"You bastard," I said addressed to Maria. "You heartless creep."
The others went silent.
Jesper turned off the flashlight and told us it was to save battery, but in reality I think he had had enough. I think we all had. We just wanted it all to be over so we could leave this strange place and never have to see anyone in this room ever again. I kept wondering who could be the father of my child and kept seeing certain traits in her that reminded me of one of the four possible fathers. I had no idea what to do after this, how to handle this news, or if I should even tell her or Michael. It would change so much for her, but at the same time, she deserved to know. I kept thinking that maybe I could get to know who it was before I made my decision. If it was Jacob or Preben, I probably wouldn't tell her since it would only hurt her more, but either Erik or Soren could maybe make a decent father, if she decided to get to know her biological father. After all, Michael hadn't been there for her the last several years and he didn't seem like he wanted that to change, so maybe it would do her good to know there was someone else? But then again, it might also destroy too much for her. It would change so much in the way she looked at herself. And they were all creeps who had done a terrible thing to me. I wasn't exactly liking any of them very much right now.
I might have dozed off for a few minutes, but as I woke up, the lobby had become eerily silent as the storm seemed to have eased off outside and suddenly the lights came back on.
But as they did, I realized that both Maria and Preben were gone. All that was left on the floor where Maria had been was my black leather belt.
54
December 2013
"I HEAR THE AMBULANCE!" It was Line who yelled. She got up, walked to the window, and looked out.
"It can't get past the fallen trees," she said. "Now they're getting out of the van and climbing over the trunks. They're coming!"
I felt relaxed, finally, but couldn't stop thinking about Preben and Maria. Where were they?
"Did anyone see where Maria and Preben went?" I asked.
Soren shook his head. "Who cares?" he said.
"They can kill each other for all I care," Line said. "I just want to get out of here. Oh my God, how I want to get out of here."
"Can't blame you," I said. "I still don't think they should be allowed to kill one another. I think Maria should have a proper trial and a sentence."
I still had the icepick, and I stuck my hand inside my pocket and felt it.
"Besides, Preben needs medical care and he needs to know the paramedics are on their way. I'll go and see if I can find them," I said.
"Do you have a death wish or something?" Soren asked. "I thought it was only in stupid horror movies that the women went off alone and got themselves killed. Let's keep it that way, shall we? I'll come with you."
"Okay," I said and walked towards The Green Room. Let's start in here."
Soren followed me through the door. It was getting lighter now outside as morning approached. I threw a glance around the room.
"No one here," I said. "Let's try next door in The Yellow Room."
I opened the door and walked through.
"It's hard to imagine that less than twenty four hours ago we were sitting in here eating all that delicious food, drinking good wine and thinking we were just here on vacation, huh? Boy, we were in for a surprise," Soren said.
"You can say that again."
"I guess that’s life for you, huh? Filled with strange surprises," he continued.
"They don't all have to be bad," I said. "Let's look in the kitchen."
"It has been awhile since my life offered me any of the good ones, I can tell you that," he said with an awkward chuckle. "To be perfectly honest, I was planning on disappearing after this weekend. Drive to Spain and vanish, start a new life for myself or maybe just kill myself."
"It can't be that bad, can it?" I asked. "I mean you have a family who loves you and will be behind you on anything, don't you?"
"Not this time. I've done something terrible, Emma. Something I can't stay here and face."
I stopped in front of the door leading to the kitchen. "Running never solves anything, Soren. Just remember that."
Soren nodded. We entered the kitchen. "Preben?" I called. I heard a sound. "This way," I said and pulled Soren's shirt.
We reached the freezer room at the end of the kitchen. "It came from behind this door," I said and called: "Preben?"
