The Anniversary: A completely addictive psychological thriller with a jaw-dropping twist by Cole Baxter

Author:Cole Baxter [Baxter, Cole]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bookouture
Published: 2024-04-19T00:00:00+00:00

TWENTY-ONE

Catherine’s heart raced as she watched the house burn from her upside-down position. There were few flames visible now they were outside, and the smoke billowing from the broken windows had an eerie quality, more like a thick fog than the raging fire she had expected. She could barely see through her swollen eyes, but she tried to discern any movement within the smoke. She felt an odd sense of hope when she thought of Tom lying unconscious in the house. Would he escape the encroaching threat?

Her mind raced through scenarios, and a growing feeling of desperation gnawed at her. She was terrified that she was in the middle of a nightmare, and none of this was real. But the scent of burnt wood and something acrid hanging in the air as the person carrying her hurried across the street was too real a smell for this to be a dream.

Catherine soon saw she’d been carried to a beat-up, familiar van parked at the curb. Its paint was chipped, and the front was sporting a massive dent in the fender. There was also a large crack in the windshield. Catherine relaxed as she realized it was Jessica who had rescued her.

Moments later, Jessica flung open the back of the van and set Catherine down on the floor. As she hopped into the back next to her, Catherine felt a sense of hesitation once again. Trust was a fragile thing, and Jessica’s erratic behavior in the past had left her guarded. But curiosity mingled with her wariness, and she cautiously accepted the safety of the van. With a deep breath, she pushed herself up into a sitting position. Jessica pulled the door closed, sealing them within the cozy confines of the van.

“Are you hurt?” Jessica’s voice was softer now, concern clear in her pale blue eyes as they met Catherine’s. Then she snorted and said, “Of course you are, just look at you. What I mean is, did the smoke mess with you? Can you breathe okay? Do I need to take you to the hospital?”

Catherine hadn’t forgotten about the beatings or the aches and pains she felt. However, she focused on taking a few breaths, not deep ones, since her previously broken ribs seemed to be fractured once more. “I can breathe okay. And I don’t want to go to the hospital. They’ll just call Tom,” she whispered.

Jessica nodded, her expression gentle. “Right. Well, let me look at you.” She pulled over a green bag and started digging in it. “I was an army medic, so I have some skill dealing with injuries.” She shook her head as she began cleaning some of the cuts on Catherine’s face with antiseptic. “Your eyes are probably going to be black for a while, but we can get the swelling down. Here.”

Catherine took the ice pack Jessica offered her.

“Hold it here.” She adjusted Catherine’s hold on the pack. “I’m going to undo your blouse and take a look at your ribs.”

Unfastening the buttons, Jessica inspected her, gently pushing on the ribs that Catherine knew had to be discolored.

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