stayed up way too late studying for it.  Hope it pays off.”  Flashing him a brief smile, she passed him in the hallway and slowed when she neared another guy’s locker.  She smiled at the guy, and the two of them walked down the hall together, talking and laughing.

The guy was too close to Zoe.  His arm was brushing hers.

Rage boiled up inside Ethan as he watched her.  Who was that guy?  Why was Zoe talking to him?  Laughing with him?

Laughing together was their thing.  He told her stupid jokes in coding class, and she told him stupid jokes.  He and Zoe laughed together.  She shouldn’t be laughing at another guy’s jokes.

As he followed Zoe down the hall, the guy she was with tucked her long red hair behind her ear.  Ethan clenched and unclenched his fists.  Tapped furiously on his leg, one, two, three, four, five.  That guy was not allowed to touch Zoe.  Especially not like that.

She belonged to him.  He’d be the only one who touched her.

Ethan loved her long red hair.  He’d been working up the courage to touch it.  To tuck it behind her ear.  That guy had beaten him to it.

Ethan brooded about Zoe and the mystery guy all day.  He didn’t hear a thing in any of his classes.  His mind was filled with the image of that boy-who-wasn’t-Ethan touching Zoe.  If that skinny dweeb kept touching her, Ethan would have to deal with him.

He’d follow that guy home and find out where he lived.  Punish him for touching Zoe.

Or maybe he’d just move up his schedule for taking Zoe.  Making sure she stayed with him forever.

He knew his mother kept a gun hidden in the hall closet.  She’d probably left it there deliberately, in case Ethan needed it.  He’d take it with him in case he needed it when he rescued Zoe.  He wouldn’t shoot anyone.  But he’d make sure no one interfered with him and Zoe.  They were meant to be together.  Always.

He bolted out of English as soon as the bell rang and hurried toward coding class.  Zoe would be coming from the cafeteria, so he wouldn’t run into her on the way.  He hated the fact that she had a different lunch period than him.  He wanted to eat lunch with her.

He wanted to do everything with Zoe.

Soon.  Soon they’d be together.  And they’d never be separated again.

He looked around for the guy she’d been with but didn’t see him.  That guy didn’t matter.  Ethan would go to Zoe’s house tonight.  Tomorrow if his mother was awake and watching television tonight.  He’d wait until his mom was passed out on the couch.  It wouldn’t be long.  She needed her Jack more than she needed anything.  Including Ethan.

Zoe would welcome him when he got to her house.  She’d leave with him, and he’d take her to the place he’d prepared for her.  They’d be happy together, just as they were meant to be.

As he walked into the coding classroom, he headed for the computer he normally used, right next to the one Zoe used.  He slid into the seat and set his books beside Zoe’s computer.  Most people used the same computer every day, but he wanted to make sure no one else sat in Zoe’s spot today.

When she walked into class, he waited for her to reach her desk before he pulled his books away.  She glanced at them and gave him a half-smile.  “You saved my computer for me?”

He shrugged.  “Of course.  You’ve got a feel for it, right?  You know its quirks.”

Zoe slid into the seat beside him.  “Thanks, Ethan.  That was nice of you.”  She pulled some papers out of a folder and studied them, frowning.

He wanted to talk to her, but she was concentrating on her papers.  So he watched her out of the corner of his eye, drinking her in.  Her long, dark red hair was especially curly today.  Like she’d run her fingers through it too many times.  That was a nervous habit of hers.  He’d seen her spear her fingers through her hair while she was concentrating in coding class.

Finally the teacher stood up.  “Put all your papers and notes away,” he said.  His gaze skimmed over the class, focusing on each student.  “I’ve put a coding project on your computers, so open them and begin the test.  Good luck.”

Without looking at Ethan, Zoe opened her computer and logged in.  She studied the problem, then stared into space for a couple minutes.  Then she bent over the keyboard and began typing.

Her fingers flew over the keys, and her bracelet with the little dangly charms clattered as her hand moved.

Finally, reluctantly, he opened his computer and read the project.  Nodded once.  Easy-peasy.  He loved computers and was good at coding.  His boss at the Apple store had told him so more than once.  He’d even suggested that Ethan get a degree in computer science and come back to work full time after he graduated from college.

He might do that.

He glanced over at Zoe.  It all depended on what Zoe wanted to do.  Where she wanted to live.

Ethan began typing, and the jingle of Zoe’s bracelet stopped.  He glanced over and noticed her bracelet sitting on her desk beside her keyboard.

Zoe finished before he did.  Ethan watched her save her work, close her computer and grab her books.  She slid out of her chair and left the room without looking at him.

He was sure she wanted to but didn’t want to distract him.  Zoe was thoughtful like that.

When Ethan finished, he spotted Zoe’s bracelet on her desk.  He picked it up and slid it into his pocket.

She’d left it for him.  He was sure of it.  As a token of her love.  So he’d keep it in his pocket.  Close to him.  A piece of Zoe, tucked away and safe.

Two days later, when his mother was finally passed out on the couch, the empty bottle of Jack Daniels lying on the floor, Ethan carefully dug the gun out from beneath the winter hats and slid it into his pocket.  It was time.  He’d seen that other guy kiss Zoe as they’d left school today.  His blood was still boiling about that.  It couldn’t happen again.

He and Zoe needed to be joined as closely as two people could be.  He belonged to Zoe, and Zoe belonged to him.  She’d left her bracelet for him, hadn’t she?

He tapped his fingers five times on the gun in his pocket, then slipped out the door to the sound of his mother snoring.  Tapped the gun five times again.  He had it just in case that other guy was at Zoe’s house.