I pulled the handle and it opened. Inside, I saw a sight I could have lived without seeing. From the ceiling hung Maria with meat hooks pierced through her hands, blood gushing down her arms. She was gagged with a cloth, naked, and very dead. As we came closer, I could tell she had been stabbed with a butcher's knife several times. Pieces of her skin were stripped off of her body the way a butcher cuts off meat from a cow. In the corner of the room, we found Preben. He was sitting with the knife in his hand, trembling and staring at Maria with one wide open eye. The eye with the needle in it was so swollen it was hard to tell it had once looked like the other one. I kneeled in front of him and grabbed the handle of the knife. I pulled it out of his hand and gave it to Soren.
"It's over now, Preben," I said and helped him get up. "You need to see a doctor now."
EPILOGUE
MORTEN CAME ALONG WITH THE kids and my dad to pick me up at the train station in Esbjerg. I don't think I had ever been so happy to see anyone in my life and I threw myself into their arms and hugged them one after another like I had been away for years.
Especially Maya whom I held tight, then stared into her eyes for a long time. I removed some hair from her forehead and kept touching her face wondering if I could see any resemblance to any of the men who were her potential fathers.
"Take it easy, Mom," she said, annoyed. "It's getting a little creepy. Jeez. You've only been gone for two days."
"I know," I said with tears in my voice. "But it seems like you've grown so much while I was gone. You're this little adult all of a sudden. I can't seem to get used to that."
Maya responded with a deep sigh.
"Let me take your bag," Morten said and he pulled it out of my hand. Our eyes locked for a second and I saw the worry in his. After the paramedics arrived and took care of all of us, the police came to take our statements and take in Preben for the murder of Maria. As soon as I had reception back, I called Morten and told him everything. Crying and sulking like a little girl, I told him everything that had happened at the hotel and all about Maya and what they had done to me back then. I told him to never tell anyone. Especially not Maya. I wasn't prepared to tell her anything yet.
"Cross my heart and hope to die," he said.
I told him to never say that again, either.
Now, he kissed me on the cheek and we started walking towards the car. I looked at Victor who, for once, looked back at me through the bangs that were always covering most of his face. The way he looked at me made me feel like he knew everything, but with him, you could never know for sure.
"Mom what happened to your nose?" Maya asked.
I reached up and felt the band aid the nurse had put on when they pulled the needle out. The needle had gone through and would leave a scar on both sides, the doctor at the hospital had told me. But it had done no damage to anything important, so I didn't need to worry. It was all cosmetic. I didn't mind too much. At least I still had both my eyes. That was more than I could say for Line, Preben and Jon. Theirs couldn't be saved and they had to get by with just the one from now on. I felt bad for them for having to live with this for the rest of their lives, but I was just glad I never had to see them again. Soren had taken off as soon as the police arrived. He didn’t say goodbye, but I spotted him running out the back door with his suitcase in his hand and my guess was I wasn't going to see him ever again. Erik was the only one I said goodbye to and I told him that I wasn't ready to forgive just yet, but at some point I might be able to. I told him when that time came I would like for him to take a paternity test to see
if he was the father. I couldn't promise him when it would be, since I needed some time to think this through. But I promised him I’d be in touch.
"I don't deserve it," he had said.
"No one deserves to be a parent," I answered. "But if they are, they deserve to know. So does the child."
I looked at Maya as we walked. She wrinkled her nose at me.
"It looks like you tried to pierce it yourself or something," she continued.
"Well that isn't too far from the truth, sweetheart," I answered.
"That is so lame, Mom. Really. So embarrassing."
THE END
Dear Reader,
Thank you for purchasing Cross Your Heart and Hope to Die. It is the fourth book in my Emma Frost series, so if you haven't read the three previous novels, then get them by following the links below.
Could I please ask you to leave a review on Amazon? That would mean the world to me. If you enjoyed this book, then maybe you'd enjoy my other mystery/horror series as well. It's called the Rebekka Franck series. Just follow the links below to get them.
Maybe you enjoy the horror parts of this book. If so, then you might like some of my horror-stories from Denmark. On the following pages you can read an excerpt from the collection of horror stories that I have written called HORRORSTORIES FROM DENMARK.
