Heart of the Woolf (Woolf Series) by Kai Andersen Read Free Book Online

took several more deep breaths and felt her mind calming,
her heartbeat slowing. With it came clarity of thinking. She sat down on the
bed and reviewed their conversation.
    He never actually threatened her. He mentioned the
rose and the puppy, as though taking credit for some kind of brilliant ideas.
    Her lips twisted. Some people sure had warped minds.
    His threats were all implied, subtle digs hidden in his tone
and his words. Like the analogy of the rose and of life, both being
fragile --
    She sucked in a deep breath as understanding dawned.
    -- and at any time, its very existence could be snuffed
out.
    She was in danger. But what possible reason could he have for
wanting to kill her?
    Someone dear to her ...
    David! Oh God; Oh God, David was in danger, too! He could
only be referring to David. Oh God.
    Life snuffed out ...
    Who was this madman?!
    Suddenly, she stilled. How did he know when to call?
His timing was so right she refused to believe it was a coincidence. Could he
be the one following her the last two nights?
    She shivered.
    She had lived with fear every day -- fear of discovery,
fear of having to start all over again in an unknown land -- but nothing
compared to this all-too-real fear that had taken hold in her breast. Fear had
taken on a voice. The coppery taste of dread was strong on her tongue. Her
heart beat in an uncomfortable rhythm. To her surprise, she was sweating, cold
beads of sweat that made her feel clammy.
    The doorbell chimed.
    She started, one hand going to her throat. Her eyes went wide
with terror, and her heartbeat picked up. Through the open doorway of her
bedroom, she stared unseeingly at the entrance to her apartment.
    Could it be him? Come to ... kill her?
     
     
     

Chapter Five
     
    The doorbell chimed again, insistently.
    Sanity returned. Logic forced the fear out. A short burst of
laughter slipped from her lips. Of course it wouldn’t be the killer. What
killer would advertise his arrival?
    But he hadn’t proved the normal sort of killer, with his
cunning and subtlety. He wasn’t a man to get what he wanted through brute
force. But what if he had changed his tactics to catch her off-guard? What
then?
    Adrienne’s head ached from trying to second-guess her
tormentor’s motives.
    She needed to answer the door. Yes, if she could get her feet
to move.
    The doorbell chimed for the third time.
    All right, Adrienne. Be logical. There’s a peephole,
right? You look through the peephole and see who’s there. If it’s not someone
you know, you don’t open the door.
    Reassured by the practicality of her own thoughts, Adrienne finally
forced herself to her feet and walked toward the door. She peered through the
small mirrored hole. Shocked, she involuntarily turned the knob. “What are you
doing here?!”
    Jake’s hunky body was illuminated by the bright light in the
corridor. He started to smile, but it faded before it could reach full bloom.
“What happened, Adrienne? Why are you so pale?”
    Relief at seeing a familiar face brought a genuine,
unfettered smile to her face. That it was Jake caused her heart to beat in
triple time. “Everything’s fine, Jake. I was just surprised to see you. What
brings you out so late at night?”
    “I thought you’d be up later than usual preparing for the
presentation, so I brought you some authentic local food --” With a
sheepish grin, he held up a paper bag. “-- for your pre-midnight snack.”
    “Really?” Not even for one moment did she think to hide
behind her usual tough exterior. Her voice was high with curiosity. “What did
you bring?”
    “Some puto and cassava cakes.”
    “Oooh! How did you know I love those steamed cakes -- puto, right?” She knew she sounded like a little girl being handed a most coveted
prize, but she didn’t care. “Do they have those salted duck eggs on top?”
    He grinned. “Yes, and some others with cheese.”
    “Great!” She grinned back. “This definitely earns you the
right to