#Chapter 89: There Won’t Be A Later

Leah’s angry shriek at Samuel has alerted every single danger in the stairwell to our presence, and some in the hallway too. Their thunderous footsteps come closer to us. Samuel uses his body to push Leah and me inside the stairwell. I yank closed the door behind us and turn the inside lock. From somewhere beneath us, padded footsteps start to come up the stairs. Samuel places himself between us and the stairs. “You protected Harper,” Leah continues to hiss, like our lives aren’t in immediate peril. I shush her, but she doesn’t listen. “You went to her like it was your reflex, and left your wife to die. It could be the fear and adrenaline, and perhaps some blood loss, that is making her panic like this. But that panic isn’t helpful right now. Not when her frantic outbursts are just making more trouble for us. “He’s protecting you now so be quiet,” I whisper to her. “So easy for you to say, Harper. You aren’t here about to die knowing your husband won’t put you first.” T