Take Care,
Willow Rose
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BOOKS BY THE AUTHOR
MYSTERY/HORROR NOVELS:
ONE, TWO ... HE IS COMING FOR YOU (Rebekka Frank #1) - http://www.amazon.com/One, two ...
THREE, FOUR ... BETTER LOCK YOUR DOOR (Rebekka Frank #2) - http://www.amazon.com/Three, Four ...
FIVE, SIX ... GRAB YOUR CRUCIFIX (Rebekka Frank #3) - http://www.amazon.com/Five, Six ...
SEVEN, EIGHT ... GONNA STAY UP LATE (Rebekka Frank #4) - http://www.amazon.com/Seven, eight ...
ITSY BITSY SPIDER (Emma Frost #1) - http://www.amazon.com/Itsy Bitsy Spider
MISS DOLLY HAD A DOLLY (Emma Frost #2)- http://www.amazon.com/Miss Polly
RUN RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN (Emma Frost #3) - http://www.amazon.com/Run run
EDWINA - http://www.amazon.com/Edwina
HORROR SHORT STORIES:
EENIE, MEENIE - http://www.amazon.com/Eenie, Meenie
ROCK-A-BYE BABY- http://www.amazon.com/Rock-a-bye
NIBBLE, NIBBLE, CRUNCH - http://www.amazon.com/Nibble, Crunch
HUMPTY, DUMPTY - http://www.amazon.com/Humpty, Dumpty
CHAIN LETTER - http://www.amazon.com/Chain Letter
PARANORMAL ROMANCE/SUSPENSE/FANTASY NOVELS:
BEYOND (AFTERLIFE #1) - http://www.amazon.com/Beyond
SERENITY (AFTERLIFE #2) - http://www.amazon.com/Serenity
ENDURANCE (AFTERLIFE #3) - http://www.amazon.com/Endurance
COURAGEOUS (AFTERLIFE #4) - http://www.amazon.com/Courageous
SAVAGE (Daughters of the Jaguar #1) - http://www.amazon.com/Savage
BROKEN (Daughters of the Jaguar #2) - http://www.amazon.com/Broken
A GYPSY SONG (The Wolfboy Chronicles) - http://www.amazon.com/A Gypsy song
I AM WOLF (The Wolfboy Chronicles) - http://www.amazon.com/I am WOLF
BOX SETS:
REBEKKA FRANCK SERIES - http://www.amazon.com/Rebekka Franck
DAUGHTERS OF THE JAGUAR - http://www.amazon.com/Daughtersof the Jaguar
THE AFTERLIFE SERIES - http://www.amazon.com/Afterlife
HORROR STORIES FROM DENMARK - http://www.amazon.com/Horror Stories
THE WOLFBOY CHRONICLES - http://www.amazon.com/THE WOLFBOY CHRONICLES
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
WILLOW ROSE is an international Best-selling author.
She writes Mystery/Suspense/Horror, Paranormal Romance and fantasy. Originally from Denmark she now lives on Florida's Space Coast with her husband and two daughters. She is a huge fan of Stephen King, Anne Rice and Isabel Allende. When she is not writing or reading she enjoys watching the dolphins play in the waves of the Atlantic Ocean. Her books have been downloaded in more than 450.000 copies.
Connect with Willow online:
http://www.willow-rose.blogspot.com/
www.facebook.com/willowredrose
https://twitter.com/madamwillowrose
The following is an excerpt from Willow Rose's newly released HORRORSTORIES FROM DENMARK.
ROCK-A-BYE BABY
1
I'M DOING my Zumba class. I'm sweating heavily while glancing anxiously at the baby carriage on the other side of the window where my princess is sleeping heavily next to all the other babies who have come with their mommies to the Mommy-and-Me Zumba Extraordinaire that the local fitness center in Karrebaeksminde hosts every Monday morning. Monday, naturally, because they know Monday is the day every mom wants to start a new life of exercise and diet. The carriage is not moving. She's still asleep I think relieved while I push myself and dance to the fast rhythms trying hard to sweat off the butt giving birth to my third child has given me.