He doubted he would be.  Zoe knew Ethan wouldn’t like that.  The weight of the gun felt right in his pocket.  He needed it to protect Zoe.  No one was going to steal her away from him.  She belonged to him.

The Peyton house was completely dark.  Silent.  The door would be locked, but he’d been watching Zoe’s house for several weeks.  He knew where they kept the spare key.  After he retrieved it from the fake rock beneath the porch, he crept onto the porch and fitted the key in the lock.  It turned silently, and he opened the door just wide enough to slip inside.  Then he closed it behind him, slowly enough that he could barely hear the click of the lock engaging.

Zoe’s house was very similar to his, so he knew the bedrooms were on the second floor.  The large bedroom on the right would be her parents’ room.  Zoe’s room would be on the left.  Zoe had an older sister, but Anneliese was away at college.  So only one of the rooms would be occupied.

He was halfway up the stairs when a board squeaked.

Ethan froze, holding his breath.  He didn’t care if he woke Zoe up — he’d be waking her himself in a minute or two.  He just didn’t want to wake her parents.

When he heard nothing after what felt like an hour, he continued up the stairs.  Another board squeaked, and he sucked in a breath.  Should he leave?  Come back another night?

No.  He couldn’t wait.  He’d made all his preparations.  It had to be tonight.  That guy had kissed her today.  He knew Zoe was just as eager to be with him as he was to be with her.  He touched the pocket of his jeans.  He knew she’d be impressed by his planning.  He’d bought condoms for the occasion.  They’d use them when they reached the secret place he’d prepared for them.

As he reached the top of the stairs, the bedroom door on the right opened.  A man with light hair, wearing striped pajamas, stepped out of the room.  He turned and frowned at Ethan.

“Who are you?” the man asked.  “What do you want?”

Zoe’s father.

“I’ve come for Zoe,” Ethan said, standing straighter.  “She wants to be with me.”

Zoe’s father cocked his head.  “What’s your name, son?”

“Ethan.”

“Ethan, Zoe can’t go anywhere with you.  She’s too young.  She has a test tomorrow.  So why don’t you go down those stairs and go home?”  He held up the phone handset gripped in his fist.  “I don’t want to call the police, Ethan.  I’m sure you’re a nice kid.  But Zoe isn’t leaving the house.”

As he was speaking, Zoe’s father had edged over until he stood in front of one of the bedroom doors.  Zoe’s room.

“I can’t leave,” Ethan said, agitation tightening his chest.  His fingers flew over his leg, one, two, three, four, five.  “Zoe wants me.  I have to save her.”  He lifted the gun, his hand shaking as he pointed it at Zoe’s father.  “I don’t want to shoot you.  Move!”

Zoe’s father took a deep breath.  Shook his head.  “I’m not going anywhere, Ethan.”

“I know Zoe must have talked about me.  Told you that we love each other.  That we need to be together.”

Zoe’s father held out his hand.  “Give me the gun, Ethan.  Nothing good comes from waving guns around.  Someone’s going to get hurt.”

Ethan shook his head.  “I can’t.  I need it in case someone tries to stop me and Zoe from leaving.”

“Zoe’s not going to leave with you,” her father said in a hard voice.  “She’s staying right here in our house.”

Ethan’s heart felt as if it would pound out of his chest.  He was not letting another guy claim Zoe.  He’d gotten this far.  He was so close.  Zoe was behind that door.  Just out of reach.  If only this man would go away, he could have Zoe.

Zoe’s father took a step toward him.  Then another.  He was about three feet away when he stopped.  Held out his hand.  “Give me the gun, Ethan.”

Ethan shook his head.  “I can’t do that.”

Behind her father, the bedroom door opened.  Zoe stepped out, wearing a long tee shirt that left her legs bare.  As Ethan stared at her, desire swelled into a giant wave that threatened to drown him.

“What’s going on?” she said.  “Ethan, why are you in my house?  Why do you have a gun?”

Ethan tore his gaze away from her legs.  “I came for you, Zoe, but your father said he won’t let you go.”

“It’s the middle of the night, Ethan,” Zoe said in a quiet voice.  “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

“But we need to be together,” Ethan said, his voice rising.  “I love you, and I know you love me.  We belong together.”

Zoe held his gaze.  “Ethan, give my father the gun and leave.  We’ll talk about this tomorrow.  After school we’ll go to that restaurant you like and talk about it, okay?”

No!  This wasn’t right.  It wasn’t the way it was supposed to be.  Not the way he’d planned it.  Getting more and more desperate, more and more agitated, Ethan tapped his fingers again and shook his head violently.  “No!  You love me!  You’re supposed to want to come with me.”

Zoe’s dad put his hand on Ethan’s shoulder, and Ethan spun around to face him.  He’d forgotten all about Zoe’s father.

“Listen to Zoe, Ethan.  Go home.  You can talk to her tomorrow, all right?”

Ethan turned so he faced Zoe’s father.  He tightened his grip on the gun.

Zoe’s father reached out to take it.  Pulled.

A loud boom sounded, and Zoe’s father stared at him for a moment.  Then he tumbled to the floor.  Blood poured from his chest.

Ethan stared at him, shocked by the blood.

Zoe screamed, “Daddy!  Daddy!”  She dropped to her knees beside him and slapped her hands over the blood gushing out of his chest.  “Mom!  Call an ambulance.”

Ethan turned and bolted down the stairs.  Behind him, he heard Zoe scream, “Daddy!  Wake up!”

Out of the corner of his eye, Ethan saw a woman run out of the bedroom and grab the phone from Zoe’s dad.  She hit some buttons, and Ethan scrabbled for the door. He swung it open and scrambled out as he heard the woman shout, “My husband was just shot by a… by a home invader!  Get an ambulance here.  Hurry!”

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