Chapter 4 - The Intruder in the Hallway
“Maya?” Leo repeated, louder this time, panic spiking through his tone.
The bedroom door, which had been left ajar, swung open another few inches. The shadow of a pair of heavy, mud-caked work boots cut across the light in the hallway—boots that didn't belong to Maya, and definitely didn't belong to a middle school student.
My heart seized. Someone else was in the house.
“Who’s that?” Chloe whimpered, scrambling backward until her small back hit the edge of the bed frame, mere inches from where my face was pressed against the carpet. I could see the frayed hem of her oversized gray sweatpants right beside my left hand.
“Stay back,” Leo hissed, stepping in front of the little girl with a fierce, protective posture that defied his skinny frame.
Heavy, unhurried footsteps padded down the hallway. Each step sounded deliberate, heavy, and entirely unafraid. The intruder wasn't trying to sneak around; they owned the space.
“Well, well, well,” a raspy, deep man’s voice drawled, echoing softly through the open doorway. “Look what the little bird dragged home. Thought you could play house with the suburbanites, did you, kids?”
Blood roared in my ears.
Who is he?
From beneath the bed, my fingers curled into the carpet fibers. My mind raced past the shock of Maya's secret life, past the betrayal, straight into raw, maternal terror. Maya was out in that kitchen with a strange, dangerous man.
“Get out!” Maya’s voice shrieked from the kitchen, fierce and terrified. A plate shattered against the tile floor with an explosive crash. “Get away from us!”
“Shut your mouth, little girl,” the man growled, the sound of a heavy hand striking flesh ringing clearly down the hall.
May you like
Leo didn’t hesitate. Abandoning all caution, the boy bolted toward the bedroom door, intent on rushing into the hallway to help Maya.
“Leo, no!” I whispered fiercely, my hand shooting out from beneath the bed to grab his ankle before he could cross the threshold.