I'm forty-one, I'm not tired as my mother says I am. I have enough energy to do it all. I know I do.
When I come home, the baby is still sleeping. I eat an organic, low-carb, fat-reduced lunch and drink a smoothie made from beet, spinach, lemon and apple. I drink a skinny-latte afterwards while reading the Zeeland Times. My old friend from high school Rebekka Franck has an article in the paper about a fire in Neastved, the biggest city close to us. I read it feeling good, happy and energized from the exercise and healthy food. I detect a typo in the third line of the article. It annoys me. I pick up my iPhone and call the newspaper to let them know. They tell me that they are very sorry, and that they'll make sure to tell whoever is responsible. I hang up feeling good about myself. If people make a mistake they need to know.
The baby is making sounds, I pick her up and bring her to the changing table. Quiet, cleanliness and regularity those are the keywords to having a baby. I change the diaper and tickle her stomach. Josephine is three months old. I gave birth to her on a Sunday after only three hours of labor. I had a natural birth. No sedatives. Just me and nature. I gave birth in water in my own house. The mid-wife came to help, but I didn't need her much. I didn't even need my husband. Like the two first times I did it by myself. I took control of the birth. It's my body, I told them when they wanted to discuss anesthesia. I told them I found it repulsive that they wanted to sedate me, I told them that women through all times, in all kinds of countries had done this without being sedated, so why shouldn't I?
I am not a natural blond, but I do color it which I'll admit to if asked, but I won't reveal that I recently had a laser-treatment remove the facial hair that is beginning to grow on my chin and upper lip.
My baby is laughing and smiling, but all I see is the weird blemish in her forehead that won’t go away. Strawberry mark, the mid-wife had told me after the baby had arrived and I saw the mark. "It'll eventually disappear on its own." But it hadn't. Not yet. I'm thinking tumor and look it up on the Internet while the baby is in the playpen. An article suggests that scientists don't agree on the subject. In some babies they even keep growing, some parents have them frozen and cut off when the baby is six months old. I consider it. I look up doctors who will do that for me and write their names down. I put the note on top of the other notes, I've made the last week.
I get up and walk to the kitchen. I drink a glass of water, one of eight I have decided to drink every day to make sure I get enough water. The baby is whining, I pick her up and give her my breast. I read a magazine about educating children while my baby drinks her milk. I have breastfed all of my kids till they were more than a year as is recommended by the Danish health department. To give your baby the best start, the flyer from the hospital said.
I read about sibling jealousy and de
cide to spend more time with my older children when they come home from school. I think about my husband and plan to give him a blow-job tonight after reading another article about the difficulties relationships experience once there is a new baby in the house. It's been three weeks since we last had sex, I count by looking in my calendar in the phone where I have marked the last time. It's about time we get intimate for the sake of our marriage.
The baby sucks on my breast and it hurts slightly. Such a precious time, I think to myself. And so brief, when they're all dependent on you and your breasts. I caress my princess' thin hair while I sing to her.
Rock-a-bye baby, on the treetop,
When the wind blows, the cradle will rock,
When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall,
And down will come baby, cradle and all.
2
MY OLDEST daughter is the first to come home. I have just put the baby down for her afternoon nap when I hear the front door open. I jump down the stairs and welcome her as she enters.
"How was your day, sweetie?" I ask.
Amalie throws her bag in the hallway and her jacket on top of it. She gives me a look, walks past me to the kitchen while grumbling "Whatever."
I pick her jacket up from the floor and put it on a hanger. I brush it off lightly and remove a couple of spots with my nail, scratching them off before I put it in the closet. I place her backpack by the foot of the stairs so she can grab it before she runs upstairs to do her homework. I hear her go through the refrigerator and feel my hands shake lightly at the thought of the mess she is about to make. I calm myself down by counting to ten a few times before I brace myself and walk over to her.